Samantha Nutt

This presentation from keynote speaker Samantha Nutt takes a compelling look at the impact of war around the world – the truth, the lies, and the reality on the ground (what you won't read in the headlines) – and what can be done about it. Dr. Nutt will take you on a journey to war zones around the world, sharing personal stories of both triumph and hardship, and what one person can do to really make a difference.

War is the ultimate clash of identities, the antithesis of tolerance and understanding between people of different cultures. We need only to look at the horrors of the Second World War, Rwanda, the former Yugoslavia, and Darfur (to name but a few) to make a convincing argument that war is fueled by humanity's failure to empathize, from our appalling capacity as human beings to disassociate from – and commit egregious acts against – those who look different, speak a different language, or practice a different religion than the prevailing culture.

In this riveting speech, Dr. Samantha Nutt explains that wars take root when cultural dialogues fail, and crimes of war germinate in the language of hatred. These are the despicable, deplorable acts of genocide that are commonplace in the corridors of conflict.

Are you a leader? Leadership is such an elusive quality – it means different things to different people. But when we think of great leaders and great leadership, some common trends emerge. Leaders have strength, courage, and conviction. Were they born with this indefinable quality, that perfect balance of knowledge and charisma, or have they simply learned to communicate their experience and ideas more effectively than the rest of us? Leaders encourage us to inspire, to think, and to demand more of ourselves and of our society. They connect us to something larger than ourselves. But is leadership just ingrained in certain people or can you acquire it? Can we all be leaders?

Dr. Samantha Nutt believes the answer is "yes!" Over the course of this 45-minute presentation, she maps out ways in which we can all be more effective leaders – in the world and in the workplace – because the capacity to lead exits in each and every one of us. The challenge lies in acquiring the skills, the awareness, and the competency to move beyond the status quo, and often the trick is in identifying those opportunities for leadership and growth that exist all around you every single day.

We can all be effective agents for change if we have the courage to lead. And we can all lead if we have the determination to search for meaning in our work and in our lives, and inspire others through our perseverance.

Healthcare is about more than treating diseases, according to speaker Samantha Nutt. It is also about advocacy and access, and about ensuring that we think about global health not in terms of the skills we can export, but in terms of the capacity we can help to build. In this presentation, Dr. Nutt shows medical audiences that it is time for them to lead. Calling for medical respect and protection for all people, she exposes listeners to the global realities of healthcare and presents strategies for making a worldwide impact.

So what does it take to realize a vision of the world in which we act on our responsibilities as citizens? To do a better job (not necessarily even a perfect job) of protecting civilians caught in the crossfire of war? To reduce, if not eliminate, the threat of war as a propagator of death and disease and destruction and unfathomable hardship? What will this take?

In this presentation, keynote speaker Dr. Samantha Nutt explains that it takes nothing less than a dramatic shift in the way we think about war. It takes a moral and philosophical transformation around the privileged position we occupy in the world – geographically, politically, and economically – and the responsibility that comes along with this.

This is not to deny the destructive role that bad governance, corruption, religious fanaticism, and fascism have had in many conflict-ridden countries worldwide. Dr. Nutt's point is, simply, that we need to start controlling the things that we have control over and making informed ethical choices.

In this inspiring speech, Dr. Samantha Nutt discusses that war has everything to do with each and every one of us, no matter where we live in the world; we don't have the right to say that it's not our problem, because it's everyone's problem. It is not a question of charity; it is a question of our common humanity and the kind of world we want to live in.

You never know what impact you can have on a person's life – even on someone you've never met – and that is what International Women's Day is all about: the recognition that the feminist movement was a beginning, not an end; that we are still a long way from achieving true gender equality; and that progress is born out of our collective capacity to inspire, protect, and affirm the rights of all women. In this speech, Dr. Samantha Nutt recognizes this truth about contemporary women's issues.