Do you dare to question who you really are? | Pia Vemmelund | TEDxFryslân

Created by Pia Vemmelund's travel company, Momondo, "The DNA Journey" is a short online film that has been watched over 500 million times. Pia believes travel opens up our mind to other people and that knowing who we are based based on our DNA, our biology, helps to open our mind to these others as well. In this talk, Pia explains the reasons for making the film, shows us the film and then discusses what it all has meant to the participants, to her own company and to herself. This is a journey to tolerance; we are all family in some ways.

Former top-level swimmer Pia Vemmelund has over 25 years of experience in the travel industry and runs the online travel and meta search website Momondo: “Everyone in the world should be able to travel, to meet other people and experience other cultures and religions. Because traveling opens your mind!”

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx.

Good afternoon, everybody.

Let me be very honest.

I'm here to persuade you

that our differences in the world
should be seen as a strength,

a source to inspiration and development,

not intolerance or prejudice.

So today, I want to encourage
each and every one of us

to do our very best to stay curious,

to be open-minded

so we can all enjoy a better
and more diversified world.

So, how do we become
more open-minded? you might ask.

And I believe that travel is a great way
to fight narrow-mindedness.

Travel broadens our mind.

When we meet new people,

experience new people,
new places, something different,

we also start to think differently.

And that is why
my team and I, for a decade,

have worked really hard
to make travel simple

but also to inspire people to travel more.

Because we believe that traveling
really opens up our mind.

And our latest global-travel study,

a study among more than 7,200 people

in 18 countries,

shows that 76% actually say
that traveling has given them

a more positive view
on other cultures in general.

75% say that traveling has given them

a more positive view on people
from countries they've actually visited.

And 61% believe that there would be
less intolerance in the world

if we traveled more.

So that is something
I really like to hear.

But there is a challenge.

And the challenge is
that 48% also believe

that people have become
less tolerant towards other cultures

than we were five years ago.

And this is something we have to fight.

It's almost half of the people
we asked who said this.

So it's about time we start
a conversation about who we really are

and how we can all become
more tolerant and have less prejudice.

And I can start that conversation,

but that doesn't really matter if I am
the only one having that conversation.

So that's why we want to start a movement,

a movement where, hopefully, all of you -

people who can support
and believe in our purpose

about opening up the world -

can help us spread the word.

That is, at least, what we hope for.

And when I heard somebody suggesting
using a DNA test as a tool,

I thought that was a perfect way

to actually confront people
with their own narrow-mindedness

and, at the same time,

showing that we actually have
more things in common than we think.

What we did was we invited,
or we casted, you say, 67 people.

We aimed for a very diverse crowd.

We interviewed the 67 people
for 10 minutes each,

asking them questions:

Where are you from?

What do you think about your country?

What do you particularly like
about your country?

Are they any nationalities
you would like to be?

Are they any nationalities
you don't like to be?

And so on.

And afterwards,
we tested all the 67 people;

we waited for the results,

and when we got the results,

we matched the results
with the interviews we had.

We then selected 15 people

from where we thought we could
maybe get some strong reactions.

Then we got a call from the DNA company

telling us that something
really rare came up.

Because among the 67 people we tested,

it turned out that two of them
were actually cousins, distant cousins.

So we thought maybe if we're lucky,
we can have a good story about that.

So we actually ended up
having 16 people in Copenhagen

for the shooting of "The DNA Journey."

Three days of shooting with three cameras,

and of course, we really hoped
to capture some strong moments,

especially focusing on the second
where the participants got the results.

But let's just see the movie.

(Video begins)

[Would you dare to question
who you really are?]

Jay: I'm proud to be English;
lots of my family have served,

and we've defended this country,
and we've been to war for this country.

Man: I'm really patriotic
about Bangladesh.

Man: Well, I am 100% Icelandic,
yeah, definitely.

Woman: This is a Kurdish wedding with
my mom in traditional Kurdish clothes.

Woman: (Humming anthem)

Woman: We're just
proud blacks, so that's it.

Jay: I think we're probably
the best country in the world.

Interviewer: Think about other countries
and other nationalities in the world.

Are there any that you don't feel
you get on with well or you won't like.

Jay: Germany, yeah.
I'm not a fan of the Germans.

Woman: You might think,
though, it's a bit ...

Man: Particularly India and Pakistan,
probably, because of the whole conflict.

Woman: Because I have this side of me
that hates the Turkish people.

Not people, but the government.

Int.: But French?

Man: No.

Woman: We're just the best,
you know. It's just fact.

Man: I'm more important than you.

I don't know you, but in my opinion,

I am strong, and I am
more important than a lot of people.

[The DNA Journey]

Interviewer: How would you feel
about taking a journey based on your DNA?

Woman: Um, yeah. I'd feel very intrigued.

Jay: What could you
possibly tell me that I don't know?

Int. : Do you know how DNA works?
See, you get half from mum, half from dad.

It's 50% from each of them.

And they get 50% from their parents.

And back and back and back.

And all those little bits
of your ancestor,

they filter down to make you

you.

If you'll just spit in this tube for me.

You spit up to the little black line.

Woman: That's a lot of spit.

Interviewer: The story
of you is in that tube.

What's it going to tell me?

Woman: It's going to be
"Oh, yeah, you're French.

And wait, your grandparents are French."

Man: 100% Bengali.

Man: Solid Iraqi.

Carlos: I'm Cuban.

Jay: It's going to tell me
that I'm English. Like I've told you.

[Two weeks later]

Interviewer: Jay, can you
come down and join us?

Carlos: I'm a little bit nervous,
I have to say.

Interviewer: So, are you ready
to find out your results?

Will you read it out to us, please.

Woman: Woah, look at me.

Woman: Oh my God.

Oh, wow.

Shit.

I didn't expect that.

Carlos: Awesome.

Woah.

No, no.

Woman: Caucasus? Which was Turkish?

Interviewer: Yeah.

Man: Eastern Europe, Spain,
Portugal, Italy, Greece.

Woman: I'm 32% British?

Man: What?

Jay: Great Britain, 90%.

5% German.

Woman: I'm Irish?

Wash: So I'm a Muslim Jew?

Man: Great Britain, 11%.
Are you sure these results are mine?

Man: Eastern Europe? Seriously?

Man: Iceland has definitely
moved closer to Europe now.

Woman: I'm going to go get far right now,
but this should be compulsory.

There would be no such thing
as, like, extremism in the world

if people knew their heritage like that.

Like, who would be stupid enough to think
of such thing as, like, a pure race?

Interviewer: In a way, we are all
kind of cousins in a broad sense.

In a much more direct sense,

you have a cousin in this room.

Woman: Uh uh.

Interviewer: Turn around
and guess who it is.

Interviewer: Wash.

Wash: Yeah, what's up?

Interviewer: Why don't you
come down here and meet your cousin?

Interviewees: (Applause)

Woman: This is so weird. Did you know?

Wash: I didn't. No idea. This is like -

My heart is pounding
right now. I swear to God.

[You have more in common
with the world than you think]

Jay: I'm Jay from everywhere
by the looks of this.

Man: I'm a real man of the world.

Woman: Wow, that's beautiful. Thank you.

Interviewer: So, would you
like to travel to all of these places?

Woman and Wash: Yeah.

Carlos: Hell, yeah.

Woman: Hell, yeah.

[An open world begins with an open mind]

[Begin your DNA journey here]
[LetsOpenOurWorld.com]

Pia Vemmelund: So "The DNA Journey"
is very much about taking a journey,

exploring your own diversity.

But it's also about a journey

where you can actually travel
to the places you're from.

And maybe you don't know
where you're from,

but I know that at least one of you
are able to win a DNA kit.

I heard that earlier today,
so that's really exciting.

I have to say that "The DNA Journey"

has been an incredible experience
for me personally as well.

I was there behind the scene
during the entire shooting,

and it was just so emotional.

From the very first second,
you could just feel the emotion,

just sitting there
and listening to people's stories,

hearing their background,

seeing them showing the family pictures,

and of course always the highlight,

when the envelope was passed through,
and people had to open it.

It was just incredible.

Really, really amazing experience.

And I think it's pretty obvious

that if you find something
that turns out to be part of yourself,

you do start to think
and feel differently.

But what really struck me was

that even the participants
who actually got a result

that was very close
to what they predicted,

also seemed to react quite heavily.

And I think it probably
has to do with suddenly you sit there

with an envelope in your hand,

and you know biology
is telling you who you are.

Then you start thinking
about how you have been acting:

Have you been patriotic
without really knowing who you are?

Does it then make sense to be patriotic
when you don't know who you are?

But the important thing
is that a DNA test doesn't change you.

You are who you are.

But it might change your mindset,

and I think that's
the important thing for us,

and that is what we've tried to achieve:

that we can actually change people's mind.

After the shooting -

This is a terrible picture of me,
but it's the only one I had on my phone,

but I want to share it with you
because after the shooting,

all the participants
and all of us who had been involved,

we hung out, and we talked,
we laughed, we hugged, we had fun;

we acted like we were one big family.

And in a way, we are.

But remember, none of us knew each other,
none of us had met before.

But just because we had listened
to each other's stories,

suddenly we started to act
like we were best friends.

And going back to the company

and telling my employees

that I personally experienced
how we changed people's mind,

how the fight and the purpose
we've had for ten years

actually resonated deeply
with other people

is just the best feeling I've ever had.

Much better than reaching
a revenue goal or reaching a profit goal

or something like that.

So that was really remarkable.

That was my experience.

This is what some
of the participants said:

"It was one of the most incredible
experiences of my life."

"I am so grateful
to have lived that experience,

grateful for the way it changed me,

and how it's shaping
my work as an artist today."

"It was a profoundly emotional experience

and made me question who I am
and who I thought I was."

And this is what Carlos,
the Cuban guy, said:

Being part of "The DNA Journey"
is truly amazing because,

all of a sudden,

you're a part of something
that is changing the world in a good way.

I never expected to be
or to, yes, to be from so many,

or to have my ancestors
from so many parts of the world.

And exactly because of that,
I want to travel.

I want to discover Africa;

I want to discover their music;

I want to discover my ancestors."

So that was Carlos,

and the funny thing about Carlos
is that I actually met him two weeks ago.

I was cycling home from work,
looked across the street,

and I think it could be Carlos,
but I'm not sure.

He starts to wave;

I get so excited; I wave back,

and before I even know it,

I start to send him
a finger kiss across the street.

I met the guy twice,
maybe talked to him for ten minutes,

and now I'm sending
finger kisses across the street.

Isn't that crazy?

But it's because we have shared
a great experience together,

and I'm really, really grateful for that.

Of course, we also had to make
a DNA test among all the employees.

And we are a company
who celebrates diversity,

so I think some of the employees

were actually a bit disappointed
when they saw the results

because now we all aim
to have a very diverse profile.

We actually have one
who has 100% from just one region,

which is really, really rare.

And also one with 99 and 98,

but in general,
most of us actually have a DNA

where we come from
maybe 4 or 5 regions, I think.

So, all in all, a very diverse crowd,

and I think that's also
reflected in our DNA.

My own profile looks like this:

I'm 70% from Scandinavia,
22% from Great Britain,

so some would say
a pretty strong Viking profile.

Sometimes it's good to be a Viking;
sometimes it's not -

I look at it positively.

I have 2% from Western Europe,
which is Germany.

I knew that from the stories
I heard about ancestors.

And then I have 5% from Italy, Greece;

I have no idea where that comes from,
but I'm proud of it.

And then, I actually have 1%
from South Asia - can't you tell?

It's just great, and I love it
because it's part of me,

and I'm proud to have
part of Asia in it as well.

But the reflection in general
about this DNA journey, for me,

is very much about nationalities.

I think, in general, we speak
way too much about nationalities.

For me, it's really not the nationalities,

and I say that even though
we have 36 nationalities in my company -

we're usually proud of it -

but it is not the nationalities
that makes a difference.

It is in our differences
we seek the inspiration.

So let's not pay too much attention
to our biological path,

but instead,

let's remember that there are more things
uniting us than dividing us.

And "The DNA Journey" was the first step
in an attempt of creating a movement,

and it has been a really,
really good attempt, I think.

We have seen that within four months -
actually less than four months -

we have more than 175 million views
of "The DNA Journey."

That is great.

But we need to move on.

So let's all of us challenge ourselves
to do what we can do to open up the world.

And just to recap,

it's very, very human to have prejudices;

we actually all have them,
some just more than others.

So, let's lower our guards;

let's talk to strangers;

let's say "yes" to new experiences

and remember that travel
broadens our mind.

But even though you don't want to travel
or you don't plan to travel,

we can still, each and every one of us,

do things daily,

we can do things
to actually open up the world,

so I really want
to encourage you to do that.

And I also want to encourage you
to really stay curious.

But before I leave this stage,

I also want you to stand up -

this is now the third time
you have to stand up today, isn't it? -

but it works,

because this is an exercise
we always do in my company,

and we use it when we need inspiration
or if we need to raise the energy level.

So, basically, I'm just going
to ask you to follow me.

So you do like this,

and we're going to bend the arm
and the leg at the same time,

and it has to be really, really powerful,

like this;

otherwise it won't work.

And there is nothing about - no halfway -

you have to go all in;
otherwise it doesn't work.

And it's when you combine
a physical activity with your voice,

the energy level comes.

So I'm going to ask you a question,
and there is only one answer.

And that is yes.

So I'm going to ask you three times,
and when we've done it three times,

you turn around and give a high-five
to whoever's next to you.

And you will see how the energy level
has increased in this room.

And remember,

go all in, and you have to yell.

Show courage.

Will you help me open up the world?

Audience: Yes.

Are you sure?

Audience: Yes.

Are you absolutely sure?

Audience: Yes.

Okay, thank you so much.

(Applause)

Yeah, high-five.

(Applause)