Peter Ouko: From death row to law graduate
Peter Ouko: Del corredor de la muerte a licenciado en Leyes.
Pete Ouko champions access to justice for inmates and the indolent in Africa. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
de 28 años de edad,
interior designer,
due to a broken-down judicial system.
debido a un sistema judicial descompuesto.
he didn't commit
por un asesinato que no cometió
the victim who actually died in the murder
la que murió en el asesinato
sentenced to prison
de dos por dos y medio,
eight by seven,
al entrar en una habitación,
that Manson would have been living in.
en la que Manson había vivido.
que la celda de ocho por siete.
than the eight-by-seven cell.
as he awaited the executioner --
he did not have a name --
mediante un número,
tendría que esperar.
the next minute,
al minuto o al día siguiente,
that Manson faced,
que enfrentaba Manson,
going to play the victim.
that had put him behind bars.
que lo había puesto tras las rejas.
he could change that justice system
de poder cambiar ese sistema,
when he decided to embrace forgiveness
cuando decidió perdonar
la víctima nunca más
going to be a victim anymore.
change a system
a cambiar un sistema
cada día más jóvenes,
younger inmates every day
in prison, my fellow inmates,
mis compañeros reclusos,
to the justice system,
a la Comisión de Servicios Jurídicos,
that had been set up
que habían sido creados
if I may use that word --
judicial funcionara,
recién graduado de la universidad,
graduate from the UK,
of his colleagues from university
colegas de la universidad
de Máxima Seguridad de Kamiti,
una de las 15 peores prisiones del mundo.
of the 15 worst prisons in the world.
en ese entonces.
aunque estábamos sentenciados a muerte.
we were on death row.
a él y a sus colegas de la universidad,
from the university
con tecnología de punta
with the latest technology
to very good standards
have to die in indignity.
and the support,
at the University of London.
en la Universidad de Londres.
studied from South Africa,
at Kamiti Maximum Security Prison.
desde la Prisión de Kamiti.
graduado del programa
dentro del sistema penitenciario.
from within the prison system.
the helpless victim.
de la víctima indefensa.
not only to assist myself,
de ayudarme a mí mismo
that have just been spoken about here.
a las mencionadas aquí.
informes legales para ellos.
legal briefs for them.
we did as much as we could.
hicimos cuanto pudimos.
at the African Prisons Project
en el Servicio Penitenciario de Kenia
in the Kenya Prison Service
through distance learning.
en la Universidad de Londres
who are being motivated
tienen como objetivo
the most indolent in society,
de la sociedad,
and others get access to justice.
y a otros a tener acceso a la justicia.
something kept stirring me.
algo seguía conmoviéndome.
kept hitting me.
seguían haciéndome eco.
"Pete, if you can't fly,
de continuar moviéndome.
de seguir avanzando en lo que haga,
to keep moving in whatever I do.
we can change our society,
que podemos cambiar la sociedad,
el sistema judicial,
the justice system --
in our country --
after 18 years in prison,
tras 18 años en prisión,
on presidential pardon.
the African Prisons Project --
el Proyecto Prisiones de África,
of training and setting up
la primera escuela de leyes
and legal college behind bars.
inmates and staff
a presos y personal,
wider society of the poor
de gentes sin recursos
that we can all reexamine ourselves,
reexaminarnos a nosotros mismos,
reexaminar nuestra situación,
nuestras circunstancias,
will not take us anywhere.
no nos va a llevar a ningún lado.
--y no fui-- prisionero.
by the peaceful revolutionaries
the world needs you today.
el mundo los necesita hoy.
each and every single one of you here,
y cada uno de Uds. aquí,
changemakers, innovators,
agentes de cambio, innovadores,
que tenemos en TED,
we have at TED,
of Martin Luther King.
de Martin Luther King.
in your heart and your life.
en sus corazones y en sus vidas:
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Peter Ouko - Prison reform advocatePete Ouko champions access to justice for inmates and the indolent in Africa.
Why you should listen
Twenty years ago, Peter Ouko walked into a police station in Kenya seeking answers to the circumstances under which his wife had been found murdered and the body dumped next to the police station fence. Unbeknown to him, the hunter would soon find himself as the hunted, and in a journey through the then broken down judicial system, he found himself convicted and sent to the gallows for a crime he maintains he did not commit.
Instead of bitterness, Ouko decided to forgive his tormentors and make the best of his time in prison, becoming the first inmate to graduate with a University of London Diploma in Law while behind bars. He is currently in his final year as an LLB student in the same University.
In his dual role as an Ambassador of the African Prisons Project and Founder of the Youth Safety Awareness Initiative, Ouko today champions access to justice for inmates and the indolent in society while using social enterprise to advocate for a crime free world. His goal: to demystify justice and have a crime free world underpinned by the rule of the law.
Peter Ouko | Speaker | TED.com