A Yarra Ranges resident delivered a heartfelt TEDx talk last week, speaking about his life as a migrant to Australia and how shared understanding could be the way forward.
Tecoma’s Divesh Sareen shared a speech on an idea he has always believed in, ‘The World’s Diversity is wasted – Unless we fuse it’ at Swinburne University on Thursday 2 October.
“This experience pushed me in ways I didn’t expect – forcing me to be vulnerable, to stand firm in my belief, and to trust myself in front of that iconic red dot,” he said on social media.
Divesh Sareen is an Indian-Australian entrepreneur, author, and technology professional, and is the founder of After The Why, Migrants Life and The Leader Speaks – online platforms dedicated to using technology, fostering personal growth, advancing leadership, and empowering migrants.
Divesh said delivering the speech brought a lot of mixed emotions, and that the experience on the night was a life-changing moment.
“It was a privilege to stand on a TEDx stage,” he said.
“I was pumped that, hey, I’m actually doing this when I’m going to give it my best shot.”
Divesh said when he successfully applied to talk at Swinburne for TEDx he was excited to present a topic he has so much passion for.
“You think of it as something you’ve got to be really knowledgeable for and at the same time, crazy enough to put yourself out there,” he said.
“I had actually never thought that that would be something that I would do.”
The talk centred around understanding and how important it is for people to understand each other and also understand each other’s perspectives.
“Rather than choosing who’s right or wrong, I ask, how can we choose a good perspective and make a shared framework out of it? Everyone feels included, rather than choosing one over the other,” Divesh said.
“We are all different in today’s world, even though the whole environment is centred around the assumption that we all think alike,” he said.
Using a personal example, Divesh said growing up in India, the culture for social events is very much geared around the hosts putting on as much food as the guests can handle, stemming from the Sanskrit phrase ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’, which translates to ‘Guest is God’.
Divesh said in Australia, he found it more likely that everyone would bring something to share at their regular barbecues, something he had to adjust to.
“One is showing care through abundance and the other is showing equality through contribution – so there’s different learnings of each one of them,” he said.
Following the publication of his two-volume memoir The Indian Mate: A Journey from Namaste to Howrya at the MCG last year, Divesh has since been busy working on several other projects.
He is currently in the process of finishing another novel, Migrant’s Life.
“The book will be launched next year, which shares stories of other people like me, what they’ve gone through, and how they’ve built a life here in Australia,” Divesh said.
The book aims to inspire future migrants, whether they’re students or are thinking of moving to Australia. Divesh wants to support life for people coming here.
“I think of us, rather than trying to be who’s better or who’s right, I think if you all looked at the good parts of each other, I think it will help everyone grow,” he said.
“It’s actually very surprising to someone like me when you hear about the protests that are happening.
“You take a step back and you try to think about how you actually define migrants or what you’ve done wrong when you are Australian by choice.”
Divesh said he thinks there is a bit of an education piece missing, and people coming to Australia are searching for understanding, connection and a sense of place.
“We also miss that human connection, and we are here to make friends, not take jobs,” he said.
Divesh said the night wasn’t just about giving a talk.
“It was about growth, courage, and honouring an idea that matters deeply to me,” he said.
