ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Adong Judith - Playwright, filmmaker
Adong Judith uses art as a vehicle to drive social change and trains aspiring makers to create art that dares to ask serious questions.

Why you should listen

Founder and artistic director of Silent Voices Uganda, a nonprofit performing arts company, Adong Judith creates art that provokes meaningful conversation on issues often considered taboo.

Notable among her training programs is the annual Summer Theater Directors Apprenticeship, a two-tier program that combines production and training of ten aspiring theater directors. Originally only for Ugandans, Judith has opened the 2018 and future apprenticeships to aspiring theater directors across the African continent, who she believes share the same challenges in practicum gaps.

In 2018, Judith will be in residence at Illinois State University, where she will direct her 2016 social media buzz-stirring play, Ga-AD!, which explores spirituality and the place of women in Pentecostal churches. Her first social change play, Silent Voices, which she wrote after accidentally encountering the inescapable stories of war crime victims in her hometown of Gulu, developed at Sundance Institute’s Theater Lab, received its world premiere in 2012 at the National Theater of Uganda and was described by the Ugandan media as "the spiritual rebirth of theater since its decline due to political persecution of artists by the Idi Amin regime."

Adong’s plays are taught at Ivy League Universities including Dartmouth College and Princeton University, and she recently signed a contract with Methuen Publishers UK to publish Silent Voices in an anthology of Contemporary African Women Playwrights.

More profile about the speaker
Adong Judith | Speaker | TED.com
TEDGlobal 2017

Adong Judith: How I use art to bridge misunderstanding

阿東.珠地絲: 我如何用藝術來彌合誤解

Filmed:
1,006,269 views

導演及戲劇作家阿東.珠地絲創作發人深省的藝術,引發了許多對話,從 LGBTQ (非異性戀者)的權利到戰爭罪行。在這短但有力的演說裡,這位 TED Fellow 詳細描述了她的工作──包括創作了《沈默的聲音》這齣戲,把北烏干達與以约瑟夫·科尼為首的叛軍間的戰爭受害者,和政治、宗教、文化領袖聚在一起對話。珠地絲說:「聆聽不會神奇地解決所有的問題,但能創造共同努力來解決許多人道問題的機會。」
- Playwright, filmmaker
Adong Judith uses art as a vehicle to drive social change and trains aspiring makers to create art that dares to ask serious questions. Full bio

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

00:12
I'm a writer-director作家-主任
who tells告訴 social-change社會變化 stories故事,
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我是一名作家兼導演,
我講有關社會變遷的故事,
因為我相信故事能
觸及內心並感動我們,
00:16
because I believe stories故事
touch觸摸 and move移動 us.
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故事賦予我們人性,
並教會我們同理心,
00:20
Stories故事 humanize賦予人性
and teach us to empathize同情.
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故事能改變我們。
00:23
Stories故事 change更改 us.
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00:26
When I write and direct直接 plays播放,
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當我寫作和執導時,
我替弱勢族群發聲,
00:28
I'm amplifying放大 voices聲音
of disadvantaged劣勢 groups,
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我對抗自我審查,
00:31
I'm fighting戰鬥 the self-censorship自我審查
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自我審查讓很多烏干達的藝術家們
遠離社會和政治的舞台──
00:33
that has kept不停 many許多 Ugandan烏干達 artists藝術家
away from social社會, political政治 theater劇院
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自從前總統伊迪・阿敏
開始迫害藝術家後。
00:38
since以來 the persecution迫害 of artists藝術家
by former前任的 Ugandan烏干達 president主席, Idi伊迪 Amin阿明.
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最重要的是我打破沉默,
00:44
And most importantly重要的,
I am breaking破壞 the silence安靜
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在禁忌話題上開啟有意義的對話;
00:48
and provoking發人深省 meaningful富有意義的
conversations對話 on taboo忌諱 issues問題,
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「沈默是金」通常是
這些話題的經驗法則。
00:52
where often經常 "Silence安靜 is golden金色"
is the rule規則 of thumb拇指.
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00:57
Conversations對話 are important重要
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對話很重要,
因為它能提供資訊
及挑戰我們的心靈去思考,
00:59
because they inform通知
and challenge挑戰 our minds頭腦 to think,
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而改變始於思考。
01:03
and change更改 starts啟動 with thinking思維.
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01:06
One of my struggles鬥爭 with activism行動
is its often經常 one-sided片面 nature性質
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行動主義讓我糾結的一點
是它通常是片面的,
使我們看不見反面的觀點,
01:11
that blinds百葉窗 us to alternative替代 view視圖,
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使我們的同理心變得麻木,
01:14
that numbs麻木 our empathy同情,
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使我們視不同觀點的人為
01:16
that makes品牌 us view視圖 those
who see issues問題 differently不同
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無知、自怨自艾、被洗腦、
容易妥協或愚蠢的。
01:19
as ignorant愚昧, self-hating自我憎恨, brainwashed洗腦,
sellout賣完 or plain stupid.
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01:26
I believe no one is ignorant愚昧.
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我相信沒有人是無知的,
01:29
We are all experts專家,
only in different不同 fields領域.
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我們都是專家,只是領域不同而已。
01:34
And this is why, for me, the saying
"stay in your truth真相" is misleading誤導.
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這也是為何我認為
「堅持你的真理」這句話會誤導人,
01:40
Because if you're staying in your truth真相,
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因為如果你堅持你的真理,
那個你認為不對的人
01:42
isn't it logical合乎邏輯 that the person
you believe is wrong錯誤
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不也是在堅持他的真理嗎?
01:45
is also staying in their truth真相?
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01:48
So, what you have is two extremes極端
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如此一來就會出現兩個極端,
將所有可能的溝通途徑統統堵死。
01:51
that shut關閉 out all possible可能
avenues渠道 of conversations對話.
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01:56
I create創建 provocative挑釁 theater劇院 and film電影
to touch觸摸, humanize賦予人性
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我創造發人深思的戲劇和影片,
去觸動和賦予人性,
並使意見不同的各方坐下來對話,
02:01
and move移動 disagreeing不同意 parties派對
to the conversation會話 table
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以消除彼此之間的誤解。
02:06
to bridge misunderstandings誤解.
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02:09
I know that listening to one another另一個
will not magically神奇 solve解決 all problems問題.
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我知道只靠聆聽
無法神奇地解決所有問題,
但它可以提供這樣的機會,
02:15
But it will give a chance機會
to create創建 avenues渠道
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讓人們開始互相合作,
解決許多人類的問題。
02:17
to start開始 to work together一起 to solve解決
many許多 of humanity's人類的 problems問題.
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02:22
With my first play, "Silent無聲 Voices聲音,"
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我的第一部齣戲《沈默的聲音》
是根據訪談烏干達北部的
戰爭受害者而作,
02:25
based基於 on interviews面試 with victims受害者
of the Northern北方 Uganda烏干達 war戰爭
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這是場政府和約瑟夫.柯尼
所領導的聖主抵抗軍間的戰爭。
02:28
between之間 the government政府
and Joseph約瑟夫 Kony's科尼的 LRALra rebel反叛 group,
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我將受害者、政治領袖、宗教領袖、
02:32
I brought together一起 victims受害者,
political政治 leaders領導者, religious宗教 leaders領導者,
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文化領袖、特赦組織
及過渡司法領導人聚集在一起,
02:37
cultural文化 leaders領導者, the Amnesty大赦 Commission佣金
and transitional過渡 justice正義 leadership領導
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就戰爭罪、受害者的正義問題
展開關鍵的對話──
02:42
for critical危急 conversations對話 on issues問題
of justice正義 for war戰爭 crime犯罪 victims受害者 --
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這是烏干達史上的第一次。
02:48
the first of its kind
in the history歷史 of Uganda烏干達.
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許多有影響力的事情發生了,
02:51
And so many許多 powerful強大 things happened發生,
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我現在無法全部說明;
02:54
that I can't even
cover them all right now.
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02:57
Victims受害者 were given特定 the opportunity機會
to sit at the table
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受難者有機會
與特赦組織的領導階層坐在一起,
03:01
with Amnesty大赦 Commission佣金 leadership領導,
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表達他們所遭受的巨大不公──
03:03
and they expressed表達
the big injustice不公正 they suffered遭遇
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當時特赦組織忽視戰爭受難者,
03:07
when the Commission佣金 ignored忽視 them
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03:09
and instead代替 facilitated促進 the resettlement安置
of the war戰爭 perpetrators肇事者.
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反而將戰爭肇事者重新安置。
03:15
And the Amnesty大赦 Commission佣金
acknowledged承認 the victims'受害者 pain疼痛
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特赦組織承認受難者的痛苦,
並解釋當時實施那有缺陷
的措施背後的邏輯。
03:19
and explained解釋 the thinking思維
behind背後 their flawed有缺陷 approaches方法.
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但其中讓我難忘的一件事是
03:24
But one of the things
that has stayed with me
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在北烏干達巡迴演出時,
03:26
is when, during my Northern北方 Uganda烏干達
tour遊覽 of the play,
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有個男士走向我,並開始自我介紹。
03:30
a man approached接近 me and introduced介紹 himself他自己
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他是前叛軍約瑟夫.柯尼麾下的士兵,
03:33
as a former前任的 rebel反叛 solder焊接 of Joseph約瑟夫 Kony科尼.
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03:37
He told me that he didn't want me to leave離開
feeling感覺 disappointed失望,
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他告訴我他不想讓我
帶著失望的心情離開,
因為演出時有些
我認為不適當的笑聲,
03:41
due應有 to some of what I considered考慮
inappropriate不當 laughter笑聲.
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03:45
He explained解釋 that his
was a laughter笑聲 of embarrassment困窘
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他解釋他發笑乃是出於尷尬,
03:50
and a recognition承認
of his own擁有 embarrassment困窘.
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是承認他自己尷尬的笑聲。
他在台上的演員中看見了自己,
03:53
He saw himself他自己 in the actors演員 onstage在舞台上
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並看到自己過去的行為毫無意義。
03:57
and saw the meaninglessness無意義
of his past過去 actions行動.
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04:02
So I say: share分享 your truths真理.
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所以我說:「講述你的真相,
聆聽別人的真相,
04:05
Listen to one another's他人的 truths真理.
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你會在其中找到
04:08
You will discover發現
a more powerfully有力 uniting團結 truth真相
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更有力的、和睦的真相。」
04:11
in the middle中間 ground地面.
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04:14
When I lived生活 in the USA美國,
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我生活在美國的時候,
很多美國朋友對我的無知感到驚訝,
04:16
many許多 of my American美國 friends朋友
would be shocked吃驚 at my ignorance無知
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因為我不懂華麗的西式餐點,
例如千層麵。
04:19
at fancy幻想 Western西 dishes碗碟
like lasagna烤寬麵條, for instance.
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(笑聲)
04:23
(Laughter笑聲)
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而我則會問他們:
04:24
And my question to them would be,
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「嗯,那你知道 malakwang 嗎?」
04:27
"Well, do you know malakwangmalakwang?"
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04:29
And then I would tell them
about malakwangmalakwang,
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接著我會告訴他們,
malakwang 是我們文化中
一道精緻的蔬食料理。
04:32
a fancy幻想 vegetable蔬菜 dish from my culture文化.
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他們則告訴我千層麵是什麼,
04:36
And they would tell me about lasagna烤寬麵條.
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這樣子我們都會變成更豐富的人。
04:38
And we would leave離開
richer更豐富 and fuller富勒 individuals個人.
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04:43
Therefore因此, share分享 your recipe食譜 truth真相.
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因此,分享你的食譜真相吧,
04:47
It makes品牌 for a better meal膳食.
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那會使膳食更好!
謝謝。
04:49
Thank you.
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(鼓掌)
04:50
(Applause掌聲)
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Translated by Dawson Chen
Reviewed by Peipei Xiang

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Adong Judith - Playwright, filmmaker
Adong Judith uses art as a vehicle to drive social change and trains aspiring makers to create art that dares to ask serious questions.

Why you should listen

Founder and artistic director of Silent Voices Uganda, a nonprofit performing arts company, Adong Judith creates art that provokes meaningful conversation on issues often considered taboo.

Notable among her training programs is the annual Summer Theater Directors Apprenticeship, a two-tier program that combines production and training of ten aspiring theater directors. Originally only for Ugandans, Judith has opened the 2018 and future apprenticeships to aspiring theater directors across the African continent, who she believes share the same challenges in practicum gaps.

In 2018, Judith will be in residence at Illinois State University, where she will direct her 2016 social media buzz-stirring play, Ga-AD!, which explores spirituality and the place of women in Pentecostal churches. Her first social change play, Silent Voices, which she wrote after accidentally encountering the inescapable stories of war crime victims in her hometown of Gulu, developed at Sundance Institute’s Theater Lab, received its world premiere in 2012 at the National Theater of Uganda and was described by the Ugandan media as "the spiritual rebirth of theater since its decline due to political persecution of artists by the Idi Amin regime."

Adong’s plays are taught at Ivy League Universities including Dartmouth College and Princeton University, and she recently signed a contract with Methuen Publishers UK to publish Silent Voices in an anthology of Contemporary African Women Playwrights.

More profile about the speaker
Adong Judith | Speaker | TED.com

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