9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
About 12 years ago,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
I gave up my career in banking

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
to try to make the world a safer place.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
This involved a journey

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
into national and global advocacy

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and meeting some of the most[br]extraordinary people in the world.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
In the process, I became[br]a civil society diplomat.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Civil society diplomats do three things:

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
they voice the concern of the people,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
are not condoned by national interests,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and influence change

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
through citizen networks,[br]not only state ones.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
And if you want to change the world,[br]we need more of them.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
But many people still ask,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
can civil society really[br]make a big difference?

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Can citizens influence and shape[br]national and global policy?

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
I never thought I would ask[br]myself these questions,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
but here I am to share some lessons

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
about the powerful civil society movements[br]that I've been involved in.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
They are in issues[br]that I'm passionate about:

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
gun control and drug policy.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
And these are issues that matter here.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Latin America is ground zero[br]for both of them.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
For example, Brazil:

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
this beautiful country hosting TEDGlobal

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
has the world's ugliest record.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
We are the number one champion

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
in homicidal violence.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
One in every 10 people[br]killed around the world

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
is a Brazilian.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
This translates into over 56,000 people

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
dying violently each year.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Most of them are young, black boys

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
dying by guns.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Brazil is also one of the world's[br]largest consumers of drugs,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and the War on Drugs[br]has been especially painful here.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Around 50 percent of the homicides[br]in the streets in Brazil

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
are related to the War on Drugs.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
The same is true for about[br]25 percent of people in jail.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
And it's not just Brazil that is affected[br]by the twin problems of guns and drugs.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Virtually every country and city across[br]Central and South America is in trouble.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Latin America has nine percent[br]of the world's population,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
but 25 percent[br]of its global violent deaths.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
These are not problems[br]we can run away from.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
I certainly could not.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
So the first campaign I got involved with[br]started here in 2003

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
to change Brazil's gun law

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and to create a program[br]to buy back weapons.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
In just a few years,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
we not only changed national legislation

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
that made it much more difficult[br]for civilians to buy a gun,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
but we collected and destroyed

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
almost half a million weapons.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
This was one of the biggest[br]buy-back programs in history,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
but we also suffered some setbacks.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
We lost a referendum[br]to ban gun sales to civilians in 2005.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
The second initiative was also home-grown,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
but is today a global movement to reform[br]the international drug control regime.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
I am the executive coordinator[br]of something called

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
The Global Commission on Drug Policy.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
The commission is a high-level group

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
of global leaders brought together[br]to identify more human

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and effective approaches[br]to the issue of drugs.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Since we started in 2008,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
the taboo on drugs is broken.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Across the Americas, from the west[br]in Mexico to Colombia and Uruguay,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
change is in the air.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
But rather than tell you the whole story[br]about these two movements,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
I just want to share with you[br]four key insights.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
I call them lessons to change the world.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
There are certainly many more,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
but these are the ones[br]that stand out to me.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
So the first lesson is,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
change and control the narrative.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
It may seem obvious,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
but a key ingredient[br]to civil society diplomacy

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
is first changing and then[br]controlling the narrative.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
This is something[br]that veteran politicians understand

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
but that civil society groups[br]generally do not do very well.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
In the case of drug policy,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
our biggest success has been[br]to change the discussion

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
away from prosecuting a War on Drugs

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
to putting people's health[br]and safety first.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
In a cutting edge report[br]we just launched in New York,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
we also showed that the groups benefiting[br]most from this $320 billion market

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
are criminal gangs and cartels.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
So in order to undermine[br]the power and profit of these groups,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
we need to change the conversation.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
We need to make illegal drugs legal.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
But before I get you too excited,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
I don't mean drugs[br]should be a free-for-all.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
What I'm talking about,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and what the Global Commission[br]advocates for

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
is creating a highly regulated market,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
where different drugs would have[br]different degrees of regulation.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
As for gun control,[br]we were successful in changing,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
but not so much[br]in controlling the narrative.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
And this brings me to my next lesson:

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
never underestimate your opponents.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
If you want to succeed[br]in changing the world,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
you need to know who you're up against.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
You need to learn their motivations[br]and points of view.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
In the case of gun control,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
we really underestimated our opponents.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
After a very successful[br]gun-collection program,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
we were elated.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
We had support[br]from 80 percent of Brazilians,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and thought that this could help us[br]win the referendum

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
to ban gun sales to civilians.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
But we were dead wrong.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
During a televised 20-day public debate,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
our opponent used[br]our own arguments against us.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
We ended up losing the popular vote.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
It was really terrible.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
The National Rifle Association

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
-- yes, the American NRA --

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
came to Brazil.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
They inundated our campaign[br]with their propaganda,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
that as you know[br]links the right to own guns

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
to ideas of freedom and democracy.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
They simply threw everything at us.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
They used our national flag,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
our independence anthem.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
They invoked women's rights

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and misused images of Mandela,[br]Tiananmen Square, and even Hitler.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
They won by playing with people's fears.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
In fact, guns were almost[br]completely ignored in their campaign.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Their focus was on individual rights.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
But I ask you:

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
which right is more important,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
the right to life

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
or the right to have a gun[br]that takes life away?

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
(Applause)

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
We thought people would vote[br]in defense of life,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
but in a country with a recent past[br]of military dictatorship,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
the anti-government message[br]of our opponents resonated,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and we were not prepared to respond.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Lesson learned:

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
we've been more successful[br]in the case of drug policy.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
If you ask most people 10 years ago

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
if an end to the War on Drugs[br]was possible, they would have laughed.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
After all, there are huge[br]military police prisons

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and financial establishments[br]benefiting from this war.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
But today, the international drug[br]control regime is starting to crumble.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Governments and civil societies[br]are experimenting with new approaches.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
The Global Commission on Drug Policy

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
really knew its opposition,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and rather than fighting them,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
our chair -- former Brazilian President[br]Fernando Henrique Cardoso --

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
reached out to leaders[br]from across the political spectrum,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
from liberals to conservatives.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
This high level group agreed[br]to honestly discuss the merits and flaws

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
of drug policies.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
It was this reasoned, informed,[br]and strategic discussion

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
that revealed the sad truth[br]about the War on Drugs.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
The War on Drugs has simply failed[br]across every metric.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Drugs are cheaper[br]and more available than ever,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and consumption has risen globally.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
But even worse,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
it also generated massive[br]negative unintended consequences.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
It is true that some people[br]have made these arguments before,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
but we have made a difference[br]by anticipating the arguments

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
of our opponents

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and by leveraging powerful voices[br]that a few years ago

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
would probably have resisted change.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Third lesson: use data[br]to drive your argument.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Guns and drugs are emotive issues,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and as we've painfully learned[br]in the gun referendum campaign in Brazil,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
sometimes it's impossible[br]to cut through the emotions

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and get to the facts.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
But this doesn't mean[br]that we shouldn't try.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Until quite recently,[br]we simply didn't know

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
how many Brazilians were killed by guns.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Amazingly, it was a local soap opera[br]called Mulheres Apaixonadas

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
-- or "Women in Love" --

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
that kicked off Brazil's[br]national gun control campaign.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
In one highly-viewed episode,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
a soap opera lead actress[br]was killed by a stray bullet.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Brazilian grannies[br]and housewives were outraged,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and in a case of art imitating life,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
this episode also included footage[br]of a real gun control march

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
that we had organized right here

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
outside in Copacabana Beach.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
The televised march[br]had a huge impact on public opinion.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Within weeks, our national congress[br]approved the disarmament bill

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
that had been languishing for years.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
We were then able to mobilize data

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
to show the successful outcomes[br]of the changing the law

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and gun collection program.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Here is what I mean:

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
we could prove that in just one year,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
we saved more than 5,000 lives.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
(Applause)

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
And in the case of drugs,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
in order to undermine this fear[br]and prejudice that surrounds the issue,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
we managed to gather and present data[br]that shows these drug policies

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
cause much more harm than drug use per se,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and people are starting to get it.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
My fourth insight is,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
don't be afraid to bring[br]together odd bedfellows.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
What we've learned in Brazil

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
-- this doesn't only[br]apply to my country --

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
is the importance of bringing diverse[br]and eclectic folks together.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
If you want to change the world,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
it helps to have a good procession[br]of society on your side.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
In both the case of guns and drugs,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
we brought together[br]a wonderful mix of people.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
We mobilized the elite

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and got huge support from the media.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
We gathered the victims,[br]human rights champions, cultural icons.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
We also assembled[br]the professional classes:

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
doctors, lawyers, academia, and more.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
What I've learned over the last years

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
is that you need coalitions of the willing

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and of the unwilling to make change.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
In the case of drugs,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
we needed libertarians,[br]anti-prohibitionists, legalizers,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and liberal politicians.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
They may not agree on everything:

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
in fact, they disagree[br]on almost everything.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
But the legitimacy of the campaign

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
is based on their diverse points of view.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Over a decade ago,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
I had a comfortable future[br]working for an investment bank.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
I was as far removed from the world[br]of civil society diplomacy

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
as you can imagine.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
But I took a chance.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
I changed course,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and on the way, I helped to create[br]social movements that I believe

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
have made some parts of the world safer.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Each and every one of us

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
has the power to change the world.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
No matter what the issue,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and no matter how hard the fight,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
civil society is central[br]to the blueprint for change.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Thank you.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
(Applause)