ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Adong Judith - Playwright, filmmaker
Adong Judith uses art as a vehicle to drive social change and trains aspiring makers to create art that dares to ask serious questions.

Why you should listen

Founder and artistic director of Silent Voices Uganda, a nonprofit performing arts company, Adong Judith creates art that provokes meaningful conversation on issues often considered taboo.

Notable among her training programs is the annual Summer Theater Directors Apprenticeship, a two-tier program that combines production and training of ten aspiring theater directors. Originally only for Ugandans, Judith has opened the 2018 and future apprenticeships to aspiring theater directors across the African continent, who she believes share the same challenges in practicum gaps.

In 2018, Judith will be in residence at Illinois State University, where she will direct her 2016 social media buzz-stirring play, Ga-AD!, which explores spirituality and the place of women in Pentecostal churches. Her first social change play, Silent Voices, which she wrote after accidentally encountering the inescapable stories of war crime victims in her hometown of Gulu, developed at Sundance Institute’s Theater Lab, received its world premiere in 2012 at the National Theater of Uganda and was described by the Ugandan media as "the spiritual rebirth of theater since its decline due to political persecution of artists by the Idi Amin regime."

Adong’s plays are taught at Ivy League Universities including Dartmouth College and Princeton University, and she recently signed a contract with Methuen Publishers UK to publish Silent Voices in an anthology of Contemporary African Women Playwrights.

More profile about the speaker
Adong Judith | Speaker | TED.com
TEDGlobal 2017

Adong Judith: How I use art to bridge misunderstanding

阿东·朱迪思: 我如何用艺术来弥合误解

Filmed:
1,006,269 views

导演兼编剧阿东·朱迪思创作富有争议的作品,激发讨论,涉及从跨性别者到战争罪行等诸多话题。在这个简短有力的演讲中,她谈及她的戏剧“沉默的声音”,以此将乌干达北部战争的受害者和各界领袖召集到一起创建交流平台。“倾听其他人的想法并不一定能解决所有问题”,朱迪思说。“但它能创建一个渠道,让大家开始一起为解决诸多人性的问题而共同努力。”
- Playwright, filmmaker
Adong Judith uses art as a vehicle to drive social change and trains aspiring makers to create art that dares to ask serious questions. Full bio

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

00:12
I'm a writer-director作家-主任
who tells告诉 social-change社会变化 stories故事,
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我是一个编剧兼导演
写一些社会变革的故事,
因为我相信故事能够
打动并驱动我们。
00:16
because I believe stories故事
touch触摸 and move移动 us.
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故事使我们得到人性
并教会我们同理心。
00:20
Stories故事 humanize赋予人性
and teach us to empathize同情.
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故事可以改变我们。
00:23
Stories故事 change更改 us.
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00:26
When I write and direct直接 plays播放,
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当我编导剧本时,
我会为弱势群体发声,
00:28
I'm amplifying放大 voices声音
of disadvantaged劣势 groups,
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我与自我审查制度抗争
00:31
I'm fighting战斗 the self-censorship自我审查
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从前乌干达总统阿明
迫害艺术家开始,
00:33
that has kept不停 many许多 Ugandan乌干达 artists艺术家
away from social社会, political政治 theater剧院
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自我审查制度让许多乌干达艺术家
无法涉及社会和政治话题。
00:38
since以来 the persecution迫害 of artists艺术家
by former前任的 Ugandan乌干达 president主席, Idi伊迪 Amin阿明.
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最重要的是,我正在打破沉默
00:44
And most importantly重要的,
I am breaking破坏 the silence安静
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并且在一些禁忌话题上
激发有意义的交流对话,
00:48
and provoking发人深省 meaningful富有意义的
conversations对话 on taboo忌讳 issues问题,
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通常经验上这些领域
奉行着“沉默是金”的原则。
00:52
where often经常 "Silence安静 is golden金色"
is the rule规则 of thumb拇指.
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沟通十分重要
00:57
Conversations对话 are important重要
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因为交流会提供资讯
并激发我们去思考,
00:59
because they inform通知
and challenge挑战 our minds头脑 to think,
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而改变始于思考。
01:03
and change更改 starts启动 with thinking思维.
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01:06
One of my struggles斗争 with activism行动
is its often经常 one-sided片面 nature性质
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我另一个反对的是
激进主义的片面思维,
它遮蔽了我们看问题的不同角度,
01:11
that blinds百叶窗 us to alternative替代 view视图,
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从而麻木了我们的同理心。
01:14
that numbs麻木 our empathy同情,
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并使我们将那些持不同看法的人
01:16
that makes品牌 us view视图 those
who see issues问题 differently不同
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视作无知,自怨自艾,被洗脑,
背叛或者纯粹的愚蠢。
01:19
as ignorant愚昧, self-hating自我憎恨, brainwashed洗脑,
sellout卖完 or plain stupid.
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我相信没有人是愚昧的。
01:26
I believe no one is ignorant愚昧.
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01:29
We are all experts专家,
only in different不同 fields领域.
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在各自不同的领域,
每个人都是专家。
01:34
And this is why, for me, the saying
"stay in your truth真相" is misleading误导.
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这就是为何,对我而言,
“坚守你的真理”的说法是一种误导。
01:40
Because if you're staying in your truth真相,
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因为如果你坚守你所谓的真理,
那按同样的逻辑,
你认为错误的那个人
01:42
isn't it logical合乎逻辑 that the person
you believe is wrong错误
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岂非也在坚守他们的真理呢?
01:45
is also staying in their truth真相?
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所以,两个极端的观点
01:48
So, what you have is two extremes极端
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01:51
that shut关闭 out all possible可能
avenues渠道 of conversations对话.
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会关闭所有沟通的渠道。
我创作有启发意义的舞台剧和电影
来打动和感化人们,
01:56
I create创建 provocative挑衅 theater剧院 and film电影
to touch触摸, humanize赋予人性
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02:01
and move移动 disagreeing不同意 parties派对
to the conversation会话 table
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让不同见解的各方获得沟通的平台
来消除各自的误解。
02:06
to bridge misunderstandings误解.
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02:09
I know that listening to one another另一个
will not magically神奇 solve解决 all problems问题.
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我知道靠倾听无法
神奇地解决所有问题。
但可以给我们机会创建渠道,
02:15
But it will give a chance机会
to create创建 avenues渠道
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为解决诸多人道问题来共同努力。
02:17
to start开始 to work together一起 to solve解决
many许多 of humanity's人类的 problems问题.
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02:22
With my first play, "Silent无声 Voices声音,"
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我的第一部戏剧,“沉默的声音”
素材来自于乌干达
北部战争受害者的采访,
02:25
based基于 on interviews面试 with victims受害者
of the Northern北方 Uganda乌干达 war战争
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这是政府军和约瑟夫·科尼的
LRA反叛军之间的战争。
02:28
between之间 the government政府
and Joseph约瑟夫 Kony's科尼的 LRALra rebel反叛 group,
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02:32
I brought together一起 victims受害者,
political政治 leaders领导者, religious宗教 leaders领导者,
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我把战争受害者,
政治领袖,宗教领袖,
02:37
cultural文化 leaders领导者, the Amnesty大赦 Commission佣金
and transitional过渡 justice正义 leadership领导
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文化领袖,特赦委员会
和过渡政府领导人召集到一起
02:42
for critical危急 conversations对话 on issues问题
of justice正义 for war战争 crime犯罪 victims受害者 --
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严肃交流了一些紧要话题
为战争罪行的受害者诉求公道——
02:48
the first of its kind
in the history历史 of Uganda乌干达.
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这在乌干达的历史上是第一次。
02:51
And so many许多 powerful强大 things happened发生,
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之间发生了许多有影响力的事,
时间有限,我无法全部诉说。
02:54
that I can't even
cover them all right now.
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02:57
Victims受害者 were given特定 the opportunity机会
to sit at the table
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受害者有了这个机会
03:01
with Amnesty大赦 Commission佣金 leadership领导,
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和特赦委员会的领导人坐在一起,
03:03
and they expressed表达
the big injustice不公正 they suffered遭遇
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表达他们所经受的
巨大的不公正待遇,
当时特赦委员会忽视了他们
03:07
when the Commission佣金 ignored忽视 them
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03:09
and instead代替 facilitated促进 the resettlement安置
of the war战争 perpetrators肇事者.
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反而帮助战争肇事者重建家园。
特赦委员会承认了受害者的痛苦
03:15
And the Amnesty大赦 Commission佣金
acknowledged承认 the victims'受害者 pain疼痛
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03:19
and explained解释 the thinking思维
behind背后 their flawed有缺陷 approaches方法.
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并解释了那有缺陷的措施
背后的想法。
03:24
But one of the things
that has stayed with me
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我还记得其中有一件事,
03:26
is when, during my Northern北方 Uganda乌干达
tour游览 of the play,
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当我的戏剧在乌干达北部巡演时,
03:30
a man approached接近 me and introduced介绍 himself他自己
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有一个男人找到我,自称
是一个前反叛军的士兵。
03:33
as a former前任的 rebel反叛 solder焊接 of Joseph约瑟夫 Kony科尼.
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他告诉我,他不想让我带着失望离开,
03:37
He told me that he didn't want me to leave离开
feeling感觉 disappointed失望,
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因为当时我听到一些不恰当的笑声。
03:41
due应有 to some of what I considered考虑
inappropriate不当 laughter笑声.
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他解释说那是尴尬的笑声
03:45
He explained解释 that his
was a laughter笑声 of embarrassment困窘
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03:50
and a recognition承认
of his own拥有 embarrassment困窘.
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并且意识到了自己的困窘。
03:53
He saw himself他自己 in the actors演员 onstage在舞台上
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他在舞台上看到了自己,
03:57
and saw the meaninglessness无意义
of his past过去 actions行动.
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并且看到了自己曾经的行为
毫无意义。
04:02
So I say: share分享 your truths真理.
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于是我说:分享你自己的真理。
04:05
Listen to one another's他人的 truths真理.
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也倾听其它人的真理。
你将会在中间地带
04:08
You will discover发现
a more powerfully有力 uniting团结 truth真相
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发现一个更有力的共识。
04:11
in the middle中间 ground地面.
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当我在美国生活的时候,
04:14
When I lived生活 in the USA美国,
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我的很多美国朋友
会吃惊于我对
04:16
many许多 of my American美国 friends朋友
would be shocked吃惊 at my ignorance无知
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高级的西餐的愚昧无知,
比如千层面。
04:19
at fancy幻想 Western西 dishes碗碟
like lasagna烤宽面条, for instance.
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(笑声)
04:23
(Laughter笑声)
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04:24
And my question to them would be,
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然后我就会问他们,
“那么,你听说过malakwang吗?”
04:27
"Well, do you know malakwangmalakwang?"
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然后我会告诉他们,
04:29
And then I would tell them
about malakwangmalakwang,
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04:32
a fancy幻想 vegetable蔬菜 dish from my culture文化.
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malakwang是我们文化中
的一道高级蔬菜料理。
他们会告诉我什么是千层面。
04:36
And they would tell me about lasagna烤宽面条.
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结果我们会变得更丰富和完满。
04:38
And we would leave离开
richer更丰富 and fuller富勒 individuals个人.
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所以,分享你的菜谱吧,
04:43
Therefore因此, share分享 your recipe食谱 truth真相.
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你会做出更好的菜肴。
04:47
It makes品牌 for a better meal膳食.
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谢谢你们!
04:49
Thank you.
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(掌声)
04:50
(Applause掌声)
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Translated by yong lu
Reviewed by Echo Sun

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Adong Judith - Playwright, filmmaker
Adong Judith uses art as a vehicle to drive social change and trains aspiring makers to create art that dares to ask serious questions.

Why you should listen

Founder and artistic director of Silent Voices Uganda, a nonprofit performing arts company, Adong Judith creates art that provokes meaningful conversation on issues often considered taboo.

Notable among her training programs is the annual Summer Theater Directors Apprenticeship, a two-tier program that combines production and training of ten aspiring theater directors. Originally only for Ugandans, Judith has opened the 2018 and future apprenticeships to aspiring theater directors across the African continent, who she believes share the same challenges in practicum gaps.

In 2018, Judith will be in residence at Illinois State University, where she will direct her 2016 social media buzz-stirring play, Ga-AD!, which explores spirituality and the place of women in Pentecostal churches. Her first social change play, Silent Voices, which she wrote after accidentally encountering the inescapable stories of war crime victims in her hometown of Gulu, developed at Sundance Institute’s Theater Lab, received its world premiere in 2012 at the National Theater of Uganda and was described by the Ugandan media as "the spiritual rebirth of theater since its decline due to political persecution of artists by the Idi Amin regime."

Adong’s plays are taught at Ivy League Universities including Dartmouth College and Princeton University, and she recently signed a contract with Methuen Publishers UK to publish Silent Voices in an anthology of Contemporary African Women Playwrights.

More profile about the speaker
Adong Judith | Speaker | TED.com