TEDGlobal 2011
Jarreth Merz: Filming democracy in Ghana
Jarreth Merz: filmar la democracia a Ghana
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Jarreth Merz, un director de nacionalitat suïssa i ghanesa, va anar a Ghana al 2008 per a filmar les eleccions generals. El que va veure allà li va ensenyar una lliçó sobre la democràcia i sobre ell mateix.
Jarreth Merz - Filmmaker
Jarreth Merz' new film, "An African Election," follows the 2008 presidential elections in Ghana from start to finish. Full bio
Jarreth Merz' new film, "An African Election," follows the 2008 presidential elections in Ghana from start to finish. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:15
I was born in Switzerland
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Vaig nàixer a Suïssa
00:19
and raised in Ghana, West Africa.
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i vaig créixer a Ghana, a l'Àfrica Occidental.
00:22
Ghana felt safe to me as a child.
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Quan era petit, Ghana era segura per mi.
00:24
I was free, I was happy.
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Era lliure i feliç.
00:28
The early 70s
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A principis dels 70
00:30
marked a time of musical and artistic excellence in Ghana.
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Ghana vivia un gran moment artístic i musical.
00:33
But then by the end of the decade,
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Però a finals de la dècada
00:35
the country had fallen back into political instability
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el país entrava en un període d'inestabilitat política
00:38
and mismanagement.
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i tenia una administració dolenta.
00:42
In 1979,
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En 1979
00:44
I witnessed my first military coup.
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vaig viure el meu primer cop d'estat.
00:48
We the children had gathered at a friend's house.
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Els nens ens vam reunir a casa d'un amic.
00:51
It was a dimly lit shack.
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Era un casinyot poc iluminat.
00:53
There was a beaten up black and white television
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Hi havia una vella televisió en blanc i negre
00:55
flickering in the background,
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parpellejant al fons
00:58
and a former head of state and general
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on es veia com li embenaven els ulls
01:00
was being blindfolded
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i nuaven a un pal
01:02
and tied to the pole.
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a l'antic president i general.
01:04
The firing squad aimed, fired --
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L'escamot d'execució apuntà, disparà
01:07
the general was dead.
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i matà el general.
01:09
Now this was being broadcast live.
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Estava emitint-se en directe.
01:12
And shortly after, we left the country,
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Poc després, se n'anarem del país
01:15
and we returned to Switzerland.
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i tornàrem a Suïssa.
01:17
Now Europe came as a shock to me,
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Ara Europa era un xoc per a mi,
01:20
and I think I started feeling the need
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i vaig començar a sentir la necessitat
01:23
to shed my skin in order to fit in.
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de mudar la pell per poder emmotllar-m'hi.
01:26
I wanted to blend in like a chameleon.
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Volia mesclar-m'hi com si fos un camaleó.
01:28
I think it was a tactic of survival.
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Crec que era una tàctica de supervivència.
01:31
And it worked, or so I believed.
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I funcionà, o això pensava jo.
01:34
So here I was in 2008
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I així vaig arribar fins al 2008
01:39
wondering where I was in my life.
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preguntant-me en quin punt de la meva vida era.
01:42
And I felt I was being typecast as an actor.
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I em sentia encasillat com a actor.
01:45
I was always playing the exotic African.
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Feia el paper de l'africà exòtic,
01:48
I was playing the violent African,
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de l'africà violent
01:50
the African terrorist.
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i de l'africà terrorista.
01:52
And I was thinking,
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I em preguntava:
01:54
how many terrorists could I possibly play
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quants terroristes més hauria de fer
01:56
before turning into one myself?
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abans de ser-ne un jo mateix?
01:59
And I had become ashamed of the other,
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I estava avergonyit de l'altre,
02:02
the African in me.
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de l'africà que hi havia en mi.
02:05
And fortunately I decided in 2008
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Afortunadament, el 2008 decidí
02:08
to return to Ghana,
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tornar a Ghana
02:10
after 28 years of absence.
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després de 28 anys.
02:13
I wanted to document on film
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Volia documentar
02:15
the 2008 presidential elections.
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les eleccions presidencials.
02:18
And there, I started by searching
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Allí començà a buscar
02:21
for the footprints in my childhood.
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les petjades de la meva infància.
02:23
And before I even knew it,
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I abans d'adonar-me'n,
02:25
I was suddenly on a stage
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estava de repent a un escenari
02:27
surrounded by thousands of cheering people
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rodejat de milers de persones agitades
02:29
during a political rally.
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durant un mitín polític.
02:31
And I realized that, when I'd left the country,
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I me n'adonà que, quan me'n vaig anar del país,
02:34
free and fair elections in a democratic environment
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unes elecciones lliures, justes i democràtiques
02:37
were a dream.
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eren un somni.
02:39
And now that I'd returned, that dream had become reality,
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I ara que havia tornat, el somni s'havia fet realitat,
02:42
though a fragile reality.
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malgrat que fóra molt fràgil
02:44
And I was thinking,
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I pensava:
02:46
was Ghana searching for its identity
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busca Ghana la seva identitat
02:48
like I was looking for my identity?
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igual que jo busque la meva?
02:50
Was what was happening in Ghana a metaphor
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El que estava passant a Ghana
02:52
for what was happening in me?
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era una metàfora del que em passava a mi?
02:56
And it was as if through the standards of my Western life,
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Era com si a causa de les comoditats de la meva vida occidental
03:02
I hadn't lived up to my full potential.
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no hagués viscut al màxim del meu potencial.
03:05
I mean, nor had Ghana,
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Tampoc ho havia fet Ghana, però,
03:07
even though we had been trying very hard.
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malgrat que ho havien intentat.
03:09
Now in 1957,
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L'any 1957
03:11
Ghana was the first sub-Saharan country
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Ghana va ser el primer país subsahrià
03:13
to gain its independence.
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en conseguir la independència.
03:15
In the late 50s,
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A finals dels 50
03:17
Ghana and Singapore had the same GDP.
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Ghana i Singapur tenien el mateix PIB.
03:20
I mean, today, Singapore is a First World country
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Però avui Singapur es un país del primer món
03:23
and Ghana is not.
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i Ghana no ho és.
03:26
But maybe it was time to prove to myself,
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Però potser era el moment de demostrar-me
03:29
yes, it's important to understand the past,
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que realment és important entendre el passat, sí,
03:31
it is important to look at it in a different light,
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és important mirar-lo des d'una altra perspectiva,
03:35
but maybe we should look at the strengths in our own culture
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pero potser hauríem de mirar les virtuts de la nostra cultura
03:39
and build on those foundations in the present.
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i construir en elles els fonaments del present.
03:43
So here I was, December 7th, 2008.
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I allà era jo, el 7 de desembre de 2008.
03:48
The polling stations opened to the voters at 7:00 AM,
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Els col·legis electorals obriren a les 7 del matí,
03:53
but voters, eager to take their own political fate into their hands,
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pero els votants, ansiosos de tenir el futur polític a les seves mans,
03:57
were starting to line up at 4:00 AM in the morning.
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feien cua des de les 4 de la matinada.
04:00
And they had traveled from near, they had traveled from far,
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I havien vingut de lluny i de prop,
04:03
because they wanted to make their voices heard.
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perquè el que volien era que se sentiren les seves veus.
04:05
And I asked one of the voters, I said, "Whom are you going to vote for?"
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I vaig preguntar a un votant: "Perdoni, a qui votarà?"
04:08
And he said, "I'm sorry, I can't tell you."
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I em digué: "Ho sento, pero no puc dir-li-ho".
04:11
He said that his vote was in his heart.
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Em digué que el seu vot era al seu cor.
04:14
And I understood, this was their election,
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I vaig entendre que aquesta era la seva elecció
04:17
and they weren't going to let anyone
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i que no deixarien
04:19
take it away from them.
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que ningú se la furtès.
04:21
Now the first round of the voting didn't bring forth a clear winner --
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La primera volta de les eleccions no va tenir cap guanyador;
04:24
so nobody had achieved the absolute majority --
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és a dir, ningú obtingué majoria absoluta.
04:28
so voting went into a second round three weeks later.
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Així que hi hagué una segona volta tres setmanes després.
04:31
The candidates were back on the road; they were campaigning.
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Els candidats tornaren a fer campanya pertot arreu.
04:34
The rhetoric of the candidates, of course, changed.
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I, per suposat, la retòrica canvià.
04:36
The heat was on.
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Començava a posar-se interessant.
04:38
And then the cliche came to haunt us.
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I aleshores el tòpic ens va caçar.
04:43
There were claims of intimidation
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Se'n deia que hi havien hagut intimidacions
04:45
at the polling stations,
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als col·legis electorals,
04:47
of ballot boxes being stolen.
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que algunes urnes s'havien robat.
04:51
Inflated results started coming in
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Alguns resultats abombats començaren a aparèixer
04:54
and the mob was starting to get out of control.
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i la gent començava a tornar-se boja.
04:57
We witnessed the eruption of violence in the streets.
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Vam veure com la violència s'obria pas als carrers.
05:01
People were being beaten brutally.
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Hi havien baralles molt violentes.
05:04
The army started firing their guns. People were scrambling.
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L'exèrcit començà a disparar. La gent corria descontroladament.
05:07
It was complete chaos.
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Era un caos enorme.
05:09
And my heart sank,
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I el meu cor tremolava,
05:11
because I thought, here we are again.
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perquè pensava que ja hi erem un altre cop.
05:13
Here is another proof
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Seria una altra prova
05:15
that the African is not capable of governing himself.
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que els africans no es poden governar per ells mateixos.
05:18
And not only that, I am documenting it --
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I no només això: jo estava documentant-ho;
05:21
documenting my own cultural shortcomings.
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documentava els defectes la meva cultura.
05:25
So when the echo of the gunshots
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I quan encara se sentia
05:28
had lingered,
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l'eco dels dispars,
05:30
it was soon drowned by the chanting of the mob,
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els crits ensordidors de la multitud els van apagar
05:32
and I didn't believe what I was hearing.
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i no creia el que estava sentint.
05:34
They were chanting, "We want peace.
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Cridaven: "Volem pau.
05:36
We want peace."
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Volem pau".
05:39
And I realized it had to come from the people.
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I me n'adonà que només podia venir del poble.
05:42
After all, they decide,
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Al fi i al cap, ells decidien,
05:44
and they did.
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i així ho van fer.
05:46
So the sounds that were before distorted and loud,
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I els sons distorsionats i forts d'abans,
05:50
were suddenly a melody.
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eren de sobte una melodia.
05:53
The sounds of the voices were harmonious.
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El sons de les veus eren harmoniosos.
05:56
So it could happen.
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I podia passar.
05:59
A democracy could be upheld peacefully.
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Podíem conservar la democràcia de manera pacífica.
06:02
It could be, by the will of the masses
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I podia ser per la voluntat de les mases
06:05
who were now urgently pressing
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que presionaven ara fortament
06:07
with all their heart and all their will
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amb tot el seu cor i ànima
06:09
for peace.
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per la pau.
06:11
Now here's an interesting comparison.
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Farem ara un comparació interessant.
06:14
We in the West,
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A occident
06:16
we preach the values,
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prediquem els valors
06:18
the golden light of democracy,
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de la daurada democràcia
06:21
that we are the shining example of how it's done.
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i ens creiem un exemple de com es fan les coses.
06:24
But when it comes down to it,
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Però al cap i a la fi,
06:27
Ghana found itself in the same place
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Ghana es trobà al mateix lloc
06:31
in which the U.S. election stalled
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en què els Estats Units arribaren el 2000
06:33
in the 2000 presidential elections --
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quan s'estancaren les eleccions presidencials:
06:35
Bush versus Gore.
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Bush contra Gore.
06:38
But instead of the unwillingness of the candidates
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Però a pesar del rebuig dels candidats
06:41
to allow the system to proceed and the people to decide,
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a que el sistema continuara i que el poble decidira,
06:44
Ghana honored democracy
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Ghana honorà la democràcia
06:47
and its people.
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i el seu poble.
06:49
It didn't leave it up to the Supreme Court to decide;
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No va deixar que el Tribunal Suprem decidira;
06:52
the people did.
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el poble ho va fer.
06:55
Now the second round of voting
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La segona volta de les eleccions
06:58
did not bring forth a clear winner either.
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tampoc deixà un clar guanyador.
07:00
I mean, it was so incredibly close.
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La diferència entre els candidats era mínima.
07:02
The electoral commissioner declared,
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El comisari electoral declarà,
07:05
with the consent of the parties,
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amb el consentiment dels partits,
07:07
to run an unprecedented
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dur a terme de nou
07:09
second re-run.
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la segona volta.
07:11
So the people went back to the polls
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I la gent tornà als col·legis electorals
07:15
to determine their own president,
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per a decidir el seu president,
07:17
not the legal system.
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i no va ser el sistema legal qui va decidir.
07:19
And guess what, it worked.
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I supose que funcionà.
07:23
The defeated candidate
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El candidat vençut
07:25
gave up power
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va abandonar el poder
07:27
and made way for Ghana to move into a new democratic cycle.
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i deixà que Ghana es dirigira cap a un nou cicle democràtic.
07:30
I mean, at the absolute time
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En el moment precís
07:32
for the absolute need of democracy,
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en què es necessitava urgentment la democràcia,
07:34
they did not abuse their power.
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no abusaren del seu poder.
07:39
The belief in true democracy and in the people runs deep,
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La creença en la vertadera democràcia i en el poble està ben arrelada,
07:43
proving that the African is capable of governing himself.
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i això és una prova que els africans es poden governar ells sols.
07:48
Now the uphill battle for Ghana and for Africa
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La costosa batalla per Ghana i per Àfrica
07:51
is not over,
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encara no ha acabat,
07:53
but I have proof that the other side of democracy exists,
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però tinc la prova que l'altra cara de la democràcia existeix,
07:57
and that we must not take it for granted.
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i que no debem donar-ho tot per fet.
08:00
Now I have learned
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Ara he aprés
08:02
that my place is not just in the West or in Africa,
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que el meu lloc no és només a occident o a l'Àfrica,
08:06
and I'm still searching
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i que encara estic buscant
08:08
for my identity,
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la meva identitat,
08:10
but I saw Ghana
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però he vist com Ghana
08:13
create democracy better.
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creava una democràcia millor.
08:15
Ghana taught me
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Ghana em va enseñar
08:17
to look at people differently
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a mirar la gent de manera diferent
08:19
and to look at myself differently.
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i també a mirar-me a mi mateix de manera diferent.
08:22
And yes,
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I sí,
08:24
we Africans can.
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els africans podem.
08:26
Thank you.
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Gràcies.
08:28
(Applause)
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(Aplaudiments)
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Jarreth Merz - FilmmakerJarreth Merz' new film, "An African Election," follows the 2008 presidential elections in Ghana from start to finish.
Why you should listen
Raised in Ghana, Switzerland and Germany, Jarreth Merz is a filmmaker and actor (you may remember him in the role of Simon of Cyrene in The Passion of the Christ). As a director, his work is rooted in observing life as it presents itself in all its complexities -- as shown in his latest documentary, An African Election, which follows the 2008 presidential elections in Ghana, West Africa.
Merz's stepfather, a political player on Ghana, helped him get access behind the scenes; then Jarreth and his cameraman brother Kevin followed the presidential candidates in the unpredictable months leading up to the final night. In chronicling the rough-and-tumble process of a democratic election, the documentary becomes a meditation on the dream of democracy itself. The film screened in the World Documentary competition at Sundance earlier this year. Merz is now working on a “political safari” in Africa.
He says: "An African Election challenges the preconceived notion we have about politics in Ghana or Africa without hiding the brutal realities."
Jarreth Merz | Speaker | TED.com