I'm a writer-director who tells social-change stories, because I believe stories touch and move us. Stories humanize and teach us to empathize. Stories change us.
我是一名作家兼導演, 我講有關社會變遷的故事, 因為我相信故事能 觸及內心並感動我們, 故事賦予我們人性, 並教會我們同理心, 故事能改變我們。
When I write and direct plays, I'm amplifying voices of disadvantaged groups, I'm fighting the self-censorship that has kept many Ugandan artists away from social, political theater since the persecution of artists by former Ugandan president, Idi Amin. And most importantly, I am breaking the silence and provoking meaningful conversations on taboo issues, where often "Silence is golden" is the rule of thumb. Conversations are important because they inform and challenge our minds to think, and change starts with thinking.
當我寫作和執導時, 我替弱勢族群發聲, 我對抗自我審查, 自我審查讓很多烏干達的藝術家們 遠離社會和政治的舞台── 自從前總統伊迪・阿敏 開始迫害藝術家後。 最重要的是我打破沉默, 在禁忌話題上開啟有意義的對話; 「沈默是金」通常是 這些話題的經驗法則。 對話很重要, 因為它能提供資訊 及挑戰我們的心靈去思考, 而改變始於思考。
One of my struggles with activism is its often one-sided nature that blinds us to alternative view, that numbs our empathy, that makes us view those who see issues differently as ignorant, self-hating, brainwashed, sellout or plain stupid. I believe no one is ignorant. We are all experts, only in different fields. And this is why, for me, the saying "stay in your truth" is misleading. Because if you're staying in your truth, isn't it logical that the person you believe is wrong is also staying in their truth? So, what you have is two extremes that shut out all possible avenues of conversations. I create provocative theater and film to touch, humanize and move disagreeing parties to the conversation table to bridge misunderstandings. I know that listening to one another will not magically solve all problems. But it will give a chance to create avenues to start to work together to solve many of humanity's problems.
行動主義讓我糾結的一點 是它通常是片面的, 使我們看不見反面的觀點, 使我們的同理心變得麻木, 使我們視不同觀點的人為 無知、自怨自艾、被洗腦、 容易妥協或愚蠢的。 我相信沒有人是無知的, 我們都是專家,只是領域不同而已。 這也是為何我認為 「堅持你的真理」這句話會誤導人, 因為如果你堅持你的真理, 那個你認為不對的人 不也是在堅持他的真理嗎? 如此一來就會出現兩個極端, 將所有可能的溝通途徑統統堵死。 我創造發人深思的戲劇和影片, 去觸動和賦予人性, 並使意見不同的各方坐下來對話, 以消除彼此之間的誤解。 我知道只靠聆聽 無法神奇地解決所有問題, 但它可以提供這樣的機會, 讓人們開始互相合作, 解決許多人類的問題。
With my first play, "Silent Voices," based on interviews with victims of the Northern Uganda war between the government and Joseph Kony's LRA rebel group, I brought together victims, political leaders, religious leaders, cultural leaders, the Amnesty Commission and transitional justice leadership for critical conversations on issues of justice for war crime victims -- the first of its kind in the history of Uganda. And so many powerful things happened, that I can't even cover them all right now. Victims were given the opportunity to sit at the table with Amnesty Commission leadership, and they expressed the big injustice they suffered when the Commission ignored them and instead facilitated the resettlement of the war perpetrators. And the Amnesty Commission acknowledged the victims' pain and explained the thinking behind their flawed approaches.
我的第一部齣戲《沈默的聲音》 是根據訪談烏干達北部的 戰爭受害者而作, 這是場政府和約瑟夫.柯尼 所領導的聖主抵抗軍間的戰爭。 我將受害者、政治領袖、宗教領袖、 文化領袖、特赦組織 及過渡司法領導人聚集在一起, 就戰爭罪、受害者的正義問題 展開關鍵的對話── 這是烏干達史上的第一次。 許多有影響力的事情發生了, 我現在無法全部說明; 受難者有機會 與特赦組織的領導階層坐在一起, 表達他們所遭受的巨大不公── 當時特赦組織忽視戰爭受難者, 反而將戰爭肇事者重新安置。 特赦組織承認受難者的痛苦, 並解釋當時實施那有缺陷 的措施背後的邏輯。
But one of the things that has stayed with me is when, during my Northern Uganda tour of the play, a man approached me and introduced himself as a former rebel soldier of Joseph Kony. He told me that he didn't want me to leave feeling disappointed, due to some of what I considered inappropriate laughter. He explained that his was a laughter of embarrassment and a recognition of his own embarrassment. He saw himself in the actors onstage and saw the meaninglessness of his past actions. So I say: share your truths. Listen to one another's truths. You will discover a more powerfully uniting truth in the middle ground.
但其中讓我難忘的一件事是 在北烏干達巡迴演出時, 有個男士走向我,並開始自我介紹。 他是前叛軍約瑟夫.柯尼麾下的士兵, 他告訴我他不想讓我 帶著失望的心情離開, 因為演出時有些 我認為不適當的笑聲, 他解釋他發笑乃是出於尷尬, 是承認他自己尷尬的笑聲。 他在台上的演員中看見了自己, 並看到自己過去的行為毫無意義。 所以我說:「講述你的真相, 聆聽別人的真相, 你會在其中找到 更有力的、和睦的真相。」
When I lived in the USA, many of my American friends would be shocked at my ignorance at fancy Western dishes like lasagna, for instance.
我生活在美國的時候, 很多美國朋友對我的無知感到驚訝, 因為我不懂華麗的西式餐點, 例如千層麵。
(Laughter)
(笑聲)
And my question to them would be, "Well, do you know malakwang?" And then I would tell them about malakwang, a fancy vegetable dish from my culture. And they would tell me about lasagna. And we would leave richer and fuller individuals. Therefore, share your recipe truth. It makes for a better meal.
而我則會問他們: 「嗯,那你知道 malakwang 嗎?」 接著我會告訴他們, malakwang 是我們文化中 一道精緻的蔬食料理。 他們則告訴我千層麵是什麼, 這樣子我們都會變成更豐富的人。 因此,分享你的食譜真相吧, 那會使膳食更好!
Thank you.
謝謝。
(Applause)
(鼓掌)