ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Aziz Abu Sarah - Entrepreneur + educator
Aziz Abu Sarah helps people break down cultural and historical barriers through tourism.

Why you should listen

When Aziz Abu Sarah was a boy, his older brother was arrested on charges of throwing stones. He was taken to prison and beaten — and died of his injuries. Sarah grew up angry, bitter and wanting revenge. But when later in life he met, for the first time, Jews who were not soldiers, Sarah had an epiphany: Not only did they share his love of small things, namely country music, but coming face to face with the “enemy” compelled him to find ways to overcome hatred, anger and fear.

Sarah founded MEJDI Tours to send tourists to Jerusalem with two guides, one Jewish and one Palestinian, each offering a different history and narrative of the city. Sarah tells success stories of tourists from the US visiting a Palestinian refugee camp and listening to joint Arab and Jewish bands play music, and of a Muslim family from the UK sharing Sabbath dinner with a Jewish family and realizing that 100 years ago, their people came from the same town in Northern Africa. MEJDI is expanding its service to Iran, Turkey, Ireland and other regions suffering from cultural conflict. If more of the world’s 1 billion tourists were to engage with real people living real lives, argues Sarah, it would be a powerful force for shattering sterotypes and promoting understanding, friendship and peace.

More profile about the speaker
Aziz Abu Sarah | Speaker | TED.com
TED2014

Aziz Abu Sarah: For more tolerance, we need more ... tourism?

Aziz Abu Sara (Aziz Abu Sarah): Za više tolerancije, potrebno nam je više... turizma?

Filmed:
1,494,756 views

Aziz Abu Sara je palestinski aktivista sa neobičnim pristupom održavanju mira: budite turista. Ovaj učesnik TED Fellows programa pokazuje kako jednostavna komunikacija sa ljudima u različitim kulturama može da razori decenije mržnje. Počinje sa posetom Palestinaca Izraelu i nastavlja dalje od toga...
- Entrepreneur + educator
Aziz Abu Sarah helps people break down cultural and historical barriers through tourism. Full bio

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

00:12
I'm a tourismтуризам entrepreneurPREDUZETNIK
and a peacebuilderpeacebuilder,
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Ja sam turistički preduzetnik
i održavalac mira,
00:15
but this is not how I startedпочела.
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ali nisam ovako počeo.
00:18
When I was sevenседам yearsгодине oldстари,
I rememberзапамтити watchingгледа televisionтелевизија
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Kada sam imao sedam godina,
sećam se da sam gledao televiziju
00:21
and seeingвиди people throwingбацање rockskamenje,
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i video sam ljude kako bacaju kamenje
00:24
and thinkingразмишљање, this mustмора be
a funзабавно thing to do.
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i mislio sam, mora da je ovo zabavno.
00:27
So I got out to the streetулица
and threwбацила rockskamenje,
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Tako sam izašao na ulicu
i bacao sam kamenje,
00:30
not realizingреализинг I was supposedпретпостављено
to throwбацање rockskamenje at IsraeliIzraelski carsаутомобили.
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ali nisam shvatio da treba
da ih bacam na izraelske automobile.
00:34
InsteadUmesto toga, I endedзавршио up stoningkamenovanje
my neighbors'suseda carsаутомобили. (LaughterSmeh)
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Zapravo sam kamenovao
automobile mojih komšija. (Smeh)
00:38
They were not enthusiasticentuzijastični
about my patriotismpatriotizam.
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Nisu bili oduševljeni mojim patrotizmom.
00:42
This is my pictureслика with my brotherбрате.
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Ovo je slika mene s mojim bratom.
00:44
This is me, the little one,
and I know what you're thinkingразмишљање:
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Ja sam manji, i znam šta mislite.
00:47
"You used to look cutesladak,
what the heckХеј happenedдесило to you?"
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"Baš si bio sladak,
pobogu, šta ti se desilo?"
00:50
But my brotherбрате, who is olderстарији than me,
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Ali mog brata, koji je stariji od mene,
00:52
was arrestedУхапшен when he was 18,
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su uhapsili kada je imao 18 godina
00:55
takenузети to prisonзатвор on chargesоптужбе
of throwingбацање stonesкамење.
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i odveli su ga u zatvor
pod optužbama da je bacao kamenje.
00:57
He was beatenпретучен up when he refusedodbio je
to confessPriznaj that he threwбацила stonesкамење,
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Prebili su ga kada je odbio to da prizna,
01:01
and as a resultрезултат, had internalинтерни injuriesповреде
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i za posledicu je imao unutrašnje povrede
01:04
that causedизазвана his deathсмрт soonускоро after
he was releasedобјављен from prisonзатвор.
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koje su izazvale njegovu smrt
ubrzo nakon izlaska iz zatvora.
01:08
I was angryљут, I was bitterгорко,
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Bio sam ljut i ogorčen
01:12
and all I wanted was revengeосвета.
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i samo sam želeo osvetu.
01:16
But that changedпромењено when I was 18.
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Ali to se promenilo
kada sam napunio 18 godina.
01:18
I decidedодлучио that I neededпотребно
Hebrewhebrejski to get a jobпосао,
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Odlučio sam da mi je hebrejski potreban
kako bih našao posao,
01:22
and going to studyстудија Hebrewhebrejski
in that classroomучионица
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i kada sam krenuo u učionici
da učim hebrejski,
01:24
was the first time I ever metиспуњен JewsJevreji
who were not soldiersвојници.
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tada sam prvi put sreo Jevreje
koji nisu bili vojnici.
01:30
And we connectedповезан over really smallмали things,
like the factчињеница that I love countryземљу musicмузика,
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Povezali smo se preko vema malih stvari,
poput toga da volim kantri muziku,
01:34
whichкоја is really strangeчудан
for PalestiniansPalestinci.
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što je za Palestince veoma čudna stvar.
01:38
But it was then that I realizedреализован alsoтакође
that we have a wallзид of angerбес,
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Ali tada sam i shvatio
da svi imamo zid besa,
01:43
of hatredмржња and of ignoranceнезнање
that separatesrazdvaja us.
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mržnje i neznanja
koji nas razdvaja.
01:48
I decidedодлучио that it doesn't matterматерија
what happensсе дешава to me.
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Odlučio sam da nije bitno
šta mi se desi.
01:53
What really mattersпитања is how I dealдоговор with it.
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Bitno je zapravo kako se ja
prema tome odnosim.
01:56
And thereforeстога, I decidedодлучио
to dedicateпосветити my life
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Stoga sam odlučio da svoj život posvetim
01:59
to bringingдоносећи down the wallsзидови
that separateзасебан people.
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rušenju zidova koji razdvajaju ljude.
02:03
I do so throughкроз manyмноги waysначини.
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Ovo radim na mnogo načina.
02:05
TourismTurizam is one of them,
but alsoтакође mediaмедији and educationобразовање,
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Turizam je jedan od njih,
ali tu su i mediji i obrazovanje,
02:08
and you mightМожда be wonderingпитајући се,
really, can tourismтуризам changeпромена things?
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i možda se pitate, da li turizam
zaista može da promeni stvari?
02:12
Can it bringдовести down wallsзидови? Yes.
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Može li da sruši zidove? Da.
02:14
TourismTurizam is the bestнајбоље sustainableодржив way
to bringдовести down those wallsзидови
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Turizam je najbolji održiv način
za rušenje tih zidova
02:19
and to createстворити a sustainableодржив way
of connectingповезивање with eachсваки other
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i stvaranje održivog načina
za međusobno povezivanje
02:23
and creatingстварање friendshipsprijateljstva.
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i stvaranje prijateljstava.
02:26
In 2009, I cofoundedsuosnivač MejdiMejdi ToursTure,
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2009. sam osnovao Meždi Turs,
02:29
a socialсоцијално enterpriseEnterprise that
aimsciljevi to connectцоннецт people,
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društvni poduhvat koji za cilj ima
povezivanje ljudi,
02:33
with two JewishJevrejski friendsпријатељи, by the way,
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a to sam uradio
sa dva prijatelja Jevreja.
02:35
and what we'llдобро do, the modelмодел we did,
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Model koji smo napravili,
02:38
for exampleпример, in JerusalemJerusalem,
we would have two tourтурнеја guidesvodiči,
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na primer u Jerusalimu,
imao bi dva vodiča,
02:41
one IsraeliIzraelski and one PalestinianPalestinski,
guidingвођење the tripsпутовања togetherзаједно,
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jednog Izraelca i jednog Palestinca
koji zajedno vode ture
02:44
tellingговорећи historyисторија and narrativeнаратив
and archaeologyArheologija and conflictконфликт
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i iznose istoriju i priče
i arheologiju i konflikt
02:48
from totallyтотално differentразличит perspectivesperspektiva.
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iz potpuno različitih perspektiva.
02:51
I rememberзапамтити runningтрчање a tripпутовање togetherзаједно
with a friendпријатељ namedназван KobiKobi --
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Sećam se da sam zajedno vodio turu
sa prijateljem Kobijem -
02:54
JewishJevrejski congregationkongregacije from ChicagoChicago,
the tripпутовање was in JerusalemJerusalem --
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skupina Jevreja iz Čikaga,
tura je bira u Jerusalimu --
02:57
and we tookузела them to a refugeeизбеглица campкамп,
a PalestinianPalestinski refugeeизбеглица campкамп,
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i poveli smo ih do izbegličkog kampa,
kampa za Palestince,
03:00
and there we had this amazingНевероватно foodхрана.
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i tu smo jeli neverovatnu hranu.
03:02
By the way, this is my motherмајка. She's coolхладан.
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Usput, ovo je moja majka.
Ona je kul.
03:05
And that's the PalestinianPalestinski
foodхрана calledпозвани maqlubamaqluba.
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A ovo je palestinska hrana, maklube.
03:08
It meansзначи "upside-downnaopako."
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To znači "naopačke".
03:09
You cookкувати it with riceпиринач and chickenпилетина,
and you flipфлип it upside-downnaopako.
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Kuva se sa pirinčem i piletinom
i okrene se naopačke.
03:12
It's the bestнајбоље mealоброк ever.
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To je najbolji obrok na svetu.
03:14
And we'llдобро eatјести togetherзаједно.
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Svi smo jeli zajedno.
Tada smo napravili zajednički bend,
sa izraelskim i palestinskim muzičarima
03:15
Then we had a jointзаједнички bandбанд,
IsraeliIzraelski and PalestinianPalestinski musiciansмузичари,
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03:18
and we did some belly-dancingplesa.
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i plesali smo trbušni ples.
03:20
If you don't know any,
I'll teachнаучити you laterкасније.
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Ako ne znate nijedan,
pokazaću vam posle.
03:23
But when we left, bothи једно и друго sidesстране,
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Ali kada smo otišli,
sa obe strane je bilo plakanja
03:26
they were cryingplakanje because
they did not want to leaveодлази.
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jer niko nije želeo da ide.
03:29
ThreeTri yearsгодине laterкасније, those
relationshipsвезе still existпостоје.
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Nakon tri godine,
te veze još uvek postoje.
03:33
ImagineZamislite with me
if the one billionмилијарде people
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Zamislite sa mnom
kada bi milijarda ljudi
03:35
who travelпутовање internationallyна међународном нивоу
everyсваки yearгодине travelпутовање like this,
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koji putuju van svojih zemalja
svake godine putovalo ovako,
03:39
not beingбиће takenузети in the busаутобус
from one sideстрана to anotherдруги,
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a ne u autobusu od jedne do druge strane,
03:42
from one hotelХотел to anotherдруги,
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od jednog do drugog hotela,
03:45
takingузимајући picturesслике from the windowsвиндовс
of theirњихова busesаутобуси of people and culturesкултура,
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slikajući iza prozora
svojih autobusa, ljudi i kultura,
03:48
but actuallyзаправо connectingповезивање with people.
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već se zapravo povezujući sa ljudima?
03:52
You know, I rememberзапамтити havingимати
a MuslimMuslimanska groupгрупа from the U.K.
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Znate, sećam se grupe muslimana
iz Ujedinjenog kraljevstva,
03:56
going to the houseкућа
of an OrthodoxPravoslavni JewishJevrejski familyпородица,
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išli su do kuće jedne
pravoslavne jevrejske porodice,
03:58
and havingимати theirњихова first FridayU petak night
dinnersvečere, that SabbathSabat dinnerвечера,
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i prvi petak uveče su proveli
na večeri za sabat
04:03
and eatingјести togetherзаједно haminHamin,
whichкоја is a JewishJevrejski foodхрана, a stewpaprikaš,
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i zajedno su jeli hamin,
jevrejsku vrstu čorbe,
04:06
just havingимати the connectionвеза
of realizingреализинг, after a while,
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prosto su se povezivali
nakon što su shvatili
04:09
that a hundredсто yearsгодине agoпре,
theirњихова familiesпородице cameДошао out
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da su pre sto godina
njihove porodice potekle
04:12
of the sameисти placeместо in NorthernSeverni AfricaAfrika.
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iz istog mesta u Severnoj Africi.
04:15
This is not a photoфотографија profileprofil
for your FacebookFacebook.
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Ovo nije profilna slika za vaš Fejsbuk.
04:18
This is not disasterкатастрофа tourismтуризам.
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Ovo nije turizam propasti.
04:20
This is the futureбудућност of travelпутовање,
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Ovo je budućnost putovanja
04:23
and I inviteпозовите you to joinпридружити me to do that,
to changeпромена your travelпутовање.
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i pozivam vas da uradite upravo to,
da promenite način putovanja.
04:26
We're doing it all over the worldсвет now,
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To radimo sada širom sveta,
04:28
from IrelandIrska to IranIran to TurkeyTurska,
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od Irske, preko Irana, do Turske
04:30
and we see ourselvesсами going
everywhereсвуда to changeпромена the worldсвет.
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i vidimo sebe kako idemo svuda
kako bismo promenili svet.
04:33
Thank you.
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Hvala vam.
04:34
(ApplauseAplauz)
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(Aplauz)
Translated by Mile Živković
Reviewed by Anja Saric

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Aziz Abu Sarah - Entrepreneur + educator
Aziz Abu Sarah helps people break down cultural and historical barriers through tourism.

Why you should listen

When Aziz Abu Sarah was a boy, his older brother was arrested on charges of throwing stones. He was taken to prison and beaten — and died of his injuries. Sarah grew up angry, bitter and wanting revenge. But when later in life he met, for the first time, Jews who were not soldiers, Sarah had an epiphany: Not only did they share his love of small things, namely country music, but coming face to face with the “enemy” compelled him to find ways to overcome hatred, anger and fear.

Sarah founded MEJDI Tours to send tourists to Jerusalem with two guides, one Jewish and one Palestinian, each offering a different history and narrative of the city. Sarah tells success stories of tourists from the US visiting a Palestinian refugee camp and listening to joint Arab and Jewish bands play music, and of a Muslim family from the UK sharing Sabbath dinner with a Jewish family and realizing that 100 years ago, their people came from the same town in Northern Africa. MEJDI is expanding its service to Iran, Turkey, Ireland and other regions suffering from cultural conflict. If more of the world’s 1 billion tourists were to engage with real people living real lives, argues Sarah, it would be a powerful force for shattering sterotypes and promoting understanding, friendship and peace.

More profile about the speaker
Aziz Abu Sarah | Speaker | TED.com