Theme: Gathering pieces

Who are we?
We are a group of Birzeit University students. We share a passion for spreading creative and creative ideas in the Palestinian society to bring about positive change in society. We will highlight inspiring and creative Palestinian stories. We aspire to spread creative ideas by creating space for creative spirit, inspirational ideas and stories in any field. , Technology, design, philosophy ...) We aspire to be present to raise a positive and inspiring image of Palestinian life and creativity away from any political dimensions.

What is the event name? and What does it mean?
Because Birzeit University has students, teachers, and staff from all over Palestine, and because Birzeit is a group of many pieces of us, we all decided to get a group of individuals and creative people from all over the country and bring them together at the first TEDxBZU conference at Birzeit University. Therefore, the event theme this year is "Gathering Pieces"

Who are the speakers?
Speakers of TEDx BZU are a group of members of the Palestinian community from different backgrounds and regions, who speak in various ideas and innovations, which will be announced here soon.

Target?
We hope that one of our speakers will speak at the TED conference, which is held every year. We also seek creative ideas to reach the TED global audience. And we hope This branch of students will continue to hold an annual conference at Birzeit University.

Naseeb Shaheen Auditorium - Birzeit University
Al - Sahel Street
Bir Zayt, Ramallah, 71939
Palestine

Anas AlKhatib

Architecture student at Birzeit University

Anas Al-Khatib, he is the head of the architectural club. He is the son of a Palestinian refugee family from the village of Beit Atab in the Jerusalem. He lives in Deheisheh camp. And he is a volunteer with the GEB. His speech revolves around camp architecture, the daily experiences that have made everyone the change makers, and how refugee camps have become the embodiment of temporary architecture. In his speech, Anas seeks to inform people of the impact of architecture on the personal life and the impact of architectural spaces on the personality of its inhabitants. How people treat these spaces by contrasting the small details, the wall of the house and the multitude of pictures affixed to it, the buoy of reservoirs and the running water in the streets. Creating the stadium whether it is the street, the mountain or even the car's garage, reverse the personal experiences, take the positive aspects and how to deal with those difficult tasks or spaces are not available.

Asmaa Al Sharabati

University Lecturer

Asmaa Al Sharabati, a University Lecturer, Trainer in Self Developing Skills, and Ph.D. Student at Birzeit University. Asmaa's Speech will focus mainly on the absence of Thinking Skills in the life of the Palestinian children and students, especially in the Palestinian institutions and schools. So what are the main negative effects of this absence? and how to overcome these problems? She will design this speech through her experiences as a Palestinian student in the past and through her experience as a trainer and a teacher right now.

Eman Shannan

An activist in the field of Care for Women Cancer patients.

Eman KH Shannan, is one of the most active women in the field of Care for cancer patients at the local and Arab levels. She is Resident in Gaza City. She established a Program of help and hope to care for cancer female patients in 2008 as a survivor, until it was transformed into an institution to help cancer-stricken women, especially poor women in Gaza, by facilitating treatment and travel, providing psychological care and raising their life skills and leadership. She has worked for 15 years in various managerial positions with many civil society organizations and in various development sectors, especially the women's sector. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Translation & Interpreting from the American University in Cairo, and holds many training courses in various fields. Shannan will share her story as a cancer survivor and aiding many women in Gaza from cancer. As we know each story of two sides and Eman lived both sides of the story and loved to share her inspiring story

Marwan Tarazi

Director of the Center for Continuing Education at Birzeit University.

He firmly believes that only through good education and effective youth empowerment and entrepreneurship can the region create a workforce prepared for the future of work and a society able to stand up in the face the enormous challenges facing the region, and this can only be achieved through innovation and creative solutions. In his talk, he will highlight the challenges and obstacles facing Palestinian and Arab educational systems and present an indigenous educational model designed by Birzeit University and implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Education called the Experiential Learning Objects (xLOBs). It is one of the only available initiatives to leapfrog educational systems in the Arab World. Good and relevant education is the most fundamental requirement for uplifting the Arab World from the economic, political and social breakdown the region is facing.

Najeeb Aqel

Computer engineering and American Studies at An-Najah National University.

Najeeb Aqel, He Participated in more than 20 conferences and workshops organized by world-class institutions and universities in more than 15 different countries representing the Palestinian youth. He’s been the ambassador of several global initiatives and competitions where he got the best ambassador award for the middle east region. What does make you special?, how do you differentiate yourself from all the other humans and the living creatures on the planet?, how do we measure success?, what does make you so unique despite the fact that all of your actions and achievements are the result of the human mind which can be recreated by any other human being? Najeeb's speech will try to answer all of these questions following the untraditional path of time traveling that was first introduced by Stephen Hawking, emphasizing on the fact that each atom in this universe is unique by the relationships it had with all the other atoms and the impact it left in their life spans.

Nedaa Bassoumi

Media and Journalism student at Birzeit University.

Nedaa Bassoumi, a Media and Journalism student at Birzeit University, she's a blogger, editor and content writer and also works on social media pages management. The main idea of her speech: Whatever is the rate of unemployment in your specialization, you are the one who makes your presence in the labor market, just be filled with passion. Despite the fact that unemployment in the fields of Media and Journalism is 50%. Although 80% of the female graduates of the Media and Journalism suffer from unemployment, Nedaa was able to find work in her third year of studying and in three different media institutions.

Rawan Damen

CEO and founder of Stream Media Consultancy.

Rawan Damen, a filmmaker and media consultant. CEO and founder of Stream Media Consultancy directed and produced 25 documentaries and commissioned 250 documentaries. Got the Media Creativity Award from Arab Thought Foundation in Beirut in 2015. Got her MA from Leeds University, UK with distinction in 2003 and her BA (Honours) from Birzeit University, Palestine in 2001. Rawan will talk about her experience in teamwork in 40 countries she worked in around the world. Teamwork. What does it mean to work in the media sector? It means to work as a team. What makes your media work as a team different? What are the challenges in working as a team, and how can you succeed in leading a team, especially as a woman in the Arab World. And does it differ working around the world, where she worked in 40 countries around the world?

Sara Khatib

Political Science and International Relations student at Birzeit University.

Sara Khatib, a first-year student in Birzeit University that is motivated to participate in voluntary work and interested in the world's constantly changing events which lead to her choosing Political Science and International Relations as a field of study... To test the theoretical aspects learned in class she participated in various Model European Union stimulations, the last was in Brussels, Capital of Europe. During these events, she gained and shared a lot through debating topics with people from different backgrounds. Sara's speech will be primarily sharing a different way, earned from personal experience, to look at the world and its events -big or small- in an attempt to understand the other.

Tala Al-Sharif

Palestinian journalist

Tala Al-Sharif Journalist & Founder of Female Chimera's platform 23 years Palestinian journalist from Hebron, she got her BA Degree in TV and radio broadcasting from Birzeit University in 2017, and she is doing her MA Degree in journalism and new media at Jordan media institute. In 2018 Tala established the first media platform for women in Hebron named Female chimeras” to give females in Palestine the chance to speak up for their accomplishments and challenges, allowing the world to see the inspirational voices of Palestine, through audio and visual stories. Tala’s vision is to reach out individuals who are troubled and in the need of feeling understood, she found out media to be an ultimate incubator that transforms the stereotypes and misconceptions regarding Palestinian females into inspirational and valuable expressions as well as the most effective way to influence change. Due to that, she derives her passion for youth especially women’s empowerment in media filed.

Yara Naser

Computer Engineering student at Birzeit University.

Yara Naser, a 3rd-year Computer Engineering student at Birzeit University, A survivor of a serious eating disorder #Anorexia, she has a problem with beauty standards and seeks to spread awareness on self-acceptance and body positivity. She will talk about her personal experience with anorexia, and how she managed to beat it.