Ameenah Gurib-Fakim and Stephanie Busari: An interview with Mauritius's first female president
ئامينە گوريب فاكيم: ديمانەيێك لەگەڵ يەكەم سەرۆكى ئافرەت مۆريتيەس
Ameenah Gurib-Fakim is the president of the Republic of Mauritius. She has been a university professor and entrepreneur before her election as the first female Head of State of Mauritius. Full bioStephanie Busari - Journalist
Stephanie Busari is a journalist and editor at CNN International Digital. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
سوپاس کە لەگەڵمان بەشداربویت.
thank you for joining us.
you're something of an overachiever.
شتی لەوە گەورەترت بەدەست هێناوە.
of the University of Mauritius,
for your work in science
پیشە زانستیەکەتدا بە دەست هێناوە
female head of state in Africa.
بگەیە پۆستی سەرۆک کۆمار.
to the TEDGlobal stage;
بێگانە نیت
ambitions at that time?
the opportunity to be here today.
کە ئەمرۆ لێرە ئامادە بم.
the government of Tanzania
the contribution of our consul,
ئەندامی کونسوڵەکەمان بکەم،
for all our stay here.
مانەوەمان لێرە زۆر یارمەتی داین.
anything in your journey
president of your country?
immediately after TED, actually.
دوای تێد دەستی پێکرد.
this journalist called me and said,
پەیوەندی پێوەکردم و گوتی،
for the president of the republic,"
"بۆ سەرۆکی کۆمار
فەرمی ئەمەم پێ بڵێیت؟
in the form of a declaration?
ڕۆژنامە نوسێکی باش دەکرد،
the interrogation mark,
and they see my picture.
where they wanted to have somebody
کە ئەوان کەسێکیان دەویست
religion in Mauritius,
we stratify people's origins
ئاینیان جیادەکەینەوە.
whole campaign started,
to note, Stephanie,
ستیفانی تێبینی ئەوە بکە،
کۆمارلەدوای هەڵبژاردن هەڵدەبژێربرێت.
is elected after the election.
هەلبژاردنەکە هەڵواسرابوو،
was flagged before the election process,
هەڵمەتەکەمدا.
they knew that at some point,
this Muslim woman president.
to you as a woman
of your country?
the terrible statistics
بە ئامارە سامناکەکەی
in the whole of Africa.
from the background I come from --
but more academic and entrepreneurial --
بەڵکو بواری خوێندەواری کارەکانمە
growing in my village
لەگوندەکەمدا گەورە دەبن
هەمەجۆری هەبووبێت.
there was diversity,
have been most productive.
زۆربەرهەمداردەبن.
when cultures, religions --
when they were highly productive.
another conflict area
باسي وردەكاريكانی دەكەی.
وا دەردەکەوێ کە دژ بە یەك بن،
seem to be at loggerheads.
on how you reconcile both
کە چۆن هەردوو کیانت بەیەکەوە بەستۆتەوە
تەواوی لەشی مرۆڤ بکەیت،
at the perfection of the human body,
بەیەکەوە کار دەکەن.
ecosystem functions together.
to those who are of faith,
بۆ ئەوانە كە بەباوەڕن،
there has been evolution."
ئەو پەرەسەندنە هەيە.
that evolution exists.
What came first?
سەرەتا چی هەبوو؟
the various strata of evolution,
پەرەسەندن قسەدەكەين،
پڕۆسەکە بەڕێوەدەبات،
which is guiding the process,
don't happen by chance.
this great spirit by any name --
--هەر ناوێکی لێدەنێت
هەردوکیان هەمان تایبەتمەندیان نییە.
are not mutually exclusive.
لەبوارەكانی ئارەزوت--زانست.
to one of your passions -- science.
passionate about science.
a very young girl,
تۆ كچێكى زۆرگەنج بوویت،
to become a chemist,
determined to study science
لەسەرئەوەی زانست بخوێنیت
to that career guidance officer,
to draw attention to again,
دووبارە ئاماژەی پێبدەم،
with this rote learning.
this curiosity in the child,
مەراق) لە منداڵ بجوڵێنین).
for them to become great scientists,
لەهەرشتێک دەیکەن بەمەراقبن.
curious in everything they do.
I went to see the careers guidance,
لای ڕاوێژکاری پیشەیی،
"What do you want to do?"
چونكە ئەمە بۆكوڕانە.
because this is for boys.
back, there'll be no job for you."
who happens to be my father.
"دواتر پرسی چی گوت؟"
and asked, "What did he say?"
"گوتی،"چی دەکەیت؟
He said, "What are you going to do?"
دوای دڵت بکەویت.
one must always follow your heart.
that I had developed this thinking
about what you do,
بەحەز و ئارەزووت بێت،
a single day in your life,
پێویست ناکات ئیش بکەیت،
Confucius who said that.
کە كەنفيووشەس ئەوەى گوتووە.
as someone in your position,
وەک کەسێک لە شوێنەکەتدا،
especially on this continent,
--کەتۆ بە بەردەوامی كاری تێدا دەكەيت
that you actively work --
two days, Stephanie,
خۆراكەوە پارێزراوبێت،
--بە ئەو ئاستەى پەرەسەندن
to that level of development --
an educated youth in Africa.
ناتوانيت تۆپى پێ ببەيتەوە،
you cannot win a football match,
of the team outside.
لەدەرەوە جێهێشتبێت.
بۆ گەیشتن بەم ئامانجە
of effort has to be done
them from a very young age,
that she can do anything.
کە دەتوانێت هەر شتێك بیەوێ بیکات.
that anything is possible
زۆربچوکیەوە بنيات بنێين،
from a very early age,
look at the books,
ئافرەتاندا کە چومە مشتومڕێك
when I went to a debate on Women's Day.
how many women inventors we have,
چەند داهێنەرى ئافرەتمان هەیە،
that hardly anyone knew
behind computer science,
لەپشت زانستی کۆمپیوتەرەوەیە،
with two Nobel prizes.
ناوبانگ دوو خەڵاتى نۆبڵی ماوە.
to actually make --
at a very young age;
:تۆوی متمانەیە لەکچدا
ئەگەر باشتریش نەبێت لەبراکەی.
if not better than her brother.
کە دەزانم زۆر چالاکیت تێیدا،
that I know you've been very active in,
بوارێکە كە ئەفريقيا دەبێت گرنگی پێبدات.
is an area that Africa must embrace.
بە دەرمانی گیایی و ڕووەکی
herbal traditions and plants
دەرمانى گەورە گەشەی پێبدرێت.
into a big pharmaceutical industry.
کە چۆن شارەزاييتت بەكارهێنا
of how you've been using your expertise
to one of the talks;
گەشەپێدانی زانیاری ئابوری..
to turn into a knowledge economy.
جۆرى ڕووەكى دەرمانى لێیە،
medicinal plant species,
I gave in 2014,
this biodiversity,
harness it in the right way,
our own livelihoods on this planet.
لە وڵاتانى باكوورەوە
from countries of the north
لە پێناو پاراستنی هەسارەکەمان،
for the protection of our planet,
ژیان لەم هەسارەیە بپارێزین.
livelihoods on this planet.
ئاماژەی پێبکرێت.
that must be addressed.
of Africa working for us,
that we have on the market,
بەناوبانگ کە لە بازاردا بەردەستە،
our own traditional knowledge.
as allopathic medicine.
for traditional Chinese medicine
تۆماریان نەكردووە،
have not documented,
کە ئەفریقا ببێتە کیشوەری زانیاری،
becoming a knowledge continent,
to address very seriously,
زۆر بەجددی باسی بکەین،
بەڕێکخستنی ئەم زانیاریانە،
we are racing against time
زارەكیە.
the transmission has always been oral.
و کارێک بکەین تا ئەوە ڕووبدات.
and make it happen.
of urgency around this.
in respect to documenting --
was I documented precisely these plants.
ڕووەکەکانم تۆماركرد.
زۆر بە گرنگ دانەنرا،
it was not perceived to be very serious,
دەستكردکارم دەکرد،
in synthetic organic chemistry,
قسە كردن لەگەڵ ئەم داپيرانە،
talking to these grandmothers,
لە هێنانى گژوگيا بۆتاقيگە،
bringing weeds in the lab,
to be working on these."
"بلێییت "سەیرکەن ئەمە زۆرگرنگە.
"Look, this is very important."
developing a crocodile skin,
تاقيگەیەک شتی جیاواز دەکەیت.
doing different things.
since the documentation,
لەکاتی تۆمارکردنیەوە،
لەسەر ئەم ڕوەکانە کرد.
started working on as well.
پیاوی ئەفریقا نایەیتە بەرچاو.
big-man, African leader.
بە پیاو بانگت کردم.
You called me a man.
and quite unassuming.
سەرکردە ئافرەتەکان دەکەن
on the way they rule,
سەر فەرمانڕەوایەتیکردن،
taken myself seriously.
take yourself seriously.
and just work towards them.
OK, I'm leading my third life --
--سێيەمم دەكەم
وبازرگانبووم ئێستا لێرەم.
I've been an entrepreneur, now I'm here.
لەناوچە سەرەتاییەکان
to give my voice to so many initiatives
become tech-savvy,
کە شارەزای تەکنەلۆجیابن،
media, technology, you name it,
میدیا تەکنەلۆجیا هیتر،
technology and innovation.
لە زانست تەکنەلۆجیا و نوێكارى دەکات.
دەربارەی سەرکێشیەکانی
about the challenges
that there's corruption on this continent
کە گەندەڵى لەم كيشوەرە هەيە
share with us around this issue?
گەندەڵیش هەیە.
there is a corrupter.
doing something about corruption,
بکەین دەربارەی گەندەڵی،
great people in Africa.
خەڵكى مەزنیش هەیە لە ئەفريقيا.
بۆچی باسی لایەنە ئەرێنەیەکان ناکەین
Why don't we talk about ...
نموونە ووتە مەزنەکانی نێڵسن ماندێلا.
the great quotes of Nelson Mandela.
we've had Julius Nyerere,
جووليەس نايەريەمان هەبووە،
who have been champions of Africa.
pages of their book and see.
داكۆكيكارێكى مەزنی زانست بوو.
had been a great advocate for science
دەکات ببوژێتەوە.
will make deserts bloom."
fathers of this continent;
مرۆڤە مەزنەکانی ئەم کیشوەرەن
President Fakim.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Ameenah Gurib-Fakim - President of MauritiusAmeenah Gurib-Fakim is the president of the Republic of Mauritius. She has been a university professor and entrepreneur before her election as the first female Head of State of Mauritius.
Why you should listen
In June 2015, Ameenah Gurib-Fakim became the first female president of Mauritius. She's been honored as one of Foreign Policy's 2015 Global Thinkers and is moving to create opportunity and growth for her island home. Gurib-Fakim has been, prior to joining the State House, the Managing Director of the Centre International de Développement Pharmaceutique (CIDP) Research and Innovation as well as professor of organic chemistry with an endowed chair at the University of Mauritius.
Gurib-Fakim has long been a leading biodiversity scientist studying and validating the flora of Mauritius, one of the world's key biodiversity hotspots. As an entrepreneur at CIDP R & I and professor of organic chemistry, she analyzed the plants from the region for their health, nutritional and cosmetic applications.
Ameenah Gurib-Fakim | Speaker | TED.com
Stephanie Busari - Journalist
Stephanie Busari is a journalist and editor at CNN International Digital.
Why you should listen
Stephanie Busari moved to Lagos from London in July 2016 to pioneer CNN's first digital and multimedia bureau. She also reports on-air in breaking news situations for CNN International.
In April 2016 Busari exclusively obtained the "proof of life" video that showed that the missing Chibok schoolgirls who were kidnapped in Nigeria in 2014 were still alive. She was also an instrumental member of the CNN team that won a Peabody Award in May 2015 for the network's coverage of the missing girls. Busari recently won a Gracie Award for her persistence in covering this story, and she's also a previous recipient of the Outstanding Woman in the Media Awards.
Busari is a passionate community activist who curated TEDxBrixton for three years before she left London. She founded TEDxBrixton in 2013 driven by a desire to bring disparate elements of her community together and to create a platform for those who wouldn't normally have one to share their ideas worth spreading.
A passionate and adept public speaker, Busari is regularly invited to share her insights and host panels. She has spoken at UN Women, Said Business School, Oxford, Africa Gathering among others.
Over a 15-year career, Busari has worked as a news reporter, entertainment and features writer, court reporter and columnist, and she has been published in many of the UK and international media's most influential outlets, such as the BBC and Daily Mirror.
During a six-month stint in Northern Ireland in 2003, Busari spent time in some of the worst affected areas of "The Troubles" and secured interviews with a crucifixion victim, government ministers and paramilitaries. While there, she also launched and edited an award-winning lifestyle column.
A native Yoruba speaker, Busari also speaks fluent French and is currently learning Hausa.
Stephanie Busari | Speaker | TED.com