What refugees need to start new lives | Muhammed Idris

翻译人员: Chloe Ma 校对人员: jacks peng

About two years ago,

大约两年前，

I got a phone call that changed my life.

我接到了一个改变我人生的电话。

"Hey, this is your cousin Hassen."

“嗨，我是你的表兄海森。”

I froze.

我呆住了。

You see, I have well over 30 first cousins,

看吧，我有超过30个表兄弟，

but I didn't know anybody named Hassen.

但是我不记得有叫海森的人。

It turned out that Hassen was actually my mom's cousin

结果海森其实是我母亲的表兄弟，

and had just arrived in Montreal as a refugee.

并且作为一个难民刚到达蒙特利尔。

And over the next few months,

在接下来的几个月，

I would have three more relatives coming to Canada to apply for asylum

我会有另外3个亲戚 来加拿大申请避难，

with little more than the clothes on their back.

他们随身携带的只有一身换洗衣服。

And in the two years since that phone call,

在接下来两年，因为那通电话，

my life has completely changed.

我的人生彻彻底底的改变了。

I left academia

我离开了学术界

and now lead a diverse team of technologists, researchers and refugees

现在带领着来自科技，研究 和难民等不同领域的团队

that is developing customized self-help resources for newcomers.

以为新移民打造自助资源。

We want to help them overcome language, cultural and other barriers

我们想让他们战胜语言， 文化和其他障碍，

that make them feel like they've lost control over their own lives.

这些障碍使他们觉得 无法控制他们的人生。

And we feel that AI can help restore the rights and the dignity

我们觉得人工智能可以恢复那些

that many people lose when seeking help.

在向别人寻求帮助时 丢掉的权益和尊严。

My family's refugee experience is not unique.

我家庭的难民经历并不少见。

According to the UNHCR,

根据联合国难民署，

every minute, 20 people are newly displaced

每一分钟，就有20个人因为

by climate change, economic crisis

气候改变，经济危机

and social and political instability.

和社会及政治的不稳定而流离失所。

And it was while volunteering at a local YMCA shelter

正是在我表兄海森和其他亲戚被送到那的

that my cousin Hassen and other relatives were sent to

的基督教青年庇护所里做义工时，

that we saw and learned to appreciate

我们亲眼看到并且知道了

how much effort and coordination resettlement requires.

协调安置所需要的努力与付出。

When you first arrive, you need to find a lawyer

当你刚到达时，你需要找到一个律师

and fill out legal documents within two weeks.

并在两周内填写法律文件。

You also need to schedule a medical exam with a pre-authorized physician,

同时你也需要找有资格的医师 安排一次体检，

just so that you can apply for a work permit.

这样就可以申请工作证了。

And you need to start looking for a place to live

然后在你收到任何社会救助之前，

before you receive any sort of social assistance.

你需要找一个地方居住。

With thousands fleeing the United States

近几年，成千上万的难民离开美国

to seek asylum in Canada over the past few years,

来加拿大寻求庇护，

we quickly saw what it looks like

我们很快遭遇了

when there are more people who need help than there are resources to help them.

需要帮助的人比可用资源多的情况，

Social services doesn't scale quickly,

社会服务无法快速扩大规模，

and even if communities do their best

即便社区尽了他们最大的努力

to help more people with limited resources,

用有限资源帮助更多的人，

newcomers end up spending more time waiting in limbo,

很多新移民还得花上很多时间等待，

not knowing where to turn.

不知道下一步该怎么走。

In Montreal, for example,

举个例子，在蒙特利尔，

despite millions of dollars being spent to support resettlement efforts,

尽管在安置工作上已经 花费了百万美元，

nearly 50 percent of newcomers still don't know

但是将近50%的新移民仍不知道

that there are free resources that exist

有免费资源存在，

to help them with everything from filling out paperwork

可以帮助他们做从 填写文件到寻找工作

to finding a job.

的任何事情。

The challenge is not that this information doesn't exist.

最具有挑战的不是 这些信息不存在。

On the contrary, those in need are often bombarded with so much information

反之，这些需要帮助的人 在无数信息的轰炸面前

that it's difficult to make sense of it all.

根本很难理解这一切。

"Don't give me more information, just tell me what to do,"

“别再给我信息了， 告诉我我该做什么，”

was a sentiment we heard over and over again.

是我们听到的一次又一次的抱怨。

And it reflects how insanely difficult it could be to get your bearings

这反映出当你来到一个新国家时，

when you first arrive in a new country.

要搞清楚方向是多么难。

Hell, I struggled with the same issues when I got to Montreal,

真的，我刚来蒙特利尔时 也面临一样的困难，

and I have a PhD.

我还是博士呢。

(Laughter)

（笑）

As another member of our team, himself also a refugee, put it:

我们团队的另一位成员， 他自己就是难民，他说：

"In Canada, a SIM card is more important than food,

“在加拿大，一张SIM卡 远比食物重要，

because we will not die from hunger."

因为我们不会因饥饿而死。”

But getting access to the right resources and information

但是获得正确的资源和信息

can be the difference between life and death.

可以是生存和死亡的区别。

Let me say that again:

让我再重复一遍：

getting access to the right resources and information

获得正确的资源和信息

can be the difference between life and death.

可以是生存和地死亡的区别。

In order to address these issues,

为了解决这些问题，

we built Atar,

我们创造了Atar，

the first-ever AI-powered virtual advocate

第一个基于人工智能的虚拟引导者

that guides you step-by-step through your first week

可以带你一步一步度过

of arriving in a new city.

在新城市的第一周。

Just tell Atar what you need help with.

只要告诉Atar你需要帮助的地方。

Atar will then ask you some basic questions

Atar将会问你一些基础的问题

to understand your unique circumstances

去理解你的个人情况

and determine your eligibility for resources.

来确定你的可用资源。

For example: Do you have a place to stay tonight?

举个例子： 你今晚有没有地方过夜？

If not, would you prefer an all-women's shelter?

如果没有， 你会青睐全女性的避难所吗？

Do you have children?

你有孩子吗？

Atar will then generate a custom, step-by-step to-do list

Atar将会生成自定义的 循序渐进的清单

that tells you everything that you need to know,

告诉你所有你需要知道的事情，

from where to go, how to get there,

从去哪里，到怎么去，

what to bring with you

要带上什么东西，

and what to expect.

然后那里会有什么。

You can ask a question at any time,

你可以在任何时间提出问题，

and if Atar doesn't have an answer,

如果Atar不知道你想要的答案，

you'll be connected with a real person who does.

你会与一位知道答案的 真人取得联系。

But what's most exciting

但最令人激动的是

is that we help humanitarian and service organizations

我们帮助人道主义和服务组织

collect the data and the analytics that's necessary to understand

收集和分析数据，实时理解新移民

the changing needs of newcomers

不断变化的需求

in real time.

非常有必要。

That's a game changer.

这将改变一切。

We've already partnered with the UNHCR

我们已经与联合国难民署合作

to provide this technology in Canada,

为加拿大提供这项服务，

and in our work have conducted campaigns in Arabic, English,

我们工作活动用阿拉伯语，英语，

French, Creole and Spanish.

法语，克里奥尔语和西班牙语进行。

When we talk about the issue of refugees,

当我们谈论难民事件时，

we often focus on the official statistic

我们通常专注于官方统计，

of 65.8 million forcibly displaced worldwide.

有6580万的人被迫流离失所。

But the reality is much greater than that.

但事实比那还多。

By 2050, there will be an additional 140 million people

到2050年，会有额外1.4亿人

who are at risk of being displaced due to environmental degradation.

因为环境恶化而处于流离失所的风险。

And today -- that is today -- there are nearly one billion people

今天，是的今天， 有将近十亿的人

who already live in illegal settlements and slums.

已生活在非法定居点和贫民窟。

Resettlement and integration

安置和融合

is one of the greatest challenges of our time.

是我们这时的最大挑战，

and our hope is that Atar can provide every single newcomer an advocate.

我们的愿望是 Atar可以给每一个新移民支持，

Our hope is that Atar can amplify existing efforts

我们希望Atar可以放大 已经付出的努力，

and alleviate pressure on a social safety net

并在社会安全网上

that's already stretched beyond imagination.

减轻已经超出想象的压力。

But what's most important to us

但对我们来说，最重要的是

is that our work helps restore the rights and the dignity

我们的工作可以帮助恢复

that refugees lose throughout resettlement and integration

那些难民们因安置新居 而丢掉的权利和尊严，

by giving them the resources that they need in order to help themselves.

方法是提供给他们 可以自助的资源。

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（鼓掌）