ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Azim Khamisa - Author, peace activist
Azim Khamisa speaks to students and adults on nonviolence, forgiveness and peace-building, and he is a founder of two nonprofit organizations that target youth violence.

Why you should listen

Azim Khamisa writes: "I emigrated to the USA in 1974 to escape violence in Kenya, where we were a targeted minority. But 22 years ago, my only son, Tariq, who was a university student and worked a part-time job as a pizza delivery man, was killed by a 14-year-old gang member in a gang initiation ritual. Tariq was only 20 years old when he died, and needless to say it brought my life to a crashing halt. He was a good and a generous kid!

"However, even clouded in a deeply painful tragedy I saw that there were victims on both sides of the gun. Nine months after Tariq died, I founded the Tariq Khamisa Foundation (TKF). Our mission is to save lives of children, empower the right choices and teach the principles of nonviolence — of empathy, compassion, forgiveness and peacemaking. I forgave my son's killer and invited his grandfather to join me in TKF's work. With the grace of God, TKF is 22 years old and has a safe school model and is successfully keeping kids away from gangs, weapons, drugs, crime and violence. The grandfather and I are still together doing this work, and the kid who killed my son is now 36 years old and he will join us when he is paroled in October 2018. I have authored four books and speak worldwide to students and adults. I am a passionate peace activist and a teacher of nonviolence, forgiveness and spawning peacemakers."

More profile about the speaker
Azim Khamisa | Speaker | TED.com
Ples Felix - Peace activist
Ples Felix is a leader in the Tariq Khamisa Foundation, dedicated to helping stop youth violence.

Why you should listen

Ples Felix was a retired Green Beret, working in community development and raising his grandson Tony, trying hard to keep him safe and away from bad influences. But on one horrible night, Tony, in the company of older gang members, shot and killed a pizza delivery driver. It was a moment that changed many lives.

The delivery driver was Tariq Khamisa, a 20-year-old student in San Diego. His grieving father, Azim Khamisa, seeking to find meaning in unfathomable loss, started the Tariq Khamisa Foundation to address youth violence through education, mentorship and community service. And he invited Felix to join him -- because "there was a victim on both ends of that gun." Since 1995, Felix has co-led the Tariq Khamisa Foundation, developing mentorship programs that keep at-risk kids in school and on the right track.

More profile about the speaker
Ples Felix | Speaker | TED.com
TEDWomen 2017

Azim Khamisa and Ples Felix: What comes after tragedy? Forgiveness

Azim Khamisa, Ples Felix: O que vem depois da tragédia? O perdão

Filmed:
1,124,318 views

Em uma noite horrível de 1995, o neto de 14 anos de Ples Felix assassinou o filho de Azim Khamisa em uma iniciação de gangues estimulada por drogas, álcool e uma falsa sensação de aceitação. O encontro mortal enviou Khamisa e Felix a caminhos de meditação profunda, para perdoarem e serem perdoados. Em um ato de bravura e reconciliação, os dois homens se encontraram e formaram um vínculo duradouro. Juntos, usaram a história deles como um perfil para uma sociedade melhor e mais humana, em que as vítimas de uma tragédia podem crescer e se curar. Prepare-se para se emocionar com a história inimaginável deles. "A paz é possível", diz Khamisa. "Como sei disso? Porque eu estou em paz".
- Author, peace activist
Azim Khamisa speaks to students and adults on nonviolence, forgiveness and peace-building, and he is a founder of two nonprofit organizations that target youth violence. Full bio - Peace activist
Ples Felix is a leader in the Tariq Khamisa Foundation, dedicated to helping stop youth violence. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:13
Azim Khamisa: We humans
have many defining moments in our lives.
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Azim Khamisa: Nós, seres humanos, temos
muitos momentos decisivos em nossa vida.
00:18
Sometimes these moments are joyous,
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Às vezes, esses momentos são de alegria
00:20
and sometimes they are heartbreaking,
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e, às vezes, são de partir o coração,
00:23
tragic.
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trágicos.
00:25
But at these defining moments,
if we are able to make the right choice,
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Mas, nesses momentos decisivos, se formos
capazes de fazer a escolha certa,
00:30
we literally manifest a miracle
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manifestamos, literalmente, um milagre
00:33
in us and others.
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em nós e nos outros.
00:37
My only son Tariq, a university student,
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Meu único filho Tariq,
um estudante universitário,
00:39
kind, generous, a good writer,
a good photographer,
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bom, generoso,
bom escritor, bom fotógrafo,
00:44
had aspirations
to work for National Geographic,
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aspirava a trabalhar
na National Geographic,
00:47
engaged to a beautiful lady,
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estava noivo de uma bela moça,
00:49
worked as a pizza deliveryman
on Fridays and Saturdays.
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trabalhava como entregador de pizza
às sextas e sábados.
00:54
He was lured to a bogus address
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Ele foi atraído para um endereço falso
por uma gangue juvenil.
00:56
by a youth gang.
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00:59
And in a gang initiation,
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E, em uma iniciação de gangues,
01:01
a 14-year-old shot and killed him.
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um jovem de 14 anos atirou nele e o matou.
01:06
The sudden, senseless death
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A morte repentina e sem sentido
01:10
of an innocent, unarmed human being;
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de um ser humano inocente e desarmado;
01:15
the overwhelming grief of a family;
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o enorme pesar de uma família;
01:18
the total confusion as you try
to absorb a new, hideous reality.
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a perplexidade total ao tentar absorver
uma nova e horrível realidade.
01:25
Needless to say it brought
my life to a crashing halt.
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Nem é preciso dizer que isso
interrompeu totalmente minha vida.
01:29
One of the hardest things
I've ever had to do
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Uma das coisas mais difíceis
que já tive que fazer
01:31
was to call his mother,
who lived in a different city.
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foi ligar para a mãe dele,
que morava em outra cidade.
01:34
How do you tell a mother
she's never going to see her son again,
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Como contar a uma mãe que ela
não irá ver o filho dela novamente,
01:37
or hear him laugh,
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ou ouvi-lo rir,
01:39
or give him a hug?
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ou dar-lhe um abraço?
01:42
I practice as a Sufi Muslim.
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Sou praticante do sufismo.
01:44
I meditate two hours a day.
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Medito duas horas por dia.
01:47
And sometimes,
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Às vezes, em traumas
e tragédias profundas,
01:48
in deep trauma and deep tragedy,
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01:52
there is a spark of clarity.
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há um lampejo de clareza.
01:55
So what I downloaded in my meditation
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Constatei, em minha meditação,
01:58
is that there were victims
at both ends of the gun.
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que havia vítimas
nas duas extremidades da arma.
02:02
It's easy to see that my son
was a victim of the 14-year-old,
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É fácil ver que meu filho
foi vítima do jovem de 14 anos,
02:06
a little bit complicated to see
that he was a victim of American society.
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um pouquinho complicado ver
que ele era vítima da sociedade americana.
02:12
And that begs the question,
well, who is American society?
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Isso dá por resolvida a questão:
quem é a sociedade americana?
02:15
Well, it's you and me,
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São vocês e eu, porque não acredito
que a sociedade seja apenas coincidência.
02:16
because I don't believe
that society is just happenstance.
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02:20
I think we are all responsible
for the society we've created.
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Creio que todos nós somos responsáveis
pela sociedade que criamos.
02:25
And children killing children
is not a mark of a civil society.
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Crianças matando crianças
não é uma marca de uma sociedade civil.
02:30
So nine months after Tariq died,
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Nove meses após a morte de Tariq,
02:33
I started the Tariq Khamisa Foundation
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fundei a "Tariq Khamisa Foundation",
02:35
and our mandate
at the Tariq Khamisa Foundation
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e nossa diretriz,
na Tariq Khamisa Foundation,
02:38
is to stop kids from killing kids
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é impedir que as crianças matem crianças
02:41
by breaking the cycle of youth violence.
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quebrando o ciclo da violência juvenil.
02:43
And essentially we have three mandates.
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Temos três diretrizes fundamentais.
Nossa primeira e mais importante
é salvar a vida das crianças.
02:45
Our first and foremost
is to save lives of children.
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02:50
It's important to do.
We lose so many on a daily basis.
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É importante fazer isso.
Perdemos muitas delas todos os dias.
02:54
Our second mandate
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Nossa segunda diretriz
02:57
is to empower the right choices
so kids don't fall through the cracks
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é permitir as escolhas certas
para que as crianças não sejam ignoradas
03:01
and choose lives of gangs and crime
and drugs and alcohol and weapons.
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e escolham a vida das gangues, do crime,
das drogas, do álcool e das armas.
03:06
And our third mandate is to teach
the principles of nonviolence,
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Nossa terceira diretriz é ensinar
os princípios da não violência,
03:13
of empathy, of compassion,
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da empatia, da compaixão, do perdão.
03:15
of forgiveness.
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03:17
And I started with a very simple premise
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Comecei com uma premissa muito simples
de que a violência
é um comportamento aprendido.
03:19
that violence is a learned behavior.
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03:21
No child was born violent.
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Nenhuma criança nasce violenta.
03:24
If you accept that as a truism,
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Se aceitarmos isso
como uma verdade evidente,
03:27
nonviolence can also be
a learned behavior,
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a não violência também pode ser
um comportamento aprendido,
03:30
but you have to teach it,
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mas temos que ensiná-la,
03:31
because kids are not going to learn that
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porque as crianças não irão
aprender isso por osmose.
03:34
through osmosis.
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03:36
Soon after that,
I reached out to my brother here,
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Logo depois disso, entrei
em contato com meu irmão aqui.
03:41
with the attitude
that we had both lost a son.
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Ambos perdemos um filho.
Meu filho morreu.
03:43
My son died.
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Ele perdeu o neto dele
para o sistema prisional adulto.
03:44
He lost his grandson
to the adult prison system.
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Pedi para ele se juntar a mim.
03:47
And I asked him to join me.
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03:48
As you see, 22 years later,
we are still here together,
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Como podem ver, 22 anos depois,
ainda estamos aqui juntos,
03:53
because I can't bring Tariq
back from the dead,
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porque não posso trazer Tariq
de volta da morte,
03:55
you can't take Tony out of prison,
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não podemos tirar Tony da prisão,
03:58
but the one thing we can do
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mas o que podemos fazer
04:00
is make sure no other young people
in our community
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é garantir que nenhum outro jovem
de nossa comunidade acabe morto ou preso.
04:03
end up dead or end up in prison.
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04:06
With the grace of God,
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Com a graça de Deus,
04:07
the Tariq Khamisa Foundation
has been successful.
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a Tariq Khamisa Foundation
tem sido bem-sucedida.
04:10
We have a safe school model
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Temos um modelo de escola segura
04:13
which has four different programs.
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com quatro programas diferentes.
04:15
The first one is a live assembly
with Ples and me.
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O primeiro é uma sessão
ao vivo com Ples e eu.
Somos apresentados:
04:18
We are introduced,
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o neto deste homem matou
o filho deste, e aqui estão eles juntos.
04:20
this man's grandson killed this man's son,
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04:22
and here they are together.
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04:23
We have in-classroom curriculum.
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Temos um currículo em sala de aula.
04:25
We have an after school mentoring program,
and we create a peace club.
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Temos um programa de mentoria
após a escola e criamos um clube de paz.
04:29
And I'm happy to share with you
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Estou feliz em compartilhar
04:31
that besides teaching
these principles of nonviolence,
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que, além de ensinar
os princípios da não violência,
04:35
we are able to cut suspensions
and expulsions by 70 percent,
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somos capazes de reduzir
as suspensões e expulsões em 70%,
(Vivas) (Aplausos)
04:40
which is huge.
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o que é enorme,
04:42
(Applause)
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(Aplausos)
04:43
Which is huge.
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o que é enorme.
04:45
Five years after Tariq died,
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Cinco anos após a morte de Tariq,
e, para completar minha jornada do perdão,
04:47
and for me to complete
my journey of forgiveness,
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04:50
I went to see the young man
who killed my son.
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fui ver o jovem que matou meu filho.
04:53
He was 19 years old.
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Ele tinha 19 anos.
04:55
And I remember that meeting
because we were --
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Lembro-me daquele encontro
porque estávamos...
04:59
he's 37, still in prison --
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ele tem 37 anos, continua preso,
05:01
but at that first meeting,
we locked eyeballs.
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mas, naquele primeiro encontro,
travamos nossos olhares.
05:04
I'm looking in his eyes,
he's looking in my eyes,
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Olhei nos olhos dele, ele nos meus,
05:06
and I'm looking in his eyes
trying to find a murderer, and I didn't.
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e olhei nos olhos dele tentando encontrar
um assassino, mas não encontrei.
05:10
I was able to climb through his eyes
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Fui capaz de penetrar os olhos dele
e tocar a benevolência dele,
05:13
and touch his humanity that I got
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e compreendi que o sentimento dele
não era diferente do meu
05:15
that the spark in him
was no different than the spark in me
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05:19
or anybody else here.
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ou de qualquer um de vocês.
05:21
So I wasn't expecting that.
He was remorseful.
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Eu não esperava por isso.
Ele estava arrependido.
05:23
He was articulate. He was well-mannered.
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Ele era eloquente e bem-educado.
05:25
And I could tell that my hand
of forgiveness had changed him.
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Eu poderia dizer que
meu perdão o havia mudado.
05:31
So with that, please welcome
my brother, Ples.
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Por favor, deem as boas vindas
a meu irmão, Ples.
05:33
(Applause)
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(Aplausos)
05:38
Ples Felix: Tony is my one
and only daughter's one and only child.
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Ples Felix: Tony é filho único
de minha única filha.
05:44
Tony was born to my daughter,
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Tony nasceu para minha filha,
05:46
who was 15 when she gave birth to Tony.
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que tinha 15 anos quando deu à luz o Tony.
05:50
Mothering is the toughest
job on the planet.
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A maternidade é o trabalho
mais difícil do mundo.
05:54
There is no tougher job on the planet
than raising another human being
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Não há nada mais difícil
do que criar um outro ser humano
05:58
and making sure they're safe, secure
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e garantir que esteja seguro
e em condições de se dar bem na vida.
06:01
and well-positioned
to be successful in life.
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06:04
Tony experienced a lot of violence
in his life as a young kid.
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Tony passou por muita violência
quando era pequeno.
06:09
He saw one of his favorite cousins
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Viu um de seus primos favoritos
ser assassinado em uma chuva
de tiros de arma automática
06:10
be murdered in a hail
of automatic weapon fire
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06:13
and gang involvement in Los Angeles.
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e envolvimento de gangues em Los Angeles.
06:15
He was very traumatized
in so many different ways.
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Ele era muito traumatizado
de muitas formas diferentes.
06:19
Tony came to live with me.
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Tony veio morar comigo.
Eu queria garantir que ele tivesse
tudo o que uma criança precisa
06:20
I wanted to make sure
he had everything a kid needed
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06:23
to be successful.
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para ter sucesso na vida.
06:27
But on this particular evening,
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Mas, naquela noite específica,
06:29
after years of being with me
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após anos vivendo comigo
e esforçando-se bastante
para tentar ser bem-sucedido
06:30
and struggling mightily
to try to be successful
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06:33
and to live up to my expectations
of being a successful person,
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e corresponder às minhas expectativas
de ser uma pessoa de sucesso,
06:37
on this one particular day,
Tony ran away from home that evening,
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naquele dia específico,
Tony fugiu de casa,
06:40
he went to be with people
he thought were his friends,
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foi estar com pessoas
que ele pensava serem seus amigos,
06:43
he was given drugs and alcohol
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deram-lhe drogas e álcool,
06:45
and he took them
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e ele aceitou, porque achava que eles
o fariam se sentir despreocupado.
06:46
because he thought
they would make him feel carefree.
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06:49
But all it did was
to make his anxiety go higher
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Mas tudo o que fez
foi aumentar a ansiedade dele
06:53
and to create a more ...
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e criar...
06:57
more deadly thinking on his part.
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um pensamento mais fatal da parte dele.
07:01
He was invited to a robbery,
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Ele foi convidado para um assalto,
deram-lhe uma pistola 9mm
07:02
he was given a 9mm handgun.
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07:05
And at the presence
of an 18-year-old who commanded him
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e, na presença de um jovem
de 18 anos que o comandava
07:08
and two 14-year-old boys
he thought were his friends,
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e de 2 meninos de 14 anos
que ele achava serem seus amigos,
07:11
he shot and killed Tariq Khamisa,
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ele atirou e matou Tariq Khamisa,
o filho deste homem.
07:14
this man's son.
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07:19
There are no words, there are no words
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Não há palavras, realmente, que possam
expressar a perda de uma criança.
07:22
that can express the loss of a child.
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07:27
At my understanding
that my grandson was responsible
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Ao entender que meu neto foi o responsável
pelo assassinato de um ser humano,
07:29
for the murder of this human being,
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fui ao quarto de oração,
como meus velhos amigos me ensinaram,
07:31
I went to the prayer closet,
like I was taught by my old folks,
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07:34
and began to pray and meditate.
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e comecei a rezar e a meditar.
Uma coisa que o sr. Khamisa e eu
temos em comum e que não sabíamos,
07:36
The one thing that Mr. Khamisa
and I have in common,
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07:39
and we didn't know this,
besides being wonderful human beings,
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além de sermos seres humanos
maravilhosos, é que ambos meditamos.
07:42
is that we both meditate.
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(Risos)
07:43
(Laughter)
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Foi muito útil para mim
07:44
It was very helpful for me
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porque me deu uma oportunidade
de procurar orientação e clareza
07:46
because it offered me an opportunity
to seek guidance and clarity
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07:49
about how I wanted to be of support
of this man and his family in this loss.
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sobre como eu queria apoiar
esse homem e sua família nessa perda.
07:55
And sure enough, my prayers were answered,
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Minhas preces foram atendidas,
porque fui convidado a um encontro
na casa desse homem;
07:57
because I was invited
to a meeting at this man's house,
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08:00
met his mother, his father,
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conheci a mãe, o pai,
08:03
his wife, his brother, met their family
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a esposa, o irmão dele;
conheci a família deles
08:06
and had a chance to be in the presence
of God-spirited people led by this man,
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e tive a chance de estar com pessoas
com o espírito de Deus lideradas por ele,
08:11
who in the spirit of forgiveness,
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que, no espírito do perdão,
08:14
made way, made an opportunity for me
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abriu caminho, criou
uma oportunidade para mim
08:17
to be of value and to share with him
and to share with children
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de ser útil e de compartilhar
com ele e as crianças
a importância de entender a necessidade
de estar com um adulto responsável,
08:20
the importance of understanding the need
to be with a responsible adult,
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08:25
focus on your anger
in a way that's healthy,
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concentrar em nossa raiva
de um modo saudável,
08:28
learn to meditate.
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aprender a meditar.
08:29
The programs that we have
in the Tariq Khamisa Foundation
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Os programas que temos
na Tariq Khamisa Foundation
08:32
provide so many tools
for the kids to put in their toolkit
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dão muitas ferramentas
para as crianças colocarem no kit delas.
08:35
so they could carry them
throughout their lives.
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e poderem levar por toda a vida.
08:38
It's important that our children
understand that loving, caring adults
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É importante que elas compreendam
o cuidado e o apoio de adultos
carinhosos e atenciosos,
08:41
care for them and support them,
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mas também é importante
que nossas crianças aprendam a meditar,
08:43
but it's also important
that our children learn to meditate,
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08:47
learn to be peaceful,
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aprendam a ser tranquilas,
08:49
learn to be centered
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aprendam a ser centradas
08:50
and learn to interact
with the other children
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e aprendam a interagir
com as outras crianças
08:52
in a kind, empathetic
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1976
de forma gentil, empática
e maravilhosamente carinhosa.
08:54
and wonderfully loving way.
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08:56
We need more love in our society
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Nossa sociedade precisa de mais amor,
e, por isso, estamos aqui
08:58
and that's why we are here
to share the love with children,
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para compartilhar o amor com as crianças,
porque elas mostrarão o caminho para nós,
09:01
because our children
will lead the way for us,
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09:04
because all of us
will depend on our children.
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porque todos nós dependeremos
de nossas crianças.
09:07
As we grow older and retire,
they will take over this world for us,
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Conforme envelhecemos e nos aposentamos,
elas assumirão este mundo por nós,
09:10
so as much love as we teach them,
they will give it back to us.
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então, elas retribuirão a nós
com o mesmo amor que lhes ensinamos.
09:14
Blessings. Thank you.
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Bênçãos. Obrigado.
09:15
(Applause)
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(Aplausos)
09:22
AK: So I was born in Kenya,
I was educated in England,
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AK: Nasci no Quênia,
fui educado na Inglaterra,
09:26
and my brother here is a Baptist.
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e meu irmão aqui é batista.
09:28
I practice as a Sufi Muslim.
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1960
Sou praticante do sufismo.
09:31
He's African American,
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Ele é afro-americano,
mas sempre digo
que o afro-americano sou eu.
09:32
but I always tell him,
I'm the African American in the group.
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Eu nasci na África; você não.
09:35
I was born in Africa. You were not.
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(Risos)
09:37
(Laughter)
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09:39
And I naturalized as a citizen.
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Sou cidadão naturalizado.
09:41
I'm a first-generation citizen.
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1976
Sou cidadão da primeira geração.
09:43
And I felt that, as an American citizen,
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3776
Eu sentia que, como cidadão americano,
devo assumir minha parte
da responsabilidade
09:47
I must take my share of the responsibility
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3136
09:50
for the murder of my son.
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2440
pelo assassinato de meu filho.
09:53
Why? Because it was fired
by an American child.
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3696
Por quê?
Porque o disparo foi feito
por uma criança americana.
09:57
You could take the position,
he killed my one and only son,
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Vocês têm uma posição:
ele matou meu único filho;
10:00
he should be hung from the highest pole.
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2240
deveria estar enforcado
no poste mais alto.
10:03
How does that improve society?
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Como isso torna a sociedade melhor?
10:06
And I know you are probably wondering
what happened to that young man.
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3400
Sei que vocês devem estar se perguntando
o que aconteceu com aquele jovem.
10:10
He's still in prison.
He just turned 37 on September 22,
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Ele ainda está preso.
Acabou de fazer 37 anos
no dia 22 de setembro.
10:15
but I have some good news.
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1896
Mas tenho boas notícias.
10:17
We've been trying
to get him out for 12 years.
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2776
Estamos tentando libertá-lo há 12 anos.
10:20
He finally will join us a year from now.
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3216
Ele finalmente se juntará
a nós daqui a um ano.
10:23
(Applause)
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3640
(Aplausos)
10:30
And I'm very excited to have him join us,
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2736
Estou muito animado para tê-lo conosco,
10:33
because I know we've saved him,
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2096
porque sei que o salvamos,
10:35
but he will save
tens of thousands of students
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3456
mas ele irá salvar dezenas
de milhares de estudantes
10:38
when he shares his testimony
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2496
quando compartilhar o depoimento dele
10:41
in schools that we are present at
on a regular basis.
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3376
nas escolas em que estamos
presentes com frequência.
10:44
When he says to the kids,
"When I was 11, I joined a gang.
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3336
Quando disser às crianças:
"Aos 11 anos, entrei numa gangue;
10:47
When I was 14,
I murdered Mr. Khamisa's son.
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2896
aos 14, matei o filho do sr. Khamisa.
10:50
I've spent the last
umpteen years in prison.
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Passei os últimos
trocentos anos na prisão.
10:53
I'm here to tell you: it's not worth it,"
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3056
Estou aqui para lhes dizer:
não vale a pena",
10:56
do you think the kids
will listen to that voice?
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2616
vocês acham que as crianças irão ouvi-lo?
10:59
Yes, because his intonations
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2536
Sim, porque a entonação dele
será de uma pessoa que puxou o gatilho.
11:01
will be of a person
that pulled the trigger.
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3296
11:05
And I know that he wants
to turn the clock back.
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Sei que ele quer voltar no tempo.
11:10
Of course, that's not possible.
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Claro que isso não é possível.
11:12
I wish it was. I would have my son back.
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2576
Gostaria que fosse.
Assim teria meu filho de volta.
11:14
My brother would have his grandson back.
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2280
Meu irmão teria o neto dele de volta.
11:17
So I think that demonstrates
the power of forgiveness.
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3960
Creio que isso demonstra
o poder do perdão.
11:23
So what's the big takeaway here?
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2080
Qual é a importante conclusão aqui?
11:27
So I want to end
our session with this quote,
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2736
Quero terminar nossa conversa
com esta citação,
11:30
which is the basis of my fourth book,
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2696
que é a base de meu quarto livro,
11:32
which incidentally,
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1856
cujo prefácio, a propósito,
foi escrito por Tony.
11:34
the foreword for that book
was written by Tony.
226
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2440
11:38
So it goes like this:
sustained goodwill creates friendship.
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3936
Começa assim: "A boa vontade
contínua cria a amizade.
11:42
You don't make friends
by bombing them, right?
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2216
Não fazemos amigos
atacando-os com bomba, não é?
11:45
You make friends by extending goodwill.
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1896
Fazemos amigos pela boa vontade.
Isso deve ser óbvio.
11:46
That ought to be obvious.
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1416
11:48
So sustained goodwill creates friendship,
231
696360
2456
A boa vontade contínua cria a amizade,
11:50
sustained friendship creates trust,
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2416
a amizade contínua cria a confiança,
11:53
sustained trust creates empathy,
233
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2416
a confiança contínua cria a empatia,
11:55
sustained empathy creates compassion,
234
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2376
a empatia contínua cria a compaixão
11:58
and sustained compassion creates peace.
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2520
e a compaixão contínua cria a paz.
12:01
I call this my peace formula.
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1776
Chamo isso de minha fórmula da paz.
12:03
It starts with goodwill, friendship,
trust, empathy, compassion and peace.
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Começa com boa vontade, amizade,
confiança, empatia, compaixão e paz".
Mas me perguntam:
12:09
But people ask me,
how do you extend goodwill
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"Como você concede a boa vontade
à pessoa que matou seu filho?"
12:11
to the person who murdered your child?
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2600
12:14
I tell them, you do that
through forgiveness.
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2536
Digo que fazemos isso por meio do perdão.
12:17
As it's evident it worked for me.
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2136
Como é evidente, funcionou para mim.
12:19
It worked for my family.
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1896
Funcionou para minha família.
12:21
What's a miracle is it worked for Tony,
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2656
O que é um milagre
é que funcionou para o Tony,
12:24
it worked for his family,
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2136
funcionou para a família dele,
12:26
it can work for you and your family,
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3216
pode funcionar para vocês
e para sua família,
12:29
for Israel and Palestine,
North and South Korea,
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2976
para Israel e a Palestina,
a Coreia do Norte e a Coreia do Sul,
12:32
for Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran and Syria.
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2856
para o Iraque, o Afeganistão,
o Irã e a Síria.
12:35
It can work for
the United States of America.
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Pode funcionar para os Estados Unidos.
12:38
So let me leave you with this, my sisters,
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Vou deixá-las com isto, minhas irmãs,
12:41
and a couple of brothers --
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e alguns irmãos:
12:43
(Laughter)
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1976
(Risos)
12:45
that peace is possible.
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1760
a paz é possível.
12:48
How do I know that?
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Como sei disso?
12:49
Because I am at peace.
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Porque eu estou em paz.
12:51
Thank you very much. Namaste.
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1976
Muito obrigado.
"Namastê".
12:53
(Applause)
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(Aplausos)
Translated by Maurício Kakuei Tanaka
Reviewed by Leonardo Silva

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ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Azim Khamisa - Author, peace activist
Azim Khamisa speaks to students and adults on nonviolence, forgiveness and peace-building, and he is a founder of two nonprofit organizations that target youth violence.

Why you should listen

Azim Khamisa writes: "I emigrated to the USA in 1974 to escape violence in Kenya, where we were a targeted minority. But 22 years ago, my only son, Tariq, who was a university student and worked a part-time job as a pizza delivery man, was killed by a 14-year-old gang member in a gang initiation ritual. Tariq was only 20 years old when he died, and needless to say it brought my life to a crashing halt. He was a good and a generous kid!

"However, even clouded in a deeply painful tragedy I saw that there were victims on both sides of the gun. Nine months after Tariq died, I founded the Tariq Khamisa Foundation (TKF). Our mission is to save lives of children, empower the right choices and teach the principles of nonviolence — of empathy, compassion, forgiveness and peacemaking. I forgave my son's killer and invited his grandfather to join me in TKF's work. With the grace of God, TKF is 22 years old and has a safe school model and is successfully keeping kids away from gangs, weapons, drugs, crime and violence. The grandfather and I are still together doing this work, and the kid who killed my son is now 36 years old and he will join us when he is paroled in October 2018. I have authored four books and speak worldwide to students and adults. I am a passionate peace activist and a teacher of nonviolence, forgiveness and spawning peacemakers."

More profile about the speaker
Azim Khamisa | Speaker | TED.com
Ples Felix - Peace activist
Ples Felix is a leader in the Tariq Khamisa Foundation, dedicated to helping stop youth violence.

Why you should listen

Ples Felix was a retired Green Beret, working in community development and raising his grandson Tony, trying hard to keep him safe and away from bad influences. But on one horrible night, Tony, in the company of older gang members, shot and killed a pizza delivery driver. It was a moment that changed many lives.

The delivery driver was Tariq Khamisa, a 20-year-old student in San Diego. His grieving father, Azim Khamisa, seeking to find meaning in unfathomable loss, started the Tariq Khamisa Foundation to address youth violence through education, mentorship and community service. And he invited Felix to join him -- because "there was a victim on both ends of that gun." Since 1995, Felix has co-led the Tariq Khamisa Foundation, developing mentorship programs that keep at-risk kids in school and on the right track.

More profile about the speaker
Ples Felix | Speaker | TED.com