A look into GibTalks 2024

Some 14 speakers will be on the GibTalks stage at the John Mackintosh Hall, giving an insight into their lives, careers and interests tomorrow.

Host Julian Felice will open the talks on Saturday, January 3, at 10am with a 10-minute talk and, ahead of the event, each speaker has given an insight into their talk.

John Shephard - Still Breathing

Strokes are a life-changing event, I suffered my first at the back end of 2014.
I’ll be discussing my journey through the last 9 or so years which has seen many highs and a few lows.

The medical affect which became evident and important, the personal aspects and the need to raise awareness of what is sometimes a forgotten illness.

I won’t be baffling with numbers but relating to my experience which has opened my eyes to what was my knowledge of strokes beforehand.

I’ll also touch on why I take on the challenges I do.

Dr Leon Leanse - Medical Applications in Biophotonics: Where Light Particles Meet Human Biology.

In his talk, Dr Leanse will discuss light as a natural phenomenon that drives and facilitates life.

He will explain how light particles (photons) can modulate human biology to permit an array of diagnostic and therapeutic techniques that hope to revolutionize the field of medicine.

He will discuss the use of photons in medical imaging that harness naturally occurring pigmented substances in our cells to:

reveal markers of disease;

laser hair removal: where ‘selective heating’ via a concentrated beam of light may be achieved to successfully remove hair;

infection treatment: that uses chemicals plus light (or light alone) to stimulate reactive oxygen species (toxic bi-products of oxygen) to destroy agents of infection;

wound healing: in which light can help heal wounds more effectively or even be used to instantly close open wounds (think ‘light activated’ stitches that bind tissue in seconds); and others.

Could light provide us with a brighter future?

Craig Sacarello - the gift of charity

“In his talk on 'The Gift of Charity', Craig will explore how charity benefits the individual and the wider community as he delves into his own past to reflect on key events in his life that shaped his future.

We will hear about how the charity Research into Childhood Cancer (RICC) came to be, where the funds raised have gone and the research team's achievements over the years.

On Saturday, Craig will analyse the impact of both sides of the charitable act, that of the donor and of the receiver and he will provide details of physiological reasons as to why charitable acts of kindness can benefit the individual.

Craig will discuss the tensions that exist between materialism, social media (ironically) which drive us towards a selfish existence, and our inherent need for social interaction. He will argue the case for charitable acts of kindness, in all their guises, being a remedy to egoism as the very essence of our social fabric.”

Ros Astengo – Chasing Monsters

Never in a million years did I think I would be giving a talk called “Chasing Monsters” but that is exactly what I have been doing these past few years.

Of course, I am referring to my investigation into the disappearance of Simon Parkes - the teenage sailor who vanished in Gibraltar on December 12 1986.

I’ll tell you how my search for truth and justice has been wrought with immense tragedy and suffering, and how it’s forced me to confront the unimaginable depths of human depravity – yet I’ve also encountered great kindness and hope along the way.

Join me, and you can also help me solve another little mystery.

Dr Ryan Asquez - Que pasa! From UEA to Oxford and the Llanito History Doctor

Dr Ryan Asquez, aka The Llanito History Doctor, will be talking about his passion for history, taking us back to how his interest in the subject developed during his teenage years and how he went on to study history at university in the UK.

Ryan will be sharing anecdotes from his time at the University of East Anglia in Norwich and his Masters and doctoral studies at the University of Oxford.

It’s also just been over a year since he launched The Llanito History Doctor on social media, and he will be discussing todo lo que ha estado pasando since then.

Molly McElwee - Dictaphone Diaries: Lessons from Sporting Heroes

Journalist Molly McElwee has spent the past seven years working across both politics and sport, navigating the ever-changing media landscape.

Through her career with the Daily Telegraph in London, she has had the privilege to meet and speak with some of the most influential people in sport at the largest global tournaments and events.

Alongside witnessing life-changing sporting moments on the field of play, McElwee has reported on topics as varied as athlete maternity rights, abuse in sport, equality issues and the mental challenges that come with physical excellence.

In her talk, she will share some of the most impactful conversations she has had with leading sporting figures, and what learnings we could all take from them into our own lives.

Gemma Arias-Vasquez The journey to empathy

At GibTalks I will share a deeply personal story about a journey that has led me to the Ministry of Health. On 12th April 2019, as a pregnant mother, I confronted the dreadful possibility of losing my child at 19 weeks.

From a failed procedure in Cadiz to the premature birth of my second son, Andrew, at 24 weeks. Andrew's struggle, from ventilators to organ complications, changed my life. Thanks to the amazing advancements in healthcare Andrew is here today, full of energy and charisma and is a beautiful 4 year old boy.

My GibTalks underscores the importance of a comprehensive healthcare system and of resilience in the face of adversity. Andrew's journey is my motivation to transform Gibraltar's healthcare service as its Minister of Health. I look forward to seeing you all there on Saturday

Tyrone Duarte – For Lust of Knowing

A talk about some episodes in one soldier's unexpected involvement in geopolitics and intelligence.

The talk is a collection of notes, in broad brush stokes, about the 12 years spent in military service after mobilisation from the reserves for operations in the Middle East.

The talk reflects on the state of global security in the 1990s, dwells on some of the human facets of intelligence operations, and considers some of the many failures during those years of British military interventions abroad.

It then poses some questions about aspects of the current security situation and some of the factors that have probably made it worse for the West.

Karl Alvarez – Beyond the Ultimate

Karl Alvarez is a Gibraltarian doctor with an appetite for adventure and to push himself to the limits of human endurance.

In 2022 he set out to become the first person to complete 5 of the toughest foot races on earth in the space of a year.

In his talk he will delve into his motivation for taking on such a challenge.

Nestled in and amongst some entertaining anecdotes about his adventures he will discuss the trials that he encountered, the highs, the lows, and how he was able to overcome many of the challenges that he faced.

He hopes that you will enjoy what he has to say and find inspiration to pursue your own quests and learn about what we are each capable of.

Geraldine Finlayson - Medusa’s Secret Lair

How many times in your life do you get to discover something truly wonderful and exceptional?

Sometimes, you don’t even need the fiction of Indiana Jones; real stories can be far more exciting, and this is one of them.

Gorham’s Cave was a natural shrine for Phoenician and Greek mariners, who left offerings inside there almost three thousand years ago.

For them, the Pillars of Hercules marked the end of the known world – approach it in a boat on a calm and misty morning, and you can still sense the atmosphere

The Gorham’s Cave Complex, World Heritage Site, is well known for the Neanderthals who lived there thousands of years ago, but in this talk I will focus on a recent find that is not so well-known.

Deep inside the cave, fragments of a terracotta plaque lay undisturbed for millennia. They held a dark and shadowy secret.

Brenda Cuby – GibSams, Can I help you?

My talk will be about my main passion, GibSams.

I will speak about how the Samaritans began, how GibSams evolved and our journey over the last six years.

I will look to share with the community the important work we do at GibSams and give them a glimpse of what being a volunteer listener at our charity means.

Reducing the number of suicides in our community is and always will be our number one priority.

We do this in various ways, the most important is taking the stigma out of the word suicide and mental health.

We can also do this by listening more and by talking openly about suicide and mental wellbeing.

Our volunteer listeners do amazing work, as do our outreach team of volunteers.

We are truly grateful to all our volunteers for the many hours and years of dedication they give to our community via our service.

Our service is open everyday from 6pm-11pm. You can call 116123 or chat at www.gibsams.gi

Richard Garcia – A Different Side to Civil Marriage in Gibraltar

My talk will reflect on marriages in the Civil Registry in Gibraltar, “casarse por la policia” as older members of the community would say.

After exploring the origin of the llanito term for a civil marriage, the talk will dwell principally on a series of anecdotes in which, in some cases, everything did not go as smoothly as intended during the marriage ceremony at the Registry in the late 1980s and early 1990s. This was the time when I was the Marriage Registrar.

Many of the anecdotes will relate to amusing incidents, laughing with the bride and groom.
There is too much stress in everyday life: it is necessary to find a suitable antidote, and laughter is often perhaps the best remedy.

So, the talk will be a combination of serious considerations, on the one hand, and the lighter side of the Marriage Registry on the other.

Meera Aswani - How do we love?

I will discuss my understanding of loving ourselves and others and my journey through yoga, mindfulness, meditation towards self acceptance and self love.

In my view, love means being present, offering our deep attention and being a safe space. And this starts with ourselves: are we aware of our internal dialogue, our own emotions and the sensations arising in our bodies as we experience different emotions?

Are we able to present with our own uncomfortable emotions or do we rush to numb, avoid, overthink and overreact?

Once we can learn to stay present and listen to ourselves, we can be our own safe space to feel our challenging emotions.

This way, we can provide a safe space for our loved one’s deepest, vulnerable selves to be fully seen. This is how we love.

Anna Victory - Beyond the Dancefloor

As a young aspiring professional dancer, my talk revolves around not only sharing my personal experiences, but also raising awareness about the connection between the world of Dance and mental health.

I am a student who has achieved a GCSE in dance and I’m now on my way to achieving the A-Level.

In September I will continue studying dance at University.

As a person, I’ve always been interested in how the world could be less judgmental and more inclusive.

Therefore, in my talk, I touch upon the social & cultural issues of dance, my experience, and my plan for the future.

My aim is to reach out to those who may not have interest in the art form, but also to those who have similar goals to me.