Jeg kommer fra Libanon, og jeg er overbevist om at løb kan ændre verden. Jeg ved, at det jeg lige sagde, ikke er åbenlyst.
I come from Lebanon, and I believe that running can change the world. I know what I have just said is simply not obvious.
Libanon som land er engang blevet destrueret af en lang og blodig borgerkrig. Ærligt talt forstår jeg ikke hvorfor de kalder det for borgerkrig, når der ikke er noget civiliseret over det. Med Syrien mod nord, Israel og Palæstina mod syd og vores regering, endda indtil nu, er stadig fragmenteret og ustabilt. I mange år har landet været delt mellem politik og religion. Dog er der en dag om året hvor vi virkelig står sammen, og det er når maratonløbet bliver afholdt.
You know, Lebanon as a country has been once destroyed by a long and bloody civil war. Honestly, I don't know why they call it civil war when there is nothing civil about it. With Syria to the north, Israel and Palestine to the south, and our government even up till this moment is still fragmented and unstable. For years, the country has been divided between politics and religion. However, for one day a year, we truly stand united, and that's when the marathon takes place. I used to be a marathon runner.
Jeg var før en maratonløber. Langdistanceløb var ikke kun godt for mit velvære, det hjalp mig også med at meditere og drømme stort. Så, jo længere distancer jeg løb, des større blev mine drømme, indtil en skæbnesvanger morgen, mens jeg trænede, blev jeg påkørt af en bus. Jeg døde næsten, var i koma, blev på hospitalet i to år, og gennemgik 36 operationer for at komme til at gå igen.
Long distance running was not only good for my well-being but it helped me meditate and dream big. So the longer distances I ran, the bigger my dreams became. Until one fateful morning, and while training, I was hit by a bus. I nearly died, was in a coma, stayed at the hospital for two years, and underwent 36 surgeries to be able to walk again.
Så snart jeg kom ud af min koma, forstod jeg at jeg ikke længere var den samme løber som før, så jeg besluttede, hvis jeg ikke selv kunne løbe, ville jeg sørge for at andre kunne. Så ved min hospitalsseng, bad jeg min mand om at tage noter, og nogle få måneder senere, var maratonløbet født.
As soon as I came out of my coma, I realized that I was no longer the same runner I used to be, so I decided, if I couldn't run myself, I wanted to make sure that others could. So out of my hospital bed, I asked my husband to start taking notes, and a few months later, the marathon was born. Organizing a marathon as a reaction to an accident
At organisere et maratonløb som en reaktion på en ulykke kan lyde underligt, men på det tidspunkt, selv i løbet af min mest sårbare tilstand, havde jeg brug for at drømme stort. Jeg havde brug for noget, der kunne tage min smerte, et mål at se frem mod. Jeg ville ikke klynke, eller have medynk, så ved at organisere sådan et maratonløb, kunne jeg tilbagebetale til mit fællesskab, bygge broer til den omkringliggende verden, og invitere løbere til Libanon og løbe under paraplyen af fred. At organisere et maratonløb i Libanon er bestemt ikke ligesom at organisere et i New York. Hvordan introducerer du konceptet af løb for en nation der konstant er på kanten til krig? Hvordan spørger man dem, som før kæmpede og dræbte hinanden, til at mødes og løbe side om side? Derudover, hvordan overtaler du dem til at løbe en distance på 42,2 km i en tid hvor de ikke var bekendte med ordet "maratonløb"? Så vi måtte starte på ny.
may sound strange, but at that time, even during my most vulnerable condition, I needed to dream big. I needed something to take me out of my pain, an objective to look forward to. I didn't want to pity myself, nor to be pitied, and I thought by organizing such a marathon, I'll be able to pay back to my community, build bridges with the outside world, and invite runners to come to Lebanon and run under the umbrella of peace. Organizing a marathon in Lebanon is definitely not like organizing one in New York. How do you introduce the concept of running to a nation that is constantly at the brink of war? How do you ask those who were once fighting and killing each other to come together and run next to each other? More than that, how do you convince people to run a distance of 26.2 miles at a time they were not even familiar with the word "marathon"? So we had to start from scratch. For almost two years, we went all over the country
I næsten to år, rejste vi rundt i landet og besøgte endda afsides landsbyer. Jeg mødte folk fra alle samfundslag -- borgmestre, chefer, skolebørn, politikere, militsfolk, folk fra moskeer, kirker, landets præsident, selv husmødre. Jeg lærte en ting: Når man gør hvad man siger, så tror de på en. Mange var berørte af min personlige historie, og de delte deres historier til gengæld. Det var ærlighed og åbenhed der bragte os sammen. Vi snakkede et fællessprog til hinanden, og det var fra menneske til menneske. Da tilliden var blevet opbygget, ville alle være en del af maratonløbet, for at vise verden, de ægte farver af Libanon og libaneserne og deres ønske om at leve i fred og harmoni.
and even visited remote villages. I personally met with people from all walks of life -- mayors, NGOs, schoolchildren, politicians, militiamen, people from mosques, churches, the president of the country, even housewives. I learned one thing: When you walk the talk, people believe you. Many were touched by my personal story, and they shared their stories in return. It was honesty and transparency that brought us together. We spoke one common language to each other, and that was from one human to another. Once that trust was built, everybody wanted to be part of the marathon to show the world the true colors of Lebanon and the Lebanese and their desire to live in peace and harmony.
I oktober 2003 kom over 6.000 løbere fra 49 forskellige nationaliteter, til startlinjen, alle opsatte, og da startskuddet lød, var det denne gang et signal om at løbe i harmoni til en forandring.
In October 2003, over 6,000 runners from 49 different nationalities came to the start line, all determined, and when the gunfire went off, this time it was a signal to run in harmony, for a change.
Maratonløbet blev større. Ligeså blev de politiske problemer. Men for hver katastrofe vi havde, fandt maratonløbet veje til at bringe folk sammen. I 2005 blev vores premierminister myrdet, og landet gik helt i stå, så vi organiserede en fem kilometer Sammen Vi Løber-kampagne. Der kom over 60.000 mennesker til startlinjen, allesammen iført hvid t-shirt uden politiske mærker. Det var et vendepunkt for maratonløbet, da folk begyndte at se det som en platform for fred og sammenhold.
The marathon grew. So did our political problems. But for every disaster we had, the marathon found ways to bring people together. In 2005, our prime minister was assassinated, and the country came to a complete standstill, so we organized a five-kilometer United We Run campaign. Over 60,000 people came to the start line, all wearing white T-shirts with no political slogans. That was a turning point for the marathon, where people started looking at it as a platform for peace and unity.
Fra 2006 op til 2009 var vores land, Libanon, igennem nogle ustabile år invasioner og flere mord der bragte os nærmere en borgerkrig. Landet var delt igen, så meget at vores parlament trak sig tilbage, vi havde ingen præsident i et år og ingen premierminister. Men vi havde et maratonløb.
Between 2006 up to 2009, our country, Lebanon, went through unstable years, invasions, and more assassinations that brought us close to a civil war. The country was divided again, so much that our parliament resigned, we had no president for a year, and no prime minister. But we did have a marathon.
(Bifald)
(Applause)
Så gennem maratonløbet lærte vi at politiske problemer kan overvindes. Da oppositionen besluttede sig for at lukke dele af bymidten, forhandlede vi alternative ruter. Regeringsdemonstranter blev et sidestående heppekor. De beværtede endda energistande.
So through the marathon, we learned that political problems can be overcome. When the opposition party decided to shut down part of the city center, we negotiated alternative routes. Government protesters became sideline cheerleaders. They even hosted juice stations. (Laughter)
Maratonløbet er virkelig blevet en speciel begivenhed. Det opnåede respekt fra både libaneserne og det internationale fællesskab. Sidste november 2012, kom over 33.000 løbere med 85 forskellige nationaliteter til startlinjen, men denne gang, udfordrede de et stormfuldt og regnfuldt vejr. Gaderne stod under vand, men folk ville ikke gå glip af muligheden for at være en del af sådan en nationaldag.
You know, the marathon has really become one of its kind. It gained credibility from both the Lebanese and the international community. Last November 2012, over 33,000 runners from 85 different nationalities came to the start line, but this time, they challenged a very stormy and rainy weather. The streets were flooded, but people didn't want to miss out on the opportunity of being part of such a national day.
Beirut Maraton har udvidet. Vi inddrager alle: de unge, de ældre, de handikappede, de mentalt udfordrede, de blinde, eliten, amatørløberne, selv mødre med deres babyer. Temaer har inkluderet løb for miljøet, brystkræft, af kærlighed til Libanon, for fred, eller bare for at løbe.
BMA has expanded. We include everyone: the young, the elderly, the disabled, the mentally challenged, the blind, the elite, the amateur runners, even moms with their babies. Themes have included runs for the environment, breast cancer, for the love of Lebanon, for peace, or just simply to run.
Det første årlige kvindeløb for styrkelse, som er den eneste i området, har lige været afholdt for få uger siden, med 4512 kvinder, herunder førstedamen, og dette er kun begyndelsen.
The first annual all-women-and-girls race for empowerment, which is one of its kind in the region, has just taken place only a few weeks ago, with 4,512 women, including the first lady, and this is only the beginning.
Tak.
Thank you.
(Bifald)
(Applause)
Beirut maraton har støttet velgørenhed og frivillige som har hjulpet med genskabelsen af Libanon, skaffet midler til deres sager og opmuntret andre til at bidrage. Dyrkelsen af at bidrage og gøre gode gerninger er blevet smitsom. Stereotyper er blevet brudt. Forandringsskabere og fremtidige ledere er blevet skabt. Jeg tror at de er byggematerialerne for fremtidens fred.
BMA has supported charities and volunteers who have helped reshape Lebanon, raising funds for their causes and encouraging others to give. The culture of giving and doing good has become contagious. Stereotypes have been broken. Change-makers and future leaders have been created. I believe these are the building blocks for future peace.
Beirut maraton er blevet sådan en respekteret begivenhed i området at regeringens embedsmænd i området, som Irak, Egypten og Syrien, har spurgt organisationen om hjælp til at opbygge en lignende sportsbegivenhed. Vi er nu en af de største løbsarrangementer i Mellemøsten, men vigtigst af alt, det er en platform for håb og samarbejde i en evigt skrøbelig og ustabil del af verden. Fra Boston til Beirut, vi står samlet.
BMA has become such a respected event in the region that government officials in the region, like Iraq, Egypt and Syria, have asked the organization to help them structure a similar sporting event. We are now one of the largest running events in the Middle East, but most importantly, it is a platform for hope and cooperation in an ever-fragile and unstable part of the world. From Boston to Beirut, we stand as one.
(Bifald)
(Applause)
Efter 10 år i Libanon, fra nationale maratonløb eller fra nationale begivenheder til mindre regionale løb, har vi set at folk vil løbe for en bedre fremtid. Fredskabelsen er, trods alt, er ikke en spurt. Det er mere et maraton.
After 10 years in Lebanon, from national marathons or from national events to smaller regional races, we've seen that people want to run for a better future. After all, peacemaking is not a sprint. It is more of a marathon.
Tak.
Thank you.
(Bifald)
(Applause)