Tala Ashraf Blog

  “The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.” -Dante Alighieri .Anna Baltzer is a human rights activist and author who gave a TED Talk entitled "A Personal Story of Palestine and Israel." In her talk, Baltzer shares her personal experiences living in the West Bank as a Jewish American and how it changed her perception of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. How stories are changed through the western media and Jews she also sheds light on the realities of life under occupation and daily challenges the Palestine's face such as not having access to basic needs such as food,water and medical care. She states that this is not a conflict because of religon or culture but one for land and resources. Her soloution is to call an end to the occupation and find a fair  solution that respects the rights of both Israelis and Palestinians for them to live in harmony. The issue she faces is that most people tend to b...

  “ The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they aren't true, but they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story.” The message Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is trying to portray throughout her TED Talk "The Danger of a Single Story" is to  Focous on the importance of avoiding the stereotype or limited perception of a person, group, or culture. Adichie shares her own experience of being viewed through a narrow and distorted lens due to a single story, which can lead to misconceptions and reinforce negative biases that she and many others also experience almost daily In addition to that,she also explains how storytelling has the power to shape our beliefs and understanding of the world and suggests that we should actively seek out multiple stories and perspectives to gain a more accurate understanding of others.  Adichie ultimately calls for a greater appreciation of the complexity and diversity of humanity to further im...