Why people of different faiths are painting their houses of worship yellow | Nabila Alibhai

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Adrienne Lin

We live in a time of fear,

我們身在一個恐懼的時代，

and our response to fear can either be to contract

而我們對恐懼的反應， 可能是縮起來，

and attempt to guard ourselves

並試圖去保衛我們自己，

or to extend ourselves, hold on to each other,

或是展開我們自己，彼此一起堅守，

and face our fears together.

共同面對我們的恐懼。

What is your instinct?

你的直覺是什麼？

What do you see more of in the world?

看世界時你比較會看到什麼？

The problem with the first approach

第一種方式的問題是，

is that in our mounting isolation,

我們與他人日漸疏離時，

we divide ourselves from others.

將自己與他人分隔開來。

Our sense of isolation grows,

我們的孤立感會增加，

because our imagination goes into overdrive

因為我們的想像力被過度使用，

about the people and the spaces that we no longer engage with.

用到我們不再有交集的人與空間上。

Our sense of otherness grows, and we lose empathy.

我們的相異感會增加， 我們會失去同理心。

Today I'm going to tell you about a group of people

今天我來跟各位談的，是一群人，

that took the global challenge of terrorism

他們接受了恐怖主義的全球挑戰，

and began creating spaces where strangers connect in solidarity.

開始創造一些空間，讓陌生人 能互相連結而團結在一起。

My own obsession with what I see as irrational divisions began as a child.

我從小就迷上了 我眼中的非理性分裂。

As a fourth-generation Kenyan Muslim of Indian origin,

我有著印度血統， 是肯亞穆斯林的第四代，

it bothered me that in four generations,

讓我煩惱的是，在這四個世代，

there wasn't a single marriage in my family

我家庭中的每一段婚姻，

outside of my small religious community.

都侷限在我的小小宗教社區內。

And I wondered what that was about.

我很好奇那是怎麼回事。

Was it fear?

是因為恐懼嗎？

Was it racism?

是因為種族主義嗎？

Was it cultural preservation?

是為了文化保存嗎？

Did it have something to do with colonialism?

和殖民主義有關嗎？

Certainly, we didn't share a lot of the same public spaces with others.

顯然，我們並沒有和其他人 共用許多公共空間。

These divisions bothered me deeply, and they drove my career choices.

這些分裂深深困擾著我， 影響了我對職涯的選擇。

When I was 20, the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were bombed.

我二十歲時，在肯亞與坦尚尼亞的 美國大使館遭到炸彈攻擊。

A year later, I was on my way to the Middle East

一年後，我前往中東，

to study conflict resolution.

去研究衝突排解。

And then from that point on,

從那個時點開始，

it wasn't very hard for me to find insecure environments to work in,

對我來說，要找到 不安全的工作環境並不難，

because the world was quickly shifting

因為世界很快就轉變進入了

in what we now know as the time of terrorism.

我們現在所謂的恐怖主義時代。

I was in Washington, DC when 9/11 happened,

當九一一事件發生時， 我人在華盛頓特區，

and then I moved back home to Kenya to work with refugees

接著我搬回肯亞的家，去協助難民，

and then later worked in Pakistan

之後又到巴基斯坦去工作，

and in Afghanistan.

再到阿富汗。

In all of these places, what I noticed

在所有這些地方，我注意到，

was how important physical spaces are

實體空間很重要，

to making us feel safe

能讓我們感到安全、

and well

安好、

and like we belong.

好像有所歸屬。

In 2013, I came back home to Nairobi from Afghanistan.

2013 年，我從阿富汗 回到位在奈洛比的家，

Al-Shabaab operatives had besieged Westgate shopping center,

青年軍包圍了 Westgate 購物中心，

killing 67 people in a day of utter horror.

在這極恐怖的一天內 就殺害了 67 人。

Soon after that,

那之後沒多久，

I could see how Nairobi was beginning to change,

我可以看見奈洛比如何開始改變，

and it was beginning to feel more like the fear and terror-weary

開始厭倦了恐懼和恐怖，

and war-torn cities that I had worked in.

就像那些我曾經工作過的 被戰爭蹂躪的城市那樣。

And Nairobi continues to grow in fear-driven ways.

奈洛比持續成長， 朝向恐懼的方向成長。

We see more walls, more barriers,

我們看到更多的牆、更多的路障、

more security.

更多的保安。

And like other parts of the world,

如同世界的其他地方，

we are experiencing an erosion of human connection.

我們正在經歷人類連結的侵蝕。

Divisions along religious lines are deepening,

因為宗教而產生的分裂正在加深，

and we're doubting more and more how much we have in common.

我們越來越懷疑， 到底彼此間有多少共同點。

We are at a pivotal time

我們處在關鍵時刻，

when we need to restore our confidence in humanity

此時我們需要恢復對人性的信心，

and stand boldly and visibly together.

勇敢地站出來團結在一起。

So in 2014, I brought together a group of people in Nairobi

所以，2014 年， 我在奈洛比召集了一群人，

to figure out what to do:

思考該怎麼做：

public intellectuals, diplomats, artists, development workers.

團隊成員有公共知識份子、 外交官、藝術家、發展工作者。

And the group articulated our challenge as threefold:

這個團體明確表達出， 我們的挑戰有三部份：

one, to reclaim the city from the narrative of terrorism

第一，將城市從恐怖主義手中奪回，

and back into the hands of the people that live there;

交還到當地住民的手中。

two, introduce a language beyond race, tribe or religion

第二，引介一種跨越種族、 部落或宗教的語言，

that would help us transcend our differences;

來協助我們超越歧異；

and three, provide a gesture that would help restore empathy

第三，提出一種表示， 來協助恢復共鳴、

and conversation and trust.

交流，以及信任。

One of the people in this group was an artist and architect,

我們團隊中有人是藝術家兼建築師，

Yazmany Arboleda.

他叫亞茲曼尼阿伯利達。

He and I have collaborated in other parts of the world

他與我在世界各地

over many years.

合作了許多年。

He has a history

他的過去事蹟是

of disrupting urban environments

擾亂城市環境，

and making strangers connect

讓陌生人能以一種 不可思議的美好方式連結。

in incredible, beautiful and spectacular ways.

He had an idea.

他有一個點子。

The idea was to unite people of different faiths

這個點子是將 不同信仰的人團結起來，

by getting them to paint each other's houses of worship,

做法是為他們彼此的宗教場所上色，

mosques, temples, synagogues, churches,

包括清真寺、廟宇、 猶太教堂、教堂，

paint them yellow

以愛之名，

in the name of love.

將它們塗上黃色。

By focusing on icons of faith,

透過把焦點放在信仰的象徵上，

we would get people to reexamine the true essence of their faith,

我們能夠讓人們重新檢視 他們信仰的真實本質，

the common belief that we share in kindness, generosity and friendship.

也就是我們對於仁慈、 寬宏、友情的共同信念。

By creating pathways between houses of worship

我們在一個鄰坊內的宗教場所之間

within one neighborhood,

建立連結路徑，

we would create islands of stability

藉此創造出了穩定的島嶼

and networks of people

以及人的網路，

that could withstand threats.

且它們都能夠承受威脅。

And neighbors, by picking up a paintbrush with other neighbors,

而各個鄰居一同拿起刷子，

would engage not just with their heads

他們不只是用到頭腦，

but with their hands and with their hearts.

還會運用雙手及他們的心。

And the painted buildings would become sculptures in the landscape

被上色的建築就會成為 地景的雕塑作品，

that speak of people from very different backgrounds

訴說著來自非常不同背景的人們，

that stand together.

站在一起的故事。

We'd call the project "Colour in Faith."

我們稱這專案為「信仰的顏色」。

We loved the idea and we immediately began approaching houses of worship:

我們很喜歡這個點子， 馬上開始去和宗教場所接洽：

churches, temples, mosques, synagogues.

教堂、寺廟、清真寺、猶太教堂。

Door to door, we went to more than 60 rabbis,

我們挨家挨戶拜訪了至少六十位拉比、

imams, pastors and priests.

伊瑪目、牧師、神父。

As you can imagine,

你們應該可以想像，

bringing these communities together

恐懼遍及全球，加深了偏見，

when prejudices are reinforced by a global pandemic of fear

在這樣的情況下，要讓這些社區團結，

is not easy.

一點也不容易。

It was complicated.

它很複雜。

We were confronted with the hierarchy of decision-making

我們要面對宗教機構內部的決策階層。

within religious establishments.

For example, with Catholic churches,

以天主教教堂為例，

we were told that the archbishop would have to make the decision.

我們被告知，只有大主教 才能做這個決策。

And so we wrote a letter to the archbishop.

所以我們寫信給大主教。

We wrote a letter to the Vatican.

我們寫信到梵蒂岡。

We're still waiting to hear back.

我們還在等回信。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And with other houses of worship,

至於其他的宗教場所，

we were told that the patrons, the people that pay for the building

我們被告知做決策的人是出資人，

and the construction and the painting of the buildings

也就是付錢建造及油漆建築的人。

would have to make a decision.

And then we came head-to-head

接著，我們要正面對抗

with the long legacy of missionary and donor dependence

長久流傳下來對於 傳教士和捐贈者的依賴，

that so impedes unconditional civic action,

這種依賴阻礙了無條件的公民行動，

and we learned this the hard way.

我們吃足苦頭才學到這點。

There was one community

有一個社區，

that in our repeated conversations would keep asking us

在我們不斷重覆的對談中， 會一直要求我們

to appreciate them.

要感激他們。

And so we would keep going back

所以我們就不斷回去

and telling them that we appreciate them,

告訴他們，我們很感激他們，

and of course,

當然，

if we didn't appreciate them, we wouldn't be here.

若我們不感激他們， 我們就不會在這裡了。

And then we learned painfully late in the game

在這場遊戲中，我們 很晚才很痛苦地學到，

that the word "appreciation" is code for getting paid to participate.

「感激」這個詞其實是代號， 意思是要付錢才能參與。

And so we challenged them

所以，我們就去挑戰他們，

and we asked the question,

我們問了一個問題：

"So what will it cost?

「要多少錢？

How much could we pay you?

我們要付你多少錢？

And if we pay for your faith, is it really faith?"

若我們付錢買你的信仰， 那真的是信仰嗎？」

We started the project asking the question,

我們在開始這個計畫時問了：

"Where does your faith live?"

「你的信仰住在哪裡？」

And here we found ourselves asking the question,

而我們後來卻在問這個問題：

"How much does your faith cost?"

「你的信仰要多少錢？」

But the most difficult issue was the perceived risk of standing apart.

但最困難的議題， 是感受到疏離的風險。

We had one synagogue that flat-out refused to participate

我們遇到一間猶太教堂 直接了當拒絕參與，

because it feared drawing attention to itself

因為他們害怕會吸引到注意，

and becoming a target.

進而成為箭靶。

Similarly, we had a mosque that also feared becoming a target.

同樣地，我們也遇到 一間清真寺也害怕成為箭靶。

And these fears are justified.

這些恐懼是事出有因的。

And yet, there were 25 houses of worship that pledged to participate.

但，仍然有 25 個 宗教場所許諾要參與。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

These bold leaders took the gesture and reinforced it with their own meaning.

這些勇敢的領導者接受了這個表示， 並用他們自己的意義來強化它。

For some, it was to tell the world that they're not terrorists.

對某些人，意義是告訴世界 他們不是恐怖份子。

For others, it was to welcome people through their doors to ask questions.

對其他人，意義是要歡迎人們 登堂來問問題。

And for some, it was to bridge the gap

對某些人，意義是要破除

between the older and the younger generation,

老一代與年輕一代的隔閡，

which by the way is something that many faiths are grappling with right now.

順道一提，這也是許多信仰 正在努力解決的議題。

And for some it was simply to build neighborhood solidarity

對某些人，意義僅是在 他們害怕的選舉暴力之前

in advance of feared election violence.

先建立社區團結。

When asked why yellow,

有人會問為何選黃色，

one imam beautifully said,

一位伊瑪目給了完美的答案：

"Yellow is the color of the sun.

「黃色是太陽的顏色。

The sun shines on us all equally.

太陽平等地照耀在每個人身上。

It does not discriminate."

陽光沒有歧視。」

He and others spread the word through their congregations

他與其他人透過集會與廣播節目

and over the radio.

把訊息傳出去。

Municipal government officials stepped forward and helped

政府市政官員站出來協助，

with permits and with convening civil society organizations.

處理許可事宜及召集公民社會組織。

A paint company donated a thousand liters of yellow paint

一家油漆公司捐贈了 一千公升的黃油漆，

mixed especially for us in what they now call "optimistic yellow."

專為我們調色，他們現在 稱這顏色為「樂觀黃」。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

(Applause)

（掌聲）

And a poetry collective joined forces with a university

一個詩歌集團與大學聯手，

and hosted a series of tweet chats

主持了一系列的推特聊天室活動，

that challenged the nation on issues of faith,

對國家挑戰信仰的議題，

our faith not just in the context of religion,

不只是我們在宗教情境下的信仰，

but our faith in politicians and tribe and nation,

還有我們對政客、部落， 與國家的信仰，

our faith in the older generation and in the younger generation.

我們對老一代和年輕一代的信仰。

And then Colour in Faith was launched at a gallery event

接著，在一次畫廊活動時， 「信仰的顏色」計畫開始了，

that invited an incredible mix of gallerygoers

該活動邀請了各類 常參觀藝術畫廊的人、

and religious leaders and artists and businesspeople.

宗教領袖、藝術家、商業人士。

Already, even before picking up a paintbrush,

甚至在拿起刷子之前，

we had accomplished so much of the conversation and connection

我們在維護與連結方面 就已經成就了這麼多，

that we had hoped for.

這是我們所希望的。

And then we began to paint.

接著，我們開始上色。

Muslims stood by Christians

穆斯林的旁邊站著基督徒、

and atheists and agnostics and Hindus

無神論者、不可知論者、印度教徒，

and painted a mosque yellow.

把清真寺漆成了黃色。

And then they all came together again and painted a church yellow,

他們接著又聚在一起， 把一間教堂漆成黃色，

and then another mosque,

接著是另一間清真寺，

and then another church.

接著是另一間教堂。

Poets and musicians performed while we painted.

我們在油漆時， 詩人與音樂家在一旁表演。

We painted in Nairobi,

我們在奈洛比油漆，

and then we painted in Mombasa.

我們也在蒙巴薩油漆。

The local and international press did features on Colour in Faith

當地與國際媒體確實有 特別介紹「信仰的顏色」，

in English and French and Swahili

介紹有英語、法語、斯瓦希里語、

and Spanish and Somali.

西班牙語，以及索馬利語。

CNN highlighted Colour in Faith as a way of bringing communities together.

CNN 為「信仰的顏色」做焦點報導， 強調它是讓社區結合的方式。

And our social media platforms lit up,

我們的社交媒體平台紅起來，

connecting more and more people.

連結了更多的人。

And these neighbors continued to stay in touch.

這些鄰居仍然繼續聯絡。

There are some that are pursuing politics with a platform of peace,

有些人追求的是 有著和平平台的政治，

and we have communities as far as Argentina and the US

最遠到阿根廷和美國，

and as close as Mali and Rwanda

最近到馬利共和國與盧安達的社區，

that are asking for our help.

都來尋求我們協助，

And we would love to help.

而我們很樂意協助。

It's our dream that this project, this idea, spreads across the world,

我們的夢想是，這個計畫、 這個點子能散播到全世界，

with or without our support.

不論有沒有我們的支援。

Colour in Faith is literally highlighting those who mean well in yellow.

「信仰的顏色」用黃色 強調出那些心存善意的人。

Colour in Faith is binding neighborhoods together,

「信仰的顏色」將鄰坊結合在一起，

and it's our hope that when threats come knocking,

我們希望，當威脅來敲門時，

they will collectively sift fact from rumor

他們會一起將事實與傳言區分開來，

and stand in solidarity.

團結地站在一起。

We've proven that the human family can come together and send a message

我們已證明了人類家庭可以 聚在一起並傳遞出訊息，

far brighter and more powerful

這訊息遠比那些想傷害我們的聲音

than the voices of those that wish to do us harm.

還要更明亮、更強大。

Though fear is infectious,

雖然恐懼是會傳染的，

we are showing that so is hope.

我們展現出，希望也會傳染。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）