"Democracy is more fun and inviting when you take it into your own hands," says creator and activist Sofia Ongele. Sharing how she's using coding and social media to defend democracy, Ongele invites us to identify our own creative superpowers — whether it's community organizing, making music or telling stories — and use them to cause a ruckus and bring movements to life.
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[00:03:06] caused by too many streaming services. insights changing the medical world, like what a smart bra means for better heart health, three ways to prepare for the next pandemic, and how we can all live healthier lives. Find TED Health wherever you listen to podcasts. Four years ago yesterday, there was a shooting
[00:04:20] at my younger sister, Jenny's high school, Saugus High
[00:04:24] School in Santa Clarita, California.
[00:04:26] Jenny was lucky enough to see kids running when she was that we have had to witness time and time again speaks to a larger issue about democracy. Like many people in the face of tragedy, I wanted to do something. And to do something, to truly participate in democracy, we have to acknowledge that injustice is cyclical and that any fight of a neighbor is the fight of our own.
[00:05:42] But how do we, wherever we may be,
[00:05:44] with whatever tools we have, fight that fight? whatever is in front of me, really tuning in to my networks and communities, meeting people where they're at, and centering joy and fun wherever I can. And it works. Let me explain. In the case of this school shooting, the parents of Gracie Milburger and Dominic Blackwell began a push to have the two of them memorialized at the entrance of our Central Park.
[00:07:03] To me, and much of my community, and finally get a win just for it to be rendered fruitless by a vocal minority with fancy titles? I had. So I got to work. I found an email address where people could send public comments on agenda items and code a tool where people could just put in their name, affiliation, anything else they wanted to send. A randomly generated email would be created. All they had to do was push send. I finished it like 15 minutes before the deadline. It was one
[00:09:42] of the ugliest websites I had ever made. I wanted there to be an easy, fun, community-oriented way
[00:11:03] to get this tip line taken down as soon as possible. So I coded a tool that allowed people to send song lyrics
[00:11:07] and lines from the B-movie, the tip line was quietly officially shut down. Didn't even last a year. Because of the skills of a few, the platforms of many, and the will of hundreds of thousands of meddling kids unified in our intolerance of injustice, we were far more powerful than
[00:12:20] a couple people in official positions of power. Now, I'm reminded of the power, our anguish, our joy, our stories, and our unity holds. We were able to change my community forever and for the better, all by causing a ruckus on the internet. The stability of
[00:13:40] democracy internationally requires that we use whatever skills and resources we have product down. Just remember to make Zbiotics your first drink of the night, drink responsibly, and you'll feel your best tomorrow. Go to zbiotics.com slash TED Tech to get 15% off your first order when you use TED Tech at checkout. Zbiotics is backed with 100% money-back guarantee, so if you're unsatisfied for any reason, they'll refund your money, no questions asked. Remember to head to zbiotics.com
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