Proud to be TED Translators | Mahmoud Aghiorly

Mahmoud Aghiorly is a TED Translator who originally hails from Aleppo, Syria. In this short documentary, get an intimate glimpse into not just Mahmoud’s work as a volunteer TED Translator, but also his family’s story of immigration to Australia—and the hope and redemption they’ve found there.

My name is Mahmoud Aghiorly

and I am a volunteer translator with TED.

I am from Syria,

and I am from the city called Aleppo,
located on the North.

This city is an ancient city

Actually, it's been there 3,000 years

but now within 4 years
everything's just finished.

Most of my places in memories and
buildings that I loved, are destroyed.

And they're just bent down,
or bombed, or just throwing.

These places are not there right now

We told Adam so many stories

but actually, it's very difficult for us

that he can't leave them.

And it touched me in my heart.

Actually, as a woman and as a mother that

my baby wouldn't have the ability to visit
his father's places or mother's places.

so yeah

Me and my brother were posted in engineers

and we were dreaming actually to have
an engineering consultant obviously

but the engineering office was
in the middle and heated area

so it was also mostly destroyed.

So I think even you imagine
future is destroyed or bent down

I spent around 5 years into it

then I immigrate to Australia by 2015.

We came here on second day of November.

Last year, everthing was dark

and when the sun rises,
it is a new life.

Everything seems beautiful,

everything is green with so much flowers.

We want Adam to live in a better world

We want him to have a great life.

And I think that he was the main reason
why we took that immigrated decision.

It was not an easy decision to take.

Moving to another country, that is
totally different what we used to,

is not that easy.

We are so happy right now,

and we know what we did
is for us and for Adam as well.

Starting from February to August,

I was searching and sending
around 10 or 12 CVs.

Actually, the main advice is
to change my name

because Madmoud sounds
so much traditional.

The second advice they asked me
to hide my place of birth,

and my origin of my certificate.

They told me that nation
makes me think about Syria.

I didn't choose the country
that I was born in.

And I didn't choose my name.

So, people are judging me
with things that I didn't choose.

I choose how I'm going to
deal with the problems,

and having a proper channel for new ideas.

It is very essential for people
who are coming from a war zone,

and people who are coming
from a lost path.

Ted will provide you
a proper channel of many ideas

from every people around the world.

You can directly relate to someone
who is facing the same problem,

to someone who just immigrates
to the new country,

to someone who is starting a new family,
or some who's facing problems.

Mahmoud has a great way
of loving and giving.

And I think volunteering is a way
of loving and giving.

Translating a language to another language
is a great boat.

(Music)