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The Future of Activism isn't Loud: Lisa Ma at TEDxEastEnd

2,350 views · Published 10 February 2014 · 12:38 · Indexed 2 October 2026

Channel: TEDx Talks · 2014 · Nonprofits & Activism

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Lisa Ma socialises activism. Combining fringe communities, ethnographic research and speculative design, her unusual 'platforms of engagement' creates social events that are perceived as activism but function as services.

From beauty spas at cat ladies's homes to tours by airport protesters and Farmification of Chinese joystick factories, her 'passive activism' designs pushes forward passive protest in an era of abstract petitioning such as 'clicktivism' & 'slacktivism'.

In Lisa's recent project, she founded a community called Naturtarians in a vegetarian Belgian town that chooses to eat to control to opposed taxations for poisoning invasive animals. Naturtarian inspired a documentary series to be filmed by Canvas Collection in 2014.

Lisa Ma lectures widely and writes about speculative design in Molecular cuisine books and invasive science magazines. She is a London Global Shaper for World Economic Forum and shares her adventures at fringejoyride.com.

About TEDx
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

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