What refugees need to start new lives | Muhammed Idris

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Bighead Ge

About two years ago,

大約兩年前，

I got a phone call that changed my life.

我接到了一通改變我人生的電話。

"Hey, this is your cousin Hassen."

「嘿，我是你的表親哈辛。」

I froze.

我呆住了。

You see, I have well over 30 first cousins,

我有超過三十個表兄弟姐妹，

but I didn't know anybody named Hassen.

但沒有一個叫做哈辛的。

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

後來才知道，

哈辛其實是我母親的表親，

and had just arrived in Montreal as a refugee.

剛剛以難民的身分抵達蒙特婁。

And over the next few months,

在接下來幾個月，

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

我還會有三個親戚

來加拿大申請庇護權，

with little more than the clothes on their back.

行李可能只比背上 背的衣物多一點點。

And in the two years since that phone call,

接到那通電話的兩年後，

my life has completely changed.

我的人生完全改變了。

I left academia

我離開了學術界，

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

現在在領導一個多樣化的團隊，

有技術人員、研究者，以及難民，

that is developing customized self-help resources for newcomers.

我們的工作是

為新移民開發客製化的自助資源。

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

我們想要協助他們克服

語言、文化，及其他障礙，

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

他們才不會覺得失去了 對自己人生的掌控權。

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

我們覺得，人工智慧 可以協助許多人恢復

他們在尋求協助時 失去的權利和尊嚴。

that many people lose when seeking help.

My family's refugee experience is not unique.

我家人的難民經驗並不獨特。

According to the UNHCR,

根據聯合國難民署，

every minute, 20 people are newly displaced

每分鐘，就有二十個人 被迫離開家園，

by climate change, economic crisis

原因包括氣候變遷、經濟危機，

and social and political instability.

以及社會和政治局勢不穩定。

And it was while volunteering at a local YMCA shelter

我們在當地的基督教青年會 庇護所當志工時，

that my cousin Hassen and other relatives were sent to

我的表親哈辛及其他親戚被送到那裡，

that we saw and learned to appreciate

那時我們才了解到重新安置難民 需要多少努力以及協調，

how much effort and coordination resettlement requires.

並學會感念這一切。

When you first arrive, you need to find a lawyer

剛抵達時，你得要找一個律師，

and fill out legal documents within two weeks.

在兩星期內填寫完一些法律文件。

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

你得要安排一次醫療檢查，

且要由有授權的醫生來進行，

just so that you can apply for a work permit.

這樣你才能夠申請工作許可。

And you need to start looking for a place to live

你也得開始找地方住，

before you receive any sort of social assistance.

要取得任何一種社會協助 都會需要地址。

With thousands fleeing the United States

過去幾年間，有數千人逃離美國，

to seek asylum in Canada over the past few years,

到加拿大尋求庇護，

we quickly saw what it looks like

這讓我們很快就看見了

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

當需要協助的人很多，

能協助他們的資源很少時，

會是怎樣的狀況。

Social services doesn't scale quickly,

社會服務無法快速擴大規模，

and even if communities do their best

就算社區全力而為，

to help more people with limited resources,

用有限的資源來協助更多人，

newcomers end up spending more time waiting in limbo,

新移民最後仍有更長的時間 處在被孤立邊緣，

not knowing where to turn.

不知道要向誰求助。

In Montreal, for example,

比如，在蒙特婁，

despite millions of dollars being spent to support resettlement efforts,

儘管有數百萬美元被用在

支持重新安置難民的措施上，

nearly 50 percent of newcomers still don't know

仍然有近五成的新移民不知道

that there are free resources that exist

他們其實可以取得免費資源，

to help them with everything from filling out paperwork

獲得各方面的協助，

從填寫文件到找工作等等。

to finding a job.

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

困難之處並不在於資訊不存在。

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

正好相反，那些有需求的人， 受到太多資訊的轟炸，

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

讓他們很難從中理出頭緒。

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

「別再給我更多資訊了， 直接告訴我該怎麼做吧。」

was a sentiment we heard over and over again.

我們不斷聽到類似這樣的意見。

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

這就反應出了當你初次 抵達一個新國家時，

when you first arrive in a new country.

要適應環境是有多麼困難。

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

當我來到蒙特婁時，

我也受同樣的問題困擾，

and I have a PhD.

我還有博士學位呢。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

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

我們的團隊中有一名成員 也是難民，他這麼說：

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

「在加拿大，有一張 SIM 卡 比有食物可吃還重要，

because we will not die from hunger."

因為我們不會死於飢餓。」

But getting access to the right resources and information

但能否取得對的資源和資訊

can be the difference between life and death.

可能就是生與死的差別。

Let me say that again:

讓我再說一次：

getting access to the right resources and information

能否取得對的資源和資訊

can be the difference between life and death.

可能就是生與死的差別。

In order to address these issues,

為了處理這些問題，

we built Atar,

我們建立了 Atar，

the first-ever AI-powered virtual advocate

它是史上第一個 人工智慧虛擬律師，

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

在你剛抵達一個新城市的第一週，

of arriving in a new city.

它會一步一步引導你。

Just tell Atar what you need help with.

只要告訴 Atar 你需要什麼協助。

Atar will then ask you some basic questions

接著，Atar 會問你 一些基本的問題，

to understand your unique circumstances

以了解你的個人狀況，

and determine your eligibility for resources.

並判斷你是否符合 資源要求的資格。

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

比如：你今晚有地方過夜嗎？

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

如果沒有，你是否偏好 去女性專屬的庇護所？

Do you have children?

你有孩子嗎？

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

接著，Atar 會產出步驟清楚的 客製化待辦事項清單，

that tells you everything that you need to know,

把你需要知道的一切都告訴你，

from where to go, how to get there,

從該去哪裡、怎麼去、

what to bring with you

要帶什麼去、

and what to expect.

及該抱什麼期待。

You can ask a question at any time,

你隨時可以問問題，

and if Atar doesn't have an answer,

如果 Atar 沒有答案，

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

你就會被連結到 能夠回答你的真人。

But what's most exciting

但最讓人興奮的是，

is that we help humanitarian and service organizations

我們協助人道主義組織及服務組織

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

收集資料並分析資料， 讓他們能夠了解

the changing needs of newcomers

新移民隨時在變動的需求，

in real time.

且這些資訊是即時的。

That's a game changer.

這能夠改變現有情勢。

We've already partnered with the UNHCR

我們已經和聯合國難民署合作，

to provide this technology in Canada,

在加拿大提供這項技術，

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

且我們已經進行了多種語言的活動，

包括阿拉伯語、英語、法語、 克里奧爾語，及西班牙語。

French, Creole and Spanish.

When we talk about the issue of refugees,

當我們在談難民的議題時，

we often focus on the official statistic

我們的焦點通常都在官方統計的

of 65.8 million forcibly displaced worldwide.

全球 6580 萬名 被強迫離開家園的人。

But the reality is much greater than that.

但現實中的人數比那還要多很多。

By 2050, there will be an additional 140 million people

到 2050 年，還會有 另外 1 億 4000 萬人

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

可能會因為環境惡化 而有要離開家園的風險。

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

現今——是現今——有近 10 億人

who already live in illegal settlements and slums.

已經住在非法的拓居地和貧民窟。

Resettlement and integration

重新安置及整合難民

is one of the greatest challenges of our time.

是我們這個時代最大的挑戰之一。

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

我們希望 Atar 能為每一位 新移民提供一個律師。

Our hope is that Atar can amplify existing efforts

我們希望 Atar 能夠 將既有的努力成果再放大，

and alleviate pressure on a social safety net

減輕社會安全網所承受的壓力，

that's already stretched beyond imagination.

我們的社會安全網 已經被嚴重過度擴張了。

But what's most important to us

但對我們來說，最重要的是

is that our work helps restore the rights and the dignity

我們的所做所為能協助難民

重新取得權利和尊嚴，

that refugees lose throughout resettlement and integration

這些是他們在重新安置 和整合的過程中所失去的，

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

而我們的做法，

就是提供他們自助所需要的資源。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）