I've been in Afghanistan for 21 years. I work for the Red Cross and I'm a physical therapist. My job is to make arms and legs -- well it's not completely true. We do more than that. We provide the patients, the Afghan disabled, first with the physical rehabilitation then with the social reintegration. It's a very logical plan, but it was not always like this. For many years, we were just providing them with artificial limbs. It took quite many years for the program to become what it is now.
我在阿富汗21年了 为红十字会工作 我是一个理疗医师 我的工作就是制作义肢 -- 当然 不完全是这样 我们做的比这多得多 我们帮助病患 那些阿富汗的残疾人 先恢复肢体功能 然后重返社会 这非常符合逻辑 但事情并非一直如此 常年以来 我们给他们的 只是义肢而已 我们花了许多年 才让这个项目取得现在的成果
Today, I would like to tell you a story, the story of a big change, and the story of the people who made this change possible. I arrived in Afghanistan in 1990 to work in a hospital for war victims. And then, not only for war victims, but it was for any kind of patient. I was also working in the orthopedic center, we call it. This is the place where we make the legs. At that time I found myself in a strange situation. I felt not quite ready for that job. There was so much to learn. There were so many things new to me. But it was a terrific job. But as soon as the fighting intensified, the physical rehabilitation was suspended. There were many other things to do. So the orthopedic center was closed because physical rehabilitation was not considered a priority. It was a strange sensation. Anyway, you know every time I make this speech -- it's not the first time -- but it's an emotion. It's something that comes out from the past. It's 21 years, but they are still all there.
今天我想讲一个故事 关于一个巨大变化的故事 以及实现这变化的人 他们的故事 1990年 我到了阿富汗 为一家收治战争伤员的 医院工作 后来 医院不仅收治战争伤员 还收治其他各种病患 我同时也在 矫形中心工作 这里就是我们制作义肢的地方 当时 我发现 自己处于一种尴尬的境地 我不确定 自己是否适合这份工作 要学的东西太多了 我对太多事情不了解了 但这是一份很棒的工作 但是随着战事越来越激烈 肢体复健项目被搁置了 我们要忙许多其他的事情 于是矫形中心被关闭了 因为人们认为它不是 重中之重 这是种奇怪的感觉 每次我做这个演讲 这不是第一次了 但这是一种情感 从过去就开始了 21年了 这种感觉还在
Anyway, in 1992, the Mujahideen took all Afghanistan. And the orthopedic center was closed. I was assigned to work for the homeless, for the internally displaced people. But one day, something happened. I was coming back from a big food distribution in a mosque where tens and tens of people were squatting in terrible conditions. I wanted to go home. I was driving. You know, when you want to forget, you don't want to see things, so you just want to go to your room, to lock yourself inside and say, "That's enough." A bomb fell not far from my car -- well, far enough, but big noise. And everybody disappeared from the street. The cars disappeared as well. I ducked. And only one figure remained in the middle of the road. It was a man in a wheelchair desperately trying to move away.
1992年 圣战者组织占领了整个阿富汗 矫形中心被关闭了 我被分配去帮助无家可归的人 和因战争流离失所的人 但有一天 一件事情发生了 我从一个 大批发放食物的清真寺回来 那里收容的十几个人 身体状况都很糟糕 我当时正开着车 - 我想回家。 你知道吗,当你想要忘记 或不想面对一些事情的时候 你只会想回家 把自己关在房间里 说:“我受够了。” 一颗炸弹在距我的车不远的地方爆炸了 虽然没炸到我 但还是传来了一声巨响 街上的人瞬间消失了 车辆也消失了 我绻下身 唯一一个 留在路中间的 是一个坐着轮椅的男子 他正慌忙地想要移开原地
Well I'm not a particularly brave person, I have to confess it, but I could not just ignore him. So I stopped the car and I went to help. The man was without legs and only with one arm. Behind him there was a child, his son, red in the face in an effort to push the father. So I took him into a safe place. And I ask, "What are you doing out in the street in this situation?" "I work," he said. I wondered, what work? And then I ask an even more stupid question: "Why don't you have the prostheses? Why don't you have the artificial legs?" And he said, "The Red Cross has closed." Well without thinking, I told him "Come tomorrow. We will provide you with a pair of legs." The man, his name was Mahmoud, and the child, whose name was Rafi, left. And then I said, "Oh, my God. What did I say? The center is closed, no staff around. Maybe the machinery is broken. Who is going to make the legs for him?" So I hoped that he would not come. This is the streets of Kabul in those days. So I said, "Well I will give him some money."
我不是一个非常勇敢的人 我承认 但是 我不能就这么丢下他不管 于是 我停了车 上前去帮他 这个人没有腿 只有一只手臂 他身后有一个孩子 他的儿子 脸蛋通红 正使劲推着父亲 我把他带到一个安全的地方 然后我问:“你们这时候在大街上 干什么?” “我在工作。” 他说 我觉得奇怪 做什么工作? 接着我问了一个更加愚蠢的问题: “你怎么没有义肢呢? 怎么没有假腿呢?” 他说:“红十字会关门了。” 我想都没想就对他说: “明天你过来, 我们会给你一双义肢。” 这名叫麦哈麦得的男子 和他的孩子 拉菲 便走了 结果 我对自己说:“天啊,我说的是什么胡话? 中心关闭了, 里面根本没有人。 说不定连机器都是坏的。 谁来给他做义肢啊?” 我希望他不会过来 这就是那段战火纷飞日子里 喀布尔的街道 于是我说:“那我就给他点钱。”
And so the following day, I went to the orthopedic center. And I spoke with a gatekeeper. I was ready to tell him, "Listen, if someone such-and-such comes tomorrow, please tell him that it was a mistake. Nothing can be done. Give him some money." But Mahmoud and his son were already there. And they were not alone. There were 15, maybe 20, people like him waiting. And there was some staff too. Among them there was my right-hand man, Najmuddin. And the gatekeeper told me, "They come everyday to see if the center will open." I said, "No. We have to go away. We cannot stay here." They were bombing -- not very close -- but you could hear the noise of the bombs. So, "We cannot stay here, it's dangerous. It's not a priority." But Najmuddin told me, "Listen now, we're here." At least we can start repairing the prostheses, the broken prostheses of the people and maybe try to do something for people like Mahmoud." I said, "No, please. We cannot do that. It's really dangerous. We have other things to do." But they insisted. When you have 20 people in front of you, looking at you and you are the one who has to decide ...
第二天 我到了矫形中心 我嘱咐了门卫几句 我准备告诉他: “听着, 如果明天有一个这个模样的人过来, 你就告诉他,他弄错了。 我们没有办法帮助他。 然后给他一些钱。” 但是 麦哈麦得和他的儿子已经等在那里了 还不止他们 有十五到二十个人残疾人也等在那里 一些工作人员也在场 其中还有我的助手 纳吉木丁 门卫告诉我 “他们每天都来看中心是否开门。” 我说:“不行。 我们必须离开。不能留在这里。” 轰炸还在进行中 虽然不是很近 但是你仍然可以听到爆炸声 “我们不能留在这里,太危险了。 保命要紧。” 但纳吉木丁对我说:“听着,我们现在在这里。 至少,我们可以开始修理这些人坏了的义肢, 然后也许可以为麦哈麦得这样的人 做点什么。” 我说:“不行,我们不能这么做。 太危险了。 我们还有更重要的事情要忙。” 但他们坚持这么做 二十个人 就这么站在你面前 看着你 等着你做出决定
So we started doing some repairs. Also one of the physical therapists reported that Mahmoud could be provided with a leg, but not immediately. The legs were swollen and the knees were stiff, so he needed a long preparation. Believe me, I was worried because I was breaking the rules. I was doing something that I was not supposed to do. In the evening, I went to speak with the bosses at the headquarters, and I told them -- I lied -- I told them, "Listen, we are going to start a couple of hours per day, just a few repairs." Maybe some of them are here now.
于是我们开始做一些修理 其中一个理疗医师 说他们可以 为麦哈麦得提供一只假腿 但要花一些时间 他的腿有水肿 且膝盖僵硬 他需要一段长时间的准备 相信我 我很担心 因为我违反规定了 我做的事情 不是我分内的事 晚上 我去和总部的几位上司谈话 我对他们撒了谎 我告诉他们:“我们准备开始 每天用几个小时 做一些修理工作。” 可能他们有几位今天就在这里
(Laughter)
(众人笑)
So we started. I was working, I was going everyday to work for the homeless. And Najmuddin was staying there, doing everything and reporting on the patients. He was telling me, "Patients are coming." We knew that many more patients could not come, prevented by the fighting. But people were coming. And Mahmoud was coming every day. And slowly, slowly week after week his legs were improving. The stump or cast prosthesis was made, and he was starting the real physical rehabilitation. He was coming every day, crossing the front line. A couple of times I crossed the front line in the very place where Mahmoud and his son were crossing. I tell you, it was something so sinister that I was astonished he could do it every day.
于是 我们开工了 我每天都在工作 帮助无家可归的人 纳吉木丁在那里 忙里忙外 汇报病人的情况 他告诉我:“病人们来了。” 我们知道有更多的病人 因为战争而来不了 但是人们还是源源不断地来 麦哈麦得每天都来 慢慢地 一周接着一周 他逐渐可以用义肢行走了 义肢做好了 他开始了 真正的物理康复治疗 他每天都来 穿越前线而来 我曾经穿越前线一两次 也就是麦哈麦得父子经过的地方 告诉你们 看到他能够每天穿过 危机四伏的前线 我感到异常惊讶
But finally, the great day arrived. Mahmoud was going to be discharged with his new legs. It was April, I remember, a very beautiful day. April in Kabul is beautiful, full of roses, full of flowers. We could not possibly stay indoors, with all these sandbags at the windows. Very sad, dark. So we chose a small spot in the garden. And Mahmoud put on his prostheses, the other patients did the same, and they started practicing for the last time before being discharged.
终于 美好的一天到来了 麦哈麦得能够 用他的新腿行走了 我记得当时是四月 一个美丽的日子 喀布尔的四月异常美丽 玫瑰 鲜花盛开 我们不想留在室内 那些沙袋堆在窗边 太悲凉 太昏暗了 我们这花园里找了一小块地方 麦哈麦得安上他的义肢 其他病人也如此 他们开始 做康复前的最后一次练习
Suddenly, they started fighting. Two groups of Mujahideen started fighting. We could hear in the air the bullets passing. So we dashed, all of us, towards the shelter. Mahmoud grabbed his son, I grabbed someone else. Everybody was grabbing something. And we ran. You know, 50 meters can be a long distance if you are totally exposed, but we managed to reach the shelter. Inside, all of us panting, I sat a moment and I heard Rafi telling his father, "Father, you can run faster than me." (Laughter) And Mahmoud, "Of course I can. I can run, and now you can go to school. No need of staying with me all the day pushing my wheelchair." Later on, we took them home. And I will never forget Mahmoud and his son walking together pushing the empty wheelchair. And then I understood, physical rehabilitation is a priority. Dignity cannot wait for better times.
突然间 外面突然打起了杖 两股圣战组织开始交火 我们能够听到 子弹飞过的声音 我们所有人 迅速向室内冲去 麦哈麦得拉着他的儿子 我拉着另一个人 每个人都拉着另一个 我们撒腿就跑 你知道吗 当你完全暴露在外面的时候 五十米的距离可以显得那么长 但我们都找到了藏身地 在里面 我们害怕得发抖, 我坐了一会儿 听见拉菲对父亲说: “爸爸,你跑得比我快。” (众人笑) 麦哈麦得说:“当然啦。 我现在能跑了,所以现在你可以去上学了。 不用再为我 整天推轮椅了。” 后来 我们把送他们回家 我永远不会忘记 麦哈麦得和儿子走在一起 推着那辆空轮椅的情景。 然后我就明白了 原来 肢体复健是重中之重 尊严不能多等一天
From that day on, we never closed a single day. Well sometimes we were suspended for a few hours, but we never, we never closed it again. I met Mahmoud one year later. He was in good shape -- a bit thinner. He needed to change his prostheses -- a new pair of prostheses. I asked about his son. He told me, "He's at school. He'd doing quite well." But I understood he wanted to tell me something. So I asked him, "What is that?" He was sweating. He was clearly embarrassed. And he was standing in front of me, his head down. He said, "You have taught me to walk. Thank you very much. Now help me not to be a beggar anymore." That was the job. "My children are growing. I feel ashamed. I don't want them to be teased at school by the other students." I said, "Okay." I thought, how much money do I have in my pocket? Just to give him some money. It was the easiest way. He read my mind, and he said, "I ask for a job." And then he added something I will never forget for the rest of my life. He said, "I am a scrap of a man, but if you help me, I'm ready to do anything, even if I have to crawl on the ground." And then he sat down. I sat down too with goosebumps everywhere.
从那天开始 我们再没关门 有时候我们会稍微停工几个小时 但我们再也没有关过门 一年之后 我又见到了麦哈麦得 他情况不错 瘦了一点 他需要更换 一副新的义肢 我问起他儿子情况 他说:“他在上学。挺好的。” 但我知道他有话跟我说 所以我问他:“什么事?” 他在冒汗 很明显 他感到不好意思 他站在我面前 低着头 他说:“你教我如何走路, 我很感激你。 现在请帮我 让我不用再乞讨。” 那就是他的工作 “我的孩子们在成长。 我抬不起头。 我不希望他们在学校 被其他人欺负。” 我说:“好的。” 我想 我口袋里有多少钱? 给他点钱就行了 这是最简单的办法 他知道我的心思 然后他说:“我要的是一份工作。” 接着又说了一些 我毕生都无法忘怀的话 他说:“我是个身体残缺的人, 但如果你肯帮我, 我什么活都能干, 就算是在地上爬,都可以。” 接着 他坐下了 我也一身鸡皮疙瘩地坐了下来
Legless, with only one arm, illiterate, unskilled -- what job for him? Najmuddin told me, "Well we have a vacancy in the carpentry shop." "What?" I said, "Stop." "Well yes, we need to increase the production of feet. We need to employ someone to glue and to screw the sole of the feet. We need to increase the production." "Excuse me?" I could not believe. And then he said, "No, we can modify the workbench maybe to put a special stool, a special anvil, special vice, and maybe an electric screwdriver." I said, "Listen, it's insane. And it's even cruel to think of anything like this. That's a production line and a very fast one. It's cruel to offer him a job knowing that he's going to fail." But with Najmuddin, we cannot discuss. So the only things I could manage to obtain was a kind of a compromise. Only one week -- one week try and not a single day more. One week later, Mahmoud was the fastest in the production line. I told Najmuddin, "That's a trick. I can't believe it." The production was up 20 percent. "It's a trick, it's a trick," I said. And then I asked for verification. It was true.
一个没有腿 只有一只手臂 不会识字 没有技能的人 给他什么工作呢? 纳吉木丁告诉我:“我们的木匠房 缺人手。” “什么?” 我说:“停。” “是的,我们需要增产假腿。 需要招人来 把义肢的脚底粘合并组装起来 我们需要增产。” “什么?” 我不敢相信 然后他说: “我们可以把工作椅调整一下, 或许可以放一张特殊的凳子, 使用特殊的铁砧和老虎钳 还有电动的螺丝刀。” 我说:“听着,这是乱弹琴。 这想法太残忍了。 那条生产线非常快。 让他做这份工作 太残忍了 明知道他干不来。” 但是我扭不过纳吉木丁 我只能说服他 做出一点让步 只给一个星期 只能试一个星期 一天都不多给 一个星期之后 麦哈麦得成了生产线上最快的工人 我对纳吉木丁说:“这是骗人的。 我不相信。” 产量增长了20% “这是个骗局,骗局。” 我说 我要他们证明给我看 这是千真万确的
The comment of Najmuddin was Mahmoud has something to prove. I understood that I was wrong again. Mahmoud had looked taller. I remember him sitting behind the workbench smiling. He was a new man, taller again. Of course, I understood that what made him stand tall -- yeah they were the legs, thank you very much -- but as a first step, it was the dignity. He has regained his full dignity thanks to that job. So of course, I understood. And then we started a new policy -- a new policy completely different. We decided to employ as many disabled as possible to train them in any possible job. It became a policy of "positive discrimination," we call it now.
纳吉木丁的意思是 麦哈麦得有需要证明的东西 我醒悟过来 我又错了 麦哈麦得显得高大了 我记得他当时坐在工作椅上 面带微笑 他已经焕然一新 重新站了起来 当然 我明白 让他站得笔直的 对 是要非常感谢他的双腿 但首先 还是他的尊严 因为那份工作 他重拾了尊严 所以 我明白了 接着 我们开始了一项新政策 一项全新的政策 我们决定 招聘尽可能多的残疾人 训练他们从事任何工作 这成了一项“良性的歧视”政策 我们这样称呼它
And you know what? It's good for everybody. Everybody benefits from that -- those employed, of course, because they get a job and dignity. But also for the newcomers. They are 7,000 every year -- people coming for the first time. And you should see the faces of these people when they realize that those assisting them are like them. Sometimes you see them, they look, "Oh." And you see the faces. And then the surprise turns into hope. And it's easy for me as well to train someone who has already passed through the experience of disability. Poof, they learn much faster -- the motivation, the empathy they can establish with the patient is completely different, completely. Scraps of men do not exist.
你知道吗 这对所有人都有利 所有人都得到了好处 那些被聘用的人 就不用说了 他们得到了工作 和尊严 还有 那些新来的人 每年有7000个 新来的人 你们真应该看看他们的表情 当他们看到辅助自己的人竟然也和自己一样时 脸上有多惊奇 有时候 他们像这样:“哇。” 然后他们露出惊奇的神色 接着 这惊奇变成了希望 这也方便了我 对战胜了残疾的人进行培训 嗖 他们学得可快了 那动力 那份用耐心建立起来的悟性 完全不可思议 人无残人
People like Mahmoud are agents of change. And when you start changing, you cannot stop. So employing people, yes, but also we started programming projects of microfinance, education. And when you start, you cannot stop. So you do vocational training, home education for those who cannot go to school. Physical therapies can be done, not only in the orthopedic center, but also in the houses of the people. There is always a better way to do things. That's Najmuddin, the one with the white coat. Terrible Najmuddin, is that one. I have learned a lot from people like Najmuddin, Mahmoud, Rafi. They are my teachers.
像麦哈麦得这样的人 是变化的载体 变化一旦开始 就一发不可收拾 所以,是的,给他们工作是一方面 但我们也开始提供 小额贷款项目和教育 一旦开始 就一发不可收拾了 接着你开始职业培训 为不能上学的人提供上门教育 理疗复健不仅能够在矫形中心进行 还能在人们家里进行 总能找到更好的做事方法 纳吉木丁 也就是穿白色外套的那个 天杀的纳吉木丁 就是那位 我从纳吉木丁 麦哈麦得和拉菲这些人身上学到了很多东西 他们是我的老师
I have a wish, a big wish, that this way of working, this way of thinking, is going to be implemented in other countries. There are plenty of countries at war like Afghanistan. It is possible and it is not difficult. All we have to do is to listen to the people that we are supposed assist, to make them part of the decision-making process and then, of course, to adapt. This is my big wish.
我有一个愿望 一个宏伟的愿望 就是这种工作 思维的方式 能够有朝一日推广到其他国家 世界上有很多国家像阿富汗一样正在打仗 这是可能的 而且并不难做到 我们要做的 就是倾听 那些我们应该帮助的人们 将他们融入 决策的过程中 然后 让他们学会适应 这就是我宏伟的愿望
Well don't think that the changes in Afghanistan are over; not at all. We are going on. Recently we have just started a program, a sport program -- basketball for wheelchair users. We transport the wheelchairs everywhere. We have several teams in the main part of Afghanistan. At the beginning, when Anajulina told me, "We would like to start it," I hesitated. I said, "No," you can imagine. I said, "No, no, no, no, we can't." And then I asked the usual question: "Is it a priority? Is it really necessary?" Well now you should see me. I never miss a single training session. The night before a match I'm very nervous. And you should see me during the match. I shout like a true Italian.
别以为阿富汗的变化已经结束 远远没有 我们仍在继续 我们最近才开始了一个项目 一个运动项目 轮椅篮球运动 我们把轮椅运送到各地 在阿富汗主要地区建立了几支球队 一开始 当阿纳朱里纳告诉我 “我们想要开始这个项目。” 我犹豫了 我说:“不行。” 你们可以想象得到 我说:“不不不,这么做不行。” 接着 我又问了那个问题: “这是重中之重吗? 这真有必要吗?” 现在你可以看到 我从来没有错过任何一次训练 比赛前一天 我非常紧张 你们应该看我比赛时的样子 我像一个真正的意大利人那样狂吼
(Laughter)
(众人笑)
What's next? What is going to be the next change? Well I don't know yet, but I'm sure Najmuddin and his friends, they have it already in mind.
接下来呢 下一个变化是什么 我还不知道 但是我知道 纳吉木丁和他的同伙们 已经盘算好了
That was my story. Thank you very much.
我的故事讲完了 非常感谢大家
(Applause)
(众人鼓掌)