TED2010
Omar Ahmad: Political change with pen and paper
Omar Ahmad: 纸和笔推动政治进程
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政治家Omar Ahmad指出：政客是奇怪的生物。促使他们关注你的议题最好的方法就是坚持写一个月的亲笔信。Ahmad展示了为什么传统书信要比电邮、电话、甚至是支票还有有效──并且分享了撰写一封有用的书信的四个步骤。
Omar Ahmad - Technologist, city councilman
An internet infrastructure maven and activist, Omar Ahmad was the mayor of San Carlos, California. Full bio
An internet infrastructure maven and activist, Omar Ahmad was the mayor of San Carlos, California. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:15
One of the things that
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有一件事
00:17
defines a TEDster
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定义了TED的参与者
00:19
is you've taken your passion,
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那就是你充满激情
00:21
and you've turned it into stewardship.
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并且你有条不紊地进行管理
00:23
You actually put action to the issues you care about.
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你确实对你关心的问题付出很多
00:26
But what you're going to find eventually is
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但你会发现
00:28
you may need to actually get elected officials
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你需要选举委员会
00:30
to help you out.
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让你的议题脱颖而出
00:32
So, how do you do that?
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那么你如何做到呢？
00:34
One of the things I should probably tell you is,
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我可以告诉你一件事
00:36
I worked for the Discovery Channel early in my career,
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我曾在探索发现频道工作过一段时间
00:39
and that sort of warped my framework.
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那段经历扭转了我的思维框架
00:41
So, when you start to think about politicians,
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所以当你一想到政客
00:44
you've got to realize these are strange creatures.
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你必须意识到他们是奇怪的生物
00:47
Other than the fact that they can't tell directions,
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而不仅仅是他们没有方向感
00:49
and they have very strange breeding habits,
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而且他们的觅食习性很奇怪
00:52
how do you actually work with these things? (Laughter)
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究竟你该如何和他们相处。
00:56
What we need to understand is:
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我们需要知道的是：
00:58
What drives the political creature?
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是什么驱动着政治的生物
01:00
And there are two things that are primary in a politician's heart:
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在政客心中有两个基本的信条
01:03
One is reputation and influence.
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第一条声望和影响
01:05
These are the primary tools by which
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这些是最主要的工具
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a politician can do his job.
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被政客用来做他的工作
01:09
The second one -- unlike most animals,
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第二条，不象其他动物，
01:11
which is survival of the species --
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大都是种群的幸存者
01:13
this is preservation of self.
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这是自我保护
01:15
Now you may think it's money,
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也许你现在觉得金钱是关键
01:17
but that's actually sort of a proxy
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但那其实只是一个代理
01:19
to what I can do to preserve myself.
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诱惑我自己去做
01:22
Now, the challenge with you moving your issue forward
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现在，是向前推动这个问题的时候了
01:25
is these animals are getting broadcast to all the time.
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这些动物整天被报道
01:29
So, what doesn't work, in terms of getting your issue to be important?
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到底什么是没用的，而哪些方法又能使你的问题得到重视
01:32
You can send them an email.
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你可以向他们发电子邮件
01:34
Well, unfortunately, I've got so many
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然而，非常不幸，我总是收到太多
01:36
Viagra ads coming at me,
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伟哥广告
01:38
your email is lost.
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你的电子邮件丢失了
01:40
It doesn't matter, it's spam.
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没关系，当作垃圾邮件
01:42
How about you get on the phone?
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那么打电话行么
01:44
Well, chances are I've got a droid who's picking up the phone,
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好吧，往往都是面对一个机器人说话
01:46
"Yes, they called, and they said they didn't like it."
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是的，他们回电话了，可他们说不喜欢这个想法
01:48
That doesn't move.
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打电话行不通
01:50
Face to face would work,
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面对面也许有用
01:52
but it's hard to set it up.
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但这实在太难安排了
01:54
It's hard to get the context and actually get the communication to work.
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往往很难得到有效的回应和沟通
01:57
Yes, contributions actually do make a difference
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是的，捐款的确可以得到回报
02:00
and they set a context for having a conversation,
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并且是很好的讨论话题，
02:02
but it takes some time to build up.
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但这仍需一些时日的积累。
02:04
So what actually works?
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那么到底什么最有效呢
02:06
And the answer is rather strange.
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答案也许相当匪夷所思
02:08
It's a letter.
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这就是写信
02:10
We live in a digital world,
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我们生活在一个数码时代
02:12
but we're fairly analog creatures.
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但我们依然是很模式化的生物
02:14
Letters actually work.
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信件仍然很有用
02:16
Even the top dog himself
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即使我们总统本人
02:18
takes time every day to read 10 letters
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也会每天阅读十封信
02:20
that are picked out by staff.
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由工作人员帮忙选出来
02:22
I can tell you that every official that I've ever worked with
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我可以告诉大家在我工作过的每一个行政机关
02:25
will tell you about the letters they get
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都会告诉你他们收到过的信
02:27
and what they mean.
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和他们的意义
02:29
So, how are you going to write your letter?
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所以你为什么不写封信呢
02:31
First of all, you're going to pick up an analog device: a pen.
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首先，你要找一个传统的设备──钢笔
02:36
I know these are tough, and you may have a hard time
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我知道你会经历一段困难时期
02:38
getting your hand bent around it, (Laughter)
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去适应如何正确握笔
02:40
but this is actually critical.
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但这真的是非常重要的
02:42
And it is critical that
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最重要的是
02:44
you actually handwrite your letter.
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你要亲笔写这封信
02:46
It is so novel to see this,
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这简直太少见了
02:48
that somebody actually picked up an analog device
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有人竟然拿起这个古老工具
02:50
and has written to me.
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写信给我
02:52
Second of all, I'm going to recommend that
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其次，我将给你们推荐
02:54
you get into a proactive stance
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如何使用一种积极的姿态
02:56
and write to your elected officials at least once a month.
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每月至少给机关负责人写一封信
02:58
Here's my promise to you:
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在这儿我向你保证
03:00
If you are consistent and do this,
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如果你坚持这么做
03:02
within three months the elected official will start calling you
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不到三个月相关单位会开始给你打电话
03:04
when that issue comes up and say, "What do you think?"
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一旦有关问题发生的时候，会问你，“您是怎么看这个问题的”
03:07
Now, I'm going to give you
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现在，我将建议你采用以下格式写信
03:09
a four paragraph format to work with.
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使用四段落结构
03:12
Now, when you approach these animals,
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当你接近这些动物的时候
03:15
you need to understand there's a dangerous end to them,
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你需要知道接近他们的危险性
03:18
and you also need to approach them
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你又必须接近他们
03:20
with some level of respect and a little bit of wariness.
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带一定的尊敬和一点点的谨慎
03:23
So in paragraph number one,
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所以在第一段
03:25
what I'm going to tell you to do is very simply this:
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我给你的建议非常简单
03:28
You appreciate them.
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奉承他们
03:30
You may not appreciate the person, you may not appreciate anything else,
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你也许并不欣赏对方个人，你也不喜欢他们任何其他东西
03:32
but maybe you appreciate the fact that they've got a tough gig.
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但你可以恭维他们有一份苦差事
03:34
When animals are going to make a point, they make the point.
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当动物想要得到什么，他们就去得到它
03:36
They don't spend a lot of time dicking around.
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他们不会花时间来回徘徊
03:38
So, here you go. (Laughter)
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所以你的机会来了
03:40
Paragraph number two:
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第二段
03:42
You may actually have to just get very blunt
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实际上你可以单刀直入
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and say what's really on your mind.
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表明你心中的立场
03:47
When you do this,
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当你这么做的时候
03:49
don't attack people;
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不要攻击任何人
03:51
you attack tactics.
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要对事不对人
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Ad hominem attacks will get you nowhere.
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人身攻击会让你失去回旋余地
03:55
Paragraph number three:
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第三段
03:57
When animals are attacked or cornered,
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当动物受到攻击或威胁时
03:59
they will fight to the death,
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他们会誓死反抗
04:01
so you have to give them an exit.
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所以你要给他们一个出口
04:03
Most of the time, if they have an exit strategy, they should take it.
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大部分时间，如果他们发现了一条退路，他们会选择全身而退
04:06
"Obviously, you're intelligent.
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显然你很高明
04:08
If you had the right information,
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一旦你拥有正确的情报
04:10
you would have done the right thing." (Laughter)
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你将做出正确的决定
04:12
Lastly, you want to be the nurturing agent.
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然后你想成为培训专家
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You're the safe place to come in to.
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你成为了可以投靠的安全地带
04:18
So, in paragraph number four,
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所以在第四段
04:20
you're going to tell people,
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你将告诉人们
04:22
"If no one is providing you with this information, let me help." (Laughter)
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”如果没人向你们提供这些信息，我来帮你“
04:26
Animals do displays. They do two things:
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动物很喜欢炫耀，他们只干两件事
04:28
They warn you or they try to attract you
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警告你或者试图攻击你
04:30
and say, "We need to mate."
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然后说：“求合体”
04:34
You're going to do that by the way you sign your letter.
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你将通过签署这封信署名的时候告诉他们
04:36
You do a number of things: you're a vice president,
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你做过的一些项目，你是一个副主管
04:38
you volunteer, you do something else.
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你是志愿者，你做过的一些其他事
04:40
Why is is this important?
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为什么这很重要
04:42
Because this establishes the two
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因为这表明了两点
04:44
primary criteria for the political creature:
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政治动物最主要的评判标准
04:46
that you have influence in a large sphere,
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那就是你有大的影响力
04:49
and that my preservation depends on you.
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还有我的政绩要依靠你
04:52
Here is one very quick hack,
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这里有你个很有用的小技巧
04:54
especially for the feds in the audience.
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特别对于台下TED的听众
04:56
Here's how you mail your letter.
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你应该这样寄你的亲笔信
04:58
First of all, you send the original to the district office.
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首先，你把原件寄到本地邮局
05:01
So, you send the copy to the main office.
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然后你再寄一份附件到邮政总局
05:04
If they follow protocol, they'll pick up the phone and say, "Hey, do you have the original?"
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如果你这么做，他们将打电话问：“你是否有原件？”
05:07
Then some droid in the back puts the name on a tickler
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那样一些工作人员会在信贴上一些标签
05:09
and says, "Oh, this is an important letter."
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写到”哦，这是封重要的信件“
05:12
And you actually get into the folder
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你的信就这样进入了正式的文件夹
05:14
that the elected official actually has to read.
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然后有关领导必须仔细读这封信了
05:17
So, what your letter means:
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那么你的信意味着什么呢
05:19
I've got to tell you, we are all in a party,
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我必须告诉你，我们都在一个派对中
05:22
and political officials are the pinatas.
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而政客是彩罐
05:24
(Laughter)
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（观众笑声）
05:29
We are harangued, lectured to,
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我们听他们长篇大论
05:31
sold, marketed,
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被买卖，被推销
05:33
but a letter is actually one of the few times
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但是书信是少数几次
05:35
that we have honest communication.
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可以真诚交流的机会
05:37
I got this letter when I was first elected,
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我第一次被选为人大代表是时，我收到了这封信
05:39
and I still carry it to
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我一直带着它
05:41
every council meeting I go to.
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参加每一场咨询会
05:43
This is an opportunity at real dialogue,
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这是一次真实对话的机会
05:46
and if you have stewardship
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而如果你有这个台阶
05:48
and want to communicate,
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并想要沟通
05:50
that dialogue is incredibly powerful.
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那这个对话将非常重要
05:52
So when you do that, here's what I can promise:
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所以一旦你这么去做了，我保证
05:55
You're going to be the 800 pound gorilla in the forest.
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你将会成为丛林中的大猩猩
05:57
Get writing.
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拿起笔来。
05:59
(Applause)
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（观众掌声）
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Omar Ahmad - Technologist, city councilmanAn internet infrastructure maven and activist, Omar Ahmad was the mayor of San Carlos, California.
Why you should listen
Omar Ahmad was the co-founder and CEO of SynCH Energy Corporation, a renewable energy startup. Prior to founding SynCH Energy, Ahmad founded TrustedID and Logictier and served in key leadership positions for such companies as Grand Central Communications, Napster, Netscape, @Home Network and Discovery Channel Online.
Ahmad was the mayor of the City of San Carlos, after serving for many years on the City Council of this Silicon Valley town. His policy focus centered on budget reform and fiscal sustainability.
Omar Ahmad | Speaker | TED.com