Resilience in turbulent times? The answer is community

Urban activist Shani Graham is back!  

Ten years ago, Shani spoke at TEDxPerth, sharing the success of the Hulbert Street Sustainability Fiesta. This annual event in her South Fremantle street built some amazing social connections. 

Now living in South Beaconsfield, Shani tells how building social connections helped her new neighbourhood stay strong and safe during the COVID pandemic.  

She describes how a picnic at a local park sparked the creation of an ‘exclusively inclusive’ active community group, and what they learned about trust and resilience along the 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 

About the speaker 

Shani Graham is an educator, author, inspirational speaker and passionate community builder. She has had a strong understanding and appreciation for growing one’s own food and sustainable living since childhood.  

Shani also has a passion for education, which led to her graduating from the University of Western Australia with a Masters in Education Management. Shani then spent 20 years in the WA public education system, working as both a teacher and Principal.  

In 2006, Shani and her husband Tim embarked on a ‘sea change’, completing a sustainable retrofit on small cottage accommodation in Fremantle. This evolved into the Hulbert Street Spring Sustainability Fiesta, motivating hundreds of sustainable changes. Hulbert Street was the subject of Shani’s first TEDxPerth talk ten years ago.