ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Aziz Abu Sarah - Entrepreneur + educator
Aziz Abu Sarah helps people break down cultural and historical barriers through tourism.

Why you should listen

When Aziz Abu Sarah was a boy, his older brother was arrested on charges of throwing stones. He was taken to prison and beaten — and died of his injuries. Sarah grew up angry, bitter and wanting revenge. But when later in life he met, for the first time, Jews who were not soldiers, Sarah had an epiphany: Not only did they share his love of small things, namely country music, but coming face to face with the “enemy” compelled him to find ways to overcome hatred, anger and fear.

Sarah founded MEJDI Tours to send tourists to Jerusalem with two guides, one Jewish and one Palestinian, each offering a different history and narrative of the city. Sarah tells success stories of tourists from the US visiting a Palestinian refugee camp and listening to joint Arab and Jewish bands play music, and of a Muslim family from the UK sharing Sabbath dinner with a Jewish family and realizing that 100 years ago, their people came from the same town in Northern Africa. MEJDI is expanding its service to Iran, Turkey, Ireland and other regions suffering from cultural conflict. If more of the world’s 1 billion tourists were to engage with real people living real lives, argues Sarah, it would be a powerful force for shattering sterotypes and promoting understanding, friendship and peace.

More profile about the speaker
Aziz Abu Sarah | Speaker | TED.com
TED2014

Aziz Abu Sarah: For more tolerance, we need more ... tourism?

Aziz Abu Sarah: Za više tolerancije, trebamo više ... turizma?

Filmed:
1,494,756 views

Aziz AbuSarah je palestinski aktivista sa neobičnim pristupom kada je u pitanju uspostava mira. Budite turista. TED Fellow pokazuje kako jednostavna interakcija ljudi različite kulture može da poništi decenije mržnje. Počinje sa pričom kako Palestinci posjećuju Izrale i ide izvan toga...
- Entrepreneur + educator
Aziz Abu Sarah helps people break down cultural and historical barriers through tourism. Full bio

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

00:12
I'm a tourismturizam entrepreneurpoduzetnik
and a peacebuilderpeacebuilder,
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Ja sam turistički poduzetnik
i mirotvorac,
00:15
but this is not how I startedzapočet.
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ali nisam tako započeo
svoju karijeru.
00:18
When I was sevensedam yearsgodine oldstari,
I rememberzapamtite watchinggleda televisiontelevizija
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Kada sam imao sedam godina,
sjećam se da sam gledajući na televiziji
00:21
and seeingvidjeti people throwingbacanje rocksstijene,
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vidio ljude kako bacaju kamenje,
00:24
and thinkingrazmišljanje, this mustmora be
a funzabava thing to do.
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pomislio sam kako je to zabavno.
00:27
So I got out to the streetulica
and threwbacila rocksstijene,
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Izašao sam na ulicu i
počeo da bacam kamenje,
00:30
not realizingshvatajući I was supposednavodno
to throwbacanje rocksstijene at IsraeliIzraelski carsautomobili.
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nisam tada shvatio da treba da gađam
Izraelske automobile.
00:34
InsteadUmjesto toga, I endedzavršio up stoningkamenovanje
my neighbors'susjedima' carsautomobili. (LaughterSmijeh)
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Umjesto njih, gađao sam automobile
svojih komšija. (Smijeh)
00:38
They were not enthusiasticoduševljeni
about my patriotismpatriotizam.
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Nisu bili oduševljeni mojim
patriotizmom.
00:42
This is my pictureslika with my brotherbrate.
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Ovo je slika brata i mene.
00:44
This is me, the little one,
and I know what you're thinkingrazmišljanje:
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Ovo sam ja, mali,
i znam šta mislite:
00:47
"You used to look cuteslatka,
what the heckHej happeneddogodilo se to you?"
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"Izgledao si tako slatko,
šta se desilo s tobom?."
00:50
But my brotherbrate, who is olderstariji than me,
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Ali moj brat, koji je stariji od mene,
00:52
was arrestedUhapšen when he was 18,
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biva uhapšen kada je imao 18,
00:55
takenuzeti to prisonzatvor on chargesoptužbe
of throwingbacanje stoneskamenje.
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odveden je u zatvor pod,
optužbom da je bacao kamenje.
00:57
He was beatenpobijeđen up when he refusedodbio
to confesspriznati that he threwbacila stoneskamenje,
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Pretučen je kada je odbio,
da prizna da je on bacao kamenje,
01:01
and as a resultrezultat, had internalinterni injuriespovrede
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rezultat toga su bile unutrašnje povrede
01:04
that causedizazvano his deathsmrt soonuskoro after
he was releasedpušten from prisonzatvor.
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koje su prouzrokovale smrt,
nedugo nakon izlaska iz zatvora.
01:08
I was angryljuti, I was bittergorko,
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Bio sam ljut, bio sam ogorčen,
01:12
and all I wanted was revengeosveta.
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i sve što sam želio jest osveta.
01:16
But that changedpromijenjeno when I was 18.
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Ali to se promjenilo
kada sam napunio 18.
01:18
I decidedodlučio that I neededpotrebno
Hebrewhebrejski to get a jobposao,
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Odlučio sam da mi je Hebrejski
neophodan da dobijem posao,
01:22
and going to studystudija Hebrewhebrejski
in that classroomučionica
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i kada sam počeo da učim Hebrejski
01:24
was the first time I ever metispunjen JewsŽidovi
who were not soldiersvojnici.
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tada sam prvi put upoznao
Jevreje, koji nisu bili vojnici.
01:30
And we connectedpovezan over really smallmali things,
like the factčinjenica that I love countryzemlju musicmuzika,
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Povezale su nas male stvari,
ja volim country muziku,
01:34
whichšto is really strangečudno
for PalestiniansPalestinci.
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što je stvarno čudno, za
jednog Palestinca.
01:38
But it was then that I realizedrealizovan alsotakođe
that we have a wallzid of angerbes,
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Tada sam također shvatio,
da imamo zid mržnje između,
01:43
of hatredmržnja and of ignoranceneznanje
that separatesodvaja us.
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zid prezira i neznanja,
koji nas je razdvajao.
01:48
I decidedodlučio that it doesn't matterstvar
what happensse dešava to me.
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Nisam želio da se to i meni desi.
01:53
What really matterspitanja is how I dealdogovoriti with it.
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Želio sam da to promjenim.
01:56
And thereforestoga, I decidedodlučio
to dedicateposvetiti my life
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S toga sam odlučio da
svoj život posvetim
01:59
to bringingdonoseći down the wallszidovi
that separateodvojeni people.
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rušenju zidova koji
razdvajaju ljude.
02:03
I do so throughkroz manymnogi waysnačina.
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To sam radio na više načina.
02:05
TourismTurizam is one of them,
but alsotakođe mediamediji and educationobrazovanje,
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Turizam je jedan od njih,
ali i mediji i edukacija,
02:08
and you mightMožda be wonderingpitajući se,
really, can tourismturizam changepromjena things?
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možda se čudite da li turizam,
može da promjeni tu situaciju?
02:12
Can it bringdonijeti down wallszidovi? Yes.
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Može li da sruši zidove?
Da.
02:14
TourismTurizam is the bestnajbolje sustainableodrživ way
to bringdonijeti down those wallszidovi
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Turizam je najbolji dugoročni put
da se sruše ti zidovi
02:19
and to createstvoriti a sustainableodrživ way
of connectingpovezivanje with eachsvaki other
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i da se kreira održiva veza,
jednog naroda s drugim
02:23
and creatingstvaranje friendshipsprijateljstva.
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i da se stvore prijateljstva.
02:26
In 2009, I cofoundedosniva zajedno MejdiMejdi ToursTure,
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U 2009., suosnovao sam Mejdi Tours,
02:29
a socialsocijalno enterprisepoduzeće that
aimsciljevi to connectpovežite people,
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socijalni poduhvat s ciljem
da poveže ljude,
02:33
with two JewishŽidovski friendsprijatelji, by the way,
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sa dvojicom prijatelja koji su Jevreji,
02:35
and what we'llmi ćemo do, the modelmodel we did,
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i napravili smo model,
02:38
for exampleprimer, in JerusalemJeruzalem,
we would have two tourturneja guidesvodiči,
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gdje npr, u Jerusalemu imamo
dva turistička vodiča,
02:41
one IsraeliIzraelski and one PalestinianPalestinski,
guidingvođenje the tripsputovanja togetherzajedno,
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jednog Izraelca i jednog Palestinca
koji vode putovanje zajedno,
02:44
tellinggovoreći historyistorija and narrativenarativ
and archaeologyArheologija and conflictkonflikt
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prepričavajući historiju i arheologiju
kao i konflikte
02:48
from totallytotalno differentdrugačiji perspectivesperspektive.
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iz dvije različite perspektive.
02:51
I rememberzapamtite runningtrčanje a tripputovanje togetherzajedno
with a friendprijatelju namedimenovan KobiKobi --
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Sjećam se kada sam vodio turiste,
zajedno sa svojim prijateljem imena Kobi --
02:54
JewishŽidovski congregationkongregacije from ChicagoChicago,
the tripputovanje was in JerusalemJeruzalem --
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bila je to Jevrejska zajednica iz Čikaga,
put je bio u Jerusalemu --
02:57
and we tookuzela them to a refugeeizbeglica campkamp,
a PalestinianPalestinski refugeeizbeglica campkamp,
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Odveli smo ih u palestinski
izbjeglički kamp,
03:00
and there we had this amazingNeverovatno foodhrana.
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gdje smo imali ovu zanimljivu hranu.
03:02
By the way, this is my mothermajka. She's coolcool.
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Ovo je moja mati. Ona je cool.
03:05
And that's the PalestinianPalestinski
foodhrana calledpozvana maqlubamaqluba.
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Ovo je Palestinsko jelo,
koje se zove maqluba.
03:08
It meansznači "upside-downnaopako."
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Koje u prevodu znači
"naglavačke."
03:09
You cookkuhati it with ricepirinač and chickenpiletina,
and you flipflip it upside-downnaopako.
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Kuha se sa rižom i piletinom,
i to okrenete "naopačke."
03:12
It's the bestnajbolje mealobrok ever.
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To je najbolje jelo ikada.
03:14
And we'llmi ćemo eatjesti togetherzajedno.
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Koje smo svi zajedno jeli.
Poslije toga je svirao zajednički bend,
Palestinskih i Jevrejskih muzičara,
03:15
Then we had a jointzajednički bandband,
IsraeliIzraelski and PalestinianPalestinski musicianstehnički rezermanovali što što što štowe iiiwe,
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03:18
and we did some belly-dancingtrbušni ples.
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a poslije smo imali trbušni ples.
03:20
If you don't know any,
I'll teachnaučiti you laterkasnije.
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Ukoliko ga ne znate plesati,
naučiti ću vas poslije.
03:23
But when we left, bothoboje sidesstrane,
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Ali kada smo krenuli, obje strane,
03:26
they were cryingplakati because
they did not want to leaveodlazi.
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su plakale, nisu željele
da se rastanu.
03:29
ThreeTri yearsgodine laterkasnije, those
relationshipsveze still existpostoje.
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Tri godine poslije, te veze i dalje
postoje.
03:33
ImagineZamislite with me
if the one billionmilijardu people
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Zamislite kada bi
milijardu ljudi
03:35
who travelputovanje internationallyna međunarodnom nivou
everysvaki yeargodina travelputovanje like this,
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koji putuju međunarodno svake
godine, putovali na ovaj način,
03:39
not beingbiće takenuzeti in the busautobus
from one sidestrana to anotherdrugi,
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kada ne bi uzimali autobus
da pređu s jedne na drugu stranu,
03:42
from one hotelhotel to anotherdrugi,
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iz jednog hotela u drugi,
03:45
takinguzimajući picturesslike from the windowsprozori
of theirnjihova busesautobuse of people and cultureskultura,
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da slikaju iz svojih autobusa,
ljude i njihovu kulturu,
03:48
but actuallyzapravo connectingpovezivanje with people.
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umjesto da se povežu sa njima.
03:52
You know, I rememberzapamtite havingimati
a MuslimMuslimanska groupgrupa from the U.K.
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Sjećam se, kada sam imao grupu
Muslimana iz Velike Britanije,
03:56
going to the housekuća
of an OrthodoxPravoslavna JewishŽidovski familyporodica,
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i kada smo ušli u kuću
ortodoksnih Jevreja,
03:58
and havingimati theirnjihova first FridayPetak night
dinnersvečere, that SabbathŠabat dinnervečera,
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zajedno smo večerali na prvi
Petak, Sabbath večeru,
04:03
and eatingjesti togetherzajedno haminhamin,
whichšto is a JewishŽidovski foodhrana, a stewgulaš,
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zajedno smo jeli hamin,
Jevrejsko jelo, paprikaš,
04:06
just havingimati the connectionveza
of realizingshvatajući, after a while,
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malo poslije, smo shvatili
04:09
that a hundredsto yearsgodine agopre,
theirnjihova familiesporodice camedošao out
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da su njihove porodice
prije stotinu godina došle iz
04:12
of the sameisto placemesto in NorthernSjeverni AfricaAfrika.
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istog mjesta iz Sjeverne Afrike.
04:15
This is not a photofotografija profileprofil
for your FacebookFacebook.
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Ovo nije profilna slika za vaš
FB profil.
04:18
This is not disasterkatastrofa tourismturizam.
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Ovo nije upropašten turizam.
04:20
This is the futurebudućnost of travelputovanje,
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Ovo je budućnost putovanja,
04:23
and I invitepozovite you to joinpridruži se me to do that,
to changepromjena your travelputovanje.
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i ja vas pozivam da mi se pridužite,
da promjenimo način putovanja.
04:26
We're doing it all over the worldsvet now,
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Mi to radimo sada širom svijeta,
04:28
from IrelandIrska to IranIran to TurkeyTurska,
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od Irske do Irana i Turske,
04:30
and we see ourselvessami going
everywheresvuda to changepromjena the worldsvet.
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i vidimo se čak i dalje,
da promjenimo svijet.
04:33
Thank you.
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Hvala vam.
04:34
(ApplausePljesak)
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(Aplauz)

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Aziz Abu Sarah - Entrepreneur + educator
Aziz Abu Sarah helps people break down cultural and historical barriers through tourism.

Why you should listen

When Aziz Abu Sarah was a boy, his older brother was arrested on charges of throwing stones. He was taken to prison and beaten — and died of his injuries. Sarah grew up angry, bitter and wanting revenge. But when later in life he met, for the first time, Jews who were not soldiers, Sarah had an epiphany: Not only did they share his love of small things, namely country music, but coming face to face with the “enemy” compelled him to find ways to overcome hatred, anger and fear.

Sarah founded MEJDI Tours to send tourists to Jerusalem with two guides, one Jewish and one Palestinian, each offering a different history and narrative of the city. Sarah tells success stories of tourists from the US visiting a Palestinian refugee camp and listening to joint Arab and Jewish bands play music, and of a Muslim family from the UK sharing Sabbath dinner with a Jewish family and realizing that 100 years ago, their people came from the same town in Northern Africa. MEJDI is expanding its service to Iran, Turkey, Ireland and other regions suffering from cultural conflict. If more of the world’s 1 billion tourists were to engage with real people living real lives, argues Sarah, it would be a powerful force for shattering sterotypes and promoting understanding, friendship and peace.

More profile about the speaker
Aziz Abu Sarah | Speaker | TED.com