Azim Khamisa and Ples Felix: What comes after tragedy? Forgiveness
عظیم خمیسا، پلس فلیکس: بعد از تراژدی چه اتفاقی میافتد؟ بخشایش
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.
در زندگی زیاد داریم.
if we are able to make the right choice,
اگر بتوانیم تصمیم درست را بگیریم،
a good photographer,
نویسندهای خوب، عکاسی قابل،
to work for National Geographic,
on Fridays and Saturdays.
تحویل پیتزا انجام میداد.
to absorb a new, hideous reality.
برای درک واقعیت جدید و سهمگین.
my life to a crashing halt.
زندگی مرا به مرز فروپاشی کشاند.
I've ever had to do
که مجبور به انجامش شدهام
who lived in a different city.
که در شهری دیگر زندگی میکرد.
she's never going to see her son again,
که دیگر پسرش را نخواهد دید،
at both ends of the gun.
قربانی میگیرد.
was a victim of the 14-year-old,
نوجوانی ۱۴ ساله شد، کار آسانیست،
that he was a victim of American society.
کمی دشوار است.
well, who is American society?
خب، جامعه آمریکایی کیست؟
that society is just happenstance.
چیزی خلقالساعه است.
for the society we've created.
مسئول جامعهای هستیم که خلق کردهایم.
is not a mark of a civil society.
نشان یک جامعه متمدن نیست.
at the Tariq Khamisa Foundation
شکستن چرخه خشونت کودکان،
is to save lives of children.
We lose so many on a daily basis.
روزانه جانهای زیادی از دست میرود.
so kids don't fall through the cracks
تا کودکان گول نخورند
and drugs and alcohol and weapons.
و مواد مخدر و الکل و سلاح را انتخاب نکنند.
the principles of nonviolence,
a learned behavior,
رفتاری اکتسابی باشد.
I reached out to my brother here,
که اینجا حضور دارد رفتم،
that we had both lost a son.
پسری را از دست دادهایم.
to the adult prison system.
we are still here together,
هنوز در کنار هم هستیم،
back from the dead,
از زندان بیرون بیاوری،
in our community
هیچ کودک دیگری در جامعهمان
has been successful.
with Ples and me.
and we create a peace club.
و یک باشگاه آشتی داریم.
به اطلاعتان برسانم
these principles of nonviolence,
and expulsions by 70 percent,
تا ۷۰ درصد کاهش دهیم.
my journey of forgiveness,
به پایان رساندم،
who killed my son.
که پسرم را کشته بود.
because we were --
we locked eyeballs.
به چشم هم زل زدیم.
he's looking in my eyes,
و او به چشمهای من،
trying to find a murderer, and I didn't.
اما پیدایش نکردم.
was no different than the spark in me
با جرقه انسانیت در من فرقی نداشت
He was remorseful.
او نادم بود.
of forgiveness had changed him.
او را عوض کرده است.
my brother, Ples.
برادرم پلس را پذیرا باشید.
and only daughter's one and only child.
دختر یکدانه من است.
به دنیا آورد ۱۵ ساله بود.
job on the planet.
than raising another human being
بزرگ کردن یک انسان دیگر نیست
to be successful in life.
in his life as a young kid.
در زندگی تجربه کرد.
of automatic weapon fire
in so many different ways.
دچار وحشت شدید شده بود.
he had everything a kid needed
to try to be successful
of being a successful person,
Tony ran away from home that evening,
تونی آن روز عصر از خانه فرار کرد،
he thought were his friends,
که فکر میکرد دوستانش هستند،
they would make him feel carefree.
to make his anxiety go higher
of an 18-year-old who commanded him
که به او فرمان داد
he thought were his friends,
که فکر میکرد دوستانش هستند،
that my grandson was responsible
like I was taught by my old folks,
که قدیمیترهایم یاد داده بودند،
and I have in common,
besides being wonderful human beings,
که انسانهای فوقالعادهای هستیم،
مراقبه میکنیم.
to seek guidance and clarity
و شفافیت را به من داد
of this man and his family in this loss.
و خانوادهاش در این فقدان کمک کنم.
to a meeting at this man's house,
of God-spirited people led by this man,
تحت رهنمون این مرد باشم،
and to share with children
در میان بگذارم
to be with a responsible adult,
با یک بزرگسال مسئول را در میان بگذارم،
in a way that's healthy,
in the Tariq Khamisa Foundation
for the kids to put in their toolkit
تا در جعبه ابزار خود بگذارند
throughout their lives.
در طول زندگی با خود حمل کنند.
understand that loving, caring adults
بزرگسالان مهربان و دلسوز
that our children learn to meditate,
کودکان ما مراقبه را فراگیرند،
with the other children
تعامل داشته باشند
to share the love with children,
تا عشق را با کودکان تقسیم کنیم،
will lead the way for us,
will depend on our children.
به کودکانمان وابسته خواهیم بود.
they will take over this world for us,
کودکان جهان را برای ما پیش میبرند،
they will give it back to us.
آن را به ما بازخواهندگرداند.
I was educated in England,
در انگلیس تحصیل کردم،
I'm the African American in the group.
این منم که آمریکایی آفریقاییتبارم.
by an American child.
آن گلوله را شلیک کرده بود.
he killed my one and only son,
او پسر یکی یکدانه مرا کشت،
what happened to that young man.
که سرنوشت آن مرد جوان چه شد.
He just turned 37 on September 22,
همین ۲۲ سپتامبر گذشته ۳۷ سالش شد.
to get him out for 12 years.
او را از زندان بیرون بیاوریم.
بیرون میآید.
بسیار خوشحالم،
tens of thousands of students
on a regular basis.
با بچهها در میان بگذارد.
"When I was 11, I joined a gang.
«در ۱۱ سالگی عضو باند شدم.
I murdered Mr. Khamisa's son.
umpteen years in prison.
ارزشش را ندارد،»
will listen to that voice?
به این صدا گوش خواهند داد؟
that pulled the trigger.
to turn the clock back.
زمان را به عقب برگرداند.
the power of forgiveness.
our session with this quote,
was written by Tony.
sustained goodwill creates friendship.
by bombing them, right?
نمیشود دوست پیدا کرد. مگر نه؟
که دوست پیدا میکنید.
trust, empathy, compassion and peace.
همدلی، شفقت و صلح شروع میشود.
how do you extend goodwill
حسن نیت را چگونه گسترش میدهی
through forgiveness.
این برای من جواب داد.
میتواند جواب دهد،
North and South Korea,
کره شمالی و کره جنوبی،
the United States of America.
میتواند جواب دهد.
خواهران من،
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