The enemy has a face - Moving from idealism to action: Erika Richter at TEDx McMaster U

Erika Richter is a 4th year Honours Arts & Science student combining in Peace Studies. She first became interested in the connection between youth and activism after volunteering with youth in Jamaica. Following that experience, Erika began to connect her extensive experience working with youth in camp settings, to the potential for youth to be agents of social change. Erika's experience this past summer working for Seeds of Peace was incredibly transformative and solidified many of her interests. This year she is completing her thesis on the role of dialogue sessions in improving intergroup relations among youth in the context of intractable conflict and in the context of structural violence. Erika is graduating this year and will be working for a year before hopefully going to graduate school to study in the field of global governance or international development.

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)