How young Africans found a voice on Twitter | Siyanda Mohutsiwa

譯者: Regina Chu 審譯者: Adrienne Lin

It began with one question:

一切都從這個問題開始：

If Africa was a bar, what would your country be drinking or doing?

如果非洲是間酒吧， 你的國家會喝哪種酒、做什麼事？

I kicked it off with a guess about South Africa,

我一開始先猜南非，

which wasn't exactly according to the rules

其實有點犯規，

because South Africa's not my country.

因為南非不是我的國家。

But alluding to the country's continual attempts

但是要暗示這個國家 不斷在嘗試

to build a postracial society

建立一個後種族社會，

after being ravaged for decades by apartheid,

在數十年的種族隔離蹂躪之後，

I tweeted, #ifafricawasabar South Africa would be drinking all kinds of alcohol

我在推特上寫：

「#如果非洲是間酒吧， 南非大概什麼酒都喝，

and begging them to get along in its stomach.

還會求這些酒好好待在胃裡。」

And then I waited.

然後我就等著。

And then I had that funny feeling where I wondered if I crossed the line.

然後我有一種奇怪的感覺， 懷疑自己是不是有點超過。

So, I sent out a few other tweets about my own country

所以我又推了幾個訊息， 講我自己的國家，

and a few other African countries I'm familiar with.

以及其它幾個我熟悉的非洲國家。

And then I waited again,

然後我再繼續等，

but this time

但是這次，

I read through almost every tweet I had ever tweeted

我幾乎把我推過的 每一則訊息都讀一遍，

to convince myself,

來說服我自己，

no, to remind myself that I'm really funny

不對，是提醒我自己我有多幽默，

and that if nobody gets it, that's fine.

如果沒人看得懂，那就算了。

But luckily,

但是幸好，

I didn't have to do that for very long.

我不需要自我解嘲太久。

Very soon, people were participating.

很快，大家就開始加入。

In fact, by the end of that week in July,

事實上，在七月的那週結束時，

the hashtag #ifafricawasabar

推特標籤「#如果非洲是間酒吧」

would have garnered around 60,000 tweets,

就收到了將近六萬則訊息，

lit up the continent

整片大陸如醉如痴，

and made its way to publications all over the world.

並且開始在全世界的 出版品上出現。

People were using the hashtag to do many different things.

大家拿這個標籤做很多不同的事。

To poke fun at their stereotypes:

有的拿來取笑他們的刻板印象：

[#IfAfricaWasABar Nigeria would be outside explaining

「#如果非洲是間酒吧， 奈及利亞會站在外面解釋

that he will pay the entrance fee,

他會付入場費，

all he needs is the bouncer's account details.]

反正只要知道保鏢的銀行帳戶。」 （諷刺詐騙集團）

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

To criticize government spending:

有的拿來批評政府支出：

[#ifafricawasabar South Africa would be ordering bottles it can't pronounce

「#如果非洲是間酒吧， 南非會訂購叫不出名字的瓶裝水，

running a tab it won't be able to pay]

開無法支付的水站。」

To make light of geopolitical tensions:

有的拿來蔑視地緣政治的緊張關係：

[#IfAfricaWasABar South Sudan would be the new guy

「#如果非洲是間酒吧， 南蘇丹會是那個

有嚴重憤怒管理問題的新傢伙。」

with serious anger management issues.]

To remind us that even in Africa

有的拿來提醒我們即使在非洲，

there are some countries we don't know exist:

還是有我們不知道的國家存在：

[#IfAfricaWasABar Lesotho would be that person

「#如果非洲是間酒吧， 賴索托就是那個

who nobody really knows but is always in the pictures.]

沒有人真的認識， 但老是出現在照片裡的人。」

And also to make fun of the countries that don't think that they're in Africa:

還有拿來取笑那些 自認不在非洲的國家：

[#IfAfricaWasABar Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco

「#如果非洲是間酒吧， 埃及、利比亞及摩洛哥

be like "What the hell are we doing here?!!"]

大概會說：『搞什麼鬼， 我們在這裡幹嘛？』」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And to note the countries that had made a big turnaround:

有的提到轉變很大的國家：

[#ifAfricawasabar Rwanda would be that girl

「#如果非洲是間酒吧， 盧安達會是那個

that comes with no money and no transport but leaves drunk, happy and rich]

進來時沒半毛錢、沒車的女孩， 但離開時開心、有錢、醉茫茫。」

But most importantly,

但最重要的，

people were using the hashtag to connect.

大家用這個標籤來連結。

People were connecting over their Africanness.

大家用「非洲情」來連結。

So for one week in July,

所以七月的某一週，

Twitter became a real African bar.

推特真的成了一間非洲酒吧。

And I was really thrilled,

我激動得不得了，

mainly because I realized that Pan-Africanism could work,

主要是因為我意識到 泛非洲主義可以行得通，

that we had before us, between us, at our fingertips

在我們面前、我們之間、 我們的指尖上，

a platform that just needed a small spark

存在著一個平臺， 只要星星之火，

to light in us a hunger for each other.

就可以燎起彼此的渴望。

My name is Siyanda Mohutsiwa,

我的名字是希妍妲·莫瑚茨娃，

I'm 22 years old

我 22 歲，

and I am Pan-Africanist by birth.

我是泛非洲人出身。

Now, I say I'm Pan-Africanist by birth

我說我是泛非洲人出身，

because my parents are from two different African countries.

因為我的父母來自非洲 兩個不同的國家。

My father's from a country called Botswana in southern Africa.

我的父親來自非洲南部 一個叫波札那的國家。

It's only slightly bigger than Germany.

只比德國大一點點。

This year we celebrate our 50th year of stable democracy.

今年我們慶祝國家 邁入穩定民主 50 年，

And it has some very progressive social policies.

而且我們的社會政策也非常先進。

My mother's country is the Kingdom of Swaziland.

我的母親來自史瓦濟蘭王國。

It's a very, very small country, also in southern Africa.

它是個非常非常小的國家， 也在非洲南部。

It is Africa's last complete monarchy.

它是非洲最後一個君主專制國。

So it's been ruled by a king and a royal family

被君王及王室統治，

in line with their tradition,

實施他們傳統的王室繼承法

for a very long time.

好長一段時間。

On paper, these countries seem very different.

理論上看這兩個國家 似乎非常不一樣。

And when I was a kid, I could see the difference.

在我小時候，我還看得到不同點。

It rained a lot in one country, it didn't rain quite as much in the other.

一個國家下很多雨， 另一個國家沒下那麼多雨。

But outside of that, I didn't really realize

但是除此之外， 我其實並不了解

why it mattered that my parents were from two different places.

我的父母來自不同的國家 有什麼大不了。

But it would go on to have a very peculiar effect on me.

但是時間流逝， 它對我產生非常特別的影響。

You see, I was born in one country

你知道嗎，我在一個國家出生，

and raised in the other.

卻在另一個國家成長。

When we moved to Botswana,

我們搬到波札那時，

I was a toddler who spoke fluent SiSwati

我還在學步，說一口流利的史瓦濟語，

and nothing else.

其它的都不會。

So I was being introduced to my new home,

所以我在開始接觸我的新家，

my new cultural identity,

我的新文化認同時，

as a complete outsider,

完全是個外人，

incapable of comprehending anything that was being said to me

無法理解人家告訴我的任何事，

by the family and country whose traditions I was meant to move forward.

即使這個家庭及國家的傳統 是我即將加入的。

But very soon, I would shed SiSwati.

但我很快就丟了史瓦濟語。

And when I would go back to Swaziland,

而且我回史瓦濟蘭時，

I would be constantly confronted by how very non-Swazi I was becoming.

我不斷注意到自己 變得有多麼不像史瓦濟蘭人。

Add to that my entry into Africa's private school system,

再加上我進入非洲的 私立學校系統，

whose entire purpose is to beat the Africanness out of you,

它全部的目的就是 要把你「去非洲化」，

and I would have a very peculiar adolescence.

而且我有一段 非常特殊的青春期。

But I think that my interest in ideas of identity was born here,

但是我想我對身分認同的概念 產生興趣就是從這裡開始，

in the strange intersection of belonging to two places at once

在一個很奇怪的十字路口上， 同時歸屬於兩個地方，

but not really belonging to either one very well

卻又對兩邊都沒有真正的歸屬感，

and belonging to this vast space in between and around simultaneously.

同時存在於這片無際的 交錯環繞空間裡。

I became obsessed with the idea of a shared African identity.

我開始迷上共享非洲身分這個想法。

Since then, I have continued to read about politics

從那時候開始， 我一直在讀有關政治、

and geography and identity and what all those things mean.

地理、身分認同 及這一切意義的文章。

I've also held on to a deep curiosity about African philosophies.

我也一直對非洲哲學 抱持深切的好奇心。

When I began to read,

我開始讀的時候，

I gravitated towards the works of black intellectuals

我深受黑人知識份子文章的吸引，

like Steve Biko and Frantz Fanon,

像南非的史蒂芬·比科 及法國的法蘭茲·法農，

who tackled complex ideas

他們著手在複雜的觀念，

like decolonization and black consciousness.

如去殖民化及黑人的意識問題。

And when I thought, at 14, that I had digested these grand ideas,

在我 14 歲，認為自己 已經消化了這些偉大的想法後，

I moved on to the speeches of iconic African statesmen

我就進一步去看 非洲政治代表人物的演講，

like Burkina Faso's Thomas Sankara

像是布吉納法索的 托馬斯·桑卡拉，

and Congo's Patrice Lumumba.

及剛果的帕特里斯·盧蒙巴。

I read every piece of African fiction that I could get my hands on.

我讀每一本我拿得到的非洲小說。

So when Twitter came,

所以當推特出現時，

I hopped on with the enthusiasm of a teenage girl

我以青少女的熱情 一踴躍上這班列車，

whose friends are super, super bored of hearing about all this random stuff.

因為我的朋友都被我這些 無關緊要的話題搞到無聊到爆。

The year was 2011

那是 2011 年，

and all over southern Africa and the whole continent,

整個非洲南部及整片大陸上，

affordable data packages for smartphones and Internet surfing

平價的智慧型手機上網方案 及網路瀏覽

became much easier to get.

變得更容易取得。

So my generation, we were sending messages to each other on this platform

所以我這個世代， 我們都用這種平臺彼此送簡訊，

that just needed 140 characters and a little bit of creativity.

你只需要 140 個字及一點點創意。

On long commutes to work,

在去上班的漫長路途上、

in lectures that some of us should have been paying attention to,

在我們應該注意聽講的課堂上、

on our lunch breaks,

在午休時間，

we would communicate as much as we could

我們都盡可能多通訊，

about the everyday realities of being young and African.

聊著非洲青年的現實生活。

But of course, this luxury was not available to everybody.

但是當然，不是每一個人 都享受得到這種奢華。

So this meant that if you were a teenage girl in Botswana

所以這意味著 如果你是波札那的青少女，

and you wanted to have fun on the Internet,

而且你想在網路上玩得開心，

one, you had to tweet in English.

一，你得用英文發訊息。

Two, you had to follow more than just the three other people you knew online.

二，除了你在網上認識的那三個人， 你得跟隨更多帳號，

You had to follow South Africans, Zimbabweans, Ghanaians, Nigerians.

你得跟隨南非人、辛巴威人 迦納人、奈及利亞人。

And suddenly, your whole world opened up.

忽然間，你的整個世界大大開展。

And my whole world did open up.

我的世界的確開展了。

I followed vibrant Africans who were travelling around the continent,

我跟隨了幾個活躍的非洲人， 他們在整片大陸上旅行，

taking pictures of themselves

常常拍自己的相片，

and posting them under the hashtag #myafrica.

還貼出來， 標上「#我的非洲」標籤。

Because at that time,

因為當時，

if you were to search Africa on Twitter or on Google

如果你在推特或 Google，

or any kind of social media,

或在任何一種社群媒體上搜尋非洲，

you would think that the entire continent was just pictures of animals

你會以為整個非洲大陸 就是動物的照片，

and white guys drinking cocktails in hotel resorts.

及白人在飯店渡假村喝雞尾酒。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

But Africans were using this platform

但是非洲人用這種平臺

to take some kind of ownership of the tourism sectors.

取回觀光部分某種程度的所有權。

It was Africans taking selfies on the beaches of Nigeria.

是非洲人在奈及利亞的海灘上自拍。

It was Africans in cocktail bars in Nairobi.

是非洲人在奈洛比的 酒吧裡喝雞尾酒。

And these were the same Africans that I began to meet

他們就是我在環遊大陸的旅程中。 開始遇到的同一批非洲人，

in my own travels around the continent.

We would discuss African literature, politics, economic policy.

我們會討論非洲文學、 政治、經濟政策。

But almost invariably, every single time,

但是幾乎無一例外，每一次

we would end up discussing Twitter.

我們最後都會討論推特。

And that's when I realized what this was.

那也是我明白 這代表什麼意義的時刻。

We were standing in the middle of something amazing,

我們正站在奇妙的東西之中，

because for the first time ever

因為這是第一次

young Africans could discuss the future of our continent in real time,

非洲青年能夠即時討論 自己大陸的未來，

without the restriction of borders, finances and watchful governments.

沒有邊界、財務及政府監控的限制。

Because the little known truth is

因為鮮為人知的事實是

many Africans know a lot less about other African countries

許多非洲人 對其它非洲國家所知極少，

than some Westerners might know about Africa as a whole.

甚至比西方人 對非洲整體的了解還少。

This is by accident,

這是意外造成的，

but sometimes, it's by design.

但是有時候也是刻意的。

For example, in apartheid South Africa,

譬如在種族隔離的南非，

black South Africans were constantly being bombarded

黑人會不斷被疲勞轟炸，

with this message that any country ruled by black people

說任何一個黑人統治的國家

was destined for failure.

都注定要失敗。

And this was done to convince them

這麼做是為了說服他們

that they were much better off under crushing white rule

被白人壓倒性統治，

than they were living in a black and free nation.

會比生活在一個全黑 又自由的國家要好得多。

Add to that Africa's colonial, archaic education system,

再加上非洲的殖民式、 古老的教育體制，

which has been unthinkingly carried over from the 1920s --

自 1920 年代 不假思索地沿用至今——

and at the age of 15, I could name all the various causes

在 15 歲時，我就可以說出所有

of the wars that had happened in Europe in the past 200 years,

過去 200 年中 歐洲發生過的戰爭的各種起因，

but I couldn't name the president of my neighboring country.

但是我無法說出鄰國總統的名字。

And to me, this doesn't make any sense

對我而言，這一點道理都沒有，

because whether we like it or not,

因為無論我們喜歡與否，

the fates of African people are deeply intertwined.

非洲人民的命運 都深深交織在一起。

When disaster hits, when turmoil hits,

災難來臨，時局動盪時，

we share the consequences.

我們同當後果。

When Burundians flee political turmoil,

在蒲隆地人逃離政治動亂時，

they go to us,

他們逃向我們，

to other African countries.

逃向其它非洲國家。

Africa has six of the world's largest refugee centers.

非洲有六個世界上最大的難民中心。

What was once a Burundian problem

曾經只是蒲隆地人的問題，

becomes an African problem.

現在變成非洲人的問題。

So to me, there are no Sudanese problems

所以對我而言， 沒有蘇丹人的問題，

or South African problems or Kenyan problems,

或南非人的問題，或肯亞人的問題，

only African problems

只有非洲人的問題，

because eventually, we share the turmoil.

因為最終，我們共同擔當動亂。

So if we share the problems,

所以如果我們可以有難同當，

why aren't we doing a better job of sharing the successes?

為什麼我們不能也有福同享？

How can we do that?

要怎麼做呢？

Well, in the long term,

長遠來看，

we can shoot towards increasing inter-African trade,

我們可以朝增加非洲內的貿易邁進，

removing borders and putting pressure on leaders

消除邊界及對領袖施壓，

to fulfill regional agreements they've already signed.

以落實他們已經簽署的區域協定。

But I think that the biggest way for Africa to share its successes

但是我認為非洲 要同享成功最大的方法，

is to foster something I like to call social Pan-Africanism.

是促進我所謂社群泛非洲主義。

Now, political Pan-Africanism already exists,

現在，政治泛非洲主義已經存在，

so I'm not inventing anything totally new here.

所以我沒有發明什麼全新的東西。

But political Pan-Africanism

但是政治的泛非洲主義

is usually the African unity of the political elite.

通常是指非洲政治菁英的聯合。

And who does that benefit?

這樣是誰得到好處？

Well, African leaders, almost exclusively.

嗯，幾乎完全是非洲領袖。

No, what I'm talking about

不是這樣的，我在說的

is the Pan-Africanism of the ordinary African.

是普通非洲人的泛非洲主義。

Young Africans like me,

像我這樣的非洲青年，

we are bursting with creative energy,

我們充滿了創意能量，

with innovative ideas.

創新思想。

But with bad governance and shaky institutions,

但是有不好的政府 與不穩定的機構，

all of this potential could go to waste.

所有的潛能終將成為浪費。

On a continent where more than a handful of leaders

在這片大陸，大多數政要

have been in power longer

掌權的時間，

than the majority of the populations has been alive,

都超過大多數人口的壽命，

we are in desperate need of something new,

我們迫切需要新的東西，

something that works.

能行得通的東西。

And I think that thing is social Pan-Africanism.

我認為那個東西就是社群泛非主義。

My dream is that young Africans

我的夢想是非洲青年

stop allowing borders and circumstance to suffocate our innovation.

不再允許邊界與環境 窒礙我們的創新。

My dream is that when a young African comes up with something brilliant,

我的夢想是當一名非洲青年 想出了絕妙的東西，

they don't say, "Well, this wouldn't work in my country,"

他們不會說： 「唉，這在我的國家行不通，」

and then give up.

然後放棄。

My dream is that young Africans begin to realize

我的夢想是非洲青年開始了解

that the entire continent is our canvas, is our home.

整片大陸都是我們的畫布， 是我們的家。

Using the Internet, we can begin to think collaboratively,

透過網路，我們可以開始集體思考，

we can begin to innovate together.

我們可以開始一同創新。

In Africa, we say, "If you want to go fast, you go alone,

在非洲，我們說， 如果你想走得快，就要一個人走。

but if you want to go far, you go together."

但是如果你想走得遠， 你就要跟人一起走。

And I believe that social Pan-Africanism is how we can go far together.

我相信社群泛非主義 就是我們一起走遠的方式。

And this is already happening.

這已經發生了。

Access to these online networks has given young Africans

使用這些社群網路， 讓非洲青年取得

something we've always had to violently take: a voice.

一直只能用暴力奪取的東西：聲音。

We now have a platform.

我們現在有平臺。

Before now, if you wanted to hear from the youth in Africa,

在這之前，如果你想要 聽非洲青年的心聲，

you waited for the 65-year-old minister of youth --

你要等 65 歲的青年團契牧師

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

to wake up in the morning,

一早醒來，

take his heartburn medication

吞下他的胃灼熱藥，

and then tell you the plans he has for your generation

然後告訴你他對你這個世代

in 20 years time.

未來 20 年的計畫。

Before now, if you wanted to be heard by your possibly tyrannical government,

在這之前，如果你想讓非常可能 是專政的政府聽到你的心聲，

you were pushed to protest, suffer the consequences

你會被迫走上街頭抗議， 承擔後果，

and have your fingers crossed

並祈求好運，

that some Western paper somewhere might make someone care.

某處的西方世界報紙 或許會打動某些人。

But now we have opportunities to back each other up

但是現在我們有機會支持彼此，

in ways we never could before.

用從所未見的方式做到。

We support South African students

我們支持南非學生

who are marching against ridiculously high tertiary fees.

上街頭抗議高得離譜的 高等教育學費。

We support Zimbabwean women who are marching to parliament.

我們支持遊行到議會的辛巴威婦女。

We support Angolan journalists who are being illegally detained.

我們支持被非法拘禁的安哥拉記者。

For the first time ever,

這是第一次，

African pain and African aspiration

非洲的痛苦與非洲的抱負

has the ability to be witnessed

可以被最能感同身受的人見證：

by those who can empathize with it the most:

other Africans.

其他非洲人。

I believe that with a social Pan-Africanist thinking

我相信藉著社群泛非主義的想法，

and using the Internet as a tool,

並使用網路當工具，

we can begin to rescue each other,

我們可以開始拯救彼此，

and ultimately, to rescue ourselves.

而最終，拯救我們自己。

Thank you.

謝謝！

(Applause)

（掌聲）