Azim Khamisa and Ples Felix: What comes after tragedy? Forgiveness
Αζίμ Καμίσα, Πλες Φίλιξ: Τι ακολουθεί την τραγωδία; Η συγχώρεση
Azim Khamisa speaks to students and adults on nonviolence, forgiveness and peace-building, and he is a founder of two nonprofit organizations that target youth violence. Full bioPles Felix - Peace activist
Ples Felix is a leader in the Tariq Khamisa Foundation, dedicated to helping stop youth violence. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
have many defining moments in our lives.
στιγμές στην ζωή μας.
if we are able to make the right choice,
αν μπορέσουμε να κάνουμε σωστές επιλογές,
φοιτητής πανεπιστημίου,
a good photographer,
καλός συγγραφέας και φωτογράφος,
to work for National Geographic,
για το National Geographic.
on Fridays and Saturdays.
τα Σαββατοκύριακα.
από μια νεανική συμμορία,
και τον σκότωσε.
to absorb a new, hideous reality.
προσπαθείς να απορροφήσεις
my life to a crashing halt.
σε ένα συντριπτικό τέλμα.
πράγματα που έπρεπε να κάνω
I've ever had to do
who lived in a different city.
που ζούσε σε μια άλλη πόλη.
she's never going to see her son again,
ότι δεν θα ξαναδεί τον γιο της,
και μια μεγάλη τραγωδία,
στο διαλογισμό μου,
at both ends of the gun.
και στις δύο άκρες του όπλου.
was a victim of the 14-year-old,
ότι ο γιος μου ήταν θύμα ενός 14χρονου,
that he was a victim of American society.
ότι ήταν θύμα της αμερικάνικης κοινωνίας.
well, who is American society?
ποια είναι η αμερικάνικη κοινωνία;
that society is just happenstance.
είναι απλά κάτι τυχαίο.
for the society we've created.
για την κοινωνία που δημιουργήσαμε.
is not a mark of a civil society.
μιας πολιτισμένης κοινωνίας.
at the Tariq Khamisa Foundation
τα παιδιά να σκοτώνουν παιδιά,
της νεανικής βίας.
is to save lives of children.
We lose so many on a daily basis.
so kids don't fall through the cracks
and drugs and alcohol and weapons.
τις συμμορίες, το έγκλημα,
the principles of nonviolence,
να διδάξουμε τις αρχές της μη βίας,
και της συγχώρεσης.
a learned behavior,
και τη μη βία,
να το μάθουν αυτό μέσω της ώσμωσης.
I reached out to my brother here,
απευθύνθηκα στον αδερφό μου εδώ,
είχαμε χάσει από έναν γιο.
that we had both lost a son.
to the adult prison system.
μέσα στο σωφρονιστικό σύστημα.
we are still here together,
είμαστε ακόμα μαζί.
back from the dead,
τον Τόνι από τη φυλακή,
in our community
ότι κανένας άλλος νέος στην κοινότητά μας
has been successful.
διαφορετικά προγράμματα.
with Ples and me.
όπου παρίσταμαι μαζί με τον Πλες.
κι όμως, είναι εδώ μαζί».
ένα συμβουλευτικό πρόγραμμα
and we create a peace club.
που μπορώ να μοιραστώ μαζί σας,
these principles of nonviolence,
τις αρχές της μη βίας,
and expulsions by 70 percent,
κατά 70 τοις εκατό.
my journey of forgiveness,
το ταξίδι μου της συγχώρεσης,
who killed my son.
που σκότωσε τον γιο μου.
because we were --
επειδή ήμασταν -
χωρίς ν' αποτραβήξουμε το βλέμμα μας.
we locked eyeballs.
he's looking in my eyes,
με κοιτούσε στα μάτια,
trying to find a murderer, and I didn't.
έναν δολοφόνο,
was no different than the spark in me
δεν διέφερε από τη δική μου
He was remorseful.
είχε καλούς τρόπους,
τον είχε αλλάξει.
of forgiveness had changed him.
my brother, Ples.
υποδεχθείτε τον αδελφό μου, Πλες.
της μοναχοκόρης μου.
and only daughter's one and only child.
όταν ήταν 15 χρονών.
δουλειά στον πλανήτη.
job on the planet.
από το να μεγαλώνεις ένα άλλο ανθρώπινο όν
than raising another human being
για να πετύχουν στη ζωή τους.
to be successful in life.
in his life as a young kid.
να δολοφονείται από πυρά αυτόματου όπλου
of automatic weapon fire
στο Λος Άντζελες.
in so many different ways.
he had everything a kid needed
ό,τι χρειαζόταν ένα παιδί
to try to be successful
of being a successful person,
Tony ran away from home that evening,
ο Τόνι το έσκασε από το σπίτι το βράδυ.
he thought were his friends,
που νόμιζε ότι ήταν φίλοι του.
ότι έτσι θα ένιωθε ανέμελος.
they would make him feel carefree.
to make his anxiety go higher
να κάνουν το άγχος του μεγαλύτερο
of an 18-year-old who commanded him
he thought were his friends,
που πίστευε ότι ήταν φίλοι του,
να εκφράσουν την απώλεια ενός παιδιού.
ήταν υπεύθυνος
that my grandson was responsible
όπως με είχαν διδάξει οι γονείς μου.
like I was taught by my old folks,
και να διαλογίζομαι.
and I have in common,
και που δεν το γνωρίζαμε,
besides being wonderful human beings,
επειδή μου έδωσε τη δυνατότητα
to seek guidance and clarity
of this man and his family in this loss.
και την οικογένειά του
to a meeting at this man's house,
σε μια συνάντηση στο σπίτι του.
την οικογένειά του.
of God-spirited people led by this man,
την ευκαιρία να γίνω χρήσιμος
and to share with children
to be with a responsible adult,
να είσαι υπεύθυνος ενήλικας,
in a way that's healthy,
in the Tariq Khamisa Foundation
προσφέρουν πολλά εργαλεία στα παιδιά
for the kids to put in their toolkit
σ' όλη τη διάρκεια της ζωής τους.
throughout their lives.
understand that loving, caring adults
ότι στοργικοί ενήλικες
that our children learn to meditate,
να μάθουν τα παιδιά μας να διαλογίζονται,
with the other children
με τα άλλα παιδιά
στην κοινωνία μας.
to share the love with children,
για τα παιδιά,
will lead the way for us,
will depend on our children.
από τα παιδιά μας
they will take over this world for us,
they will give it back to us.
τόση θα μας ανταποδώσουν.
I was educated in England,
και μορφώθηκα στην Αγγλία.
I'm the African American in the group.
ο Αφροαμερικανός ανάμεσά μας,
της ευθύνης που μου αναλογεί
by an American child.
από έναν νεαρό Αμερικάνο.
he killed my one and only son,
αφού σκότωσε το μοναχογιό μου,
από τον υψηλότερο στύλο.
what happened to that young man.
τι συνέβη σ' εκείνο το νεαρό άνδρα.
He just turned 37 on September 22,
to get him out for 12 years.
εδώ και 12 χρόνια.
σε ένα χρόνο από τώρα.
που θα είναι μαζί μας,
tens of thousands of students
δεκάδες χιλιάδες μαθητές
on a regular basis.
σε τακτική βάση.
"When I was 11, I joined a gang.
I murdered Mr. Khamisa's son.
τον γιο του κυρίου Καμίσα.
umpteen years in prison.
will listen to that voice?
θα ακούσουν εκείνη τη φωνή;
που τράβηξε την σκανδάλη.
that pulled the trigger.
to turn the clock back.
the power of forgiveness.
τη δύναμη της συγχώρεσης.
our session with this quote,
με αυτό το ρητό,
was written by Tony.
τον έγραψε ο Τόνι.
sustained goodwill creates friendship.
δημιουργεί τη φιλία».
by bombing them, right?
βομβαρδίζοντάς τους, σωστά;
δημιουργεί φιλία,
δημιουργεί ενσυναίσθηση,
δημιουργεί συμπόνια,
trust, empathy, compassion and peace.
εμπιστοσύνη, ενσυναίσθηση,
how do you extend goodwill
στο άτομο που δολοφόνησε το παιδί σου;»
through forgiveness.
μέσα από τη συγχώρεση».
ότι είχε αποτέλεσμα σε μένα,
ότι είχε αποτέλεσμα στον Τόνι,
σε εσάς και την οικογένειά σας,
North and South Korea,
την Βόρεια και Νότια Κορέα,
το Ιράν και τη Συρία.
the United States of America.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Azim Khamisa - Author, peace activistAzim Khamisa speaks to students and adults on nonviolence, forgiveness and peace-building, and he is a founder of two nonprofit organizations that target youth violence.
Why you should listen
Azim Khamisa writes: "I emigrated to the USA in 1974 to escape violence in Kenya, where we were a targeted minority. But 22 years ago, my only son, Tariq, who was a university student and worked a part-time job as a pizza delivery man, was killed by a 14-year-old gang member in a gang initiation ritual. Tariq was only 20 years old when he died, and needless to say it brought my life to a crashing halt. He was a good and a generous kid!
"However, even clouded in a deeply painful tragedy I saw that there were victims on both sides of the gun. Nine months after Tariq died, I founded the Tariq Khamisa Foundation (TKF). Our mission is to save lives of children, empower the right choices and teach the principles of nonviolence — of empathy, compassion, forgiveness and peacemaking. I forgave my son's killer and invited his grandfather to join me in TKF's work. With the grace of God, TKF is 22 years old and has a safe school model and is successfully keeping kids away from gangs, weapons, drugs, crime and violence. The grandfather and I are still together doing this work, and the kid who killed my son is now 36 years old and he will join us when he is paroled in October 2018. I have authored four books and speak worldwide to students and adults. I am a passionate peace activist and a teacher of nonviolence, forgiveness and spawning peacemakers."
Azim Khamisa | Speaker | TED.com
Ples Felix - Peace activist
Ples Felix is a leader in the Tariq Khamisa Foundation, dedicated to helping stop youth violence.
Why you should listen
Ples Felix was a retired Green Beret, working in community development and raising his grandson Tony, trying hard to keep him safe and away from bad influences. But on one horrible night, Tony, in the company of older gang members, shot and killed a pizza delivery driver. It was a moment that changed many lives.
The delivery driver was Tariq Khamisa, a 20-year-old student in San Diego. His grieving father, Azim Khamisa, seeking to find meaning in unfathomable loss, started the Tariq Khamisa Foundation to address youth violence through education, mentorship and community service. And he invited Felix to join him -- because "there was a victim on both ends of that gun." Since 1995, Felix has co-led the Tariq Khamisa Foundation, developing mentorship programs that keep at-risk kids in school and on the right track.
Ples Felix | Speaker | TED.com