Look Who it Was Random video

The transformative power of a single word: welcome | Penny Elsley | TEDxCanberra

1,529 views · Published 13 November 2018 · 19:26 · Indexed 6 October 2026

Channel: TEDx Talks · 2018 · Nonprofits & Activism

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Its hard to imagine that one word spoken by a stranger can transform
someone’s life, but that's what happened to Penny Elsley. In this talk, she describes this experience and how it led her to create a social movement, joiningthedots, designed to help people connect. At a time when more people are experiencing loneliness and isolation, she shows how we can access this transformative power for ourselves and our communities. Penny Elsley believes something as simple as a shared meal can change the world. Almost six years ago, after embarking on a two year “quest” across the globe to discover what the world really needs, Penny founded the non-profit organisation joiningthedots. Her quest continues right here in Australia, as she inspires the connections the world needs – connections to our self, our community and our place. She is achieving this in an extraordinary way through initiating The Welcome Dinner Project, which has ignited a social movement, including over 6000 Welcome Dinner hosts and participants since the first dinner 5 years ago and volunteer teams in every State and territory, numbering close to 400 people. At Welcome Dinners, strangers become friends over shared pot-luck meals and the isolation of newly arrived Australians is overcome in a fun and powerful way. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

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