ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Gill Hicks - Survivor and activist
Gill Hicks has dedicated her life to being an advocate for peace.

Why you should listen

Dr. Gill Hicks is considered to be one of the most thought provoking, powerful and life affirming speakers in Australia and the UK. She is globally known as a survivor of the London terrorist bombings on July 7, 2005. She survived, but suffered severe and permanent injuries, losing both legs from just below the knee.

Originally from Adelaide, Australia, Hicks has lived in London since 1991, however in 2012 Hicks returned to Australia where she operates nationally and internationally through her not for profit M.A.D. for Peace network and her public speaking work.

Her unique and compelling projects and initiative's, aimed at both deterring anyone from following the path of violent extremism and building sustainable models for peace, draw upon Hicks's previous roles within the Arts.

An impressive career before the bombings included being at the helm of some of the UK's most prestigious and respected institutions -- including publishing director of the architecture, design and contemporary culture magazine, Blueprint, director of the Dangerous Minds design consultancy and head curator at the Design Council. It wasn’t until after the bombings that Hicks decided to dedicate her life to being an advocate for peace. She has made it her mission to use her experiences and her new body form to positive effect.

In 2007 Hicks founded the not for profit organisation M.A.D. for Peace, a platform that connects people globally and encourages us to think of "Peace as a Verb," something that we have an individual responsibility to do every day.

In 2008 Hicks released her first book, One Unknown, named after the chilling label given to her as she arrived to hospital as an unidentified body. The book was shortlisted for the Mind Book of the Year Awards.

Since her return to Australia in 2012, Hicks has been recognised as South Australian, Australian of the Year 2015 and is Chair to the Innovation component for the Committee for Adelaide.

In 2013 Hicks welcomed her daughter, Amelie into the world. This, as she describes it, is her finest achievement and greatest acknowledgement of the brilliance and resilience of the human body.

More profile about the speaker
Gill Hicks | Speaker | TED.com
TEDxSydney

Gill Hicks: I survived a terrorist attack. Here's what I learned

Gill Hicks: Sobrevivi a um ataque terrorista. Aqui está o que aprendi

Filmed:
937,602 views

A história de Gill Hicks é de compaixão e humanidade, emergindo das cinzas do caos e do ódio. Uma sobrevivente dos atentados terroristas de Londres em 7 de julho de 2005, ela compartilha sua história sobre os acontecimentos daquele dia, e as lições profundas que aprendeu ao seguir vivendo.
- Survivor and activist
Gill Hicks has dedicated her life to being an advocate for peace. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
I could never have imagined
0
965
2542
Eu nunca poderia ter imaginado
que um homem-bomba de 19 anos
00:15
that a 19-year-old suicide bomber
1
3531
3952
me ensinaria uma lição tão valiosa.
00:19
would actually teach me a valuable lesson.
2
7507
3681
00:24
But he did.
3
12640
1167
Mas ele me ensinou.
00:26
He taught me to never presume anything
4
14640
4619
Ele me ensinou a nunca assumir nada
sobre alguém que você não conheça.
00:31
about anyone you don't know.
5
19283
3140
00:36
On a Thursday morning in July 2005,
6
24414
4129
Numa manhã de quinta-feira,
em julho de 2005,
o homem-bomba e eu, sem sabermos,
00:40
the bomber and I, unknowingly,
7
28567
3058
embarcamos no mesmo vagão do metrô
ao mesmo tempo,
00:43
boarded the same train carriage
at the same time,
8
31649
4547
afastados, aparentemente,
por alguns centímetros de distância.
00:48
standing, apparently, just feet apart.
9
36220
4463
00:54
I didn't see him.
10
42345
1150
Eu não o vi.
00:56
Actually, I didn't see anyone.
11
44185
1791
Na verdade, eu não vi ninguém.
00:58
You know not to look
at anyone on the Tube,
12
46000
2587
Você sabe que não deve olhar
para ninguém no metrô,
mas acho que ele me viu.
01:00
but I guess he saw me.
13
48611
3301
01:04
I guess he looked at all of us,
14
52916
3041
Acho que ele olhou para todos nós,
01:08
as his hand hovered
over the detonation switch.
15
56687
4214
enquanto a mão dele pairava
sobre o botão de detonação.
01:14
I've often wondered: What was he thinking?
16
62439
4445
Muitas vezes me perguntei:
"O que ele estava pensando?",
especialmente nos segundos finais.
01:18
Especially in those final seconds.
17
66908
3357
01:24
I know it wasn't personal.
18
72765
1609
Eu sei que não era pessoal.
Ele não estava ali para me matar
ou me mutilar, eu, Gill Hicks.
01:26
He didn't set out to kill
or maim me, Gill Hicks.
19
74977
4017
Quero dizer, ele não me conhecia.
01:31
I mean -- he didn't know me.
20
79018
1753
01:33
No.
21
81758
1174
Não.
01:35
Instead, he gave me
22
83666
2946
Em vez disso, ele me deu
01:38
an unwarranted and an unwanted label.
23
86636
4605
um rótulo injustificado e indesejado.
01:44
I had become the enemy.
24
92272
3380
Eu havia me tornado "o inimigo".
01:49
To him, I was the "other,"
25
97390
3576
Para ele, eu era o "outro",
o "eles", em oposição ao "nós".
01:52
the "them," as opposed to "us."
26
100990
2697
01:57
The label "enemy" allowed him
to dehumanize us.
27
105581
5274
O rótulo de "inimigo" permitiu
que ele nos desumanizasse.
02:03
It allowed him to push that button.
28
111674
2427
Permitiu que ele apertasse aquele botão.
02:07
And he wasn't selective.
29
115339
2167
E ele não foi seletivo.
02:10
Twenty-six precious lives were taken
in my carriage alone,
30
118875
5183
Vinte e seis vidas preciosas
foram roubadas apenas no meu vagão,
02:17
and I was almost one of them.
31
125042
1928
e quase fui uma delas.
02:20
In the time it takes to draw a breath,
32
128855
2741
No breve momento
que se leva para inspirar,
estávamos mergulhados
numa escuridão tão imensa
02:23
we were plunged into a darkness so immense
33
131620
3670
que era quase tangível;
02:27
that it was almost tangible;
34
135314
2382
o que eu imagino que seja
você tentar andar através de piche.
02:29
what I imagine wading
through tar might be like.
35
137720
4359
02:35
We didn't know we were the enemy.
36
143398
2050
Nós não sabíamos que éramos o inimigo.
02:38
We were just a bunch of commuters
who, minutes earlier,
37
146321
4058
Éramos apenas um bando de passageiros
que, minutos antes,
havia seguido a etiqueta do metrô:
02:42
had followed the Tube etiquette:
38
150403
2484
nada de contato visual direto,
02:44
no direct eye contact,
39
152911
2206
niguém fala nada
02:47
no talking
40
155141
1150
e, absolutamente, nada de conversa.
02:48
and absolutely no conversation.
41
156894
2872
02:53
But in the lifting of the darkness,
42
161948
2953
Mas com o surgimento da escuridão,
02:57
we were reaching out.
43
165776
1625
começamos a nos comunicar.
Estávamos ajudando um ao outro.
03:00
We were helping each other.
44
168179
1512
03:02
We were calling out our names,
45
170808
2461
Estávamos dizendo nossos nomes,
03:05
a little bit like a roll call,
46
173293
2151
como se fosse uma lista de chamada,
03:08
waiting for responses.
47
176389
2277
aguardando as respostas.
03:12
"I'm Gill. I'm here.
48
180559
2663
"Eu sou a Gill. Estou aqui.
03:17
I'm alive.
49
185111
1310
Estou viva.
03:20
OK."
50
188279
1189
Estou bem."
03:23
"I'm Gill.
51
191697
1186
"Sou a Gill.
03:25
Here.
52
193679
1196
Aqui.
03:28
Alive.
53
196318
1309
Viva.
03:31
OK."
54
199329
1195
Estou bem."
03:35
I didn't know Alison.
55
203096
2541
Eu não conhecia a Alison,
03:38
But I listened for her check-ins
every few minutes.
56
206399
4242
mas fiquei prestando atenção
na chamada dela a cada poucos minutos.
03:43
I didn't know Richard.
57
211340
1618
Eu não conhecia o Richard,
03:45
But it mattered to me that he survived.
58
213839
2889
mas era importante para mim
que ele sobrevivesse.
03:50
All I shared with them
59
218752
1794
Tudo o que compartilhei com eles
03:52
was my first name.
60
220570
1483
foi o meu primeiro nome.
03:55
They didn't know
61
223013
1151
Eles não sabiam
03:56
that I was a head of a department
at the Design Council.
62
224188
3523
que eu era chefe de um departamento
no Conselho de Design.
04:01
And here is my beloved briefcase,
63
229185
3557
E aqui está minha querida bolsa,
também resgatada naquela manhã.
04:04
also rescued from that morning.
64
232766
2451
04:08
They didn't know that I published
architecture and design journals,
65
236479
3966
Eles não sabiam que eu publicava
revistas de arquitetura e design,
que eu era bolsista
da Sociedade Real de Artes,
04:12
that I was a Fellow
of the Royal Society of Arts,
66
240469
3316
que eu me vestia de preto,
04:15
that I wore black --
67
243809
1465
e ainda me visto,
04:18
still do --
68
246695
1166
04:20
that I smoked cigarillos.
69
248566
2556
e que eu fumava cigarrilhas.
04:23
I don't smoke cigarillos anymore.
70
251888
2303
Eu não as fumo mais.
Eu bebia gim e assistia
às palestras do TED,
04:26
I drank gin and I watched TED Talks,
71
254215
4184
mas claro que nunca sonhei
que um dia estaria aqui,
04:30
of course, never dreaming
that one day I would be standing,
72
258423
6206
04:37
balancing on prosthetic legs,
73
265593
2895
me equilibrando sobre pernas protéticas,
dando uma palestra.
04:40
giving a talk.
74
268512
1157
04:42
I was a young Australian woman
doing extraordinary things in London.
75
270651
5644
Eu era uma jovem australiana
fazendo coisas extraordinárias em Londres.
E não estava pronta
para que tudo aquilo terminasse.
04:48
And I wasn't ready for that all to end.
76
276319
2833
04:52
I was so determined to survive
77
280882
3158
Estava tão determinada a sobreviver
que usei meu lenço pra amarrar torniquetes
em torno do topo de minhas pernas,
04:56
that I used my scarf to tie tourniquets
around the tops of my legs,
78
284064
5202
e eu simplesmente me isolei
de tudo e de todos,
05:01
and I just shut everything
and everyone out,
79
289290
5333
05:07
to focus, to listen to myself,
80
295345
3260
e me concentrei em ouvir a mim mesma,
05:10
to be guided by instinct alone.
81
298629
3134
para ser guiada somente pelo instinto.
05:15
I lowered my breathing rate.
82
303085
2094
Diminuí o ritmo da minha respiração.
05:17
I elevated my thighs.
83
305847
1780
Elevei minhas coxas.
Eu me mantive na posição vertical
05:19
I held myself upright
84
307651
1668
05:21
and I fought the urge to close my eyes.
85
309343
3670
e lutei contra a vontade
de fechar os olhos.
05:26
I held on for almost an hour,
86
314681
3332
Eu resisti por quase uma hora;
05:31
an hour to contemplate
the whole of my life
87
319030
4381
uma hora para contemplar toda a minha vida
até aquele ponto.
05:35
up until this point.
88
323435
1796
05:39
Perhaps I should have done more.
89
327199
3079
Talvez eu devesse ter feito mais.
05:43
Perhaps I could have
lived more, seen more.
90
331223
3204
Talvez pudesse ter vivido mais,
ter visto mais.
Talvez devesse ter praticado corrida,
ter dançado, começado Yoga.
05:46
Maybe I should have gone running,
dancing, taken up yoga.
91
334451
4414
05:52
But my priority and my focus
was always my work.
92
340317
4938
Mas a minha prioridade e meu foco
foi sempre o meu trabalho.
Eu vivia para o trabalho.
05:57
I lived to work.
93
345279
1901
05:59
Who I was on my business card
94
347730
2807
Quem eu era no meu cartão de visita
era importante para mim.
06:02
mattered to me.
95
350561
1270
06:05
But it didn't matter down in that tunnel.
96
353688
3610
Mas isso não importava ali naquele túnel.
06:11
By the time I felt that first touch
97
359226
4470
Até sentir o primeiro toque
de um dos meus socorristas,
06:15
from one of my rescuers,
98
363720
2140
06:18
I was unable to speak,
99
366472
2117
eu não tive condições de falar,
era incapaz de dizer até mesmo
uma palavrinha, como "Gill".
06:20
unable to say even
a small word, like "Gill."
100
368613
4979
06:27
I surrendered my body to them.
101
375183
2735
Eu entreguei meu corpo a eles.
Eu tinha feito tudo o que era possível,
06:29
I had done all I possibly could,
102
377942
2873
e agora estava nas mãos deles.
06:32
and now I was in their hands.
103
380839
3696
06:39
I understood
104
387091
1388
Eu compreendi
06:41
just who and what humanity really is,
105
389283
6198
simplesmente quem e o que
a humanidade realmente é,
06:47
when I first saw the ID tag
106
395972
3199
quando vi pela primeira vez
a etiqueta de identificação
que me foi dada quando
dei entrada no hospital.
06:51
that was given to me
when I was admitted to hospital.
107
399195
3259
Nela estava escrito:
06:54
And it read:
108
402478
1174
06:56
"One unknown estimated female."
109
404218
5270
"Desconhecida do sexo feminino".
07:03
One unknown estimated female.
110
411162
4215
Desconhecida do sexo feminino.
07:09
Those four words were my gift.
111
417004
2947
Essas quatro palavrinhas
foram como um presente.
07:13
What they told me very clearly
112
421125
2747
O que elas me disseram muito claramente
foi que a minha vida estava salva,
07:15
was that my life was saved,
113
423896
2705
simplesmente porque eu era um ser humano.
07:18
purely because I was a human being.
114
426625
3144
07:22
Difference of any kind made no difference
115
430610
4184
Não houve qualquer preferência
por parte das equipes de resgate quanto
às suas medidas extraordinárias no preparo
07:26
to the extraordinary lengths
that the rescuers were prepared to go
116
434818
4557
07:32
to save my life,
117
440129
1540
para salvar a minha vida,
07:34
to save as many unknowns as they could,
118
442458
2723
e a vida de tantos desconhecidos
quanto eles pudessem,
colocando suas próprias vidas em risco.
07:37
and putting their own lives at risk.
119
445205
2332
07:40
To them, it didn't matter
if I was rich or poor,
120
448405
4171
Para eles, não importava
se eu fosse rica ou pobre,
07:45
the color of my skin,
121
453298
2141
a cor da minha pele,
se eu era homem ou mulher,
07:47
whether I was male or female,
122
455463
1562
07:49
my sexual orientation,
123
457049
1897
minha orientação sexual,
07:51
who I voted for,
124
459613
1603
para quem eu havia votado,
07:53
whether I was educated,
125
461240
1518
se eu tinha instrução,
07:54
if I had a faith or no faith at all.
126
462782
3689
se tinha uma religião ou nenhuma.
07:59
Nothing mattered
127
467409
1944
Nada importava
a não ser o fato de que eu era
uma vida humana preciosa.
08:01
other than I was a precious human life.
128
469377
4643
08:07
I see myself as a living fact.
129
475881
3480
Eu me vejo como um fato vivo.
08:12
I am proof
130
480223
2029
Eu sou a prova
de que o amor e o respeito incondicionais
08:14
that unconditional love and respect
can not only save,
131
482276
6728
não apenas podem salvar,
mas podem transformar vidas.
08:21
but it can transform lives.
132
489028
3041
08:25
Here is a wonderful image
of one of my rescuers, Andy, and I
133
493226
4468
Aqui está uma imagem maravilhosa
de um dos meus socorristas,
Andy, e eu, tirada no ano passado.
08:29
taken just last year.
134
497718
1872
Dez anos após o evento,
08:32
Ten years after the event,
135
500080
2561
e aqui estamos nós, de braços dados.
08:34
and here we are, arm in arm.
136
502665
2344
08:39
Throughout all the chaos,
137
507559
2118
Durante todo o caos,
seguraram minha mão firmemente.
08:41
my hand was held tightly.
138
509701
2840
08:45
My face was stroked gently.
139
513200
2873
Meu rosto foi acariciado delicadamente.
08:49
What did I feel?
140
517161
1412
O que eu senti?
08:51
I felt loved.
141
519541
1222
Eu me senti amada.
08:53
What's shielded me from hatred
and wanting retribution,
142
521685
4817
O que me protegeu do ódio
e do desejo de vingança,
o que me deu a coragem de dizer:
08:58
what's given me the courage to say:
143
526526
2989
"Isso tem seu fim em mim",
09:01
this ends with me
144
529539
2880
09:06
is love.
145
534006
1191
é o amor.
09:08
I was loved.
146
536585
1998
Eu fui amada.
09:13
I believe the potential
for widespread positive change
147
541234
6265
Acredito que o potencial
para uma ampla mudança positiva
seja absolutamente enorme,
09:19
is absolutely enormous
148
547523
1580
09:21
because I know what we're capable of.
149
549127
2904
pois sei o que somos capazes de realizar.
Eu conheço o brilho da humanidade.
09:24
I know the brilliance of humanity.
150
552055
3197
09:27
So this leaves me with some
pretty big things to ponder
151
555930
3910
Isto me dá fatos importantes para ponderar
e algumas perguntas
para todos considerarmos:
09:31
and some questions for us all to consider:
152
559864
3402
09:36
Is what unites us not far greater
than what can ever divide?
153
564512
5873
o que nos une não é muito maior
do que aquilo que pode nos dividir?
09:43
Does it have to take
a tragedy or a disaster
154
571663
3790
Será que é preciso
uma tragédia ou um desastre
para nos sentirmos profundamente
ligados como espécie,
09:47
for us to feel deeply
connected as one species,
155
575477
4496
09:52
as human beings?
156
580902
1859
como seres humanos?
09:55
And when will we embrace
the wisdom of our era
157
583755
5206
E quando será que vamos abraçar
a sabedoria da nossa era,
10:01
to rise above mere tolerance
158
589764
3370
emergir da mera tolerância,
10:05
and move to an acceptance
159
593931
2937
e caminhar para uma aceitação
de todos aqueles que são apenas
um rótulo até que os conheçamos?
10:08
for all who are only a label
until we know them?
160
596892
5333
10:15
Thank you.
161
603550
1160
Obrigada.
(Aplausos)
10:16
(Applause)
162
604734
6798
Translated by Maricene Crus
Reviewed by Custodio Marcelino

▲Back to top

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Gill Hicks - Survivor and activist
Gill Hicks has dedicated her life to being an advocate for peace.

Why you should listen

Dr. Gill Hicks is considered to be one of the most thought provoking, powerful and life affirming speakers in Australia and the UK. She is globally known as a survivor of the London terrorist bombings on July 7, 2005. She survived, but suffered severe and permanent injuries, losing both legs from just below the knee.

Originally from Adelaide, Australia, Hicks has lived in London since 1991, however in 2012 Hicks returned to Australia where she operates nationally and internationally through her not for profit M.A.D. for Peace network and her public speaking work.

Her unique and compelling projects and initiative's, aimed at both deterring anyone from following the path of violent extremism and building sustainable models for peace, draw upon Hicks's previous roles within the Arts.

An impressive career before the bombings included being at the helm of some of the UK's most prestigious and respected institutions -- including publishing director of the architecture, design and contemporary culture magazine, Blueprint, director of the Dangerous Minds design consultancy and head curator at the Design Council. It wasn’t until after the bombings that Hicks decided to dedicate her life to being an advocate for peace. She has made it her mission to use her experiences and her new body form to positive effect.

In 2007 Hicks founded the not for profit organisation M.A.D. for Peace, a platform that connects people globally and encourages us to think of "Peace as a Verb," something that we have an individual responsibility to do every day.

In 2008 Hicks released her first book, One Unknown, named after the chilling label given to her as she arrived to hospital as an unidentified body. The book was shortlisted for the Mind Book of the Year Awards.

Since her return to Australia in 2012, Hicks has been recognised as South Australian, Australian of the Year 2015 and is Chair to the Innovation component for the Committee for Adelaide.

In 2013 Hicks welcomed her daughter, Amelie into the world. This, as she describes it, is her finest achievement and greatest acknowledgement of the brilliance and resilience of the human body.

More profile about the speaker
Gill Hicks | Speaker | TED.com

Data provided by TED.

This site was created in May 2015 and the last update was on January 12, 2020. It will no longer be updated.

We are currently creating a new site called "eng.lish.video" and would be grateful if you could access it.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to write comments in your language on the contact form.

Privacy Policy

Developer's Blog

Buy Me A Coffee