TEDGlobal 2007
Corneille Ewango: A hero of the Congo forest
Corneille Ewango - un erou al padurilor din Congo
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Botanistul Corneille Ewango vorbeste despre munca sa la Rezervatia de fauna Okapi din Bazinul Congo -- si eforturile lui eroice de a o proteja de braconieri, mineri si violentele razboaie civile.
Corneille Ewango - Botanist and activist
As a botanist at the Okapi Wildlife Reserve in the Congo basin, Corneille Ewango has faced down poachers and soldiers who threaten this delicate and vital ecosystem. Full bio
As a botanist at the Okapi Wildlife Reserve in the Congo basin, Corneille Ewango has faced down poachers and soldiers who threaten this delicate and vital ecosystem. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
I don't speak English.
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Nu vorbesc limba Engleza.
00:14
I start speaking English, learning English, about a year ago.
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Am inceput sa vorbesc Engleza, sa invat Engleza, acum aproximativ un an.
00:18
I speak French and I grew up with French, so my English is Franglais.
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Vorbesc limba Franceza si am crescut cu ea, deci Engleza mea este Frangleza.
00:25
I'm born in the Western Congo, in an area around here,
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M-am nascut in regiunea Congo de Vest, cam in aceasta zona,
00:30
and then went to university in Kisangani.
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si apoi am plecat la facultate in Kisangani.
00:35
And after I finished, I went to this area, the Ituri Forest.
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Dupa absolvire am mers in aceasta zona, Padurea Ituri.
00:39
But what I've been doing --
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Dar ce faceam inainte --
00:41
when I was about 14, I grew in my uncle's house.
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pana la varsta de 14 ani, am crescut in casa unchiului meu.
00:48
And my father was a soldier,
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Si tatal meu a fost soldat,
00:51
and my uncle was a fisherman and also a poacher.
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iar unchiul meu pescar si de asemenea braconier.
00:55
What I've been doing from 14 to 17 was,
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Intre 14 si 17 ani,
01:00
I was assisting them collecting ivory tusk, meat
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ii ajutam sa adune colti de fildes, carne
01:07
and whatever they were killing, poaching, hunting in the forest,
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si orice mai ucideau, braconau sau vanau in padure,
01:11
bring it in the main city to get access to the market.
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sa le aduca un oras pentru a le vinde la piata.
01:16
But finally, I got myself involved.
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Dar pe urma, m-am implicat mai mult.
01:20
Around 17 to 20 years, I became, myself, a poacher.
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Intre 17 si 20 de ani am devenit eu insumi braconier.
01:27
And I wanted to do it, because -- I believed -- to continue my studies.
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Si am vrut sa fac asta ca sa imi pot continua studiile.
01:32
I wanted to go to university, but my father was poor, my uncle even.
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Vroiam sa merg la facultate, dar tatal meu era sarac, la fel si unchiul meu ...
01:36
So, I did it.
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Asa ca am facut-o.
01:38
And for three to four years, I went to university.
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Si in urmatorii trei sau patru ani am mers la facultate.
01:42
For three times, I applied to biomedical science, to be a doctor.
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Am incercat de trei ori sa intru la stiinta biomedicala, sa devin doctor.
01:48
I didn't succeed.
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Nu am reusit.
01:50
I was having my inscriptions, my admission to biology.
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Aveam cursurile, admiterea la biologie.
01:55
And I said, "No way, I'm not doing it.
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Si mi-am zis ca nu renunt.
01:57
My family's poor, my area don't have better health care.
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Familia mea e saraca, oamenii din zona nu au asistenta medicala buna.
02:01
I want to be a doctor to serve them."
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Vreau sa devin doctor sa ii ajut.
02:03
Three times, that means three years, and I start getting old.
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Trei incercari, asta inseamna 3 ani, si deja eram prea batran.
02:08
I say, "Oh, no, I continue."
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Mi-am zis ca trebuie sa continui.
02:10
So, I did tropical ecology and plant botany.
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Asa ca am urmat cursurile de ecologie si botanica.
02:16
When I finished, I went to the Ituri Forest for my internship.
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Cand am terminat, am plecat in Padurea Ituri pentru practica.
02:20
It's where I really getting passion with what I'm doing
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Acolo am devenit cu adevarat pasionat de ceea am inceput sa fac
02:24
right up to now -- I'm standing in front of you --
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pana in in acest moment cand stau in fata voastra,
02:28
doing botany and wildlife conservation.
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practicand botanica si conservarea vietii salbatice.
02:32
That time the Ituri Forest was created as a forest reserve
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Padurea Ituri a fost creata ca o rezervatie de padure
02:36
with some animals and also plants.
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cu niste animale si plante.
02:41
And the training center there was built
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Si centrul de practica a fost construit
02:43
around the scientific Congolese staff
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in jurul personalului de cercetatori congolezi
02:48
and some American scientists also.
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si al unor cercetatori americani.
02:51
So, the Okapi Faunal Reserve protects number --
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Rezervatia de fauna Okapi adaposteste --
02:54
I think that is the largest number of elephants
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cred ca cel mai mare numar de elefanti
02:58
we have right now in protected areas in Congo.
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pe care il avem in acest moment intr-o zona protejata din Congo.
03:01
It has also chimpanzees.
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Adaposteste de asemenea si cimpanzei.
03:03
And it has been named Okapi Faunal Reserve
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Si numele i se datoreaza
03:06
because of this beautiful creature.
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acestei frumoase creaturi.
03:09
That is a forest giraffe.
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Aceasta este o girafa de padure.
03:11
I think you guys know it quite well.
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Cred ca voi o cunoasteti destul de bine.
03:14
Here we have savanna giraffes,
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Aceasta este girafa de savana,
03:16
but through evolution we have this forest giraffe
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dar datorita evolutiei avem aceasta girafa de padure
03:21
that lives only in Congo.
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care traieste doar in Congo.
03:23
It has also some beautiful primates.
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Rezervatia are deasemenea si niste primate frumoase.
03:26
Thirteen species -- highest diversity we can find in one single area in Africa.
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13 specii - cea mai mare diversitate ce se poate gasi intr-o singura zona in Africa.
03:33
And it has the Ituri Forest itself --
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Si mai are Padurea Ituri insasi --
03:36
about 1,300 species of plants, so far known.
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in jur de 1,300 de specii de plante, de care stim pana acum.
03:41
I joined the Wildlife Conservation Society, working there, in 1995,
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M-am alaturat Societatii de Conservare a Vietii Salbatice care lucra acolo in 1995,
03:47
but I started working with them as a student in 1991.
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dar am inceput sa lucrez cu ei ca si student inca din 1991.
03:50
I was appointed as a teaching assistant at my university
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Am fost numit ca asistent universitar
03:55
because I accomplished with honor.
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pentru ca am absolvit cu rezultate foarte bune.
03:59
But I didn't like the way -- the instruction I got was very poor.
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Dar nu mi-a placut faptul ca instruirea primita era foarte slaba.
04:04
And I wanted to be formed to a training center and a research center.
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Si am vrut sa o primesc de la un centru de cercetare si instruire.
04:08
With the end of the dictatorship regime of Mobutu Sese Seko,
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Odata cu sfarsitul regimului dictatorial al lui Mobutu Sese Seko,
04:13
that most of you know, life became very, very difficult.
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pe care majoritatea dintre voi il stiti, viata a devenit foarte, foarte grea.
04:18
And the work we have been doing
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Si munca ce o faceam pana atunci
04:20
was completely difficult to do and to achieve it.
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a devenit foarte dificila si greu de realizat.
04:24
When Kabila started his movement to liberate Congo,
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Cand Kabila si-a inceput miscarea de eliberare in Congo,
04:30
so Mobutu soldiers started moving and retreated.
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soldatii lui Mobutu au inceput sa se retraga,
04:34
So they started fleeing from the east to the west.
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si au fugit dispre Est spre Vest.
04:38
And the Okapi Faunal Reserve is there,
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Rezervatia de Fauna Okapi e aici,
04:41
so there was a road from Goma, somewhere here,
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undeva pe aici era un drum dinspre Goma,
04:46
and coming like this.
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care venea cam asa.
04:48
So they might go through, pass through the Okapi Faunal Reserve.
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Asa ca au trecut prin Rezervatia de Fauna Okapi.
04:53
Congo has five of the world's richest sites of protected area,
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Congo are cinci din cele mai bogate zone protejate,
04:59
and the Okapi Faunal Reserve is one of them.
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si Rezervatia de Fauna Okapi este una dintre ele.
05:02
So soldier was fleeing in the Okapi Faunal Reserve.
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Asa ca soldatii au trecut prin rezervatie.
05:05
On their way, they looted everything.
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Au furat tot ce le iesea in cale.
05:09
Torture, wars -- oh, my God, you can't believe.
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Tortura, razboi -- nu v-ar veni sa credeti.
05:12
Every person was looking his way -- where to go, we don't know.
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Fiecare cauta o iesire, nimeni nu stia unde sa plece.
05:17
And it was for us, the young, the first time really
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Si a fost pentru prima data pentru noi tinerii,
05:20
we hear the language of war, of guns.
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cand am auzit sunetul armelor, al razboiului.
05:25
And even people who faced the rebellion of 1963,
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Chiar si cei care au trait revolta din 1963,
05:30
after our independence, they didn't believe what was happening.
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dupa independenta noastra, nu puteau sa creada ce se intampla.
05:36
They were killing people. They were doing whatever they want
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Soldatii omorau oameni, faceau ce vroiau
05:38
because they have power.
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pentru ca aveau puterea.
05:40
Who have been doing that?
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Cine facea toate astea?
05:42
Young children. Child soldiers.
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Copiii. Copiii soldati.
05:45
You can't ask him how old he is because he has guns.
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Nu poti sa il intrebi cati ani are pentru ca are arme.
05:50
But I was from the west, working in the east.
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Dar eu eram din Vest, si lucram in Est.
05:53
I even [at] that time was not speaking Swahili.
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La vremea respectiva nu vorbeam Swahili.
05:57
And when they came, they looted everything.
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Apoi au venit si au furat tot.
05:59
You can't speak Lingala because Lingala was from Mobutu,
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Nu puteai sa vorbesti Lingala pentru ca Lingala era de la Mobutu,
06:03
and everyone speaking Lingala is soldier.
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si toata lumea care vorbea Lingala era soldat.
06:06
And I was from the same area to him.
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Si eu eram din aceeasi zona ca si el.
06:08
All my friends said, we are leaving because we are a target.
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Toti prietenii mi-au spus ca pleaca pentru ca erau in pericol.
06:11
But I'm not going to the east, because I don't know Swahili.
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Dar eu nu am putut pleca in Est pentru ca nu stiu Swahili.
06:15
I stay. If I go, I will be killed.
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Am ramas. Daca plecam, as fi fost ucis.
06:17
I can't go back to my area -- it's more than 1,000 kilometers [away].
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Nu puteam sa ma intorc in zona mea -- e la mai mult de 1,000 kilometri departare.
06:21
I stayed after they looted everything.
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Am ramas dupa ce au furat tot.
06:24
We have been doing research on botany,
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Faceam cercetare botanica,
06:27
and we have a small herbarium of 4,500 sheets of plants.
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si aveam un mic ierbar de 4,500 straturi de plante.
06:33
We cut, we dry and we packed them,
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Le-am taiat, le-am uscat, le-am impachetat,
06:35
we mounted them on a folder.
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si le-am pus intr-un balot.
06:38
Purpose: so that we start them for agriculture,
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Scopul -- sa le folosim pentru agricultura,
06:42
for medicine, for whatever, and for science,
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pentru medicina, pentru orice -- si pentru stiinta,
06:45
for the study of the flora and the change of the forest.
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pentru studiul florei si al schimbarilor padurii.
06:49
That is people moving around, that's even Pygmies.
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Acestia sunt nomazi, Pigmei.
06:52
And this is a bright guy, hard-working person, and Pygmy.
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Si acesta este un tip destept, harnic, Pigmeu.
06:59
I've been working with him about 10 years.
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Lucrez cu el de vreo 10 ani.
07:02
And with soldiers, they went to the forest for poaching elephants.
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Si cu soldatii, ei mergeau in padure ca sa braconeze elefanti.
07:07
Because he's Pygmy, he knows how to track elephants in the forest.
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Pentru ca el e Pigmeu, stie cum sa gaseasca elefantii in padure.
07:11
He has been attacked by a leopard and they abandon him in the forest.
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A fost atacat de un leopard si soldatii l-au abandonat in padure.
07:17
They came to told me, I have to save him.
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Au venit si mi-au spus ca trebuie sa il salvez.
07:20
And what I did, I gave him just antibiotics
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Si tot ce am facut a fost sa ii dau antibiotice
07:23
that we care for tuberculosis.
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pe care le folosim pentru tuberculoza.
07:27
And fortunately, I saved his life.
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Si din fericire, i-am salvat viata.
07:30
And that was the language of the war.
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Si aceasta era limbajul razboiului.
07:34
Everywhere there has been constant extraction of mineral,
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Peste tot se extrageau constant minerale,
07:39
killing animals, the logging timbers and so on.
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se omorau animale, se taiau copaci si asa mai departe.
07:43
And what of important things --
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Si un lucru important,
07:45
I think all of you here have a cell phone.
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cred ca toti de aici aveti telefoane mobile.
07:48
That mineral has killed a lot:
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Acest mineral a produs multi morti --
07:50
five millions of Congolese have gone because of this
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cinci milioane de Congolezi au pierit din cauza acestuia.
07:54
Colombo-Tantalite -- they call it Coltan --
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Colombo-Tantalite, numit si Coltan.
07:57
that they use it to make cell phones
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Este folosit pentru fabricarea telefoanelor mobile
08:00
and it has been in that area, all over in Congo. Extraction,
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si in aceasta zona si peste tot in Congo, se extrage
08:05
and good, big business of the war.
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si este o afacere buna pentru razboi.
08:08
And what I did for the first war, after we have lost everything,
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Si ce am facut dupa primul razboi, dupa ce am pierdut tot,
08:14
I have to save something, even myself, my life and life of the staff.
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a trebuit sa salvez ceva, pe mine, viata mea si viata personalului.
08:18
I buried some of our new vehicle engines, I buried it to save it.
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Am ingropat motorul noii noastre masini, l-am ingropat sa il salvez.
08:24
And some of equipment went with them,
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Si niste echipament l-au dus cu ei
08:26
on the top of the canopy, to save it.
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in varful frunzisului, ca sa il salvam.
08:28
He's not collecting plants, he's going to save our equipment
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El nu culege plante, el ne salveaza echipamentul
08:31
on the canopy.
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ascunzand-ul in frunzis.
08:33
And with the material that's left --
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Si materialele ramase --
08:35
because they wanted to destroy it, to burn it,
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pentru ca ei au vrut sa le distruga, sa le arda.
08:38
they didn't understand it, they didn't go to school --
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Ei nu inteleg, nu au mers la scoala.
08:40
I packed it.
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Le-am impachetat.
08:42
And that is me, going to, hurrying to Uganda,
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Si asta sunt eu, fugind in Uganda,
08:46
to try to save that 4,000 material,
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incercand sa salvez 4,000 de materiale,
08:49
with people carrying them on the bikes, bicycles.
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cu oameni carandu-le pe biciclete.
08:54
And after that, we succeeded.
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Si am reusit.
08:56
I housed that 4,000 material at the herbarium of Makerere University.
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Am depozitat acele 4,000 materiale la ierbarul Universitatii Makerere.
09:01
And after the war, I have been able to bring it back home,
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Si dupa razboi, am reusit sa le aduc inapoi acasa
09:05
so that we continue our studies.
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ca sa ne continuam studiile.
09:07
The second war came while we didn't expect it.
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Al doilea razboi a venit pe neasteptate.
09:11
With friends, we had been sitting and watching match football,
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Stateam cu prietenii uitandu-ne la fotbal,
09:15
and having some good music with WorldSpace radio,
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si ascultand niste muzica buna la radioul Worldspace,
09:19
when it started, I think.
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cand a inceput.
09:21
So, it was so bad.
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A fost rau.
09:24
We heard that now from the east again the war started,
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Am auzit ca din nou, din Est, a inceput razboiul,
09:27
and it's going fast.
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si avansa repede.
09:29
This time I think Kabila will go in place of, as he did with Mobutu.
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De aceasta data am crezut ca Kabila o sa plece, asa cum a facut el cu Mobutu.
09:34
And the reserve was a target to the rebels.
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Si rezervatia era tinta rebelilor.
09:38
Three different movements and two militia acting in the same area
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Trei miscari diferite si doua militii, actionau in aceasi zona
09:44
and competing for natural resources.
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fiind in competitie pentru resursele naturale.
09:47
And there was no way to work.
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Si aceasta situatie nu avea cum sa functioneze.
09:49
They destroy everything.
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Au distrus tot.
09:51
Poaching -- oh, no way.
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Braconaj -- nu se poate.
09:53
And that's the powerful men. We have to meet and to talk to them.
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Si acestia sunt oameni puternici -- a trebuit sa ne intalnim si sa vorbim cu ei.
09:59
What's the regulation of the reserve
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Care este legea in rezervatie
10:01
and what is the regulation of the parks?
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si care este legea in parcuri?
10:03
And they can't do what they are doing.
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Vroiam sa le spunem ca nu pot sa faca asa ceva.
10:06
So we went to meet them.
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Asa ca am mers sa ne intalnim cu ei.
10:08
That is Coltan extraction, gold mining.
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Aceasta este o extractie de Coltan, minerit de aur.
10:12
So, we started talking with them,
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Asa ca am inceput sa vorbim cu ei,
10:14
convincing them that we are in a protected area.
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sa ii convingem ca suntem intr-o zona protejata.
10:16
There are regulations
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Sunt legi
10:18
that it's prohibited to do logging, mining and poaching, specifically.
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prin care se interzice taierea copacilor, mineritul si mai ales braconajul.
10:24
But they said, "You guys,
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Dar ei ne-au raspuns, " Voi
10:26
you think that soldiers who are dying are not important,
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credeti ca soldatii care mor nu sunt importanti
10:30
and your animals you are protecting are most important.
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si ca animalele pe care le protejati sunt mai importante.
10:35
We don't think so.
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Noi nu credem asta.
10:37
We have to do it, because to let our movement advance."
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Trebuie sa continuam pentru ca miscarea noastra sa poata avansa.
10:41
I say, "No way, you are not going to do it here."
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Eu le-am zis, "In nici un caz nu o sa faceti asta aici."
10:44
We started talking with them and I was negotiating.
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Am inceput sa vorbim si sa negociem cu ei.
10:47
Tried to protect our equipment, tried to protect our staff
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Am incercat sa ne protejam echipamentul, personalul
10:52
and the villages of about 1,500 people.
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si satele de vreo 1,500 de oameni.
10:56
And we continued.
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Si am continuat.
10:58
But I was doing that, negotiating with them.
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Dar in timp ce faceam asta, negociam cu ei,
11:01
Sometimes we are having meeting
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cateodata ne intalneam
11:03
and they are talking with Jean-Pierre Bemba,
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ei vorbeau cu Jean-Pierre Bemba,
11:05
with Mbusa Nyamwisi, with Kabila, and I'm there.
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cu Mbusa Nyamwisi, cu Kabila, si eu eram acolo.
11:09
Sometimes, they talk to my own language, that is, Lingala.
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Cateodata vorbeau in limba mea, Lingala.
11:12
I hear it and what strategy they are doing, what they are planning.
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Auzeam si intelegeam strategia lor, planurile lor.
11:16
Sometimes, they are having a helicopter
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Uneori venea un elicopter
11:18
to supply them with ammunition and so on.
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sa ii aprovizioneze cu munitie si altele.
11:20
They used me to carry that, and I was doing counting,
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Ma foloseau si pe mine sa transport lucruri si eu numaram,
11:25
what comes from where, and where, and where.
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ce de unde vine si unde ajunge.
11:27
I had only this equipment -- my satellite phone, my computer
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Am avut doar acest echipament -- telefonul meu cu comunicare prin satelit, computerul meu
11:33
and a plastic solar panel -- that I hide it in the forest.
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si un panou solar de plastic pe care l-am ascuns in padure.
11:39
And every time, daily, after we have meeting,
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Si de fiecare data, in fiecare zi, dupa intalnire,
11:43
what compromise we have, whatever,
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orice informatie as fi avut,
11:47
I go, I write a short email, send it.
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mergeam si trimiteam un scurt email.
11:50
I don't know how many people I had on my address.
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Nu stiu cate adrese aveam in agenda,
11:54
I sent the message: what is going about the progress of the war
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le trimiteam mesaje despre ce se intampla, despre progresul razboiului
11:58
and what they are planning to do.
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si despre planurile rebelilor.
12:00
They started suspecting that what we do on the morning,
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Au inceput sa ne suspecteze, pentru ca ce faceam dimineata,
12:04
and the afternoon, it's on the news, BBC, RFI.
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dupa-amiaza era la stiri -- BBC, RFI.
12:07
(Laughter)
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(Rasete)
12:08
Something might be going on.
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Ceva se intampla.
12:10
And one day, we went for a meeting.
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Si intr-o zi, am mers
12:12
(Applause)
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(Aplauze)
12:14
Sorry.
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Scuzati-ma.
12:18
One day, we went to meet the Chief Commander.
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Intr-o zi am mers sa ne intalnim cu Comandantul Sef.
12:20
He had the same iridium cell phone like me.
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Avea acelasi telefon mobil din reteaua Iridium ca si mine.
12:23
And he asked me, "Do you know how to use this?"
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Si m-a intrebat, "Stii sa folosesti asa ceva?"
12:25
I said, "I have never seen it.
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Eu i-am zis, "Nu am vazut niciodata asa ceva
12:27
(Laughter)
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(Rasete)
12:28
I don't know."
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Nu stiu."
12:30
And I had mine on my pocket.
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Si il aveam pe al meu in buzunar.
12:32
So, it was a chance that they trusted me a lot.
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Asa ca a fost noroc ca aveau incredere in mine,
12:34
They didn't -- they was not looking on me.
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nu m-au perchezitionat.
12:36
So I was scared.
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Si m-am speriat.
12:38
And when we finished the meeting, I went to return it in the forest.
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Dupa ce am terminat intalnirea, m-am dus inapoi in padure.
12:42
And I was sending news, doing whatever,
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Trimiteam stiri,
12:46
reporting daily to the U.N., to UNESCO, to our institution in New York,
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raportam zilnic la U.N., la UNESCO, la institutia noastra din New York
12:51
what have been going.
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ce se intampla.
12:53
And for that, they have been having big pressure to leave, to free the area.
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Si datorita acestui fapt, s-au facut presiuni intense asupra lor sa plece, sa elibereze zona.
12:58
Because there was no way --
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Pentru ca nu se putea altfel --
13:00
whatever they do, it's known the same time.
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orice faceau ei, aparea la stiri.
13:02
During the first two rebellions, they killed all animals in the zoo.
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In timpul primelor doua revolte, au omorat toate animalele din gradina zoologica.
13:07
We have a zoo of 14 Okapis, and one of them was pregnant.
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Aveam o gradina zoologica cu 14 Okapi, si una era gravida.
13:11
And during the war, after a week of heavy war, fighting in the area,
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In timpul razboiului, dupa o saptamana de razboi greu,
13:17
we succeeded: we had the first Okapi.
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am reusit -- aveam prima Okapi.
13:19
This is the only trouser and shirt remind me of this.
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Acesta este singurul om imbracat in pantaloni si tricou, imi aduc aminte.
13:22
This is not local population, this is rebels.
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Acestia nu sunt localnici, sunt rebeli.
13:25
They are now happy sending the news
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Acum erau bucurosi sa trimita stiri
13:27
that they have protected the Okapi with the war,
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ca protejeaza Okapi cu razboiul,
13:29
because we sent the news that they are killing
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pentru ca noi trimiteam stiri ca omorau
13:32
and poaching everywhere.
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si braconau peste tot.
13:33
After a week, we celebrated the birthday of that Okapi,
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Dupa o saptamana am sarbatorit ziua de nastere a acelei Okapi,
13:38
they killed an elephant, just 50 meters to the area
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si ei au omorat un elefant, la doar 50 de metri de noi,
13:42
where the zoo, where Okapi was born.
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de gradina zoologica, unde se nascuse Okapi.
13:45
And I was mad.
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Si m-am infuriat.
13:46
I oppose it -- that they are now going to dissect it,
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M-am opus sa il disece
13:48
until I do my report and then I see the Chief Commander.
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pana nu imi fac un raport si ma intalnesc cu Comandantul Sef.
13:54
And I succeeded.
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Si am reusit.
13:56
The elephant just decayed and they just got the tusks.
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Elefantul s-a descompus si tot ce le-a ramas au fost coltii de fildes.
14:01
What we are doing after that -- that was the situation of the war --
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Ce am facut dupa, asta era situatia in timpul razboiului,
14:06
we have to rebuild.
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a trebuit sa reconstruim.
14:08
I had some money. I was paid 150 dollars.
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Aveam niste bani -- eram platit cu 150 de dolari.
14:11
I devoted half of it to rebuild the herbarium,
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Am folosit jumatate pentru a reconstrui ierbarul,
14:17
because we didn't have good infrastructure to start plants.
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pentru ca nu aveam o infrastructura suficient de buna pentru a creste plantele.
14:20
Wildlife Conservation Society more dealing with plants.
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Societatea de Conservare a Vietii Salbatice se ocupa mai mult cu plante.
14:24
I started this with 70 dollars,
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Am inceput cu 70 de dolari
14:27
and start fundraising money to where I've been going.
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si am inceput sa strang fonduri de pe unde mergeam.
14:31
I had opportunity to go all over,
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Am avut ocazia sa calatoresc peste tot
14:33
where herbarium for my African material is.
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pe unde erau plante Africane pentru ierbar.
14:36
And they supported me a bit, and I built this.
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Si m-au sprijinit putin, si am contruit asta.
14:41
Now, it's doing work to train young Congolese.
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Acuma este folosita pentru a pregati tineri Congolezi.
14:46
And also, what one of the speciality we are doing,
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Si deasemenea, una dintre specializarile noastre,
14:49
my design is tracking the global warming effect on biodiversity,
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design-ul meu urmareste efectele incalzirii globale asupra biodiversitatii,
14:55
and what the impacts of the Ituri Forest is playing to uptake carbon.
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si impactul Padurii Ituri asupra captarii de carbon.
15:00
This is one of the studies we are doing on a 40-hectare plot,
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Acest studiu il facem pe 40 de hectare de teren,
15:04
where we have tagged trees and lianas from one centimeters,
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unde am etichetat copaci si liane incepand de la un centimetru
15:08
and we are tracking them.
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si pe care le urmarim.
15:10
We have now data of about 15 years,
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Avem acum date vechi de vreo 15 ani,
15:14
to see how that forest is contributing to the carbon reductions.
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pe care le folosim sa vedem cum contribuie padurea la reducerea emisiilor de carbon.
15:21
And that is -- I think it's difficult for me.
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Si cam asta e -- e dificil pentru mine.
15:26
This is a very embarrassing talk, I know.
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Aceasta este o prezentare jenanta, stiu --
15:29
I don't know where to start, where to finish it.
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Nu stiu de unde sa o incep, unde sa o termin.
15:32
When I was thinking to come here,
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Cand m-am gandit sa vin aici,
15:34
what best title I wanted to say to my talk, I didn't find this.
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nu am reusit sa gasesc cel mai bun titlu pentru prezetarea mea.
15:39
But now I think that I would have titled it, "The Language of Guns."
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Dar acum cred ca as fi intitulat-o, "Limbajul armelor".
15:44
Where are you people?
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Unde sunteti voi?
15:46
Now we are talking about reconstitution, rebuild Africa.
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Acum vorbim despre recontructie, recontructia Africii.
15:51
But is gun industries a tool to rebuild, or is it a game?
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Dar este industria armelor o unealta de reconstructie sau este un joc?
15:59
I think we see the war like a game --
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Eu cred ca privim razboiul ca pe un joc --
16:04
like soccer, football.
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ca fotbalul, ca fotbalul american.
16:06
Everybody is happy, but see what it's doing,
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Toata lumea e fericita, dat uitati-va ce se intampla,
16:11
see what is going in Darfur.
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uitati-va ce efecte are in Darfur.
16:13
Now we say, oh, my God.
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Acum spunem, oh, Dumnezeule.
16:14
See what the wars in Rwanda.
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Uitati-va la razboaiele din Rwanda.
16:16
That's because of the language of guns.
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Asta se intampla datorita limbajului armelor.
16:20
I don't think that someone may blame Google,
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Nu cred ca cineva ar putea da vina pe Google,
16:24
because it's doing the right things,
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pentru ca face ce trebuie,
16:27
even if people like Al-Qaeda are using Google
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chiar daca si oameni din Al-Qaeda folosesc Google
16:30
to connect between them.
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sa comunice.
16:32
But it's serving millions for the best.
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Dar este folosit si de alte milioane de oameni inspre bine.
16:35
But what is doing with gun industries?
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Dar ce se face cu industria armelor?
16:38
Thank you.
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Multumesc.
16:40
(Applause)
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(Aplauze)
16:45
Chris Anderson: Thank you, thank you.
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Chris Anderson: Multumesc, multumesc.
16:47
Just wait over there.
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Te rog asteapta aici.
16:50
It's an amazing story.
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Este o poveste uimitoare.
16:52
I suspect a lot of people here have the same question I have.
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Banuiesc ca multi oameni de aici vor sa iti puna aceeasi intrebare ca si mine.
16:57
How can we help you?
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Cum te putem ajuta?
17:02
Corneille Ewango: That's really embarrassing questions.
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Corneille Ewango: Asta chiar este o intrebare jenanta.
17:06
I think that now I feel nervous.
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Cred ca m-am emotionat.
17:08
And I think, helping us, people are acting sometimes by ignorance.
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Si cred ca, ajutandu-ne, oamenii actioneaza uneori din ignoranta.
17:14
I did it myself.
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Eu am reusit singur.
17:16
If I know when I was young,
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Daca as fi stiu cand eram tanar,
17:18
that [by] killing an elephant, I'm destroying biodiversity,
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ca omorand elefanti, distrug biodiversitatea,
17:21
I would not have done it.
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nu as fi facut-o.
17:23
Many, many of you have seen the talents of Africans,
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Multi, multi dintre voi au vazut talentele africanilor,
17:27
but there are few who are going to school.
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dar sunt putini cei care merg la scoala.
17:31
Many are dying because of all those kind of pandemics,
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Multi mor din cauza diferitelor epidemii,
17:36
HIV, malaria, poverty, not going to school.
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HIV, malaria, saracie, lipsa de educatie.
17:41
What you can assist us, it's by building capacities.
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Voi ne puteti ajuta oferind oportunitati.
17:45
How many have got opportunity like me
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Cati au avut ocazia, ca mine,
17:47
to go to U.S., do a master's?
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sa mearga in U.S., sa urmeze un master?
17:49
And go -- now, I'm in the Netherlands to do a Ph.D.
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Si acum -- acum merg in Olanda pentru un doctorat.
17:52
But many of them are just here, because they don't have money.
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Dar multi dintre ei nu au bani.
17:55
And they can't go even to university.
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Si nu pot sa mearga nici macar la universitate.
17:58
They can't even attain the bachelor's degree.
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Nu pot nici macare sa urmeze o licenta.
18:01
Building capacities for the young generation
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Crearea de oportunitati pentru tanara generatie,
18:05
is going to make a better generation
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o sa o faca o generatie mai buna
18:07
and a better future tomorrow for Africa.
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si o sa creeze un viitor mai bun pentru Africa.
18:10
CA: Thank you, thank you.
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CA: Multumesc, multumesc.
18:11
(Applause)
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(Aplauze)
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Corneille Ewango - Botanist and activistAs a botanist at the Okapi Wildlife Reserve in the Congo basin, Corneille Ewango has faced down poachers and soldiers who threaten this delicate and vital ecosystem.
Why you should listen
Corneille Ewango grew up in a family of poachers and hunters -- it was simply a way of life in his village. But when he got the chance to go to school, he found a new mission -- to study and preserve the flora and fauna of his region, the Congo Basin forest. In his passion for the forest, Ewango found himself an unwitting hero, taking bold steps to secure its resources and convince warring parties to leave it in peace.
The Congo Basin's great forests are under pressure from many angles. Settlers look here for fresh farmland; miners look for deposits of valuable col-tan; and soldiers fight over the forests both as territory to be won and as a resource for bush meat (from the threatened okapi) and cooking charcoal. It's home to families of pygmies and herds of okapi -- and a treasure house of green, growing things.
Ewango won the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2005 for his work at the Okapi Faunal Reserve in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a World Heritage Site. He's now studying in the United States.
Corneille Ewango | Speaker | TED.com