Nabila Alibhai: Why people of different faiths are painting their houses of worship yellow
نبيلة علي باي: لماذا يطلي الجميع على مختلف عقائدهم دور عبادتهم باللون الأصفر؟
Nabila Alibhai leads inCOMMONS, a new cultural production lab focused on invigorating public spaces and inspiring collective responsibility for our cultural and environmental heritage. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
can either be to contract
hold on to each other,
goes into overdrive
that we no longer engage with.
التي لم نعد نتعامل معها.
and we lose empathy.
ونفقد التعاطف.
about a group of people
challenge of terrorism
الذي يفرضه الإرهاب
where strangers connect in solidarity.
يتجمع الغرباء فى تضامن.
as irrational divisions began as a child.
من الانقسامات اللامنطقية منذ الطفولة.
Kenyan Muslim of Indian origin,
من مسلمي (كينيا) من أصل هندي،
marriage in my family
to do with colonialism?
of the same public spaces with others.
من الأماكن العامة ذاتها مع الآخرين.
and they drove my career choices.
وتحكمت فى خياراتي المهنية.
in Kenya and Tanzania were bombed.
الأمريكية في (كينيا) و(تنزانيا).
to the Middle East
to find insecure environments to work in,
as the time of terrorism.
when 9/11 happened,
to Kenya to work with refugees
للعمل مع اللاجئين
to Nairobi from Afghanistan.
من (أفغانستان) عام 2013.
had besieged Westgate shopping center,
المركز التجاري (ويست جيت)،
in a day of utter horror.
في يوم من الرعب التام.
was beginning to change,
more like the fear and terror-weary
في المدن التي أنهكها الإرهاب
in fear-driven ways.
بأساليب يحركها الخوف.
an erosion of human connection.
religious lines are deepening,
how much we have in common.
عن عدد الأمور المشتركة بيننا.
our confidence in humanity
ثقتنا في الإنسانية
a group of people in Nairobi
مجموعة من الأشخاص إلى (نيروبي)
artists, development workers.
والعاملون على التنمية.
our challenge as threefold:
الذي نواجهه إلى ثلاثة جوانب:
from the narrative of terrorism
من السرد المتعلق بالإرهاب
of the people that live there;
beyond race, tribe or religion
عن العرق والقبلية والدين
transcend our differences;
that would help restore empathy
التي تساعد في إعادة التعاطف
was an artist and architect,
in other parts of the world
and spectacular ways.
of different faiths
each other's houses of worship,
والكُنس اليهودية والكنائس،
the true essence of their faith,
in kindness, generosity and friendship.
العطف والطيبة والصداقة.
between houses of worship
a paintbrush with other neighbors,
and with their hearts.
sculptures in the landscape
منحوتات على أرض الطبيعة
from very different backgrounds
began approaching houses of worship:
دخول دور العبادة.
to more than 60 rabbis,
by a global pandemic of fear
بوباء عالمي اسمه الخوف
with the hierarchy of decision-making
would have to make the decision.
هو من سيتخذ القرار،
to the archbishop.
the people that pay for the building
and the painting of the buildings
of missionary and donor dependence
والاعتماد على المانحين
unconditional civic action,
would keep asking us
we wouldn't be here.
painfully late in the game
وقت متأخر من هذه اللعبة
is code for getting paid to participate.
لدفع المال مقابل مشاركتهم.
is it really faith?"
أيكون هذا إيمانًا حقًا؟"
asking the question,
asking the question,
was the perceived risk of standing apart.
خطر الوقوف جانبًا.
that flat-out refused to participate
المشاركة بشكل صريح
drawing attention to itself
that also feared becoming a target.
يخشى أيضًا أن يكون مستهدفًا.
that pledged to participate.
بالمشاركة في المشروع.
and reinforced it with their own meaning.
زمام المبادرة وعززوها بمعنى ذاتي.
that they're not terrorists.
أنهم ليسوا إرهابيين.
through their doors to ask questions.
and the younger generation,
many faiths are grappling with right now.
العديد من المعتقدات حتى الآن.
to build neighborhood solidarity
through their congregations
من خلال تجمعاتهم
stepped forward and helped
civil society organizations.
منظمات المجتمع المدني.
a thousand liters of yellow paint
من الطلاء الأصفر.
in what they now call "optimistic yellow."
"الأصفر المتفائل."
joined forces with a university
جهودها مع إحدى الجامعة
on issues of faith,
في القضايا المتعلقة بالدين،
in the context of religion,
and tribe and nation,
رجال السياسة والقبيلة والأمة،
and in the younger generation.
was launched at a gallery event
of gallerygoers
and artists and businesspeople.
picking up a paintbrush,
of the conversation and connection
and painted a church yellow,
وقاموا بطلاء الكنيسة بالأصفر.
performed while we painted.
أثناء عملية الطلاء.
did features on Colour in Faith
تحقيقات صحفية عن "ألوان العقائد"
as a way of bringing communities together.
كطريقة لربط المجتمعات ببعضها البعض.
الإعلام الاجتماعي لدينا،
continued to stay in touch.
politics with a platform of peace,
من منصة السلام،
as far as Argentina and the US
مثل (الأرجنتين) و(الولايات المتحدة)
this idea, spreads across the world,
في جميع أنحاء العالم،
those who mean well in yellow.
على أصحاب النوايا الحسنة باللون الأصفر.
neighborhoods together,
that when threats come knocking,
sift fact from rumor
can come together and send a message
يمكن أن يتحدوا سويًا ويبعثوا رسالة
that wish to do us harm.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Nabila Alibhai - Place-makerNabila Alibhai leads inCOMMONS, a new cultural production lab focused on invigorating public spaces and inspiring collective responsibility for our cultural and environmental heritage.
Why you should listen
Nabila Alibhai is the founder of inCOMMONS, an organization that develops and invigorates public spaces and builds collective leadership. inCOMMONS's New York-based sister company, limeSHIFT, uses the same principles and embeds artists into workplaces to make them more happy, purposeful and creative. She recently authored "How Colour Replaces Fear," a chapter in the book Art & The City, about art that heals divisions and unites communities.
Currently, inCOMMONS's main projects are Colour in Faith, a neighborhood solidarity project through art; building an inclusive sculptural space with Nairobi City County; experimenting with art and healing; and looking for partners to create urban sweet spaces for our greatest gardeners: (pollinators) bees, hummingbirds and butterflies. limeSHIFT is working with New York City's Carnegie Hall on a traveling installation called Espejismo.
Alibhai had a 13-year career working on different aspects of conflict transformation from communications to health and resilience. She has worked on projects in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kenya, Tanzania, the United States and Switzerland. She has held positions in the Aga Khan Development Network, the United Nations and the International Organization for Migration. As a Research Fellow in MIT's Special Program for Urban and Regional Studies, she advanced her efforts to influence health, security and community solidarity through public spaces. She is now based in her home country of Kenya.
Nabila Alibhai | Speaker | TED.com