Why I put myself in danger to tell the stories of Gaza
-
0:02 - 0:03Hello.
-
0:04 - 0:07This is my first trip,
-
0:07 - 0:11first time in life I'm outside
of the walls of Gaza. -
0:11 - 0:13I'm so happy to be here.
-
0:13 - 0:19(Applause)
-
0:19 - 0:25My ambition always was
to be a pilot, to fly a plane, -
0:25 - 0:29to feel free to fly the sky,
to touch the sky. -
0:30 - 0:32But that didn't happen.
-
0:32 - 0:36Simply, I live in Gaza,
there is no airport. -
0:37 - 0:40All borders are closed on every side.
-
0:41 - 0:44We live in one of the biggest
prisons in the world. -
0:45 - 0:50The only thing I can do
is just to look up to the sky. -
0:50 - 0:54On some days, we are lucky
if we have electricity -
0:54 - 0:56for four or five hours.
-
0:57 - 1:03When it's cold, we make a fire
on the front or on the roof of our homes. -
1:03 - 1:05Sometimes we make food, too.
-
1:06 - 1:11My job in Gaza is to arrange everything
for journalists who come to my homeland -
1:11 - 1:16to tell the stories
about what's going on in Gaza. -
1:16 - 1:19Many mornings,
I had to go to the border area -
1:19 - 1:21to collect a journalist.
-
1:21 - 1:24If anything should happen
to the journalist, -
1:24 - 1:28or if the journalist decides
to cover a story -
1:28 - 1:31the government doesn't want us to cover,
-
1:31 - 1:33bad things could happen.
-
1:35 - 1:38Navigating through my country
helping journalists, -
1:38 - 1:43filmmakers, news crews,
is my working life. -
1:44 - 1:48I believe my success comes
from building a relationship -
1:48 - 1:51not only with journalists
and the news crews, -
1:51 - 1:54but also with the communities
in the Gaza Strip. -
1:55 - 1:59These communities who don't want
their stories to be told, -
2:00 - 2:04I never looked to them
as stories or numbers. -
2:04 - 2:07But like me, they are human beings.
-
2:10 - 2:14I have built up
many relationships over 10 years. -
2:15 - 2:16And guess what?
-
2:16 - 2:20This gives me the chance
to get access to people, -
2:20 - 2:22to stories that others can't.
-
2:22 - 2:28In some certain situations,
I feel, as a woman, I have more power. -
2:29 - 2:32Many male journalists in my society,
-
2:32 - 2:36they want to cover a story
about drug addiction in my country. -
2:37 - 2:41That problem started
when the Gaza tunnel was being built. -
2:42 - 2:45With the siege on Gaza,
-
2:45 - 2:47tunnels brought people all the basic needs
-
2:47 - 2:51like food, building material,
other stuff we needed. -
2:51 - 2:56But not anymore, because the Egyptian side
flooded them up with water -
2:56 - 2:58and they are not working anymore.
-
2:58 - 3:01Drugs were being smuggled,
-
3:01 - 3:04and many young people got addicted, too.
-
3:05 - 3:08In the tradition
of the Palestinian society, -
3:08 - 3:12it's forbidden for men
to enter the household. -
3:12 - 3:15So, no male journalists get the story.
-
3:15 - 3:17But I did.
-
3:19 - 3:22I have a wonderful husband,
-
3:22 - 3:25a wonderful husband who supports me
-
3:25 - 3:28despite all the criticism
he gets from the society. -
3:29 - 3:32He's at home now with my two kids,
-
3:32 - 3:34and I have another one
that's growing in here. -
3:35 - 3:40(Applause)
-
3:41 - 3:44When I'm working,
I call him every two hours, -
3:44 - 3:48and he knows if he doesn't hear from me,
-
3:48 - 3:49he should call my contact,
-
3:49 - 3:52the one who gives me access to the story,
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3:52 - 3:55which is the one who I trust.
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3:57 - 3:59One of the times in Gaza,
-
3:59 - 4:04during the kidnapping
of the British journalist Alan Johnston, -
4:04 - 4:08I was asked by an American magazine
-
4:08 - 4:13to set up a meeting
with the kidnappers in Gaza, and I did. -
4:14 - 4:17The journalist covering the story and I
-
4:17 - 4:20were asked to meet outside of his hotel.
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4:22 - 4:27They came, they picked us up
in a black van with black windows, -
4:27 - 4:29they were wearing masks on that day.
-
4:31 - 4:37And they drove us away,
far away in the middle of a field. -
4:37 - 4:39They took our cell phones
-
4:39 - 4:44and we did the interview
with the kidnapper outside in that field. -
4:46 - 4:47I was so scared that day,
-
4:47 - 4:50a day I will never forget.
-
4:52 - 4:55So, why do I do what I do?
-
4:55 - 4:58I do it because I believe if I didn't,
-
4:58 - 5:03a huge part of the story
about Gaza will be missing. -
5:04 - 5:08There are some more stories
I could tell you about my country. -
5:08 - 5:10And not all of them are bad.
-
5:11 - 5:16I love my country, despite
the terrible situation we live in -- -
5:16 - 5:20siege, poverty, unemployment --
-
5:20 - 5:21but there is life.
-
5:22 - 5:27There are people who are dreamers
and amazing people full of energy. -
5:28 - 5:32We have wonderful music,
and a great music school. -
5:32 - 5:36We have parkour dancers
who dance in the rubble of their homes. -
5:38 - 5:41And Gaza is the only place
in the Arab world -
5:41 - 5:45where Muslims and Christians
live in strong brotherhood. -
5:47 - 5:52(Applause)
-
5:52 - 5:53During the time of war,
-
5:53 - 5:57the hardest part for me
is leaving the house early in the morning, -
5:57 - 5:59leaving my children.
-
5:59 - 6:03I take a picture of them everyday
-
6:03 - 6:07because I never know
if I will make it back to them. -
6:08 - 6:14Being a fixer and a journalist
is difficult and dangerous in Gaza. -
6:15 - 6:18But when I hear the sound of the shelling
or the sound of the bombing, -
6:18 - 6:21I just head straight toward it,
-
6:21 - 6:25because I want to be there first,
-
6:25 - 6:29because these stories should be told.
-
6:32 - 6:36When my children were small
and we heard the sound of the war, -
6:36 - 6:40I used to tell them
that they were fireworks. -
6:40 - 6:43Now they are older, they understand.
-
6:44 - 6:48I do have terrible nightmares
-
6:48 - 6:52because of all that I witnessed
during war times, -
6:52 - 6:56especially these lifeless bodies
of young children. -
6:56 - 7:00I still remember a little girl,
her name is Hala. -
7:01 - 7:03She's the only survivor from her family.
-
7:04 - 7:07Her picture will be with me forever.
-
7:07 - 7:09I will never forget her.
-
7:13 - 7:17I'm proud that I can stand here
and be here today with you. -
7:18 - 7:25I'm proud that I can tell you
stories, sad and happy, -
7:25 - 7:29stories about my small corner
of the world, Gaza. -
7:29 - 7:34I'm proud that I am
the first female fixer working in Gaza. -
7:34 - 7:38And the funny thing is
they call me Mr. Rambo in Gaza. -
7:38 - 7:41(Laughter)
-
7:41 - 7:46I hope one day, I will get the chance
to tell the stories of all other women, -
7:46 - 7:49all other amazing women
I know in my country. -
7:49 - 7:53I hope that one day
I can help other women in my country -
7:53 - 7:55to be fixers like me.
-
7:55 - 8:00And of course sometimes,
I feel I can't do this work anymore, -
8:00 - 8:02it's just too much for me.
-
8:02 - 8:05But I remember these words:
-
8:05 - 8:08"Don't limit your challenge,
but challenge your limit. -
8:08 - 8:12Don't allow others to stand
in front of your dreams." -
8:14 - 8:15Thank you.
-
8:15 - 8:22(Applause)
- Title:
- Why I put myself in danger to tell the stories of Gaza
- Speaker:
- Ameera Harouda
- Description:
-
Ameera Harouda speaks at TED2016
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TEDTalks
- Duration:
- 08:38
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for Why I put myself in danger to tell the stories of Gaza | ||
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for Why I put myself in danger to tell the stories of Gaza | ||
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for Why I put myself in danger to tell the stories of Gaza | ||
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for Why I put myself in danger to tell the stories of Gaza | ||
Krystian Aparta edited English subtitles for Why I put myself in danger to tell the stories of Gaza | ||
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for Why I put myself in danger to tell the stories of Gaza | ||
Brian Greene approved English subtitles for Why I put myself in danger to tell the stories of Gaza | ||
Brian Greene accepted English subtitles for Why I put myself in danger to tell the stories of Gaza |