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: For mere tolerance har vi brug for.. Turisme?

Filmed:
1,494,756 views

Aziz Abu Sarah er en palæstinensisk aktivist med en usædvanlig tilgang til fredsbevarelse: Bliv en turist. Han viser hvordan simple interaktioner med folk fra andre kulturer kan undergrave årtiers had. Han starter med palæstinensere, der besøger israelere, og går videre derfra.
- 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 tourismturisme entrepreneuriværksætter
and a peacebuilderpeacebuilder,
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Jeg er en turisme-entreprenør
og en fredsskaber
00:15
but this is not how I startedstartede.
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men det her er hvordan, jeg startede.
Jeg kan huske, at jeg så tv,
da jeg var 7 år gammel,
00:18
When I was sevensyv yearsflere år oldgammel,
I rememberHusk watchingser televisiontelevision
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00:21
and seeingat se people throwingkaste rockssten,
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og så folk kaste med sten,
00:24
and thinkingtænker, this mustskal be
a funsjovt thing to do.
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hvortil jeg tænkte, at det
måtte være sjovt at gøre.
00:27
So I got out to the streetgade
and threwkastede rockssten,
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Så jeg gik ud på gaderne
og kastede med sten,
00:30
not realizingrealisere I was supposedformodede
to throwkaste rockssten at IsraeliIsraelske carsbiler.
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uden at indse, at det var meningen, at jeg
skulle kaste efter israelernes biler.
00:34
InsteadI stedet, I endedsluttede up stoningstening
my neighbors'naboer' carsbiler. (LaughterLatter)
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I stedet endte jeg med
at stene mine naboers biler.
00:38
They were not enthusiasticentusiastiske
about my patriotismpatriotisme.
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De var ikke entusiastiske
over min fædrelandskærlighed.
00:42
This is my picturebillede with my brotherbror.
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Det her er mit billede af mig og min bror.
00:44
This is me, the little one,
and I know what you're thinkingtænker:
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Jeg er den lille, og jeg ved,
hvad I tænker:
"Du plejede at se så sød ud,
hvad fanden skete der med dig?"
00:47
"You used to look cuteNuttet,
what the heckdælen happenedskete to you?"
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00:50
But my brotherbror, who is olderældre than me,
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Men min bror, der er ældre end mig,
00:52
was arrestedanholdt when he was 18,
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blev arresteret, da han var 18,
og blev taget til fængslet
for at kaste med sten.
00:55
takentaget to prisonfængsel on chargesafgifter
of throwingkaste stonessten.
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Han blev banket, da han nægtede
at tilstå, at han havde kastet med sten.
00:57
He was beatenslået up when he refusednægtede
to confessbekende that he threwkastede stonessten,
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01:01
and as a resultresultat, had internalindre injuriesskader
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Som følge fik han indre kvæstelser,
01:04
that causedforårsaget his deathdød soonsnart after
he was releasedudgivet from prisonfængsel.
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der resulterede i hans død, kort efter
han var sat fri fra fængsel.
Jeg var rasende, jeg var bitter,
01:08
I was angryvred, I was bitterbitter,
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og alt, jeg længtes efter, var hævn.
01:12
and all I wanted was revengehævn.
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Men det ændrede sig, da jeg var 18.
01:16
But that changedændret when I was 18.
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Jeg besluttede mig for, at jeg havde
brug for hebraisk for at få et job,
01:18
I decidedbesluttede that I neededhavde brug for
Hebrewhebraisk to get a jobjob,
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01:22
and going to studyundersøgelse Hebrewhebraisk
in that classroomklasseværelse
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og at studere hebraisk i det klasselokale,
01:24
was the first time I ever metmødte JewsJøder
who were not soldierssoldater.
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var den første gang, jeg mødte
jøder, der ikke var soldater.
01:30
And we connectedforbundet over really smalllille things,
like the factfaktum that I love countryLand musicmusik,
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Og vi forbandt os over virkelig små ting
som det, at jeg elsker country-musik,
hvilket er virkeligt sært
for palæstinensere.
01:34
whichhvilken is really strangemærkelig
for PalestiniansPalæstinenserne.
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01:38
But it was then that I realizedgik op for alsoogså
that we have a wallvæg of angervrede,
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Men det var også der, jeg indså,
at vi har en mur af vrede,
01:43
of hatredhad and of ignoranceuvidenhed
that separatesadskiller us.
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af had og af uvidenhed, der skiller os ad.
01:48
I decidedbesluttede that it doesn't matterstof
what happenssker to me.
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Jeg besluttede, at det er ligegyldigt,
hvad jeg kommer ud for.
Hvad, der tæller, er hvordan
jeg håndterer det.
01:53
What really matterssager is how I dealdel with it.
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01:56
And thereforederfor, I decidedbesluttede
to dedicatevie my life
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Og derfor besluttede jeg
at dedikere mit liv
01:59
to bringingbringe down the wallsvægge
that separateadskille people.
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til at rive murene, der
skiller folk ad, ned.
Jeg gør det på mange måder.
02:03
I do so throughigennem manymange waysmåder.
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02:05
TourismTurisme is one of them,
but alsoogså mediamedier and educationuddannelse,
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Turisme er en af dem, men det
er medier og uddannelse også.
02:08
and you mightmagt be wonderingundrende,
really, can tourismturisme changelave om things?
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Du undrer dig nok over,
om turisme virkelig kan ændre tingene.
02:12
Can it bringtage med down wallsvægge? Yes.
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Kan det rive mure ned? Ja.
02:14
TourismTurisme is the bestbedst sustainablebæredygtig way
to bringtage med down those wallsvægge
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Turisme er den mest holdbare
måde at nedbringe disse mure
02:19
and to createskab a sustainablebæredygtig way
of connectingTilslutning with eachhver other
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og skabe en holdbar måde at
forbinde os til hinanden
02:23
and creatingskabe friendshipsvenskaber.
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og skabe venskaber.
I 2009 blev jeg medstifter af Mejdi Tours,
02:26
In 2009, I cofoundedcofounded MejdiMejdi ToursTure,
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en social virksomhed, der har til
formål at forbinde folk,
02:29
a socialsocial enterpriseEnterprise that
aimsmål to connectforbinde people,
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02:33
with two JewishJødiske friendsvenner, by the way,
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i øvrigt med to jødiske venner,
og det, vi gjorde, var
02:35
and what we'llgodt do, the modelmodel we did,
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eksempelvis i Jerusalem
havde vi to rejseledere,
02:38
for exampleeksempel, in JerusalemJerusalem,
we would have two tourtur guidesvejledninger,
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02:41
one IsraeliIsraelske and one PalestinianPalæstinensiske,
guidingvejledende the tripsture togethersammen,
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en israelsk og en palæstinensisk,
der guidede ture sammen, hvor de
forklarede historie, arkæologi og konflikt
02:44
tellingfortæller historyhistorie and narrativefortælling
and archaeologyarkæologi and conflictkonflikt
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02:48
from totallyhelt differentforskellige perspectivesperspektiver.
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fra helt forskellige perspektiver.
Jeg kan huske en tur
med en ven kaldet Kobi -
02:51
I rememberHusk runningløb a triprejse togethersammen
with a friendven namedsom hedder KobiKobi --
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02:54
JewishJødiske congregationmenigheden from ChicagoChicago,
the triprejse was in JerusalemJerusalem --
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jødisk menighed fra Chicago,
turen var i Jerusalem -
02:57
and we tooktog them to a refugeeflygtning camplejr,
a PalestinianPalæstinensiske refugeeflygtning camplejr,
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og vi tog dem med til en
palæstinensisk flygtningelejr,
03:00
and there we had this amazingfantastiske foodmad.
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hvor vi fik fantastisk mad.
03:02
By the way, this is my mothermor. She's coolfedt nok.
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I øvrigt er dette min mor. Hun er cool.
03:05
And that's the PalestinianPalæstinensiske
foodmad calledhedder maqlubamaqluba.
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Og det er palæstinensisk
mad kaldet maqluba.
03:08
It meansmidler "upside-downhovedet."
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Det betyder "på hovedet".
03:09
You cooklaver mad it with riceris and chickenkylling,
and you flipflip it upside-downhovedet.
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Man koger det med ris og kylling
og vender det så på hovedet.
03:12
It's the bestbedst mealmåltid ever.
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Det er det klart bedste måltid.
03:14
And we'llgodt eatspise togethersammen.
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Og vi spiste sammen.
Så havde vi et band, israelske
og palæstinensiske musikere,
03:15
Then we had a jointsamling bandbånd,
IsraeliIsraelske and PalestinianPalæstinensiske musiciansmusikere,
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03:18
and we did some belly-dancingmavedans.
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og vi dansede mavedans.
03:20
If you don't know any,
I'll teachunderviser you latersenere.
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Kender I ikke til det, så
vil jeg lære jer det senere.
Men da vi gik, begyndte
begge sider at græde,
03:23
But when we left, bothbegge sidessider,
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03:26
they were cryinggråd because
they did not want to leaveforlade.
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fordi de ikke havde lyst til at gå.
03:29
ThreeTre yearsflere år latersenere, those
relationshipsrelationer still existeksisterer.
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Tre år senere eksisterer
de forhold stadig.
03:33
ImagineForestil dig with me
if the one billionmilliard people
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Forestil jer, hvis en milliard mennesker,
03:35
who travelrejse internationallyinternationalt
everyhver yearår travelrejse like this,
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der rejser internationalt, hvert år
ville rejse ligesom vi gjorde,
03:39
not beingvære takentaget in the busbus
from one sideside to anotheren anden,
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hvor man ikke tager bussen fra
den ene side til den anden,
03:42
from one hotelHotel to anotheren anden,
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fra et hotel til det næste,
03:45
takingtager picturesbilleder from the windowsvinduer
of theirderes busesbusser of people and cultureskulturer,
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og tager billeder fra bussen af
menneskerne og kulturerne,
men rent faktisk skaber
en forbindelse med folk.
03:48
but actuallyrent faktisk connectingTilslutning with people.
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Jeg husker at have en muslimsk
gruppe fra Storbritannien,
03:52
You know, I rememberHusk havingat have
a MuslimMuslimske groupgruppe from the U.K.
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hvor vi tog til en ortodoks
jødisk families hus,
03:56
going to the househus
of an OrthodoxOrtodokse JewishJødiske familyfamilie,
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03:58
and havingat have theirderes first FridayFredag night
dinnersmiddage, that SabbathSabbatten dinneraftensmad,
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hvor vi havde deres første sabbatmåltid,
04:03
and eatingspise togethersammen haminLone,
whichhvilken is a JewishJødiske foodmad, a stewgryderet,
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hvor vi spiste hamin, der er
en jødisk gryderet,
04:06
just havingat have the connectionforbindelse
of realizingrealisere, after a while,
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og følte forbindelsen af
efter lidt tid at indse,
04:09
that a hundredhundrede yearsflere år agosiden,
theirderes familiesfamilier camekom out
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at for nogle hundrede år siden
kom deres familier
04:12
of the samesamme placeplacere in NorthernNordlige AfricaAfrika.
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fra det samme sted i det nordlige Afrika.
Det er ikke et profilbillede
til din facebookprofil.
04:15
This is not a photoFoto profileprofil
for your FacebookFacebook.
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04:18
This is not disasterkatastrofe tourismturisme.
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Det er ikke katastrofeturisme.
Det er fremtiden for rejser,
04:20
This is the futurefremtid of travelrejse,
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og jeg inviterer jer til at ændre
måden, I rejser på, med mig.
04:23
and I inviteinvitere you to jointilslutte me to do that,
to changelave om your travelrejse.
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04:26
We're doing it all over the worldverden now,
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Vi gør det over hele kloden lige nu,
04:28
from IrelandIrland to IranIran to TurkeyTyrkiet,
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fra Irland til Iran til Tyrkiet,
og vi kan se os selv rejse til alle
mulige steder for at ændre verden.
04:30
and we see ourselvesos selv going
everywhereoveralt to changelave om the worldverden.
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04:33
Thank you.
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Tak.
04:34
(ApplauseBifald)
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Translated by Nana Ginnerup
Reviewed by Anders Finn Jørgensen

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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