Theme: What if...?

Our inaugural TEDxYouth event introduces ten student speakers from grades 8-12, each one speaking very passionately about a chosen topic and relating it to 'What if...?'

Tashkent International School
38 Sarakulskaya Street
Tashkent, Toshkent, 100005
Uzbekistan

Abdulaziz Sharopov

Student

Abdulaziz Sharopov is a 17 year old student who spent most of his early years in the suburbs of New Jersey, USA but now lives in his hometown of Tashkent, Uzbekistan. He has a restless spirit which has led him to organize numerous events, competitions and conferences at local, national and international levels, holding roles such as Head of PR Marketing for the ‘Young Leaders Development Project’, Secretary General of ALWIUT MUN and Chairperson at the International Youth Summit of 2018. “I’m passionate about psychology and diplomacy. I hope to apply the knowledge I gain from these fields in the future, maybe as a diplomat or marketer.” Abdulaziz lives by the words of Edward Murrow (1954), who stated, “We will not walk in fear, for we are not born from fearful men.” With this, Abdulaziz directs his TED talk towards the idea of the absence of fear. In "What If Fear Didn’t Exist?" he will touch upon fear sensors, measurements for pain and the concept of worrying less.

Bekhruz Abdurakhmonov

Student

I am Bekhruz, from Tashkent, Uzbekistan. I am fluent in both Russian and English. Some things I enjoy include sports, reading science-fiction, cooking, fishkeeping, and aquascaping. Recently I have found my passion lies in helping people, whether it be emotional or physical support, voluntary work or something that requires extensive commitment. I always find pleasure in helping people which is what drew me to TEDxYouth. A lot of teenagers and adults suffer from depression, with many people trying to to escape from their problems and negative emotions. Having been in the same boat and witnessed many others there, I realized that running away from your problems does not in fact make them go away, rather they come back as a tidal wave. It’s always better to push through adversity, as that is how we can grow. I decided to use this opportunity and my very personal experience to help people push through depression and negativity to stand up and fight, to stop running from feelings.

Chemin Song

Student

Hi, my name is Chemin. I’m 18 years old and I’m from South Korea. I came to Uzbekistan three years ago. My first language is Korean and my hobbies include listening to music, singing and going to good dessert cafés. I am not sure what I am passionate about, but I I tried out for TEDxYouth because I wanted to share my experiences and difficulties of attending an international school with an audience. I thought sharing this idea with an audience would be interesting and helpful to students who are also experiencing the same dilemma as me. In my international school, I have been exposed to many different cultures and met diverse ethnic groups, and the school always emphasized that we be internationally minded. By sharing my own experiences, I hope I can raise awareness of issues relating to this.

Evie Buckman

Student

My name is Evie and I’m from England. I have lived in Uzbekistan for 8 years and started at TIS in first grade. My first language is English but I have been studying Russian since I came here, so I can speak it confidently. Things I like to do include playing sports, specifically cross country and basketball. I tried out for TEDxYouth because I have a lot to say. I have opinions on everything and most of them are very passionate and important to me. Writing a speech on something important to me is a great way to channel and express those strong opinions. I also believe being at an international school is an amazing opportunity. There are so many things I have access to and so many things I can do to make a difference because of TIS, so to not take an opportunity seems like a waste. It wouldn't be making the most of my opportunities.

Fatima Djalalova

Student

My name is Fatima and I am from Tashkent, Uzbekistan. I spend most of my free time reading literature, and writing stories, poetry and book reviews for my blog (instagram.com/fatimareviews and fatimerviews.wordpress.com). I am fluent in Russian and English, because I was taught in these languages at school. Wishing to read German authors in the original, I also started learning German three years ago. Currently I am focused on improving my proficiency in Uzbek since studying at an international school made me realize the importance of speaking my mother tongue. Being passionate about languages, I decided to give a talk that would emphasize the role of languages in shaping our identity and community by inviting listeners to explore what is lost with the death of languages. That is why my talk is titled 'What if English Was the Only Language?' I hope my talk will unite all of us in celebrating the beauty of linguistic diversity!

Jeet Vijaywargi

Student

Hi! My name is Jeet. I am originally from India, but I have been brought up in Uzbekistan from a very early age. I am proficient in Hindi, English, and Russian. I have lived in Uzbekistan for about 14 years. I enjoy learning about new technology, programming, playing piano, guitar, and also video games. I am very enthusiastic about turning my ideas into reality and making a difference in the world. I tried out for TEDxYouth because I believe imparting knowledge is one of the most important things you can do as a person to help us as a big community. I often find myself learning new ideas or hitting upon something interesting when sharing ideas and discussing them with someone else. I will talk about a very intriguing topic known as “infinity” and allow listeners to understand my perspective of infinity, and hopefully motivate a scientist to develop new theories based on my ideas, or get a student enthusiastic about science. However, all in all, I want to make a difference.

Laylo Juraeva

Student

Hey! My name is Laylo and I’m originally from Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Whereas Uzbek is my mother language I’m also fluent in Russian and English. I am passionate about composing music, singing and playing piano. I tried out for TEDxYouth because I have a message that I always wanted to share with other people. I want to share a series of short personal stories that have shaped my personal understanding of women’s role in the local society. I tried out for TEDxYouth because I didn’t want to give up such a great opportunity to express my thoughts and ideas about what it is like to be an Uzbek female. This topic is very sensitive for me and I'm glad that I found enough strength to share it with others. I think the my idea is worth of spreading because it links to the theme of gender roles that is being discussed all over the world.

Maryam Badghisi

Student

My name is Maryam. I'm Afghan - specifically, a mixture of Pashto and Turkmen, although I've lived my whole life in Uzbekistan. I am passionate about becoming more environmentally sustainable and helping others to do so as well. My hobbies include drawing, reading and running. I tried out for TEDxYouth because a TED talk was what ignited my interest in environmental sustainability, a topic that I became passionate about and started researching. I chose to try out for TEDxYouth because I wanted to show others how people use materials like plastic and cotton, with the hope of passing on that spark that I got from the talk that inspired me. Hopefully this will inspire more and more people to do their own research and act upon what they learn. My TED Talk is about challenging the perception that products such as plastic are to blame for their impact. This is important to realize, as it is our actions that make the greatest impact on the environment, not what materials we use.

Oscar Turner

Student

Hi, my name is Oscar, I’m Australian-British but have lived the majority of my life in France. I’m fluent in both English and French and am attempting to learn Russian. I came to Uzbekistan a year and half ago. I enjoy reading, playing music, and running. I’m not sure what I’m passionate about yet, but I hope to figure it out soon. I tried out for TEDx because I think it is an opportunity to look for my passion and share an interesting idea that people should hear about. In my speech, I try to make the listeners reflect on themselves, and start to think about what makes someone happy. Is it success? Popularity? Wealth? Or is it something more personal? Maybe a mindset? Or ideals? I try to analyse social norms and make the audience look at them from a different perspective. I think that every person should be able to make up their own mind about their happiness, be themselves, and not fall into the already overcrowded dark pit of self-absorption that most of us live in today.

Zoe Turner

Student

I am Zoe. I am 14, and from the UK and Australia, but I lived in France and Jordan. My mother tongue is English, I am fluent in French, learnt Spanish, and I’m learning Russian. I moved to Uzbekistan in 2017. My talk is, ‘What if privileged people had no rights and comfort?’ I think it’s very easy to take privileges and rights for granted, especially if you had a good life. I am passionate about this topic as it is sad to see people, particularly my generation, get bored discussing human rights. So, I’m trying to show this idea in a new light. No human rights means no freedom to do the things we take for granted, especially if we lived with privilege. We have freedom to challenge authority, express our views, press for changes so that the world is a better place now and for the future. This isn’t possible everywhere, especially for young people, and especially for young women. I want to spread ideas, make changes and challenge complacency. I hope you get inspired to take action.