Sisonke Msimang: If a story moves you, act on it | TED

Translator: Joseph Geni Reviewer: Joanna Pietrulewicz

Translator: Élida Tato Reviewer: Xosé María Moreno

So earlier this year,

Ó principio deste ano

I was informed that I would be doing a TED Talk.

dixéronme que ía facer unha charla TED

So I was excited, then I panicked,

Emocioneime e despois veu o pánico

then I was excited, then I panicked,

volvínme emocionar e despois o pánico outra vez

and in between the excitement and the panicking,

e entre a emoción e o pánico

I started to do my research,

empezou a miña busca,

and my research primarily consisted of Googling how to give a great TED Talk.

que consistiu primeiro en ver en Google como facer unha boa charla TED

(Laughter)

(Risas)

And interspersed with that,

E no medio diso,

I was Googling Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

busquei en Google Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

How many of you know who that is?

Cantos coñecedes quen é?

(Cheers)

(Aclamacións)

So I was Googling her because I always Google her

Busqueina porque sempre o fago

porque son unha admiradora

because I'm just a fan,

but also because she always has important and interesting things to say.

pero tamén porque sempre ten cousas importantes e interesantes que dicir.

And the combination of those searches

E a combinación desas buscas

kept leading me to her talk

levábame constantemente á súa charla

on the dangers of a single story,

sobre os perigos dunha única historia,

on what happens when we have a solitary lens

sobre o que pasa cando temos unha única visión

through which to understand certain groups of people,

a través da cal entendermos certos grupos de xente,

and it is the perfect talk.

e é a charla perfecta.

It's the talk that I would have given if I had been famous first.

É a charla que eu daría se fose famosa antes.

(Laughter)

(Risas)

You know, and you know, like, she's African and I'm African,

E sabedes que ela é africana e eu son africana,

and she's a feminist and I'm a feminist,

que ela é feminista e eu son feminista.

and she's a storyteller and I'm a storyteller,

que ela conta historias e eu conto historias,

so I really felt like it's my talk.

así que sentín que é a miña charla.

(Laughter)

(Risas)

So I decided that I was going to learn how to code,

Decidín, ademais, que ía aprender a programar,

and then I was going to hack the internet

e despois ía hackear internet

and I would take down all the copies of that talk that existed,

e eliminaría todas as copias existentes desa charla,

and then I would memorize it,

memorizaríaa,

and then I would come here and deliver it as if it was my own speech.

e despois viría aquí e diríaa como se fose o meu discurso.

So that plan was going really well, except the coding part,

O plan ía moi ben agás polo de aprender a programar

and then one morning a few months ago,

e logo, varios meses despois, unha mañá

I woke up

levanteime

to the news that the wife of a certain presidential candidate

coas noticias de que a muller de certo candidato presidencial

had given a speech that --

fixo un discurso que

(Laughter)

(Risas)

(Applause)

(Aplausos)

that sounded eerily like a speech given by one of my other faves,

que soou parecido a un que deu outra das miñas favoritas:

Michelle Obama.

Michelle Obama

(Cheers)

(Aclamacións)

And so I decided that I should probably write my own TED Talk,

Daquela decidín que debía escribir a miña propia charla TED

and so that is what I am here to do.

e é o que vou facer.

I'm here to talk about my own observations about storytelling.

Estou aquí para falar

das miñas reflexións sobre contar historias.

I want to talk to you about the power of stories, of course,

Por suposto, quero falar sobre o poder das historias

but I also want to talk about their limitations,

pero tamén quero falar sobre as súas limitacións,

particularly for those of us who are interested in social justice.

en particular para os que estades interesados na xustiza social.

So since Adichie gave that talk seven years ago,

Dende que Adichie deu aquel discurso hai sete anos

there has been a boom in storytelling.

houbo un boom no de contar historias,

Stories are everywhere,

As historias están en todas partes,

and if there was a danger in the telling of one tired old tale,

e se houbese algún perigo en contar un conto xa vello,

then I think there has got to be lots to celebrate about the flourishing

penso máis ben que hai moito que celebrar sobre a propagación

of so many stories and so many voices.

de tantas historias e voces.

Stories are the antidote to bias.

As historias son o antídoto para os prexuízos,.

In fact, today, if you are middle class and connected via the internet,

De feito se es clase media e tes conexión a internet

you can download stories at the touch of a button

podes descargar historias cun só click

or the swipe of a screen.

ou arrastrando sobre a pantalla.

You can listen to a podcast

Podes escoitar un podcast

about what it's like to grow up Dalit in Kolkata.

sobre o que é crecer coma un dalit en Kolkata.

You can hear an indigenous man in Australia

Podes escoitar un indíxena en Australia

talk about the trials and triumphs of raising his children in dignity

que fala sobre os intentos e triunfos para criar os seus fillos con dignidade

and in pride.

e con orgullo.

Stories make us fall in love.

As historias fannos enamorarnos.

They heal rifts and they bridge divides.

Curan feridas e únennos coma unha ponte.

Stories can even make it easier for us

As historias poden incluso axudarnos a falar

to talk about the deaths of people in our societies

sobre a morte de persoas que non importan nas nosas sociedades,

who don't matter, because they make us care.

porque fan que nos interesemos.

Right?

Non si?

I'm not so sure,

Non estou segura,

and I actually work for a place called the Centre for Stories.

e eu traballo nun sitio chamado Centre for Stories

And my job is to help to tell stories

E o meu traballo é axudar a contar historias

that challenge mainstream narratives about what it means to be black

que cuestionen o discurso establecido sobre o que significa ser negro

or a Muslim or a refugee or any of those other categories

ou musulmán ou refuxiado ou calquera outra categoría

that we talk about all the time.

das que falamos deseguido.

But I come to this work

Pero acabei neste traballo

after a long history as a social justice activist,

despois dun longo percorrido como activista social,

and so I'm really interested in the ways

polo que estou moi interesada nos xeitos

that people talk about nonfiction storytelling

en que a xente fala sobre historias non ficticias

as though it's about more than entertainment,

como se fose máis ca un espectáculo,

as though it's about being a catalyst for social action.

como se fose un catalizador para a acción social.

It's not uncommon to hear people say

Non é raro escoitarlle á xente

that stories make the world a better place.

dicir que as historias fan do mundo un lugar mellor.

Increasingly, though, I worry that even the most poignant stories,

Porén, preocúpame cada vez máis que ata as historias máis conmovedoras,

particularly the stories about people who no one seems to care about,

particularmente as da xente que parece non importarlle a ninguén,

can often get in the way of action towards social justice.

poiden ás veces entorpecer a xustiza social.

Now, this is not because storytellers mean any harm.

Non é porque os contadores queiran facer dano;

Quite the contrary.

máis ben o contrario.

Storytellers are often do-gooders like me and, I suspect, yourselves.

Os contadores teñen tan boa intención coma min e sospeito que tamén coma vós.

And the audiences of storytellers

E o público dos contadores de historias

are often deeply compassionate and empathetic people.

son normalmente xente con moita compaixón e empatía.

Still, good intentions can have unintended consequences,

Aínda que as boas intencións poden ter consecuencias non intencionadas

and so I want to propose that stories are not as magical as they seem.

quero dicir que as historias non son tan máxicas como pode parecer.

So three -- because it's always got to be three --

Teño tres, porque deben ser sempre tres,

three reasons why I think

tres razóns polas que creo

that stories don't necessarily make the world a better place.

que as historias non fan necesariamente do mundo un lugar mellor.

Firstly, stories can create an illusion of solidarity.

En primeiro lugar as historias poden crear unha ilusión de solidariedade.

There is nothing like that feel-good factor you get

Non hai nada coma ese bo sentimento que consegues

from listening to a fantastic story

ao escoitar unha historia fantástica

where you feel like you climbed that mountain, right,

onde sentes que subiches ao alto dunha montaña, non si?

or that you befriended that death row inmate.

Ou que te fixeches amigo dun preso condenado a morte.

But you didn't.

Pero non o fixeches.

You haven't done anything.

Ti non fixeches nada.

Listening is an important

Escoitar é un paso importante

but insufficient step towards social action.

pero insuficiente para á acción social.

Secondly, I think often we are drawn

En segundo lugar, ás veces penso que tiramos

towards characters and protagonists

cara a personaxes e protagonistas

who are likable and human.

que son agradables e humanos.

And this makes sense, of course, right?

E isto ten sentido, non si?

Because if you like someone, then you care about them.

Porque se che gusta alguén impórtache esta persoa.

But the inverse is also true.

Pero o contrario tamén pasa.

If you don't like someone,

Se non che gusta alguén

then you don't care about them.

entón esa persoa non che importa

And if you don't care about them,

e se non che importa

you don't have to see yourself as having a moral obligation

non ves que teñas a obriga moral

to think about the circumstances that shaped their lives.

de pensar nas circunstancias que marcaron a súa vida.

I learned this lesson when I was 14 years old.

Aprendín esta lección cando tiña 14 anos.

I learned that actually, you don't have to like someone

Aprendín que non che ten que gustar alguén

to recognize their wisdom,

para recoñecer a súa sabedoría,

and you certainly don't have to like someone

e que tampouco che ten que gustar alguén

to take a stand by their side.

para estar da súa parte.

So my bike was stolen

Roubáronme a bici

while I was riding it --

mentras estaba montando nela

(Laughter)

(Risas)

which is possible if you're riding slowly enough, which I was.

o que pode pasar se montas moi amodo como facía eu.

(Laughter)

(Risas)

So one minute I'm cutting across this field

Nunha ocasión estaba atallando a través dun campo

in the Nairobi neighborhood where I grew up,

no barrio de Nairobi onde me criei,

and it's like a very bumpy path,

e é un camiño con moitas fochancas,

and so when you're riding a bike,

así que se vas na bici

you don't want to be like, you know --

non queres parecer, xa sabes...

(Laughter)

(Risas)

And so I'm going like this, slowly pedaling,

Así que pedaleaba moi lentamente

and all of a sudden, I'm on the floor.

e de repente estou no chan.

I'm on the ground, and I look up,

Estou no chan e miro para arriba

and there's this kid peddling away in the getaway vehicle,

e vexo a este neno pedaleando

which is my bike,

na miña bici

and he's about 11 or 12 years old, and I'm on the floor,

un neno duns 11 ou 12 anos, e eu no chan

and I'm crying because I saved a lot of money for that bike,

chorando porque aforrara moitos cartos para aquela bici,

and I'm crying and I stand up and I start screaming.

e mentres choraba erguinme e comecei a berrar

Instinct steps in, and I start screaming, "Mwizi, mwizi!"

O instinto fíxome berrar "Mwizi, mwizi!"

which means "thief" in Swahili.

que significa "ladrón" en suahili.

And out of the woodworks, all of these people come out

De repente todo o mundo sae das carpinterías

and they start to give chase.

e comeza a perseguilo.

This is Africa, so mob justice in action.

É África, a xustiza popular en acción.

Right?

De acordo?

And I round the corner, and they've captured him,

Viro a esquina, e capturárono,

they've caught him.

cazárono.

The suspect has been apprehended,

Detiveron o sospeitoso,

and they make him give me my bike back,

e fixéronlle devolverme a bici.

and they also make him apologize.

e tamén desculparse.

Again, you know, typical African justice, right?

Como xa dixen, típica xustiza africana, non sí?

And so they make him say sorry.

E fixéronlle pedirme perdón.

And so we stand there facing each other,

e estabamos a ollar un para o outro,

and he looks at me, and he says sorry,

e el mírame e di perdón,

but he looks at me with this unbridled fury.

pero mírame con carraxe descontrolada.

He is very, very angry.

Está moi moi furioso.

And it is the first time that I have been confronted with someone

Esta era a primeira vez que me enfrontaba con alguén

who doesn't like me simply because of what I represent.

a que non lle gusto simplemente polo que represento.

He looks at me with this look as if to say,

Él mírame como se fose dicir

"You, with your shiny skin and your bike, you're angry at me?"

"Ti, coa túa pel brillante e a túa bici, estás enfadada comigo?"

So it was a hard lesson that he didn't like me,

Foi unha dura lección que eu non lle gustase,

but you know what, he was right.

pero sabedes que? El tiña razón.

I was a middle-class kid living in a poor country.

Eu era unha nena de clase media vivindo nun país pobre.

I had a bike, and he barely had food.

Eu tiña unha bici e el apenas tiña comida.

Sometimes, it's the messages that we don't want to hear,

Ás veces as mensaxes que non queremos escoitar,

the ones that make us want to crawl out of ourselves,

as que fan que queiramos que nos trague a terra,

that we need to hear the most.

son as que máis necesitamos oír.

For every lovable storyteller who steals your heart,

Por cada contador de historias encantador que che rouba o corazón,

there are hundreds more whose voices are slurred and ragged,

hai centos que ven as súas voces distorsionadas,

who don't get to stand up on a stage dressed in fine clothes like this.

que non chegan ao escenario vestidos en lindas roupaxes coma esta.

There are a million angry-boy-on-a-bike stories

Hai millóns de historias coma a do neno que me roubou a bici

and we can't afford to ignore them

e non podemos ignoralas

simply because we don't like their protagonists

só porque non nos gusten os protagonistas

or because that's not the kid that we would bring home with us

ou porque non sexa a clase de neno que levariamos para a casa

from the orphanage.

desde o orfanato.

The third reason that I think

A terceira razón pola que penso

that stories don't necessarily make the world a better place

que as historias non fan do mundo un lugar mellor

is that too often we are so invested in the personal narrative

é que moi a miúdo estamos tan inmersos na narración persoal

that we forget to look at the bigger picture.

que esquecemos o que hai ao redor.

And so we applaud someone

Así que aplaudimos

when they tell us about their feelings of shame,

cando nos contan os seus sentimentos de vergoña,

but we don't necessarily link that to oppression.

pero non relacionamos iso coa opresión.

We nod understandingly when someone says they felt small,

Asentimos con razón cando alguén nos di que se sente pequeno

but we don't link that to discrimination.

pero non o ligamos coa discriminación.

The most important stories, especially for social justice,

As mellores historias, especialmente para a xustiza social

are those that do both,

son as que fan as dúas cousas:

that are both personal and allow us to explore and understand the political.

son persoais, pero permítennos explorar e entender o político.

But it's not just about the stories we like

Pero non pasa só coas historias que nos gustan

versus the stories we choose to ignore.

fronte ás que eliximos ignorar.

Increasingly, we are living in a society where there are larger forces at play,

Cada vez máis vivimos nunha sociedade na que hai maiores forzas en xogo,

where stories are actually for many people beginning to replace the news.

onde para moita xente, as historias están comezando a substituír as noticias.

Yeah?

Non?

We live in a time where we are witnessing the decline of facts,

Vivimos nunca época na que vemos a decadencia dos feitos,

when emotions rule

cando as emocións dominan

and analysis, it's kind of boring, right?

e a análise é un pouco aburrida, non si?

Where we value what we feel more than what we actually know.

Onde valoramos o que sentimos máis que aquilo que sabemos.

A recent report by the Pew Center on trends in America

Unha declaración do Pew Center sobre modas en America

indicates that only 10 percent of young adults under the age of 30

indica que só o 10% dos adultos de menos de 30 anos

"place a lot of trust in the media."

confía nos medios de comunicación.

Now, this is significant.

É un dato significativo.

It means that storytellers are gaining trust

Significa que os contadores de historias

están gañando confianza ó mesmo tempo

at precisely the same moment

that many in the media are losing the confidence in the public.

que os medios perden a confianza do público.

This is not a good thing,

Non é unha boa cousa,

because while stories are important

porque as historias son importantes

and they help us to have insights in many ways,

e axúdannos a ter diferentes percepcións,

we need the media.

pero aos medios necesitámolos.

From my years as a social justice activist,

Tras moitos anos como activista social

I know very well that we need credible facts from media institutions

sei moi ben que necesitamos crer nos datos dos medios institucionais

combined with the powerful voices of storytellers.

combinados coas poderosas voces dos contadores.

That's what pushes the needle forward in terms of social justice.

Iso é o que move cara a adiante a xustiza social.

In the final analysis, of course,

Na análise final

it is justice

é a xustiza

that makes the world a better place,

a que fai do mundo un lugar mellor

not stories. Right?

e non as historias.

And so if it is justice that we are after,

E se é xustiza o que buscamos,

then I think we mustn't focus on the media or on storytellers.

penso que non debemos centrarnos nos medios ou nos contadores.

We must focus on audiences,

Temos que centrarnos no público,

on anyone who has ever turned on a radio

en calquera que algunha vez acendese a radio

or listened to a podcast,

ou escoitase un podcast,

and that means all of us.

e eses somos todos nós.

So a few concluding thoughts

Como conclusión, unhas ideas

on what audiences can do to make the world a better place.

sobre o que o público pode facer para converter o mundo nun lugar mellor.

So firstly, the world would be a better place, I think,

Primeira, o mundo podería ser un lugar mellor, penso,

if audiences were more curious and more skeptical

se o público fose máis curioso e máis escéptico

and asked more questions about the social context

e fixese máis preguntas sobre o contexto social

that created those stories that they love so much.

que provocou esas historias que tanto lles gustan.

Secondly, the world would be a better place

Segunda, o mundo podería ser un lugar mellor

if audiences recognized that storytelling is intellectual work.

se o público recoñecese que as historias son un traballo intelectual.

And I think it would be important for audiences

E penso que sería importante que o público

to demand more buttons on their favorite websites,

pedise mais botóns nos seus webs favoritos,

buttons for example that say,

que dixesen, por exemplo:

"If you liked this story,

"Se che gustou esta historia,

click here to support a cause your storyteller believes in."

preme aquí para apoiares a causa na que cre este contador".

Or "click here to contribute to your storyteller's next big idea."

Ou "preme aquí para contribuír á seguinte gran idea deste contador".

Often, we are committed to the platforms,

Ás veces estamos enganchados ás plataformas

but not necessarily to the storytellers themselves.

pero non necesariamente aos contadores.

And then lastly, I think that audiences can make the world a better place

E por último, creo que o público pode converter o mundo nun lugar mellor

by switching off their phones,

apagando os seus teléfonos,

by stepping away from their screens

separándose das súas pantallas

and stepping out into the real world beyond what feels safe.

e saíndo ao mundo real fóra da súa zona de confort.

Alice Walker has said,

Alice Walker dixo

"Look closely at the present you are constructing.

"Mira con atención o presente que estás a construír,

It should look like the future you are dreaming."

debería ser coma o futuro que estás a soñar"

Storytellers can help us to dream,

Os contadores de historias pódennos axudar a soñar

but it's up to all of us to have a plan for justice.

pero depende de todos nós ter un plan para a xustiza

Thank you.

Moitas grazas

(Applause)

(Aplausos)