There are a lot of ways the people around us can help improve our lives. We don't bump into every neighbor, so a lot of wisdom never gets passed on, though we do share the same public spaces.
Ireo olona manodidina antsika dia afaka manampy amin'ny fanatsarana ny fiainatsika. Tsy afaka hifanerasera amin'ireo mpifanila-bodirindrina rehetra isika, ka maro noho izany ny anatra tsy voampita, na dia samy mampiasa ireo toerana faobe ary isika.
So over the past few years, I've tried ways to share more with my neighbors in public space, using simple tools like stickers, stencils and chalk. And these projects came from questions I had, like: How much are my neighbors paying for their apartments?
Nandritra ny taona maro dia nanandrana fomba ahafahana mifandray amin'ireo mpiray tanàna aminà toerana faobe aho, amin'ny alalan'ny peta-drindrina sy ny "pochoir" ary ny tsaoka. Ireo tetikasa ireo dia teraka rehefa avy nanontany tena aho hoe, toy ny hoe firy amin'ireo mpiray tanàna amiko no mandoa hofan-trano?
(Laughter)
(Hehy) Ahoana no ahafahantsika mampindrana na mindrana zavatra
How can we lend and borrow more things, without knocking on each other's doors at a bad time? How can we share more memories of our abandoned buildings, and gain a better understanding of our landscape? How can we share more of our hopes for our vacant storefronts, so our communities can reflect our needs and dreams today?
ka tsy mandondona am-baravaran'ny hafa amin'ny fotoana tsy mety? Ahoana no fomba hifampizarantsika ireo tsiahin' ireo trano tsy misy mipetraka intsony, sy mba hanomezana endrika tsara kokoa ny tanàna? Ary ahoana koa no hifampizarantsika fanantenana ho an'ireo trano fampirantiana goana, ka ahazoan'ny besinimaro mitaratra ny filantsika sy ny nofintsika ankehitriny?
Now, I live in New Orleans, and I am in love with New Orleans. My soul is always soothed by the giant live oak trees, shading lovers, drunks and dreamers for hundreds of years, and I trust a city that always makes way for music. I feel like every time someone sneezes, New Orleans has a parade.
Monina ao Nouvelles-Orléans aho izao, ary tiako Nouvelles-Orléans. Milamina ery ny fanahiko mahita ireo hazo goavambe toy ny "chêne", mampialoka ireo mpifankatia, ireo mamolava ary ireo mpanonofinofy efa nandritra ny zato taona izay, sady matoky kokoa ny tanàn-dehibe manome lanja ny mozika aho. (Hehy) Mieritreritra aho fa isaky ny misy olona mihevina,
(Laughter)
dia misy fety ao Nouvelle-Orléans. (Hehy)
The city has some of the most beautiful architecture in the world, but it also has one of the highest amounts of abandoned properties in America.
Io tanàn-dehibe io no manana maritrano tsara indrindra eto an-tany, nefa izy koa no manana trano haolo betsaka indrindra eto Amerika.
I live near this house, and I thought about how I could make it a nicer space for my neighborhood, and I also thought about something that changed my life forever.
Monina eo akaikin'io trano io aho, dia nieritreritra aho hoe ahoana no ataoko hanatsarana io toerana io mba hanome endrika ny tanàna, ary koa nieritreritra zavatra hafa aho
In 2009, I lost someone I loved very much. Her name was Joan, and she was a mother to me. And her death was sudden and unexpected. And I thought about death a lot. And ... this made me feel deep gratitude for the time I've had. And ... brought clarity to the things that are meaningful to my life now. But I struggle to maintain this perspective in my daily life. I feel like it's easy to get caught up in the day-to-day, and forget what really matters to you.
izay nanova ny fiainako mandrakizay. Tamin'ny 2009, nodimandry izay olona akaiky ahy izay. Joan no anarany, toy ny reniko no fandraisako azy, ary tampoka tamiko sy tsy nampoiziko ny nahafatesany. Dia lasa saina momban'ny fahafatesana aho, sy ny hoe tokony hahay hisaotra noho ireo andro rehetra niainako aho, ary nampisokatra ny saiko izany momba ny zavatra manan-danja rehetra amin'ny fiainako manomboka izao. Ka miady ho an'io tanjona io aho amin'ny fiainako andavanandro. Hitako fa mora voafangoky ny fiainana isika, ka manadino ny tena manan-danja marina.
So with help from old and new friends, I turned the side of this abandoned house into a giant chalkboard, and stenciled it with a fill-in-the-blank sentence: "Before I die, I want to ..." So anyone walking by can pick up a piece of chalk, reflect on their life, and share their personal aspirations in public space.
Noho izany,noho ny fanampian'ireo namana tranainy sy vaovao dia novaiko ny ilan'ilay trano io haolo ho lasa solaitra be ary tamin'ny "pochoir" no nandokoana ireo fehezanteny manao hoe : « Alohan'ny hahafatesako, te-... » Ireo olona rehetra mandalo eo dia afaka mandray tsaoka, mieritreritra ny fiainany ary manoratra ireo hetahetany manokana eo amin'io toerana io.
I didn't know what to expect from this experiment, but by the next day, the wall was entirely filled out, and it kept growing. And I'd like to share a few things that people wrote on this wall.
Mbola tsy fantatro izay ho fivoaran'ity andrana ity, kanefa ny ampitso ihany dia feno tanteraka ilay rindrina, ary nitohy hatrany ny famenoana azy teo. Hampiseho hafatra vitsivitsy
"Before I die, I want to be tried for piracy."
nosoratan'ny olona teo amin'io rindrina io aho.
(Laughter)
« Alohan'ny hahafatesaka, te-hotsaraina amin'ny asa jiolahi-tsambo aho. » (Hehy)
"Before I die, I want to straddle the International Dateline."
« Alohan'ny hahafatesako, te-hanitsaka ny tsipiky ny daty iraisampirenena aho.»
"Before I die, I want to sing for millions."
« Alohan'ny hahafatesako, hihira manoloana olona an-tapitrisany aho. »
"Before I die, I want to plant a tree."
« Alohan'ny hahafatesako, tsy maintsy mamboly hazo aho. »
"Before I die, I want to live off the grid."
« Alohan'ny hahafatesako, te-hiaina tsy misy fifandraisana aho. »
"Before I die, I want to hold her one more time."
« Alohan'ny hahafatesako, te-hamihina azy indray mandeha farany aho. »
"Before I die, I want to be someone's cavalry."
« Alohan'ny hahafatesako, tsy maintsy hanavotra olona aho. »
"Before I die, I want to be completely myself."
« Alohan'ny hahafatesako, te-hijanona amin'ny maha-izaho ahy hatrany aho. »
So this neglected space became a constructive one, and people's hopes and dreams made me laugh out loud, tear up, and they consoled me during my own tough times. It's about knowing you're not alone; it's about understanding our neighbors in new and enlightening ways; it's about making space for reflection and contemplation, and remembering what really matters most to us as we grow and change.
Io toerana tsy misy mpiraharaha io zao lasa mampivelatra, ireo fanantenana sy nofinofin'ny olona dia nisy nampihomehy ahy, nisy nampitomany ahy, ary koa nanambitamby ahy tamin'ireo fotoan-tsarotra. Ny zava-dehibe dia ny fahalalana fa tsy irery isika. Ahafahana mifankafantatra tamin'ireo mpifanila-bodirindrina io tamin'ny fomba vaovao sy mahafinaritra. Fanomezana toerana ny fieritreretana sy fandinihana lalina izao, sy fitadidiana ireo tena manan-danja rehefa mitombo sy miova isika.
I made this last year, and started receiving hundreds of messages from passionate people who wanted to make a wall with their community. So, my civic center colleagues and I made a tool kit, and now walls have been made in countries around the world, including Kazakhstan, South Africa, Australia, Argentina, and beyond. Together, we've shown how powerful our public spaces can be if we're given the opportunity to have a voice, and share more with one another.
Tamin'ny herintaona no nataoko io tetikasa io ary naharay hafatra an-jatony tamin'ireo olona liana te-hanangana rindrina toa io any amin'ny fokontaniny aho, noho izany izaho sy ireo mpiara-miasa amiko dia nanamboatra "kit" ary ankehitriny firenena maro no efa ahitana rindrina toa io toy ny any Afrika Atsimo, Kazakhstan, any Aostralia, any Argentine sy ny maro hafa. Isika miaraka dia afaka mampiseho fa ny toerana andalambe dia fitaovana lehibe ahafahana maneho hevitra sy mifampizara izany amin'ny hafa.
Two of the most valuable things we have are time, and our relationships with other people. In our age of increasing distractions, it's more important than ever to find ways to maintain perspective, and remember that life is brief and tender. Death is something that we're often discouraged to talk about, or even think about, but I've realized that preparing for death is one of the most empowering things you can do. Thinking about death clarifies your life.
Ireo zavatra roa sarobidy ananantsika dia ny fotoana sy ny fifandraisana amin'ny hafa. Vanimpotoana mahabetsaka ny rendrarendra izao, zava-dehibe anefa ny fitazonana tanjona sy fitadidiana hatrany fa fohy ary malemy ny fiainana. Matahotra hiresaka momban'ny fahafatesana isika, na tsy te-hieritreritra izany mihitsy aza, kanefa mahatsapa aho fa ny fiomanana amin'ny fahafatesana dia isan'ny fandraisana andraikitra lehibe afaka ataontsika. Ny fieritreretana ny fahafatesana vao mainka manazava ny fiainana.
Our shared spaces can better reflect what matters to us, as individuals and as a community, and with more ways to share our hopes, fears and stories, the people around us can not only help us make better places, they can help us lead better lives.
Ireo toerana hifandraisantsika dia ahafahana mitaratra ny zava-dehibe amin'ny maha-singan'olona sy amin'ny fiaraha-monina koa. Misy fitaovana maro ahafahana mizara fanantenana, ahiahy ary tantara, afaka manampy antsika ireo olona manodidina antsika amin'ny fanavaozana ireo toerana tsizarizary ahafahana manatsara ny fiainana.
Thank you.
Misaotra indrindra. (Tehaka)
(Applause)
(Tehaka)
Thank you.
Misaotra. (Tehaka)
(Applause)
(Tehaka)