Why I put myself in danger to tell the stories of Gaza
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0:02 - 0:03Hello.
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0:04 - 0:07This is my first trip,
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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)
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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.
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0:32 - 0:36Simply, I live in Gaza,
there is no airport. -
0:37 - 0:40All borders are closed on every side.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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2:10 - 2:14I have built up
many relationships over 10 years. -
2:15 - 2:16And guess what?
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2:16 - 2:20This gives me the chance
to get access to people, -
2:20 - 2:22to stories that others can't.
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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,
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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
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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.
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2:58 - 3:01Drugs were being smuggled,
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3:01 - 3:04and many young people got addicted, too.
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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.
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3:19 - 3:22I have a wonderful husband,
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3:22 - 3:25a wonderful husband who supports me
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3:25 - 3:28despite all the criticism
he gets from the society. -
3:29 - 3:32He's at home now with my two kids,
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3:32 - 3:34and I have another one
that's growing in here. -
3:35 - 3:40(Applause)
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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,
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3:48 - 3:49he should call my contact,
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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,
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3:59 - 4:04during the kidnapping
of the British journalist Alan Johnston, -
4:04 - 4:08I was asked by an American magazine
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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
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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.
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4:31 - 4:37And they drove us away,
far away in the middle of a field. -
4:37 - 4:39They took our cell phones
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4:39 - 4:44and we did the interview
with the kidnapper outside in that field. -
4:46 - 4:47I was so scared that day,
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4:47 - 4:50a day I will never forget.
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4:52 - 4:55So, why do I do what I do?
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4:55 - 4:58I do it because I believe if I didn't,
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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.
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5:11 - 5:16I love my country, despite
the terrible situation we live in -- -
5:16 - 5:20siege, poverty, unemployment --
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5:20 - 5:21but there is life.
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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)
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5:52 - 5:53During the time of war,
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5:53 - 5:57the hardest part for me
is leaving the house early in the morning, -
5:57 - 5:59leaving my children.
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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,
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6:21 - 6:25because I want to be there first,
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6:25 - 6:29because these stories should be told.
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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
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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.
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7:04 - 7:07Her picture will be with me forever.
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7:07 - 7:09I will never forget her.
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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)
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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.
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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.
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8:02 - 8:05But I remember these words:
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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.
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8:15 - 8:22(Applause)
- Title:
- Why I put myself in danger to tell the stories of Gaza
- Speaker:
- Ameera Harouda
- Description:
-
When Ameera Haroda hears the sounds of bombs or shells, she heads straight towards them. "I want to be there first because these stories should be told," says Gaza's first female "fixer," a role that allows her to guide journalists into chaotic, war zone scenarios in her home country, which she still loves despite its terrible situation. Find out what motivates her to give a voice to Gaza's human suffering in this unforgettable talk.
- 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 |