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TED x Shekou Street 2022 Annual Conference | WE BELIEVE
October 29, 2022 All day
Why do we determine to use “WeBelieve” as this year’s theme? Since the first half of this year has witnessed the relentless pandemic engendering so much bewilderment, anxiety, and emotional insecurity among us. From unstable international landscape, corporate layoffs to recurring local Covid-19 cases suggested that crises in politics, economy and society are intertwined. people felt that 2022 is the “coldest” year they have ever met. However, during these uncertain times, One thing is sure that people ought to ask themselves: What do I really believe in? (the more uncertain times get, the more necessary people should ask themselves).
Believe that I am connected with the world.
It is human nature to pine for a sense of belonging.
If not for this pandemic, we wouldn’t have realized that the ordinary people around us are so powerful.
To name a few, Transportation driver Yang Yongsheng drove his truck from Hefei, Anhui province to support Shanghai during the lockdown. Because the pandemic get better in June and work commitments, he left with his team before taking a close look at The Oriental Pearl Tower.
Liu Chao from Hubei province has been hauling goods and bustling on empty roads in Shanghai, working day in and day out from March to April.
People from other provinces made contributions to support Shanghai. From mid-April to June 1, Jingdong staffs have called 8000 times to local users, delivered over 10 thousand parcels, and taken 300 nucleic acid tests and Covid-19 antigen testings.
They didn’t think what they did are something different. They are just doing their jobs since they couldn’t become health workers to heal the wounded and rescue the dying.
A group of ordinary people achieved their own accomplishments. Just as a line from the movie All Ears goes: every ordinary person should be respected and everyone is the leading character in their own life.
Everyone has at least one dream, one reason to be strong. If there is nowhere for our soul, we could just be roving all around.
Believe that life will be illuminated.
A documentary portrays the Chinese countryside, talking about the re-affirmation of the here and now and the future. Self-Portrait: A 47km Fairytale won the Mecenat Award for Best Documentary at the 26th Busan International Film Festival in 2021. Director Zhang Mengqi reflects after the award.
“Why is the film called “Fairytale”? It was a special year for me, a reboot, a reaffirmation of the here and now and the future” What is a fairy tale? The definition of a fairy tale in Fairy Tales is not a fictional illusion, not a little dose of happiness, not exuberant positive energy, but a “discovery” in reality, which is an ability that everyone possesses, both in children and adults. even if their fairy tales have been disproved by reality. Fairy tale still represents a belief that life will be illuminated. For example, in the midst of the epidemic, people are convinced that things will pass and the good old days would come back. people can travel around the world again, watch the sunrise and the moon set, feel the vagaries of the seasons, inhale different kinds of scents and experience the warmth in the world. You see, There being many wonderful things in life awaits us.
Believe that scientific and technological innovation strengthens hard-core power
The past three years have dusted off a different story for everyone. Unprecedented change post a real challenge to every individual and organization in terms of cognition, adaption, and resilience. At the beginning of 2022, Li Haiyong and his KFIAQ Environment have made great strides in the air purification industry. Firstly, They became the first partners with Huawei HarmonyOS, creating a car air intelligent system. their sterile equipments for cars are available on the Huawei Mall; Secondly, KFIAQ Environment provides the overall air disinfection and purification solutions for competition venues in the Beijing Winter Olympics. Li Haiyong said: KFIAQ has been working in the field of air purification for decades, upholding the philosophy of protecting human respiratory safety through technology. After 3 years of starting the business, The company faced the dilemma of investing nearly 20 million yuan in research and development, but received not a penny of income. I was in a panic, but I would never give up. Because I believe in technological innovation, the pursuit of excellence and humanistic care which are the cornerstone of the company. In the midst of the turmoil, we must ask ourselves two questions: Do you still believe that technology is the main driving force in the world? and regardless of de-globalization, the world’s best products and technologies must be needed by people around the world, even if the process is going to be much more tortuous and lengthy than expected ?” Today, China has entered a new stage in terms of society entrepreneurship and investment. Gone are the opportunities to rely on model innovation alone and to see immediate results in a year or two. Instead of being anxious and unsettled, it is better to settle down and make steady progress with technological innovation. In any case, for China’s mammoth economy, mastering core technologies and having a solid science and innovation system is an irreversible path. For technology entrepreneurs like Li Haiyong, behind their glory and dreams, is their persistence and belief that changes the world.
Believe that knowledge can offer us a new leaf.
When college entrance exams have just ended this year, A rumor of the examination result from Huaping Girls’ High School is all over the internet, although it has been denied as it is the result of 2020. But most people still believe it, just because it’s Zhang Guimei and the Huaping Girls’ High School she founded.2008 has witnessed the establishment of the first free all-girls high school In China, Huaping Girls’ High School. Zhang Guimei’s was hopping to lift girls living in mountains out of poverty and ignorance. For 14 years, more than 1900 poor girls in the mountains enter into colleges from Zhejiang University, Wuhan University, Sichuan University, Xiamen University and so on. The acceptance rate of first batch of universitiesranked first in the city of Lijiang for years. In June 2022, it has been the 12th time that she send students to the exam site. It is also her last duty to accompany them leaving the mountain. “ go forward, don’t look back,” she told them, wishing those girls have a promising future. She believes that the poverty passed from generation to generation can be broken, and the girls can change their own destinies by learning.She is a precious paragon of women, exhibits an idealism that shines into reality in a barren land.It has only been a hundred years since women gained the right to education, but Zhang Guimei has already devoted half her life to women’s education.Her busy and tortuous life has changed the fate of women next generation in a land.In 2021, she was written into the Brief History of the People’s Republic of China.
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Through these stories, we see setbacks, and at the same time learn the conviction to overcome them.
We see challenges, and at the same time learn the courage to brace for them.
We see difficulties, and at the same time learn the wisdom to get out of them.
That means globalization is unstoppable and there is always a solution and the world is bound to be better.
Of course, there are enormous barriers and obstacles along the way. But if we overcome it, we can move forward just as changes in society and updates of technology.
One hundred years ago, Liang Ji, the father of Liang Shuming, a master of ancient Chinese civilization, asked him when he was 25, “Has man a future?”
Liang Shuming answered “I believe the world is changing for better.”
One hundred years later, in the face of 2022 — a year of uncertainty, people pose the same question that has man a future?
Of course, the world will be better.
Because of people like you and me who deal with difficulties.
When one has the “strength to believe”, he will gain more energy and reap better results.
You will meet with what you believe.
TED x Shekou Street 2022 Annual Conference | WE BELIEVE
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