ABILITY Magazine's Interview: Safak Pavey

Safak Pavey is a journalist, writer,
activist, and politician.

In 2011, after 15 years away in
Switzerland,

she returned to her native Turkey
and was elected

Deputy from the Istanbul Province

and was appointed Deputy Chairperson
of the

Republican People's Party, or CHP.

She is a leading voice on the world stage
for many issues,

including Human Rights and inclusion
for those with

disabilities in politics as well as
other leadership positions.

During ABILITY Magazine's visit
to the United Nations,

we met with several delegates
from across the world.

Here is an excerpt from our conversation

with Safak Pavey.

(Music)

I had a train accident in Zurich,
where I was studying

in Switzerland.

And the train left with the doors open

so, that is how it happened...

"Sure, we'll be in touch.
That's my contacts. Any time email...

Now that I won the elections,
I'll be back."

"Okay, good luck, very good luck."

And that was... it can happen to anyone.

But afterwards, I met
with the world of disability,

and which actually
increased my sensitivities

and perspectives.

It gave me a new perspective in life.

Later on, I decided, I gave a struggle for myself

to stand up again like everybody else.

I've learned also falling is not a bad thing.

Because then you learn how to stand up again.

As a person who has fell several times

or once in your life

you know how to stand up again.

So that experience has certainly helped me.

Also to discover the world of disability

where there's a lot of discrimination that happens

from the society... interaction with the society that

you find yourself in.

Be it physical to psychological challenges that you face.

At every level... discrimination.

So, I've decided to work for that as well...

Later in my life when I was working with the United Nations

and then I became the First Secretary to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

One area that certainly I'm very much willing

to work on is participation of disabled people

in political and public life.

Now, that I am a politician, I see how very little that

representation is across the world.

As I get exposed to different parliaments, local authorities,

wherever we go... I sit on three different international

committees as my Parliamentary work,

so I see how very little is invested

in disabled people to be politically participating

in the decision making mechanisms.

Committee on the Rights of Women

again another Human Rights committee at the UN

I think there should be many more involved in that as well

because we can't resolve Women's Rights issues without

looking at the other half of society.

For instance, violence against women cannot be resolved

by teaching women their rights or protecting them only

because they will be going to the same reality.

Often, in my country, I find it that we teach, we help them

to rebuild their life, teach them their rights...and try to empower

them and they go back to the same household

where the male member of that household is in the same way,

so they get exposed to even more violence

knowing their rights this time.

So sometimes, we forget the other half.

Not only those who are exposed to the violation of their rights

should be involved in programs and monitoring committees,

but the other half as well should be involved

and other angles and perspectives.

Only then can we resolve issues in their society.

Not by isolating further.

There's also another aspect to the disability. I believe that the world

doesn't want to face it, like in Syria right now...

or anywhere that you spot a conflict or violent situation

happening... with veterans coming back home

suddenly realize that that conflict actually disabled people

even more than the casualties that were lost.

In humanitarian work, which I used to work for,

with United Nations Refugee Agency.

In a humanitarian emergency situation, or conflict situation

be it a natural disaster or a human made disaster, like wars,

we always used to calculate the result by saying four times

the casualties equals how many people disabled by this war.

Always think that from that war not only the casualties

will be the negative outcome of that war.

Learning our lessons from our mistakes, did not happen

in humankind.

That's why we're up for wars again. We are up for this.

We pay a big price.

I mean, a single person's life, full of a lot of challenges,

opportunities, good things, bad things, but it's already quite a lot.

And that's not enough for us!

We need to create more mayhem in the world!

Do we really need that?

I don't think we do.

Whoever is behind these war decisions...

...whoever is behind changing public opinion,

making it aggressive towards another nation,

is guilty of stealing from our future...

our next generation's future.

Not only ours.

Because, just like Nature Rights, looking at long term

uh, short term gains and benefits out of cutting off

Amazon. Yes, you will be filthy rich, but then you have made

the next generation completely poor.

So, just like causing a war...

So, we have to be very careful in our steps when we are

going overconfident in our decisions.

We just have to remember our personal pain....

...our personal achievements sometimes...

...how hard it is to make it.

And try to settle for a smaller but long term.

After building United Nations, we should try to respect

this system as well, of states coming together...

...trying to solve things by dialogue rather than

launching wars on each other.

So, I believe... yes, if you're a lazy person

which is fine... which is okay, but then... stay at home

and don't get involved with decisionmaking

because decisionmaking needs patience and hard work.

And war is for lazy people's choice.

I believe.

And it's fine for me to be lazy too, but just don't get involved

in decisionmaking then.

Don't go for the short term decision.

Peace always takes more work.

And always takes more effort, more dialogue, and more

screaming at each other, but still trying to find

a way to listen to each other as well.

And that's only possible by talking.

That's the only thing we humankind have.

So, as a talent.

I think, be it serious different issues, related to conflict

resolution, we can do it, if we really are persistent

and consistent with our aim.

What do you want to do?

Go for the easy way?

Or go for the difficult but much more durable way?

Which is peace.