my name is Simona Turkey and I’m a Palestinian and I come from a family of
Palestinian and I come from a family of
Palestinian and I come from a family of Palestinian refugees my father’s family
Palestinian refugees my father’s family
Palestinian refugees my father’s family fled to Lebanon in the 1940s on refugee
fled to Lebanon in the 1940s on refugee
fled to Lebanon in the 1940s on refugee travel documents it wasn’t until he was
travel documents it wasn’t until he was
travel documents it wasn’t until he was 12 that my father was given the Austrian
12 that my father was given the Austrian
12 that my father was given the Austrian citizenship and because of that here
citizenship and because of that here
citizenship and because of that here stands a perfect image of a privileged
stands a perfect image of a privileged
stands a perfect image of a privileged teenage girl who’s never struggled with
teenage girl who’s never struggled with
teenage girl who’s never struggled with the realities of the real world I’ve
the realities of the real world I’ve
the realities of the real world I’ve never needed to worry about paying for
never needed to worry about paying for
never needed to worry about paying for my school or having a roof over my head
my school or having a roof over my head
my school or having a roof over my head and I’ve certainly never had to go to
and I’ve certainly never had to go to
and I’ve certainly never had to go to bed fearing for my life but you see the
bed fearing for my life but you see the
bed fearing for my life but you see the two million Palestinians living in the
two million Palestinians living in the
two million Palestinians living in the West Bank and the 1.5 Palestinian
West Bank and the 1.5 Palestinian
West Bank and the 1.5 Palestinian refugees are not as fortunate as I am it
refugees are not as fortunate as I am it
refugees are not as fortunate as I am it breaks my heart to see that my people my
breaks my heart to see that my people my
breaks my heart to see that my people my community are being dehumanized in a
community are being dehumanized in a
community are being dehumanized in a sense that millions are being killed or
sense that millions are being killed or
sense that millions are being killed or deprived from their basic necessities
deprived from their basic necessities
deprived from their basic necessities and I think to myself how society been
and I think to myself how society been
and I think to myself how society been able to turn a blind eye through the
able to turn a blind eye through the
able to turn a blind eye through the brutal mistreatment of Palestinians
brutal mistreatment of Palestinians
brutal mistreatment of Palestinians rings occupation how society been able
rings occupation how society been able
rings occupation how society been able to belittle the importance of
to belittle the importance of
to belittle the importance of Palestinian human lives to an extent
Palestinian human lives to an extent
Palestinian human lives to an extent where no one intervenes through the
where no one intervenes through the
where no one intervenes through the bloodshed and terror of this conflict
bloodshed and terror of this conflict
bloodshed and terror of this conflict and only few who are lucky like me get
and only few who are lucky like me get
and only few who are lucky like me get to lead normal healthy lives I wanted to
to lead normal healthy lives I wanted to
to lead normal healthy lives I wanted to look at this concept of dehumanization
look at this concept of dehumanization
look at this concept of dehumanization on a large scale to understand the
on a large scale to understand the
on a large scale to understand the situation was back and when I did I
situation was back and when I did I
situation was back and when I did I realize it a signal peace in all parts
realize it a signal peace in all parts
realize it a signal peace in all parts of the world 130 thousand thousand
of the world 130 thousand thousand
of the world 130 thousand thousand Mexicans have been slot in the Mexican
Mexicans have been slot in the Mexican
Mexicans have been slot in the Mexican drug war four hundred and seventy
drug war four hundred and seventy
drug war four hundred and seventy thousand Syrians have been killed in the
thousand Syrians have been killed in the
thousand Syrians have been killed in the Civil War and one thousand and five
Civil War and one thousand and five
Civil War and one thousand and five hundred Sudanese have been slaughtered
hundred Sudanese have been slaughtered
hundred Sudanese have been slaughtered in the ongoing turmoil I’m stating all
in the ongoing turmoil I’m stating all
in the ongoing turmoil I’m stating all these numbers but what do they really
these numbers but what do they really
these numbers but what do they really mean well they mean that 130,000
mean well they mean that 130,000
mean well they mean that 130,000 Mexicans who look like this
four hundred and seventy thousand
four hundred and seventy thousand Syrians who look like this and one
Syrians who look like this and one
Syrians who look like this and one thousand and five thousand Sudanese who
thousand and five thousand Sudanese who
thousand and five thousand Sudanese who look like this how are the people
look like this how are the people
look like this how are the people responsible for these killings able to
responsible for these killings able to
responsible for these killings able to justify themselves so many died in the
justify themselves so many died in the
justify themselves so many died in the most gruesome ways and it seems that
most gruesome ways and it seems that
most gruesome ways and it seems that little or no action has been taken by
little or no action has been taken by
little or no action has been taken by any world leaders to seek justice and
any world leaders to seek justice and
any world leaders to seek justice and peace for these people because the some
peace for these people because the some
peace for these people because the some they’re viewed as less important and
they’re viewed as less important and
they’re viewed as less important and this dehumanization of people can
this dehumanization of people can
this dehumanization of people can structures for a skin color systemic
structures for a skin color systemic
structures for a skin color systemic racism has degraded the human value of
racism has degraded the human value of
racism has degraded the human value of African Americans in the u.s. to an
African Americans in the u.s. to an
African Americans in the u.s. to an extent that campaign seeking justice
extent that campaign seeking justice
extent that campaign seeking justice loudly need to tell you that black lives
loudly need to tell you that black lives
loudly need to tell you that black lives matter self about these global issues I
matter self about these global issues I
matter self about these global issues I wanted to understand why the
wanted to understand why the
wanted to understand why the humanization occurred according to
humanization occurred according to
humanization occurred according to Social Psychology people recognized two
Social Psychology people recognized two
Social Psychology people recognized two kinds of social groups an in-group and
kinds of social groups an in-group and
kinds of social groups an in-group and an out-group an in-group is a social
an out-group an in-group is a social
an out-group an in-group is a social group in which people identify
group in which people identify
group in which people identify themselves to and the out group being
themselves to and the out group being
themselves to and the out group being vice versa and people can have multiple
vice versa and people can have multiple
vice versa and people can have multiple in groups according to race age
in groups according to race age
in groups according to race age nationality and so on so for example my
nationality and so on so for example my
nationality and so on so for example my in groups would be Middle Easterners
in groups would be Middle Easterners
in groups would be Middle Easterners seventeen-year-olds or if I liked it it
seventeen-year-olds or if I liked it it
seventeen-year-olds or if I liked it it then the girls for my knitting club
then the girls for my knitting club
then the girls for my knitting club these would be the group of people in
these would be the group of people in
these would be the group of people in which I feel I belong to and the out
which I feel I belong to and the out
which I feel I belong to and the out group would be everybody else such as
group would be everybody else such as
group would be everybody else such as Russian Olympic gymnast so a bunch of
Russian Olympic gymnast so a bunch of
Russian Olympic gymnast so a bunch of eight-year-olds in Timbuktu and so
eight-year-olds in Timbuktu and so
eight-year-olds in Timbuktu and so dehumanization occurs because our brains
dehumanization occurs because our brains
dehumanization occurs because our brains tend to view the out-group as less of
tend to view the out-group as less of
tend to view the out-group as less of humans and this doesn’t necessarily
humans and this doesn’t necessarily
humans and this doesn’t necessarily motivate people to be cruel but what it
motivate people to be cruel but what it
motivate people to be cruel but what it rather does is stimulate a moral
rather does is stimulate a moral
rather does is stimulate a moral indifference in which we recognize that
indifference in which we recognize that
indifference in which we recognize that something is terribly wrong yet we say
something is terribly wrong yet we say
something is terribly wrong yet we say or do nothing subject to this bias for
or do nothing subject to this bias for
or do nothing subject to this bias for an in-group over our out group you see I
an in-group over our out group you see I
an in-group over our out group you see I never realize how true this was until
never realize how true this was until
never realize how true this was until last week I want miss trip to Cambodia
last week I want miss trip to Cambodia
last week I want miss trip to Cambodia I’ve met our tour guide and he was such
I’ve met our tour guide and he was such
I’ve met our tour guide and he was such a lovely man he’s very sweet and we had
a lovely man he’s very sweet and we had
a lovely man he’s very sweet and we had just arrived after our 12-hour trip from
just arrived after our 12-hour trip from
just arrived after our 12-hour trip from here to Cambodia and oh here’s the thing
here to Cambodia and oh here’s the thing
here to Cambodia and oh here’s the thing they lost our luggage they lost our
they lost our luggage they lost our
they lost our luggage they lost our luggage we’re on our way to our hotel
luggage we’re on our way to our hotel
luggage we’re on our way to our hotel and our tour guide so it’s talking to us
and our tour guide so it’s talking to us
and our tour guide so it’s talking to us about the Cambodian genocide that ended
about the Cambodian genocide that ended
about the Cambodian genocide that ended in 80s
in 80s
in 80s and how his father was killed in it now
and how his father was killed in it now
and how his father was killed in it now I was thinking oh god this must be
I was thinking oh god this must be
I was thinking oh god this must be horrible but I can’t really think about
horrible but I can’t really think about
horrible but I can’t really think about this right now I mean the airport just
this right now I mean the airport just
this right now I mean the airport just lost my luggage and how soon can I get
lost my luggage and how soon can I get
lost my luggage and how soon can I get deodorant because I’m sure I smell
deodorant because I’m sure I smell
deodorant because I’m sure I smell disgusting and so you see I sympathize
disgusting and so you see I sympathize
disgusting and so you see I sympathize with this man but I didn’t really feel
with this man but I didn’t really feel
with this man but I didn’t really feel any form of deep pain for him but as the
any form of deep pain for him but as the
any form of deep pain for him but as the days went on I started to feel this
days went on I started to feel this
days went on I started to feel this sense of guilt as I am Pereira Lee
sense of guilt as I am Pereira Lee
sense of guilt as I am Pereira Lee integrated into the Cambodian community
integrated into the Cambodian community
integrated into the Cambodian community on our third day all right tour guide
on our third day all right tour guide
on our third day all right tour guide took us to a killing field where
took us to a killing field where
took us to a killing field where thousands of Cambodians were slaughtered
thousands of Cambodians were slaughtered
thousands of Cambodians were slaughtered in the Cambodian genocide and as he was
in the Cambodian genocide and as he was
in the Cambodian genocide and as he was talking about the history you could hear
talking about the history you could hear
talking about the history you could hear the pain in his voice and see the tears
the pain in his voice and see the tears
the pain in his voice and see the tears in his eyes and in that moment I knew
in his eyes and in that moment I knew
in his eyes and in that moment I knew that what he was feeling is exactly what
that what he was feeling is exactly what
that what he was feeling is exactly what I feel towards the palestinian-israeli
I feel towards the palestinian-israeli
I feel towards the palestinian-israeli conflict later that day he took us to a
conflict later that day he took us to a
conflict later that day he took us to a prison where they kept victims in the
prison where they kept victims in the
prison where they kept victims in the genocides and we actually got to meet
genocides and we actually got to meet
genocides and we actually got to meet one of the victims as he was sharing his
one of the victims as he was sharing his
one of the victims as he was sharing his story I felt my heart drop as he was
story I felt my heart drop as he was
story I felt my heart drop as he was sharing these his awful memories in
sharing these his awful memories in
sharing these his awful memories in details and so you see my reaction to
details and so you see my reaction to
details and so you see my reaction to the Cambodian genocide was much
the Cambodian genocide was much
the Cambodian genocide was much different than it was in the beginning
different than it was in the beginning
different than it was in the beginning of the trip
of the trip
of the trip I built this empathy through learning
I built this empathy through learning
I built this empathy through learning something new about this nation and in
something new about this nation and in
something new about this nation and in the end I didn’t look at their pain as
the end I didn’t look at their pain as
the end I didn’t look at their pain as any less than the pain of my people who
any less than the pain of my people who
any less than the pain of my people who suffer back home not everyone is able to
suffer back home not everyone is able to
suffer back home not everyone is able to travel halfway across the world to
travel halfway across the world to
travel halfway across the world to empathize with a different nation and
empathize with a different nation and
empathize with a different nation and not everyone has to do
not everyone has to do
not everyone has to do we’re also concerned for looking off our
we’re also concerned for looking off our
we’re also concerned for looking off our in-group that we tend to forget that the
in-group that we tend to forget that the
in-group that we tend to forget that the odd group are people too but if we all
odd group are people too but if we all
odd group are people too but if we all tried a little harder to educate
tried a little harder to educate
tried a little harder to educate ourselves about these different parts of
ourselves about these different parts of
ourselves about these different parts of the world then there will start to
the world then there will start to
the world then there will start to become this mentality in which we
become this mentality in which we
become this mentality in which we identify with everyone reading a book or
identify with everyone reading a book or
identify with everyone reading a book or an article or just simply watching a
an article or just simply watching a
an article or just simply watching a documentary can go a long way that’s why
documentary can go a long way that’s why
documentary can go a long way that’s why having different skin colors different
having different skin colors different
having different skin colors different gods and different traditions there will
gods and different traditions there will
gods and different traditions there will always be commonalities between us and
always be commonalities between us and
always be commonalities between us and if we just took the time to discover
if we just took the time to discover
if we just took the time to discover them then I can assure you our abilities
them then I can assure you our abilities
them then I can assure you our abilities to empathize will stretch much further
to empathize will stretch much further
to empathize will stretch much further ladies and gentlemen in the end of the
ladies and gentlemen in the end of the
ladies and gentlemen in the end of the day we’re all part of the same in-group
day we’re all part of the same in-group
day we’re all part of the same in-group which is being human thank you
which is being human thank you
which is being human thank you [Applause]
”
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