Every day, I listen to harrowing stories of people fleeing for their lives, across dangerous borders and unfriendly seas. But there's one story that keeps me awake at night, and it's about Doaa.
Svakodnevno slušam jezive priče o ljudima koji bježe kako bi si spasili živote, preko opasnih granica i neprijateljskih mora. Ali ima jedna priča koja mi noćima ne da spavati, priča o Doaai.
A Syrian refugee, 19 years old, she was living a grinding existence in Egypt working day wages. Her dad was constantly thinking of his thriving business back in Syria that had been blown to pieces by a bomb. And the war that drove them there was still raging in its fourth year. And the community that once welcomed them there had become weary of them. And one day, men on motorcycles tried to kidnap her. Once an aspiring student thinking only of her future, now she was scared all the time.
Sirijska izbjeglica, 19-godišnjakinja, teško je preživljavala u Egiptu na minimalcu. Njezin je otac stalno razmišljao o svom uspješnom poduzeću u Siriji kojeg je bomba raznijela na komadiće. A rat koji ih je tamo potjerao i dalje je bjesnio već četvrtu godinu. Zajednici, u koju su nekad bili dobrodošli, su dojadili. Jednog dana su je pokušali oteti muškarci na motociklima. Nekoć nadobudna studentica koncentrirana samo na svoju budućnost, sada je bila u konstantnom strahu.
But she was also full of hope, because she was in love with a fellow Syrian refugee named Bassem. Bassem was also struggling in Egypt, and he said to Doaa, "Let's go to Europe; seek asylum, safety. I will work, you can study -- the promise of a new life." And he asked her father for her hand in marriage.
Ali je također bila i puna nade, jer je bila zaljubljena u Bassema koji je također bio sirijski izbjeglica. I on je jedva preživljavao u Egiptu te joj je rekao: "Hajdemo u Europu, tražiti azil i sigurnost. Ja ću raditi, a ti možeš studirati -- obećanje novog života." Tražio je blagoslov njenog oca da je zaprosi.
But they knew to get to Europe they had to risk their lives, traveling across the Mediterranean Sea, putting their hands in smugglers', notorious for their cruelty. And Doaa was terrified of the water. She always had been. She never learned to swim.
Bili su svjesni da će morati riskirati svoje živote kako bi stigli do Europe, putovanjem preko Sredozemnog mora, prepuštajući se u ruke krijumčara poznatih po njihovoj okrutnosti. A Doaa se strašno bojala vode. Oduvijek. Nikad nije naučila plivati.
It was August that year, and already 2,000 people had died trying to cross the Mediterranean, but Doaa knew of a friend who had made it all the way to Northern Europe, and she thought, "Maybe we can, too." So she asked her parents if they could go, and after a painful discussion, they consented, and Bassem paid his entire life savings -- 2,500 dollars each -- to the smugglers.
Bio je kolovoz te godine, a već je 2000 ljudi poginulo u pokušaju da prijeđu Sredozemno more, ali Doaa je poznavala nekoga tko je uspio doći skroz do sjeverne Europe, i pomislila je "Možda možemo i mi." Upitala je roditelje smiju li ići, i nakon bolne rasprave oni su pristali, Bassem je dao svu svoju ušteđevinu -- 2500 dolara po osobi -- krijumčarima.
It was a Saturday morning when the call came, and they were taken by bus to a beach, hundreds of people on the beach. They were taken then by small boats onto an old fishing boat, 500 of them crammed onto that boat, 300 below, [200] above. There were Syrians, Palestinians, Africans, Muslims and Christians, 100 children, including Sandra -- little Sandra, six years old -- and Masa, 18 months. There were families on that boat, crammed together shoulder to shoulder, feet to feet. Doaa was sitting with her legs crammed up to her chest, Bassem holding her hand.
Poziv je stigao jednu subotu ujutro, autobusom su odvezeni na obalu na kojoj je bilo stotine ljudi. Malim brodovima odvezeni su do starog ribarskog plovila, njih 500 uguralo se na to plovilo, 300 ispod, 500 iznad. Bilo je Sirijaca, Palestinaca, Afrikanaca, muslimana i kršćana, stotinu djece, uključujući Sandru -- mala Sandra je imala 6 godina -- i Masu od 18 mjeseci. Na plovilu su bile obitelji, stisnute rame uz rame, stopala uz stopala. Doaa je sjedila koljenima stisnutima uz prsa, Bassem ju je držao za ruku.
Day two on the water, they were sick with worry and sick to their stomachs from the rough sea.
Drugi dan na moru, bilo im je zlo od brige kao i od nemirnog mora.
Day three, Doaa had a premonition. And she said to Bassem, "I fear we're not going to make it. I fear the boat is going to sink." And Bassem said to her, "Please be patient. We will make it to Sweden, we will get married and we will have a future."
Treći dan Doaa je imala predosjećaj. Rekla je Bassemu: "Bojim se da nećemo uspjeti. Bojim se da ćemo potonuti." Bassem joj je odgovorio: "Molim te, budi strpljiva. Uspjet ćemo doći do Švedske, vjenčat ćemo se i imat ćemo budućnost."
Day four, the passengers were getting agitated. They asked the captain, "When will we get there?" He told them to shut up, and he insulted them. He said, "In 16 hours we will reach the shores of Italy." They were weak and weary. Soon they saw a boat approach -- a smaller boat, 10 men on board, who started shouting at them, hurling insults, throwing sticks, asking them to all disembark and get on this smaller, more unseaworthy boat. The parents were terrified for their children, and they collectively refused to disembark. So the boat sped away in anger, and a half an hour later, came back and started deliberately ramming a hole in the side of Doaa's boat, just below where she and Bassem were sitting. And she heard how they yelled, "Let the fish eat your flesh!" And they started laughing as the boat capsized and sank.
Četvrti dan, putnici su počeli biti uznemireni. Pitali su kapetana: "Kad ćemo stići?" Rekao im je da začepe i izvrijeđao ih. Rekao je: "Za 16 sati stići ćemo do talijanske obale." Bili su slabi i umorni. Nedugo zatim vidjeli su kako im prilazi manji brod s deset ljudi koji su počeli vikati na njih, vrijeđati ih, bacati štapove, tražiti ih da se svi iskrcaju i ukrcaju na taj manji, nesigurniji brod. Roditelji su se bojali za svoju djecu, i svi su se odbili iskrcati. Brod je ljutito odjurio, i kad se vratio pola sata kasnije počeo je namjerno probijati rupu na boku Doaaina broda, tik ispod mjesta na kojem su ona i Bassem sjedili. Čula je kako se deru: "Nek' vas ribe pojedu!" Smijali su im se dok se brod prevrtao i tonuo.
The 300 people below deck were doomed. Doaa was holding on to the side of the boat as it sank, and watched in horror as a small child was cut to pieces by the propeller. Bassem said to her, "Please let go, or you'll be swept in and the propeller will kill you, too." And remember -- she can't swim. But she let go and she started moving her arms and her legs, thinking, "This is swimming." And miraculously, Bassem found a life ring. It was one of those child's rings that they use to play in swimming pools and on calm seas. And Doaa climbed onto the ring, her arms and her legs dangling by the side. Bassem was a good swimmer, so he held her hand and tread water. Around them there were corpses. Around 100 people survived initially, and they started coming together in groups, praying for rescue. But when a day went by and no one came, some people gave up hope, and Doaa and Bassem watched as men in the distance took their life vests off and sank into the water.
300 ljudi po palubom osuđeno je na smrt. Doaa se držala za bok broda dok je tonuo, i užasnuta gledala kako propeler malo dijete sječe u komadiće. Bassem joj je rekao: "Pusti se, molim te, inače ćeš biti usisana pa će i tebe ubiti propeler." Sjetite se - ona ne zna plivati. Ali pustila se i počela micati ruke i noge, misleći "ovo je plivanje." I nekim čudom, Bassem je pronašao kolut za spašavanje. To je bio jedan od onih dječjih kolutova koji se koriste za igru u bazenima i u mirnim morima. Doaa se popela na kolut, ruke i noge su joj visile s njega. Bassem je bio dobar plivač, pa ju je držao za ruku i probijao se kroz vodu. Leševi su bili svuda oko njih. Prvotno je preživjelo stotinjak ljudi, počeli su se okupljati u grupe i moliti se za spas. Ali nakon što čitav dan nitko nije naišao, neki su izgubili nadu, i Doaa i Bassem su gledali kako ljudi u daljini skidaju prsluke za spašavanje i tonu.
One man approached them with a small baby perched on his shoulder, nine months old -- Malek. He was holding onto a gas canister to stay afloat, and he said to them, "I fear I am not going to survive. I'm too weak. I don't have the courage anymore." And he handed little Malek over to Bassem and to Doaa, and they perched her onto the life ring. So now they were three, Doaa, Bassem and little Malek.
Prišao im je muškarac s djetetom na ramenu, 9-mjesečnom Malek. Držao se za kanistar za benzin ne bi li se održao iznad vode i rekao im: "Bojim se da neću preživjeti, Preslab sam. Nemam više hrabrosti." Predao je Malek Bassemu i Doaai, a oni su je smjestili na kolut za spašavanje. I tako ih je sada bilo troje, Doaa, Bassem i malena Malek.
And let me take a pause in this story right here and ask the question: why do refugees like Doaa take these kinds of risks? Millions of refugees are living in exile, in limbo. They're living in countries [fleeing] from a war that has been raging for four years. Even if they wanted to return, they can't. Their homes, their businesses, their towns and their cities have been completely destroyed. This is a UNESCO World Heritage City, Homs, in Syria. So people continue to flee into neighboring countries, and we build refugee camps for them in the desert. Hundreds of thousands of people live in camps like these, and thousands and thousands more, millions, live in towns and cities. And the communities, the neighboring countries that once welcomed them with open arms and hearts are overwhelmed. There are simply not enough schools, water systems, sanitation. Even rich European countries could never handle such an influx without massive investment. The Syria war has driven almost four million people over the borders, but over seven million people are on the run inside the country. That means that over half the Syrian population has been forced to flee. Back to those neighboring countries hosting so many. They feel that the richer world has done too little to support them. And days have turned into months, months into years. A refugee's stay is supposed to be temporary.
Dozvolite da sad nakratko zaustavim priču i upitam vas sljedeće: zašto izbjeglice poput Doaa poduzimaju ovakve rizike? Milijuni izbjeglica žive u izgnanstvu, u limbu. Žive u zemljama [u bijegu] od rata koji bijesni već četiri godine. Čak i kad bi se htjeli vratiti, ne mogu. Njihovi domovi, poduzeća, mjesta i gradovi su potpuno uništeni. Ovaj grad je na UNESCO-vom popisu svjetske baštine, Homs, u Siriji. Pa ljudi i dalje bježe u susjedne zemlje, a mi za njih gradimo izbjegličke kampove u pustinji. Stotine tisuća ljudi žive u ovakvim kampovima, a još tisuće i tisuće, milijuni žive u gradićima i gradovima. A zajednice, susjedne zemlje koje su ih nekoć dočekivale raširenih ruku i otvorenih srca su preplavljeni. Naprosto nema dovoljno škola, dostatnih vodovodnih sustava, kanalizacija. Čak niti bogate europske zemlje ne bi nikad mogle podnijeti takav priljev bez ogromnih ulaganja. Sirijski rat potjerao je gotovo 4 milijuna ljudi preko granica, ali više od 7 milijuna ljudi je u bjegu unutar same zemlje. Znači da je preko pola sirijske populacije natjerano u bijeg. Vratimo se na susjedne zemlje koje ugošćuju tolika mnoštva. Oni smatraju da je bogatiji svijet učinio premalo da im pomogne. A dani su se pretvorili u mjesece, mjeseci u godine. Boravak izbjeglice bi trebao biti privremen.
Back to Doaa and Bassem in the water. It was their second day, and Bassem was getting very weak. And now it was Doaa's turn to say to Bassem, "My love, please hold on to hope, to our future. We will make it." And he said to her, "I'm sorry, my love, that I put you in this situation. I have never loved anyone as much as I love you." And he released himself into the water, and Doaa watched as the love of her life drowned before her eyes.
Vratimo se Doaai i Bassemu u vodi. Već je trajao drugi dan, a Bassem je postajao vrlo slab. Sad je na Doaai bio red da kaže Bassemu: "Ljubavi moja, molim te ne gubi nadu, uzdaj se u našu budućnost. Uspjet ćemo." A on joj je rekao: "Oprosti, ljubavi moja, što sam te stavio u ovakvu situaciju. Nikad nikoga nisam toliko volio kao tebe." I pustio se, a Doaa je gledala kako joj se pred očima utapa ljubav njezina života.
Later that day, a mother came up to Doaa with her small 18-month-old daughter, Masa. This was the little girl I showed you in the picture earlier, with the life vests. Her older sister Sandra had just drowned, and her mother knew she had to do everything in her power to save her daughter. And she said to Doaa, "Please take this child. Let her be part of you. I will not survive." And then she went away and drowned.
Kasnije tog dana Doaai je prišla majka s 18-mjesečnom kćerkom, Masom. To je ona djevojčica čiju sam vam sliku ranije pokazala, s prslucima za spašavanje. Starija sestra Sandra se netom bila utopila, i njena majka je znala da mora učiniti sve što je u njenoj moći da spasi svoju kćer. Rekla je Doaai: "Molim te uzmi ovo djete. Neka bude dio tebe. Ja neću preživjeti." Zatim je otišla i utopila se.
So Doaa, the 19-year-old refugee who was terrified of the water, who couldn't swim, found herself in charge of two little baby kids. And they were thirsty and they were hungry and they were agitated, and she tried her best to amuse them, to sing to them, to say words to them from the Quran. Around them, the bodies were bloating and turning black. The sun was blazing during the day. At night, there was a cold moon and fog. It was very frightening. On the fourth day in the water, this is how Doaa probably looked on the ring with her two children.
Tako je Doaa, 19-godišnja izbjeglica koja se bojala vode, koja nije znala plivati, postala odgovorna za dvoje male djece. Bila su gladna, žedna i uznemirena, a ona je dala sve od sebe da ih zabavi, da im pjeva, recitira im riječi iz Kurana. Tijela oko njih su naticala i postajala crna. Tijekom dana sunce je pržilo. Noću je sjao hladan mjesec i bilo je maglovito. Bilo je zastrašujuće. Četvrtog dana u vodi, Doaa je vjerojatno ovako izgledala na kolutu sa svoje dvoje djece.
A woman came on the fourth day and approached her and asked her to take another child -- a little boy, just four years old. When Doaa took the little boy and the mother drowned, she said to the sobbing child, "She just went away to find you water and food." But his heart soon stopped, and Doaa had to release the little boy into the water.
Tog dana joj je prišla jedna žena i zamolila je da uzme još jedno dijete -- četverogodišnjeg dječaka. Kad je Doaa uzela malog dječaka i nakon što se njegova majka utopila, rekla je uplakanom djetetu: "Samo je otišla da ti nađe vode i hrane." Ali uskoro je njegovo srce stalo i morala ga je pustiti.
Later that day, she looked up into the sky with hope, because she saw two planes crossing in the sky. And she waved her arms, hoping they would see her, but the planes were soon gone.
Kasnije istog dana, pogledala je prema nebu s nadom jer je vidjela dva zrakoplova kako kroče nebom. Mahala je rukama nadajući se da će je uočiti, ali zrakoplovi su uskoro nestali.
But that afternoon, as the sun was going down, she saw a boat, a merchant vessel. And she said, "Please, God, let them rescue me." She waved her arms and she felt like she shouted for about two hours. And it had become dark, but finally the searchlights found her and they extended a rope, astonished to see a woman clutching onto two babies.
Ipak, tog popodneva, dok je sunce zalazilo ugledala je brod, trgovačko plovilo. Rekla je: "Molim te Bože da me spase." Mahala je rukama i činilo joj se da viče skoro dva sata. Postalo je mračno, ali reflektori su je konačno pronašli dodali su joj konop, zatečeni prizorom žene koja drži dvije bebe.
They pulled them onto the boat, they got oxygen and blankets, and a Greek helicopter came to pick them up and take them to the island of Crete.
Povukli su ih na brod gdje su dobili kisik i deke, a zatim ih je pokupio grčki helikopter i odveo ih na Kretu.
But Doaa looked down and asked, "What of Malek?" And they told her the little baby did not survive -- she drew her last breath in the boat's clinic. But Doaa was sure that as they had been pulled up onto the rescue boat, that little baby girl had been smiling.
Ali Doaa je pogledala prema dolje i pitala: "Što je s Malek?" Rekli su joj da maleno dijete nije preživjelo -- posljednji put je udahnulo u brodskoj klinici. Ali Doaa je bila sigurna da se malena djevojčica smijala dok su ih vukli prema brodu.
Only 11 people survived that wreck, of the 500. There was never an international investigation into what happened. There were some media reports about mass murder at sea, a terrible tragedy, but that was only for one day. And then the news cycle moved on.
Samo 11 ljudi je preživjelo taj brodolom, od 500. Nije bilo uopće nikakve međunarodne istrage o tome što se dogodilo. Bilo je nekoliko medijskih izvještaja o masovnom ubojstvu na moru, o užasnoj tragediji, ali izvještavanje je trajalo samo jedan dan. Mediji se više nisu osvrtali.
Meanwhile, in a pediatric hospital on Crete, little Masa was on the edge of death. She was really dehydrated. Her kidneys were failing. Her glucose levels were dangerously low. The doctors did everything in their medical power to save them, and the Greek nurses never left her side, holding her, hugging her, singing her words. My colleagues also visited and said pretty words to her in Arabic. Amazingly, little Masa survived.
U međuvremenu, u dječjoj bolnici na Kreti mala Masa je bila na rubu smrti. Bila je jako dehidrirana. Bubrezi su joj otkazivali. Razina glukoze u krvi opasno niska. Doktori su čini sve što su mogli da ih spase, a grčke medicinske sestre su stalno bile uz nju, držale su je, grlile, pjevale joj. I moji kolege su je posjećivale i upućivale joj lijepe riječi na arapskom. Nekim čudom, mala Masa je preživjela.
And soon the Greek press started reporting about the miracle baby, who had survived four days in the water without food or anything to drink, and offers to adopt her came from all over the country.
Uskoro je grčki tisak počeo izvještavati o čudesnoj bebi, koja je preživjela četiri dana u vodi bez hrane i pića, pristizale su ponude za posvojenje iz čitave zemlje.
And meanwhile, Doaa was in another hospital on Crete, thin, dehydrated. An Egyptian family took her into their home as soon as she was released. And soon word went around about Doaa's survival, and a phone number was published on Facebook. Messages started coming in.
A u međuvremenu, Doaa je bila u drugoj bolnici na Kreti, mršava, dehidrirana. Egipatska obitelj ju je prihvatila u svoj dom čim su je pustili iz bolnice. Uskoro se pročula vijest o Doaainom preživljavanju, na facebooku je objavljen broj telefona. Počele su pristizati poruke.
"Doaa, do you know what happened to my brother? My sister? My parents? My friends? Do you know if they survived?"
"Doaa, znaš li što se dogodilo s mojim bratom? Mojoj sestri? Mojim roditeljima? Prijateljima? Znaš li jesu li preživjeli?
One of those messages said, "I believe you saved my little niece, Masa." And it had this photo. This was from Masa's uncle, a Syrian refugee who had made it to Sweden with his family and also Masa's older sister. Soon, we hope, Masa will be reunited with him in Sweden, and until then, she's being cared for in a beautiful orphanage in Athens.
U jednoj poruci je pisalo: "Mislim da si spasila moju malu nećakinju, Masu." Ova fotografija je bila priložena. Poruku je poslao Masin ujak, sirijski izbjeglica koji je uspio pobjeći u Švedsku s obitelji i Masinom starijom sestrom. Nadamo se da će mu se Masa uskoro pridružiti u Švedskoj, dotad se o njoj skrbe u predivnom sirotištu u Ateni.
And Doaa? Well, word went around about her survival, too. And the media wrote about this slight woman, and couldn't imagine how she could survive all this time under such conditions in that sea, and still save another life. The Academy of Athens, one of Greece's most prestigious institutions, gave her an award of bravery, and she deserves all that praise, and she deserves a second chance. But she wants to still go to Sweden. She wants to reunite with her family there. She wants to bring her mother and her father and her younger siblings away from Egypt there as well, and I believe she will succeed. She wants to become a lawyer or a politician or something that can help fight injustice. She is an extraordinary survivor.
A Doaa? Pa, pročula se vijest i o njenom preživljavanju. Mediji su pisali o toj slabašnoj ženi i nisu mogli ni zamisliti kako je mogla preživjeti sve to vrijeme u takvim uvjetima u tom moru, i pritom spasiti još jedan život. Atenska akademija, jedna od grčkih najprestižnijih institucija, dodijelila joj je nagradu za hrabrost. Ona doista zaslužuje svu tu pohvalu, i zaslužuje novu priliku. Ali ona i dalje želi ići u Švedsku. Pridružiti se svojoj obitelji tamo. Želi dovesti svoju majku, oca i mlađu braću i sestre, izvući ih iz Egipta. I ja vjerujem da će uspjeti. Osim toga, ona želi postati odvjetnica ili političarka ili nešto što će joj pomoći u borbi protiv nepravde. Ona je izuzetan borac.
But I have to ask: what if she didn't have to take that risk? Why did she have to go through all that? Why wasn't there a legal way for her to study in Europe? Why couldn't Masa have taken an airplane to Sweden? Why couldn't Bassem have found work? Why is there no massive resettlement program for Syrian refugees, the victims of the worst war of our times? The world did this for the Vietnamese in the 1970s. Why not now? Why is there so little investment in the neighboring countries hosting so many refugees? And why, the root question, is so little being done to stop the wars, the persecution and the poverty that is driving so many people to the shores of Europe? Until these issues are resolved, people will continue to take to the seas and to seek safety and asylum.
Ali moram pitati: što bi bilo da nije morala tako riskirati? Zašto je morala proći sve to? Zašto nije postojao legalan način da dođe studirati u Europu? Zašto Masa nije mogla zrakoplovom doći do Švedske? Zašto Bassem nije mogao naći posao? Zašto ne postoji program masovnog preseljenja za sirijske izbjeglice, žrtve najgoreg rata našeg doba? Svijet je to omogućio Vijetnamcima 70-ih godina. Zašto ne i sada? Zašto se tako malo ulaže u susjedne zemlje koje pružaju utočište tolikim izbjeglicama? I zašto, glavno pitanje, se toliko malo čini da se zaustave ratovi, progoni i siromaštvo koje tolike ljude goni ka europskim obalama? Dok se ti problemi ne riješe ljudi će nastaviti kročiti morskim putevima u potrazi za sigurnošću i azilom.
And what happens next? Well, that is largely Europe's choice. And I understand the public fears. People are worried about their security, their economies, the changes of culture. But is that more important than saving human lives? Because there is something fundamental here that I think overrides the rest, and it is about our common humanity. No person fleeing war or persecution should have to die crossing a sea to reach safety.
I što je sljedeće? E pa to je uvelike izbor Europe. Ja razumijem strahove javnosti. Ljudi se boje za svoju sigurnost, gospodarstva, kulturne promjene. Ali je li to doista važnije od spašavanja ljudskih života? Ima nešto fundamentalno ovdje što je, čini mi se, važnije od ostalog, a to je naša zajednička humanost. Niti jedna osoba koja bježi od rata i progona ne bi smjela umrijeti prelazeći more da bi došla do sigurnosti.
(Applause)
(Pljesak)
One thing is for sure, that no refugee would be on those dangerous boats if they could thrive where they are. And no migrant would take that dangerous journey if they had enough food for themselves and their children. And no one would put their life savings in the hands of those notorious smugglers if there was a legal way to migrate.
Jedna stvar je sigurna, niti jedna izbjeglica ne bi bila na tim opasnim brodovima da može napredovati tamo odakle jest. I niti jedan migrant ne bi krenuo na taj opasan put da ima dovoljno hrane za sebe i za svoju djecu. I nitko ne bi dao svoju životnu ušteđevinu u ruke tih zloglasnih krijumčara kad bi postojao legalan način migracije.
So on behalf of little Masa and on behalf of Doaa and of Bassem and of those 500 people who drowned with them, can we make sure that they did not die in vain? Could we be inspired by what happened, and take a stand for a world in which every life matters?
Stoga, u ime male Mase i u ime Doaae i Bassema i onih 500 ljudi koji su se utopili, možemo li se pobrinuti da nisu poginuli uzalud? Može li nas to što se dogodilo nadahnuti da se zauzmemo za svijet u kojem je svaki život važan?
Thank you.
Hvala.
(Applause)
(Pljesak)