FREDtalks.Conference
FREDtalks.
ABOUTus.
The FREDtalks Conference is inspired by Greater Fredericton Social Innovation's Great Gathering and TEDx speakers series events. This Conference is a joint effort of the Fredericton Free Skool program, ecoFredericton Sustainable Living Inc., and York Resilient consulting services, as well as several partner and sponsor organizations from around the Fredericton area.
In keeping with the traditions that inspired this event series, FREDtalks stands for Futurism, Resilience, Education, and Design talks - a series of 20 to 40 minute presentations (some with multimedia elements), which focus on positive and innovative responses to issues of global and local concern.
The mission of FREDtalks is to explore and develop ideas related to futurism - which is the relationship between society and technology, resilience - the ability of a system (ie: a city) to resist or rebound from sudden changes, education - in practical and emerging technologies and trades, and design - such as walkable and mixed-use neighborhoods and cradle-to-cradle production cycles.
The goal of all FREDtalks events and programs is to allow the general public to share their ideas and strategies for the future with a general audience, in an effort to help our city and province become more resilient and prosperous.
FREDtalks is an explicitly democratic and open-source model, with speakers from a wide variety of backgrounds and professions. These talks are intended to offer people of all walks of life the opportunity to share their vision of social, economic, and technological innovation.
Events - Our first series of talks will take place on Saturday, February 21st, 2015 (from 10 am until 8 pm), and will feature talks on possible paradigm shifts and solutions related to the broad issues of "peak oil", "climate change", and "economic decline" - with a focus on opportunities and resources within Fredericton and from around the province. A second, follow-up event will take place in August of 2015.
Programs - Ongoing programs will be announced at the end of the FREDtalks Conference. To get all the details and be eligible to participate, you must attend.
If you have a world changing idea, FREDtalks is the way for you to share that idea with those who can help make it happen. Register, read, or watch to learn more - or contact us directly by email.
FREDtalks is a Fredericton Free Skool educational event, and is affiliated with ecoFredericton Sustainable Living Inc., a local non-profit organization, and York Resilient, the Fredericton area chapter of the Resilient Enterprise network.
Futurism (or future studies) is the interdisciplinary science of modeling probable or preferable futures. In the same way that history models the past, futurism uses established and emerging trends to predict future scenarios. Unlike the physical sciences, where the scientific method is applied very narrowly, futurism incorporates as many factors available in an effort to create the most accurate and detailed forecast possible. Futurism is about placing oneself ahead of the curve and making the most of what comes next.
Resilience is the ability to recover from or resist sudden catastrophic changes. A resilient community is one that has reduced its dependence on oil and oil byproducts, developed infrastructure that offsets changing climate and weather patterns, and created localized means of commerce, production, and supply. A resilient business (or economy) is one that can adapt to new circumstances with minimal disruption of goods and services, that has a decentralized means of supply and exchange, and is democratic, ethical, and entrepreneurial in its management and operation.
Education needn't be limited to our academic institutions. By developing systems of apprenticeship and skill-sharing, a community can leverage its collective experience to achieve any goal. With the changing climate of energy, information, and transportation technologies, today's youth must be prepared for tomorrow's careers and circumstances. Colleges and universities are already seeking out free-thinking and self-taught individuals, while many corporations prefer to work with outside contractors and entrepreneurs to meet a mutually and socially beneficial triple bottom line.
Design is not just about fashion or aesthetics, or even our built environment. Every product and system we interact with on a daily basis is the result of design decisions. The growing field of biomimetic or regenerative design looks to nature for solutions to our social and technical problems. From bridges based on the structure of spider-webs and computers that replicate the human brain, to basing our economic systems on the energy flows of a diverse rainforest ecosystem, design can change the world in the most fundamental ways.
The original FREDtalk (singular) event poster from 2013.