In 1994, I walked into a prison in Cambodia, and I met a 12-year-old boy who had been tortured and was denied access to counsel. And as I looked into his eyes, I realized that for the hundreds of letters I had written for political prisoners, that I would never have written a letter for him, because he was not a 12-year-old boy who had done something important for anybody. He was not a political prisoner. He was a 12-year-old boy who had stolen a bicycle. What I also realized at that point was that it was not only Cambodia, but of the 113 developing countries that torture, 93 of these countries have all passed laws that say you have a right to a lawyer and you have a right not to be tortured.
En 1994 entrei nunha prisión en Camboxa e coñecín un neno de 12 anos que fora torturado e ao que lle denegaran o acceso a un avogado. E ao miralo aos ollos decateime de que dos centos de cartas que tiña escrito a presos políticos, nunca lle escribira ningunha carta para el, porque non era un rapaz de 12 anos que fixera algo importante para alguén. Non era un preso político. Era un neno de 12 anos que roubara unha bicicleta. Do que tamén me decatei daquela foi que non só era en Camboxa, senón que dos 113 países en vías de desenvolvemento que torturaban, 93 destes países aprobaron leis que outorgan o dereito a un avogado e o dereito a non ser torturado.
And what I recognized was that there was an incredible window of opportunity for us as a world community to come together and end torture as an investigative tool. We often think of torture as being political torture or reserved for just the worst, but, in fact, 95 percent of torture today is not for political prisoners. It is for people who are in broken-down legal systems, and unfortunately because torture is the cheapest form of investigation -- it's cheaper than having a legal system, cheaper than having a lawyer and early access to counsel -- it is what happens most of the time. I believe today that it is possible for us as a world community, if we make a decision, to come together and end torture as an investigative tool in our lifetime, but it will require three things. First is the training, empowerment, and connection of defenders worldwide.
E decateime de que existía unha incrible ventá de oportunidades para todos nós como comunidade mundial para poder unirnos e pórlle fin á tortura como método de investigación. A miúdo pensamos na tortura como unha forma de tortura política ou que está reservada tan só para os peores pero, de feito, o 95 % das torturas de hoxe en día non son para presos políticos. Son para persoas que se atopan en sistemas xudiciais colapsados e, por desgraza, posto que a tortura é a forma máis barata de investigación (é máis barato que ter un sistema xudicial, máis barato que ter un avogado ou acceso temperán a asistencia) é o que ocorre a maioría das veces. A día de hoxe coido que si é posible para nós como comunidade mundial, se tomamos esa decisión, unirnos e rematar coa tortura como método de investigación durante a nosa vida, pero isto requirirá de tres cousas. Primeiro vén a formación, a atribución de poder e a conexión de defensores a escala mundial.
The second is insuring that there is systematic early access to counsel. And the third is commitment. So in the year 2000, I began to wonder, what if we came together? Could we do something for these 93 countries? And I founded International Bridges to Justice which has a specific mission of ending torture as an investigative tool and implementing due process rights in the 93 countries by placing trained lawyers at an early stage in police stations and in courtrooms. My first experiences, though, did come from Cambodia, and at the time I remember first coming to Cambodia and there were, in 1994, still less than 10 attorneys in the country because the Khmer Rouge had killed them all.
A segunda é garantir que existe un acceso temperán e sistemático á asistencia. E a terceira é o compromiso. Por iso no ano 2000, comecei a preguntarme, e se nos unimos? Poderiamos facer algo por eses 93 países? E fundei a International Bridges to Justice que ten como misión específica a de rematar coa tortura como método de investigación e poñer en práctica os debidos dereitos procesuais nestes 93 países, situando a avogados cualificados nunha fase inicial en comisarías e en tribunais. Porén, as miñas primeiras experiencias viñeron de Camboxa e das lembranzas da miña primeira visita a Camboxa, cando había, en 1994, aínda menos de 10 avogados no país porque o Khmer Vermello matáraos a todos.
And even 20 years later, there was only 10 lawyers in the country, so consequently you'd walk into a prison and not only would you meet 12-year-old boys, you'd meet women and you'd say, "Why are you here?" Women would say, "Well I've been here for 10 years because my husband committed a crime, but they can't find him." So it's just a place where there was no rule of law.
E mesmo 20 anos despois, tan só había 10 avogados no país e, polo tanto, ao entrares nunha prisión non só te atopabas cun rapaz de 12 anos, senón que te atopabas con mulleres tamén e o preguntarlles "Por que estades aquí?", elas respondían: "Pois levamos aquí dende fai 10 anos porque o meu marido cometeu un delito pero non o poden atopar". É un lugar onde non existía o estado de dereito.
The first group of defenders came together and I still remember, as I was training, I said, "Okay, what do you do for an investigation?" And there was silence in the class, and finally one woman stood up, [inaudible name], and she said "Khrew," which means "teacher." She said, "I have defended more than a hundred people, and I've never had to do any investigation, because they all come with confessions."
O primeiro grupo de defensores xuntouse e aínda me lembro, mentres me formaba, que preguntei: "Ben, que facedes para investigar?". E a sala quedárase en silencio e, finalmente, unha muller levantouse, [nome inaudible], e dixo "Khrew" que significa "mestre". E dixo: "Teño defendido máis dun cento de persoas e endexamais tiven que facer ningunha investigación, porque todos veñen con confesións".
And we talked about, as a class, the fact that number one, the confessions might not be reliable, but number two, we did not want to encourage the police to keep doing this, especially as it was now against the law. And it took a lot of courage for these defenders to decide that they would begin to stand up and support each other in implementing these laws. And I still remember the first cases where they came, all 25 together, she would stand up, and they were in the back, and they would support her, and the judges kept saying, "No, no, no, no, we're going to do things the exact same way we've been doing them."
E falamos, como clase, do feito que primeiro, as confesións talvez non son fiables e, segundo, non queriamos animar á policía a que seguise facendo isto, sobre todo porque agora ía en contra da lei. E estes defensores tiveron que armarse de valor para decidir que comezarían a defender e apoiarse entre eles para poder poñer en práctica estas leis. E aínda me lembro dos primeiros casos onde viñeron, os 25 xuntos, ela de pé e o resto detrás, e eles apoiábana, mentres os xuíces seguían dicindo: "Non, non, non, non, imos a facer as cousas da mesma maneira na que se levan feito ata o de agora".
But one day the perfect case came, and it was a woman who was a vegetable seller, she was sitting outside of a house. She said she actually saw the person run out who she thinks stole whatever the jewelry was, but the police came, they got her, there was nothing on her. She was pregnant at the time. She had cigarette burns on her. She'd miscarried. And when they brought her case to the judge, for the first time he stood up and he said, "Yes, there's no evidence except for your torture confession and you will be released."
Pero un día apareceu o caso perfecto. Era unha muller que vendía verduras e que estaba sentada fóra dunha casa. Ela afirmou que en realidade vira á persoa saír correndo e cría que roubara as xoias en cuestión, pero a policía chegou, e collérona, pero ela non tiña nada enriba. Por aquel entón ela estaba embarazada. Tiña queimaduras de cigarros. Tivera un aborto. E cando se levou o seu caso ante un xuíz, por primeira vez este parouse e dixo: "Si, non existen probas excepto pola confesión baixo tortura e polo tanto será posta en liberdade".
And the defenders began to take cases over and over again and you will see, they have step by step began to change the course of history in Cambodia. But Cambodia is not alone. I used to think, well is it Cambodia? Or is it other countries? But it is in so many countries.
E os defensores comezaron a levar casos unha e outra vez e como veredes, pouco a pouco foron comezando a cambiar o curso da historia de Camboxa. Pero Camboxa non está soa. Adoitaba pensar: entón é só en Camboxa? Ou tamén ocorre noutros países? Pero ocorre en tantos países…
In Burundi I walked into a prison and it wasn't a 12-year-old boy, it was an 8-year-old boy for stealing a mobile phone. Or a woman, I picked up her baby, really cute baby, I said "Your baby is so cute." It wasn't a baby, she was three. And she said "Yeah, but she's why I'm here," because she was accused of stealing two diapers and an iron for her baby and still had been in prison. And when I walked up to the prison director, I said, "You've got to let her out. A judge would let her out." And he said, "Okay, we can talk about it, but look at my prison. Eighty percent of the two thousand people here are without a lawyer. What can we do?" So lawyers began to courageously stand up together to organize a system where they can take cases. But we realized that it's not only the training of the lawyers, but the connection of the lawyers that makes a difference.
En Burundi entrei nunha prisión e non había un rapaz de 12 anos, senón un neno de 8 anos que roubara un teléfono móbil. Ou unha muller, collín en brazos ao seu bebé, un bebé moi fermoso, e dixen: "O teu bebé é tan lindo!". Pero non era un bebé, a nena tiña tres anos. E ela díxome: "Si, pero estou aquí por ela", xa que estaba acusada de roubar dous cueiros e un ferro de pasar para o seu bebé e aínda así estaba en prisión. E cando fun xunto do director da prisión, díxenlle: "Tes que deixala en liberdade. Un xuíz deixaríaa libre". E el respondeume: "Vale, podemos falalo, pero mira a miña prisión. O 80 % dos dous milleiros de persoas aquí están sen avogados. Que podemos facer nós?" E entón os avogados comezaron a xuntarse para organizar un sistema onde puidesen levar os casos. E decatámonos que non só era a formación dos avogados, senón a conexión dos avogados a que marcaba a diferenza.
For example, in Cambodia, it was that [inaudible name] did not go alone but she had 24 lawyers with her who stood up together. And in the same way, in China, they always tell me, "It's like a fresh wind in the desert when we can come together." Or in Zimbabwe, where I remember Innocent, after coming out of a prison where everybody stood up and said, "I've been here for one year, eight years, 12 years without a lawyer," he came and we had a training together and he said, "I have heard it said" -- because he had heard people mumbling and grumbling -- "I have heard it said that we cannot help to create justice because we do not have the resources." And then he said, "But I want you to know that the lack of resources is never an excuse for injustice." And with that, he successfully organized 68 lawyers who have been systematically taking the cases.
Por exemplo, en Camboxa, o que pasou foi que [nome inaudible] non foi soa senón que tiña a 24 avogados con ela que se uniran. E da mesma maneira, na China, sempre me contan que "É coma un vento fresco no deserto cando podemos reunirnos". Ou en Cimbabue, onde me lembro de Innocent, despois de saír dunha prisión onde todo o mundo se ergueu e dixo: "Levo aquí dende fai un ano, oito anos, doce anos sen un avogado", e viu e formámonos xuntos. Díxome: "Oín dicir…" (porque escoitara a xente murmurar e laiarse) "oín dicir que non podemos axudar a crear xustiza xa que non dispoñemos dos recursos". E despois matizou: "Pero quero que saibas que a falta de recursos nunca foi escusa para a inxustiza". E con isto organizou con éxito a 68 avogados que levan collendo os casos de maneira sistemática.
The key that we see, though, is training and then early access. I was recently in Egypt, and was inspired to meet with another group of lawyers, and what they told me is that they said, "Hey, look, we don't have police on the streets now. The police are one of the main reasons why we had the revolution. They were torturing everybody all the time." And I said, "But there's been tens of millions of dollars that have recently gone in to the development of the legal system here. What's going on?" I met with one of the development agencies, and they were training prosecutors and judges, which is the normal bias, as opposed to defenders. And they showed me a manual which actually was an excellent manual. I said, "I'm gonna copy this." It had everything in it. Lawyers can come at the police station. It was perfect. Prosecutors were perfectly trained. But I said to them, "I just have one question, which is, by the time that everybody got to the prosecutor's office, what had happened to them?" And after a pause, they said, "They had been tortured."
Así e todo, a solución que atopamos foi a formación e logo, o acceso temperán. Fai pouco que estiven en Exipto e decidín reunirme con outro grupo de avogados. O que me contaron foi que eles dicían: "Mira, agora non temos policía nas rúas. A policía é unha das principais razóns polas que tivemos a revolución. Torturaban a todo o mundo a todas horas". E eu díxenlles: "Pero aquí investíronse decenas de millóns de dólares recentemente no desenvolvemento do sistema xudicial. Que está ocorrendo entón?" Reuninme cunha das axencias de desenvolvemento e estaban a formar fiscais e xuíces, que resulta ser a tendencia normal, no canto de defensores. Mostráronme tamén un manual que de feito era excelente. E díxenlles: "Vou copialo". Tíña todo nel. Os avogados poden vir á comisaría de policía. Era perfecto. Os fiscais estaban perfectamente formados. Pero díxenlles: "Só teño unha pregunta. Antes de que todos chegaran á oficina do fiscal, que pasaba con eles mentres?" E tras unha pausa, respondían: "Torturábanos".
So the pieces are, not only the training of the lawyers, but us finding a way to systematically implement early access to counsel, because they are the safeguard in the system for people who are being tortured. And as I tell you this, I'm also aware of the fact that it sounds like, "Oh, okay, it sounds like we could do it, but can we really do it?" Because it sounds big. And there are many reasons why I believe it's possible. The first reason is the people on the ground who find ways of creating miracles because of their commitment. It's not only Innocent, who I told you about in Zimbabwe, but defenders all over the world who are looking for these pieces. We have a program called JusticeMakers, and we realized there are people that are courageous and want to do things, but how can we support them? So it's an online contest where it's only five thousand dollars if you come up with and innovative way of implementing justice. And there are 30 JusticeMakers throughout the world, from Sri Lanka to Swaziland to the DRC, who with five thousand dollars do amazing things, through SMS programs, through paralegal programs, through whatever they can do.
E polo tanto as pezas clave son non só a formación dos avogados, senón atopar unha maneira para pór en práctica sistematicamente o acceso temperán á asistencia, porque eles son a garantía no sistema para a xente que está a ser torturada. E mentres vos conto isto, tamén son consciente de que soa como un "Si, claro, parece como se se puidese facer, pero podémolo facer en realidade?" Porque parece algo enorme. E son moitas as razóns polas que creo que si é posible. A primeira delas é que as persoas sobre o terreo atopan maneiras de crear milagres grazas ao seu compromiso. E non só é Innocent, de quen vos falei en Cimbabue, senón tamén defensores por todo o mundo que están a buscar ditas pezas clave. Temos un programa chamado JusticeMakers, e decatámonos de que había xente afouta e que quería axudar, pero como podiamos apoialos? Tan só é un concurso en liña onde se poden gañar cinco mil dólares se se che ocorre algunha idea innovadora de poñer en práctica a xustiza. E existen 30 JusticeMakers en todo o mundo, dende Sri Lanka ata Swazilandia ou a República Democrática do Congo, que con cinco mil dólares fan cousas incribles, mediante programas por SMS, programas paralegais e calquera maneira que atopan.
And it's not only these JusticeMakers, but people we courageously see figure out who their networks are and how they can move it forward.
E non só existen estes JusticeMakers, senón que tamén hai xente valente que comprende cales son os seus contactos e como poden avanzar con eles.
So in China, for instance, great laws came out where it says police cannot torture people or they will be punished. And I was sitting side by side with one of our very courageous lawyers, and said, "How can we get this out? How can we make sure that this is implemented? This is fantastic." And he said to me, "Well, do you have money?" And I said, "No." And he said, "That's okay, we can still figure it out." And on December 4, he organized three thousand members of the Youth Communist League, from 14 of the top law schools, who organized themselves, developed posters with the new laws, and went to the police stations and began what he says is a non-violent legal revolution to protect citizen rights. So I talked about the fact that we need to train and support defenders. We need to systematically implement early access to counsel. But the third and most important thing is that we make a commitment to this.
Por exemplo, na China promulgáronse leis que impedían que os policías puidesen torturar á xente xa que serían castigados. E mentres estaba sentada xunto a un dos nosos valentes avogados, díxenlle: "E como poderemos espallalo? Como poderemos asegurarnos de que isto se porá en práctica? Isto é fantástico". E el contestoume: "Ti tes cartos?" E respondín: "Non". E el díxome: "Está ben, aínda así atoparemos a maneira". E o 4 de decembro organizou a tres mil membros da Unión da Xuventude Comunista, de 14 das mellores escolas de dereito, que se organizaron eles mesmos e elaboraron pósters coas novas leis e foron ás comisarías de policía e comezaron cunha revolución legal non violenta, segundo dicía el, para protexer os dereitos dos cidadáns. Xa falei do feito que precisamos formar e apoiar aos defensores. Necesitamos pór en práctica de forma sistemática o acceso temperán á asistencia. Pero o terceiro e último punto, o máis importante, é que nos comprometamos con isto.
And people often say to me, "You know, this is great, but it's wildly idealistic. Never going to happen." And the reason that I think that those words are interesting is because those were the same kinds of words that were used for people who decided they would end slavery, or end apartheid. It began with a small group of people who decided they would commit.
E normalmente a xente dime: "Pois isto está moi ben, pero é demasiado idealista. Xamais ocorrerá". E o motivo polo que considero que esta opinión é interesante é porque esa foi exactamente a mesma opinión que se empregou para as persoas que se decidiron a rematar coa escravitude ou o apartheid. Comezou cun pequeno grupo de persoas que decidiron implicarse.
Now, there's one of our favorite poems from the defenders, which they share from each other, is: "Take courage friends, the road is often long, the path is never clear, and the stakes are very high, but deep down, you are not alone." And I believe that if we can come together as a world community to support not only defenders, but also everyone in the system who is looking towards it, we can end torture as an investigative tool. I end always, because I'm sure the questions are -- and I'd be happy to talk to you at any point -- "But what can I really do?" Well, I would say this. First of all, you know what you can do. But second of all, I would leave you with the story of Vishna, who actually was my inspiration for starting International Bridges to Justice.
Un dos nosos poemas favoritos dos defensores, que eles comparten entre si mesmos, é: "Fai falla valor, amigos, o camiño acostuma ser longo, a ruta nunca é clara, e hai moito en xogo, pero no fondo, non estades sos". E estou segura de que se podemos unirnos como unha comunidade mundial para apoiar non só aos defensores, senón tamén a todo o mundo no sistema que estea intentando acadalo, poderemos rematar coa tortura como método de investigación. E sempre remato, porque sei que a pregunta será (e será un pracer falar con vós nalgún momento) "Pero que podo facer eu realmente?" Pois en primeiro lugar diríavos que xa sabedes o que podedes facer. E en segundo lugar, deixaríavos coa historia de Vishna, que de feito foi a miña inspiración para fundar a International Bridges to Justice.
Vishna was a 4-year-old boy when I met him who was born in a Cambodian prison in Kandal Province. But because he was born in the prison, everybody loved him, including the guards, so he was the only one who was allowed to come in and out of the bars. So, you know, there's bars. And by the time that Vishna was getting bigger, which means what gets bigger? Your head gets bigger. So he would come to the first bar, the second bar and then the third bar, and then really slowly move his head so he could fit through, and come back, third, second, first. And he would grab my pinkie, because what he wanted to do every day is he wanted to go visit. You know, he never quite made it to all of them every day, but he wanted to visit all 156 prisoners. And I would lift him, and he would put his fingers through. Or if they were dark cells, it was like iron corrugated, and he would put his fingers through.
Vishna era un neno de catro anos cando o coñecín. Nacera nunha prisión camboxana na provincia de Kandal. Pero como nacera na prisión, todos lle tiñan moito aprecio, mesmo os gardas, polo que era o único que podía entrar e saír de entre as reixas. E claro, como sabedes, hai reixas. E para cando Vishna comezou a medrar, que é o que tamén medra? A cabeza. O que facía era pasar pola primeira reixa, e pola segunda e logo pola terceira, e despois, moi de vagar, movía a cabeza para poder pasala a través e volvía: dende a terceira ata a primeira. E collíame o dedo maimiño, porque o que el quería facer a diario era ir visitar. Por suposto, nunca conseguía visitar a todo o mundo a diario, pero si quería visitar a todos os 156 presos. E ao collelo, el pasaba os seus dedos a través. Ou se as celas estaban escuras, era como ferro ondulado e pasaba os seus dedos a través.
And most of the prisoners said that he was their greatest joy and their sunshine, and they looked forward to him. And I was like, here's Vishna. He's a 4-year-old boy. He was born in a prison with almost nothing, no material goods, but he had a sense of his own heroic journey, which I believe we are all born into. He said, "Probably I can't do everything. But I'm one. I can do something. And I will do the one thing that I can do." So I thank you for having the prophetic imagination to imagine the shaping of a new world with us together, and invite you into this journey with us.
E a meirande parte dos presos afirmaban que era a súa maior ledicia e o seu sol e que sempre o agardaban ansiosos. E eu pensaba: aquí está Vishna. Un neno de catros anos. Naceu nunha prisión sen case nada, sen bens materiais, pero cun sentido da súa propia viaxe heroica, que na miña opinión todos nacemos nunha. E contoume: "Seguramente non poderei facelo todo. Pero son unha persoa. Podo facer algo. E farei a única cousa que podo facer". E por iso vos agradezo por ter a imaxinación profética para imaxinar a formación dun novo mundo con todos nós xuntos e convídovos a facer este viaxe connosco.
Thank you.
Grazas.
(Applause)
(Aplauso)
Thank you.
Grazas.
(Applause)
(Aplauso)
Thank you.
Grazas.
(Applause)
(Aplauso)