TED Talks are short and engaging talks given by remarkable people from all aspects of life. They cover everything from science and technology to business and social issues – and they’re always fascinating, informative, and inspiring.
So if you’re looking for a way to get inspired and learn something new, TEDxZurich is the event for you! This program of local events brings people together to share a TED-like experience.
A TEDxZurich event is a place where you can watch inspiring TED Talk videos and hear live speakers discuss topics related to Zurich and its surroundings. But that’s not all – TEDxZurich also offers talks on more general topics that can inspire, educate and enlighten you.
And what better way to spend an enlightening day than listening to the inspiring talk by our CEO of Breon and founder of Social Friday?
Social Friday is an event created by Fikret Zendeli in early 2017 to encourage people to do something for their community on Fridays when they are less productive.
Social Friday, which takes place four Friday afternoons a year (once a quarter), encourages people to do something meaningful that has nothing to do with work. That might mean volunteering at a local charity, participating in an arts and crafts event, or simply taking the time to have a friendly conversation with an elderly neighbour.
At Social Friday events, you’ll have the opportunity to connect with other committed people who want to make a difference in the world. You’ll have the chance to meet like-minded people and find compelling solutions to pressing problems that will move you forward! It may even lead to long-term partnerships that improve your quality of life or work performance. But most importantly, Social Friday is a fun way to forget about work for a few hours and do something good for yourself and your community.
On this day, businesses, organizations, and universities can join together to make a difference in their neighbourhood or city.
– For students, Social Friday events can be an opportunity to add their voices and ideas. Not only can they use this event to gain valuable experience and boost their resumes, but they can also build communities around the world by actively participating in social change movements.
– For nonprofits, Social Friday events can help raise awareness, visibility, and long-term support for their cause, much like Black Friday does for retailers.
– For businesses, Social Friday events can be much more than positive PR. These events can greatly improve team spirit and productivity. Companies can benefit by leveraging these social opportunities for their employees, giving them a sense of belonging that can be lacking when they’re constantly on the go!
So if you’re looking for a way to make your least productive time more meaningful, Social Friday is for you!
The idea of “Social Friday” was born in the spring of 2017 when Fikret Zendeli read an article about a study conducted by British Airways. The study showed that employees mentally switch off on Friday lunchtime long before the official closing time (around 2 p.m.).
That got him thinking… what if there was a way to reinvent Friday, change the status quo of that day, and use the least productive Friday hours more wisely? And so the idea for Social Friday was born!
Millions of people around the world spend their Fridays staring at screens or driving themselves crazy trying to meet stressful deadlines.
With the recent rise in stress levels, it’s time to question what we are doing on our Fridays and how they affect us. We need an approach that benefits not just ourselves but also other people – including the economy – and that’s where the effective concept of Social Friday comes in.
At a time when countries like the UK and Japan are opening ministries for loneliness, it’s time to promote togetherness. And what better way to use the millions of unproductive hours on Fridays than to encourage togetherness, among other things?
In times of enormous social responsibility and great rifts and divisions, we all have a responsibility to use our energy in such a way as to not allow greater divisions and to promote togetherness, because this is simply the most promising path in the long run.
It’s important to use our energy in a way that doesn’t allow greater divisions because this will only lead us down the path of destruction. It’s our responsibility to use our energy to work together for a greater good for us and the future generations – so they may live out their lives without being affected by these great rifts and tumultuous times we currently find ourselves.
We know that right now, that’s not very easy, but it doesn’t mean you can give up or let your voice go unheard. And with Social Friday events, now you too will get an opportunity to make your voice heard!
Since its inception, Social Friday has grown from a modest local event in Skopje with a few participants to a global CSR initiative with events worldwide.
And this is just the beginning! Every month, more and more companies around the world are joining forces with local NGOs and volunteers to do something good for society.
Join us in our mission to create the community we want and deserve! Together we can create a community that shares our values and beliefs.
We know that Social Friday events cannot solve all of society’s problems. However, these events can be an important small step towards social change, generating positive energy for change within ourselves and raising people’s awareness of social issues.
It’s really quite simple.
By giving people the opportunity to do something for their neighbourhood and connect with others on Fridays when they are less productive, we create spaces for questions (which are the foundation for any solution or answer), for greater awareness, and that awareness is an important building block for change.
Social Friday is the perfect opportunity to bring people together in your community on Fridays when we all feel less productive at work. It’s a time and place where spaces are created for questions to be asked, solutions found, and awareness raised – all essential steps as building blocks towards change!
And all this has led the TEDx organization to identify our idea as creative inspiration with great potential beyond helping locally engaged people in the city get things done.
Fotograf: Sören Funk
@soerenfunk | www.soerenfunk.com
Reinvent Fridays | Fikret Zendeli | TEDxZurich – YouTube
Impressed by this valuable and timely idea, the TEDxZurich organisation contacted Fikret Zendeli in February 2021 to ask him if he would like to present his Social Friday concept to their global TEDx community. Of course, he felt very honoured and jumped at the chance!
After many months of preparation (more than 250 hours) with TEDx representatives (from March to November 2021) invested in the talk, the initiative was presented in more detail to TEDx fans around the world on November 18 and 19, 2021, under the title ”Reinventing Fridays”.
The inspiring 13-minute talk was very well received, and TEDx officials even included the video in the official “Editor’s pick” list on YouTube, where it ranks in the top 0.5% of approximately 19,700 talks worldwide.
It’s an honour to be recognized by TEDx for our work, and we’re grateful for the community’s attention. We have been tirelessly advocating for the Social Friday initiative for over five years, and we show no signs of slowing down!
We hope this TEDx talk on Social Friday inspires more businesses and organizations to get involved in their local communities.
After all, it’s a great way to give back and make a difference by enriching yourself and those around you, boosting team morale, and creating positive PR for your company.
And who knows… maybe one day Social Friday will become the new “normal” for Fridays around the world!
Are you planning to participate in Social Friday in your community? Check out our current Social Friday events and get in touch! And be sure to check out the TEDx talk if you haven’t seen it yet. It’s definitely worth a look!
References:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/fikret-zendeli-255266153/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q45p9LxXe5U&ab_channel=SocialFridayActivity
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2h55A55FwI&ab_channel=TEDxTalks
