Is your country at risk of becoming a dictatorship? Here's how to know | Farida Nabourema

翻译人员: 校对人员: jacks peng

A few weeks ago,

几周之前，

somebody tweeted during the midterm elections in the United States

有人在美国中期选举期间发推特，

that Election Day should be made a holiday.

呼吁将选举日定为官方假日。

And I retweeted, saying,

我回复了他，

"Well, you're welcome to come to my country and vote.

“欢迎你来我国投票。

You'll get the whole week off to allow the military to count it."

你会有一周的假期， 以方便军方统计票数。“

I come from Togo, by the way.

顺便说一下，我来自多哥。

It is a beautiful country located in West Africa.

多哥是一个美丽的国家， 位于西非。

There are some cool, interesting facts about my country.

我的国家有一些很酷很有趣的事实。

Togo has been ruled by the same family for 51 years,

多哥曾被同一个家族统治长达51年之久，

making us the oldest autocracy in Africa.

使其成为欧洲最古老的独裁政权。

That's a record.

这是其中一个纪录。

We have a second-coolest record:

还有一个很酷的纪录：

we have been ranked three times as the unhappiest country on earth.

我们曾三度被评选为 世界上幸福感最低的国家。

You are all invited.

你们都参与了投票。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

So just to let you know,

你们要知道，

it's not very cool to live under an autocracy.

生活在独裁政权之下可不酷。

But the interesting thing is that I have met, throughout the course of my activism,

但有趣的是，在我推动活动过程中，

so many people from different countries,

我遇到过来自不同国家的各色人等，

and when I tell them about Togo, their reaction is always,

每当我谈到多哥时， 他们的反应都是：

"How can you guys allow the same people to terrorize you for 51 years?

"你们怎么能容忍

同一个家族统治你们长达51年？"

You know, like, you Togolese, you must be very patient."

他们会调侃说，你们多哥人一定有耐心。

That's their diplomatic way of saying "stupid."

这是他们说“愚蠢”的外交辞令。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And when you live in a free country,

当你生活在一个自由的国度，

there's this tendency of assuming that those who are oppressed

人们趋于认为那些受压迫的人

tolerate their oppression or are comfortable with it,

能够容忍迫害并淡然处之，

并且他们觉得 民主是一种先进的治理方式

and democracy is projected as a progressive form of governance

in such a way that those people who don't live under democratic countries

以至于他们认为专政国家的人

are seen as people who are not intellectually or maybe morally

在智力上或道德上

as advanced as others.

比不上民主国家的公民。

But it's not the case.

但实际上不是这样的。

The reason why people have that perception

人们有这种刻板印象的原因，

has to do with the way stories are covered about dictatorships.

与独裁统治的相关报道密切相关。

In the course of my activism,

在我推动政治活动的过程中，

I have had to interview with so many news outlets out there,

我需要接受许多外媒的采访，

and usually it would always start with, "What got you started?

采访的开端往往是： “ 你是怎么开始的？

What inspired you?"

是什么启发了你？“

And I reply, "I wasn't inspired. I was triggered."

我的回答往往是：

”我没有受到启发，我是被触发的。“

And it goes on. "Well, what triggered you?"

接着会问：“是什么触发了你？”

And I go on about how my father was arrested when I was 13, and tortured,

我会说13岁那年 父亲被逮捕和折磨的故事，

all the history ... I don't want to get into details now,

我现在不想回忆那些历史的细节，

because you'll start sleeping.

因为你们听了会昏昏欲睡的。

But the thing is, at the end of the day, what interests them the most is:

谈话的最后， 采访者最感兴趣的话题是

How was he tortured?

我的父亲是如何被折磨的。

For how many days? How many people died?

他被折磨了多久， 有多少人被折磨致死。

They are interested in the abuse, in the killing,

他们对虐待和杀戮最感兴趣，

because they believe that will gain attention and sympathy.

因为他们觉得这些内容 能博人眼球，引人同情。

But in reality, it serves the purpose of the dictator.

但实际上，这正中独裁者下怀

It helps them advertise their cruelty.

外媒帮他们宣传了他们的暴政。

In 2011, I cofounded a movement I call "Faure Must Go,"

2011年，我发起了一个名为 “富尔下台”的运动，

because Faure is the first name of our president.

富尔是我们总统的名字。

Togo is a French-speaking country, by the way,

顺便提一下， 多哥的官方语言是法语，

but I chose English because I had my issues with France as well.

但我选择说英语，因为我对法国也有矛盾。

But then --

但之后——

(Laughter)

（笑声）

但之后，当我开始 “富尔下台”的运动后，

But then, when I started Faure Must Go,

I made a video, and I came on camera,

我录了一段视频，上了镜头，

and I said, "Well, Faure Gnassingbé, I give you 60 days to resign as president,

我说，“富尔·格纳辛布， 你60天内必须下台，

because if you don't,

否则，

we the youth in Togo will organize and we will bring you down,

多哥的年轻人将会起义， 把你拉下马，

because you have killed over 500 of our countrymen

因为你为了在你父亲死后夺得政权，

to seize power when your father died.

你已经杀了500个人。

We have not chosen you.

我们没有选你。

You are an imposter, and we will remove you."

你是个骗子，我们会推翻你的。”

But I was the only known face of the movement.

我是运动中唯一一个露脸的人。

Why? Because I was the only stupid one.

为什么呢？ 因为我就是那个愚蠢的人。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And the backlashes followed.

接下来是一连串的反击。

My family started receiving threats.

我家人陆续受到了威胁。

My siblings called me one morning.

我的兄弟姐妹有天早上给我打电话。

They said, "You know what?

他们说，“你知道吗？

When they come here to kill you, we don't want to die with you,

当他们来杀你时，我们不想给你陪葬，

so move out."

所以搬出去吧。“

So yes, I moved out.

所以我搬了出去，

And I'm so angry at them, so I haven't talked to them in five years.

我感到很生气，

甚至在五年里都没有和他们说过话。

Anyway, moving forward ...

不管怎样，还是得前进…

For the past nine years, I have been working with countries

过去九年间，我和很多国家合作

to raise awareness of Togo,

以唤醒多哥人民的觉醒，

to help the people of Togo overcome their fear

帮助他们克服恐惧，

so they, too, can come and say they want change.

这样，他们就有勇气来喊想要变的声音。

I have received a lot of persecution

我受到很多迫害

that I cannot disclose,

无法透露的迫害，

a lot of threats, a lot of abuse,

我也受到很多的威胁和虐待，

psychologically.

精神上的。

但是我不想谈论这些，

But I don't like talking about them,

because I know that my job as an activist is to mobilize,

因为我作为积极分子 的要务是去动员，

is to organize,

去组织，

is to help every single Togolese citizen understand that, as citizens,

和帮助每一个多哥人民了解到

作为公民，我们掌握着权力，

we hold the power,

we are the boss and we decide.

我们才是国家的主人， 我们才是国家的主宰。

And the punishment that the dictators are using to intimidate them

那些独裁者用来恐吓民众的惩罚

must not prevent us from getting what we want.

不能阻止我们的步伐。

That is why I said it is very important to cover the stories of activists

所以我觉得 报道社会积极分子的故事很重要，

in the way that it helps mobilize people,

因为这可以鼓动民众，

not in the way that it helps deter their action

而不是阻止他们

and force even more their subjugation to the oppressive system.

甚至迫使他们屈服于残暴的政权。

During these years that I've been an activist,

在我成为积极分子的这些年，

有好几次我都心生退意。

there are days that I felt like quitting because I couldn't take it.

Well then, what kept me going?

那么是什么促使我坚持呢？

The one thing that kept me going:

其中之一是：

I remember the story of my grandfather,

我铭记着我祖父的故事，

and how he used to walk 465 miles from his village to the city,

他是如何从他的村庄走465英里到城里，

just to protest for independence.

只是为了独立抗争。

Then I remember the sacrifice of my father,

我还牢记着我父亲的牺牲，

who was tortured so many times

因为他敢于反抗政权，

for daring to protest against the regime.

而被折磨过无数次。

Back in the '70s, they would write pamphlets

上世纪70年代，他们可以写小册子

to raise awareness on the dictatorship,

来提高民众对于独裁的认知，

and because they couldn't afford to make copies,

因为他们没钱印刷，

they would reproduce the same pamphlet 500 times each

他们每个人把小册子抄了500遍，

and distribute them.

然后分发出去。

It got to a point where the military knew their handwriting,

随后，军队知道了他们的笔迹，

so as soon as they stumbled upon one, they'd go and get them.

所以只要军方发现，他们就会去抓。

But I look at that and I'm like, you know, today you have a blog.

但是如今我们可以使用博客宣传。

I don't have to copy the same thing 500 times.

你不用把同一份材料复印500份。

我发博客后，会有成千上万的人阅读。

I blog and thousands of people read it.

By the way, in Togo, they like calling me the WhatsApp girl,

在多哥，人们称我为社交女孩，

because I am always on WhatsApp attacking the government.

因为我总是在社交软件上攻击政府。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

So it's much easier.

所以事情变得更容易了。

When I'm angry at the government, I just make an angry note,

当我为政府的所作所为感到愤怒时，

我就写一篇愤怒的博客。

然后发出去被千万人传阅。

and I send it out and thousands of people share it.

I'm rarely this composed. I'm always angry, by the way.

顺便说一下，我很少这么沉稳。

大多数时候我都很生气。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

(Applause)

（掌声）

So I was talking about the necessity to showcase our stories,

以上我都在谈论 讲述我们故事的必要性，

because when I think about the sacrifices that were made for us,

因为每当我想起 那些牺牲者的血与泪，

我都会为之奋进。

it helped me keep going.

One of the very first actions of our Faure Must Go movement

我们组织第一次活动

was to come up with a petition, asking citizens to sign

是发动市民在请愿书上签字，

so that we can demand new elections, as the constitution allows.

这样我们就可以在 宪法允许的范围内重新选举。

People were scared to put their names

人们都很害怕签名，

because, they said, they don't want to get in trouble.

因为他们不想惹麻烦。

Even in the diaspora, people were scared.

即使是移民散居的人群， 也很害怕签字。

They were like, "We have family at home."

他们会说，我们还有家人。

But there was this woman who was in her 60s.

但是有一位60多岁的老妇人。

When she heard about it, she took the petition,

她听说这件事之后， 毫不犹豫地签字了，

and she went home,

然后她回到家，

and by herself she collected over 1,000 [signatures].

自发收集了1000多个签名。

That inspired me so much, and I was like,

这深深地触动了我，

if a 60-year-old that has nothing more to gain in this regime

如果一个难以从政权中 得到什么利益的60岁的人

can do this for us, the young ones,

都可以为我们做这些，

那年轻人凭什么退出呢？

then why should I quit?

It is the stories of resistance, the stories of defiance,

是这些反抗、抗争的故事，

the stories of resilience,

这些不屈的故事，

that inspire people to get involved,

激励着人们，

not the stories of abuse and killings and hurt,

而不是那些虐杀、伤害的故事，

because as humans, it's only natural for us to be scared.

因为恐惧是人类的自然反应。

I would like to share with you a few characteristics of dictatorships

我想和你们分享一下 独裁者的一些特质，

so that you can assess your own country

以供你们国家参考，

and see if you are also at risk of joining us.

并且判断一下 你们是否面临着独裁的风险。

(Laughter and cheers)

（笑声和欢呼声）

(Applause)

（掌声）

Number one thing to look at: concentration of power.

第一个特征是中央集权。

Is the power in your country concentrated in the hands of a few, an elite?

你们国家的权力是集中在少数人

甚至是一个精英的手中吗？

It can be a political elite, ideological elite.

这个精英可能是 政治精英或者思想精英。

And you have a strongman,

你们会有一个铁腕人物，

because we always have one guy who is presented as the messiah

因为在我们国家总会有一个叫“救世主”的人，

who will save us from the world.

号称可以救我们脱离苦海。

第二个特征是宣传。

The second point is propaganda.

Dictators feed on propaganda.

独裁者靠宣传为生。

They like giving the impression that they are the saviors,

他们喜欢以救世主的身份示人，

and without them, the country will fall apart.

就好像离开他们之后， 国家就会分崩离析。

And they are always fighting some foreign forces, you know?

并且他们总和国外势力作斗争，

The Christians, the Jewish, the Muslims,

基督教，犹太教，还有穆斯林，

the voodoo priests are coming for you.

巫毒教祭司都会来找你麻烦了。

The Communists, when they get here, we'll all be broke.

还有如果共产主义者来了， 我们就会灭亡了。

These kinds of things.

诸如此类。

And our president, in particular, he fights pirates.

尤其是我们的总统，他和海盗斗争。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I am very serious.

我是认真的。

Last year, he bought a boat that's 13 million dollars to fight pirates,

去年，他买了一艘价值 1300百万美金的船去抗击海盗。

and 60 percent of our people are starving.

而我们国家60%的人民 还饱受饥饿之苦。

So they are always protecting us from some foreign forces.

所以他们不让我们接触国外势力。

And this leads to point three: militarization.

第三个特征是军事化。

Dictators survive by instigating fear,

独裁者善于煽动恐慌，

and they use the military to suppress dissident voices,

他们用武力镇压反对党，

even though they try to give the impression

虽然他们想要表现得

that the military is to protect the nation.

好像军事力量是在保卫祖国。

And they suppress institutions and destroy them

他们镇压并且破坏一些组织，

so that they don't have to be held accountable.

这样他们就不用承担责任了。

So do you have a heavily militarized country?

所以你的国家高度军事化吗？

And this leads to point four, what I call human cruelty.

第四个特征是虐待人类。

You know when we talk about animals,

当我们谈及动物时，

we say animal cruelty when animals are abused,

当动物受到虐待时， 我们称之为虐畜罪，

because there's no charter acknowledged by the UN

因为联合国没有宪章

saying animal rights charter.

来保护动物的权益。

Point one: all animals are created equal. So you don't have that.

第一点：所有的动物都是平等的。

So whenever animals are abused, we say animal cruelty.

当动物受到虐待时， 我们称之为虐畜罪，

But when it comes to humans, we say human rights abuses,

当人类受到虐待时， 我们称之为侵犯人权，

because we assume that all humans have rights.

因为我们假设所有人都有人权。

But some of us are actually still fighting for our right to have rights.

但实际上并非如此。

So in that condition, I don't talk about human rights abuse or violation.

所以，我不称之为侵犯人权。

When you live in a country and you have an issue with the president

当你生活在一个 由你反对的总统治理的国家时，

and the worst thing that can happen is he bans you from the presidency,

而最坏的情况时他禁止你从政，

那么你是幸运的。

you are lucky.

When you come to my country and have an issue with the president,

如果你生活在多哥， 而你反对多哥的总统，

你可能得逃亡， 甚至是消失在这个世界上，

you just run, disappear; you vanish from the universe,

因为他们甚至会通缉你至土耳其。

because they can still find you in Turkey.

所以像我一样的人， 我们不住在多哥。

So people like myself, we don't get to live in Togo anymore.

And people like myself,

像我一样的人，

we don't get to live in the same place for more than a month,

我们在同一个地方 生活不超过一个月，

因为我们不想被追踪到。

because we don't want to be traced.

他们虐待人的方式，

The way they abuse people,

the type of cruelty that happens in all impunity under dictatorships

独裁统治下的虐待，

are beyond human imagination.

超乎人类的想象。

The stories of some of the activists that were killed,

分享一些积极分子被杀的故事，

their bodies dumped in the sea,

他们的尸体被沉入海底，

that were tortured

他们被折磨

直到失去听力和视力--

to the point where they lost their hearing or their sight --

those stories still haunt me.

这些故事常常萦绕在我的脑海中。

And sometimes, as an activist,

有时候，作为积极分子，

I am less concerned about dying than how it will happen.

我更关注死亡的过程 多过死亡本身。

有时候我会坐下来 然后想象那些场景。

Sometimes I just sit down and I imagine all scenarios.

What are they going to do? Are they going to cut my ears first?

他们会做什么？ 他们会先把我的耳朵剪下来吗？

Or are they going to cut my tongue because I'm always insulting them?

或者他们会因为我经常侮辱他们 而割掉我的舌头吗？

It sounds cruel, but it is the reality.

这听起来很残酷， 但这就是现实。

We live in a very cruel world.

我们生活在一个很残酷的世界。

Dictators are cruel monsters,

独裁者是残暴的恶魔，

and I am not saying it to be nice.

这不是好事。

So yes, that is the final characteristic.

这是最后一个特征。

The list goes on,

还有很多特征，

but that's the final thing that I want to share about autocracies,

但是这是我想分享的最后一点，

so that you look at your country and see if there are risks there.

所以请审视一下你的国家， 看看你们是否面临独裁风险。

It is important that you acknowledge the gains of freedom that you have today,

你们要感恩你们所拥有的自由，

because some people had to give their lives for you to have it.

因为这个世界上的一些人 为之付出了生命。

So don't take this for granted.

所以不要觉得理所当然。

同时，我还想告诉你们

But then at the same time, you also need to know

that no country is actually destined to be oppressed,

没有哪个国家注定是要被压迫的，

while at the same time,

同时，

no country or no people are immune to oppression and dictatorship.

也没有一个国家 能免受压迫和独裁。

Thank you.

谢谢！

(Applause)

（掌声）