0:00:07.993,0:00:10.653 Hello everyone. It's great to be here. 0:00:10.653,0:00:12.443 You know, great to be at the stage of my old auditorium, 0:00:12.443,0:00:15.315 my school and, you know, 0:00:15.315,0:00:18.713 what an honor it is to be on this stage at TEDx. 0:00:18.713,0:00:21.926 And, like everyone else here, I'm here. 0:00:21.926,0:00:26.138 I'm a story teller, some people call me an artist. 0:00:26.138,0:00:28.276 And I'm a story teller. 0:00:28.276,0:00:33.007 And I'm here to share with you my story. 0:00:33.007,0:00:36.314 You see, when I first got asked to do a TED talk, 0:00:36.314,0:00:40.383 I Googled it to see what it's all about, and 0:00:40.383,0:00:42.458 one of the speakers came up and she said that 0:00:42.458,0:00:44.408 she was fine until she got up on stage 0:00:44.408,0:00:46.542 and then she saw the timer and then she noticed 0:00:46.542,0:00:49.505 that it was ticking down and it reminded her 0:00:49.505,0:00:50.827 very much of a bomb. 0:00:50.827,0:00:53.292 (Laughter) 0:00:53.292,0:00:56.249 You see I'm from Afghanistan and 0:00:56.249,0:01:01.029 that's the last thing I want to be reminded of. 0:01:01.029,0:01:04.841 But anyway, earlier this year I went back to Afghanistan 0:01:04.841,0:01:07.625 with my father and this photo was taken from 0:01:07.625,0:01:11.692 behind our house, in a tiny little village of Joghori. 0:01:11.692,0:01:17.241 And that's sunset on the black mountains on the back. 0:01:17.241,0:01:20.426 In this next photo is down on the valley floor in front of my house 0:01:20.426,0:01:24.025 and that's me with one of the young ones there. 0:01:24.025,0:01:26.692 And this photo was taken right there, that green door, 0:01:26.692,0:01:31.956 green door to my house that I grew up in. 0:01:31.956,0:01:34.976 You see, back in 2001 when the Taliban were at 0:01:34.976,0:01:39.838 the height of their power everything changed. 0:01:39.838,0:01:42.376 What do you see, what do you think, 0:01:42.376,0:01:44.409 when you think of the word "Afghanistan"? 0:01:44.409,0:01:46.408 What comes into your mind? 0:01:46.408,0:01:50.875 Soldiers, bombs, death, improvised explosive devises, 0:01:50.875,0:01:52.908 just like the ones that were used to kill 5 of our brave 0:01:52.908,0:01:57.339 troops only 2 weeks ago -- but this is my Afghanistan. 0:01:57.339,0:02:02.661 This is what comes into my mind every time I think of home. 0:02:02.661,0:02:05.953 So back in 2001 when the Taliban took over 0:02:05.953,0:02:09.565 when they were at the height of their power, life was bad. 0:02:09.565,0:02:12.407 This didn't exist anymore. 0:02:12.407,0:02:16.352 All concepts of basic human rights were thrown out the window. 0:02:16.352,0:02:19.233 Women were forced to stay at home, 0:02:19.233,0:02:23.087 stay uneducated, or restricted from teaching. 0:02:23.087,0:02:25.025 Men were forced to grow beards and simply accept 0:02:25.025,0:02:28.013 the judgment of the local commander. 0:02:28.013,0:02:30.856 You know, whatever that may be. 0:02:30.856,0:02:36.369 Life as we knew it had changed. 0:02:36.369,0:02:39.808 So there we were in 2001 -- 0:02:39.808,0:02:42.893 me and my family being part of the ethnic minority, 0:02:42.893,0:02:48.707 the Khazars, we were persecuted and executed. 0:02:48.707,0:02:50.712 We were seen by the Taliban and their people 0:02:50.712,0:02:55.770 as a tumor that needed to be cut and gotten rid of. 0:02:55.770,0:02:59.234 For half time entertainment at local football matches 0:02:59.234,0:03:02.785 my people were brought on onto the field 0:03:02.785,0:03:06.324 and stoned to death. 0:03:06.324,0:03:11.080 Education en mass for the price of disobedience. 0:03:11.080,0:03:13.800 And so, as you can imagine, my father made the 0:03:13.800,0:03:17.152 decision for our family to leave. 0:03:17.152,0:03:21.414 Seek a fresh start, somewhere new. A new beginning. 0:03:21.414,0:03:25.274 And that new beginning was going to be Australia. 0:03:25.274,0:03:29.715 So we set out in spring of 2001. 0:03:29.715,0:03:35.131 Under the cover of night, we arrived in Pakistan, in Karachi. 0:03:35.131,0:03:39.668 And, already life was different and I was in the next country. 0:03:39.668,0:03:42.193 Our family stayed in a one bedroom apartment 0:03:42.193,0:03:46.279 while our traveling papers were organized. 0:03:46.279,0:03:49.961 And I celebrated my 7th birthday in Pakistan. 0:03:49.961,0:03:53.281 Indonesia was going to be the next step. 0:03:53.281,0:03:54.907 See I remember the journey clearly 0:03:54.907,0:03:58.497 because it was the first time I boarded a plane 0:03:58.497,0:04:01.764 and I can tell you now I was not Star Alliance member. 0:04:01.764,0:04:04.314 Not in New Zealand. 0:04:04.314,0:04:07.347 Cramped into an old rickety plane 0:04:07.347,0:04:09.313 I couldn't understand how we managed to stay in 0:04:09.313,0:04:11.613 one piece when we arrived in Indonesia. 0:04:11.613,0:04:13.425 And oh man, what a difference you know 0:04:13.425,0:04:20.551 the heat, the humidity, the bananas, the neverending expanse of water. 0:04:20.551,0:04:23.880 Where the hell where we? 0:04:23.880,0:04:26.230 But anyway, we stayed in Indonesia for 2 months 0:04:26.230,0:04:29.263 while once again traveling papers organized. 0:04:29.263,0:04:31.200 And you know we had to find a ship, 0:04:31.200,0:04:33.131 someone to get us to New Zealand. 0:04:33.131,0:04:34.997 I'm not in New Zealand at this time obviously, 0:04:34.997,0:04:40.407 Australia, we didn't even know this tiny island nation even existed. 0:04:40.407,0:04:42.477 Then one night, you know, we'd been here for 2 months 0:04:42.477,0:04:44.715 and then one night, I was started awake by my mother 0:04:44.715,0:04:47.371 and she said "We're leaving." 0:04:47.371,0:04:49.449 And me, being unaware, not knowing, 0:04:49.449,0:04:51.446 I was 7 at the time, and anyways I was, 0:04:51.446,0:04:54.540 "OK, you know, let's leave." 0:04:54.540,0:04:57.019 We were leaving tonight, oh wow. 0:04:57.019,0:04:59.019 So I quickly grabbed on to as many clothes as I could 0:04:59.019,0:05:02.134 I checked them on trying to save some space in my bag and 0:05:02.134,0:05:05.298 we were hurried off onto a bus in the middle of the night. 0:05:05.298,0:05:07.246 This was all pitch black darkness so you couldn't see anything 0:05:07.246,0:05:08.566 In the middle of the night, we were rushed off 0:05:08.566,0:05:12.593 to port, port Merak in Indonesia. 0:05:12.593,0:05:15.361 And, in Port Merak we caught up with some 0:05:15.361,0:05:17.062 of the other Khazars families, who were also 0:05:17.062,0:05:19.395 escaping the atrocities back home. 0:05:19.395,0:05:20.328 But we couldn't see anyone 0:05:20.328,0:05:22.122 we couldn't distinguish number or what not. 0:05:22.122,0:05:26.527 So there we were hurried along into the belly of this 0:05:26.527,0:05:30.562 unknown ship and we couldn't understand -- 0:05:30.562,0:05:32.178 we knew we were at the port because we could hear 0:05:32.178,0:05:33.861 crashing of the waves, but we didn't know 0:05:33.861,0:05:35.911 where we were, we just hurried along to the ship 0:05:35.911,0:05:37.261 you know, what sort of ship is this? 0:05:37.261,0:05:39.678 How big it is? 0:05:39.678,0:05:43.479 The next day I got the chance to truly explore this vessel you know, 0:05:43.479,0:05:46.390 the MV Palapa 2 as it was known. 0:05:46.390,0:05:48.881 and I hate to think what happened to Palapa 1. 0:05:48.881,0:05:51.412 The MV Palapa 2 was a fishing vessel 0:05:51.412,0:05:56.553 and just like fish, 438 Afghans, mostly Afghans, 0:05:56.553,0:06:01.357 were crammed into a space that was meant to hold 40. 0:06:01.357,0:06:03.394 And I remember, I remember needing to go to the 0:06:03.394,0:06:05.993 bathroom when I discovered that it was simply a hole, 0:06:05.993,0:06:09.244 in the deck that ran straight into the ocean, 0:06:09.244,0:06:13.582 I didn't need to go to the bathroom anymore. 0:06:13.582,0:06:18.043 But anyway, on the second day, the engine failed 0:06:18.043,0:06:21.378 and that night a storm hit and here you know, 0:06:21.378,0:06:24.227 this was the scariest moment of the whole journey. 0:06:24.233,0:06:25.886 Not for me, but for everyone, 0:06:25.886,0:06:29.539 as a kid, you know, I thought I was on a big adventure. 0:06:29.539,0:06:32.245 But put yourselves in my father's position, 0:06:32.245,0:06:34.780 he thought that he was offering us a chance, 0:06:34.780,0:06:36.563 his family a chance at a fresh start 0:06:36.563,0:06:38.763 and now, in this situation when the most, 0:06:38.763,0:06:41.690 when our fate was at the mercy of the waves 0:06:41.690,0:06:44.845 he thought that he had condemned us to death. 0:06:44.845,0:06:49.373 The men all reached the lowest point of their lives at this point. 0:06:49.373,0:06:52.781 And still thinking back at it today I think, 0:06:52.781,0:06:55.912 how the hell did we survive that night? 0:06:55.912,0:06:59.030 Because it was a miracle 0:06:59.030,0:07:02.213 the men at that point we were praying, praying to God 0:07:02.213,0:07:03.341 that please save us 0:07:03.341,0:07:05.504 you know, if we're to drown tonight, please wash our 0:07:05.504,0:07:10.115 bodies on some shore so we can be buried on land. 0:07:10.115,0:07:13.862 But the next day, it eventuated and a small plane 0:07:13.862,0:07:16.163 flew overhead and you know as you can imagine 0:07:16.163,0:07:19.129 there's a sense of hope that 0:07:19.129,0:07:20.546 this plane would see us and 0:07:20.546,0:07:23.340 we would be rescued but nothing happened. 0:07:23.340,0:07:24.729 And the one man who's sitting at the back of the 0:07:24.729,0:07:27.880 auditorium thought he could speak some 0:07:27.880,0:07:29.930 English could write the letters S O S 0:07:29.930,0:07:31.795 and put it up so that the next time a flight 0:07:31.795,0:07:33.471 pass they will see us and it did 0:07:33.471,0:07:35.912 but again nothing happened. 0:07:35.912,0:07:37.880 Morning turned into evening 0:07:37.880,0:07:40.995 and all sense of hope was lost again. 0:07:40.995,0:07:42.980 But that evening God heard our prayers 0:07:42.980,0:07:49.155 for out of the horizon came the MV Tampa -- 0:07:49.155,0:07:51.180 MV Tampa is a Norwegian cargo ship heading from 0:07:51.180,0:07:53.313 Fremantle in Wiston Australia to Singapore 0:07:53.313,0:07:55.903 and had picked up our distress signal that the 0:07:55.903,0:07:57.780 captain had put up. 0:07:57.780,0:08:00.796 And that's our little boat right there anchored next 0:08:00.796,0:08:05.859 to the MV Tampa. 0:08:05.859,0:08:09.179 And so as the last man got out of the Palapa, 0:08:09.179,0:08:11.880 the Palapa sank 0:08:11.880,0:08:13.595 taking with it everything that we brought from 0:08:13.595,0:08:16.207 Afghanistan and Pakistan to start our new lives elsewhere. 0:08:16.207,0:08:20.195 It sank and is now at the bottom of the Indian Ocean. 0:08:20.195,0:08:22.696 Here we wanted to go 0:08:22.696,0:08:24.930 We slept in containers, empty containers 0:08:24.930,0:08:27.696 and we prayed on deck, and we wanted to know 0:08:27.696,0:08:30.030 we wanted to go to Australia to Christmas Island 0:08:30.030,0:08:33.296 because it was under Australian control and hopefully 0:08:33.296,0:08:36.554 here we would be processed and sent to Australia 0:08:36.554,0:08:38.143 this was it, here we are, 0:08:38.143,0:08:41.470 the last stepping stone, we're going to go. 0:08:41.470,0:08:44.191 But Australia at this time was in the midst of an election 0:08:44.191,0:08:49.705 and policy had changed -- 0:08:49.705,0:08:52.821 John Howard closed the doors on Australia 0:08:52.821,0:08:55.888 to further his campaign. 0:08:55.888,0:08:58.288 And so Captain Rinnan, a brave man, a risk taker, 0:08:58.288,0:09:01.188 he chose, he headed straight for Christmas Island 0:09:01.188,0:09:03.372 but you know within 10 kilometers of Christmas Island 0:09:03.372,0:09:06.538 we were forced back by SAS troops. 0:09:06.538,0:09:08.989 And under pressure from his own bosses 0:09:08.989,0:09:10.504 Renner could not hold us anymore because 0:09:10.504,0:09:12.255 he needed his freight to Singapore. 0:09:12.255,0:09:14.072 He could not be a host for us anymore. 0:09:14.072,0:09:16.255 And so we changed, we were transferred onto 0:09:16.255,0:09:19.154 the HMS Minora, a navy frigate. 0:09:19.154,0:09:20.850 And this was a lot better for we had bedding 0:09:20.850,0:09:24.672 and shower facilities, but still we had no sense of direction 0:09:24.672,0:09:30.094 we had, we were just waiting out on the ocean with nowhere to go. 0:09:30.094,0:09:33.255 While we were on there, 9/11 happened 0:09:33.255,0:09:35.138 but we were unaware. 0:09:35.138,0:09:38.872 Because New Zealand put up a tent. 0:09:38.872,0:09:40.955 Who or what is a New Zealand? 0:09:40.955,0:09:43.135 (Laughter) 0:09:43.135,0:09:45.939 That's what we were thinking 0:09:45.939,0:09:48.972 but we didn't care for New Zealand was the end 0:09:48.972,0:09:51.704 of our 6 month journey from that little village you saw 0:09:51.704,0:09:54.971 at the first picture. 0:09:54.971,0:09:59.891 So we arrived in New Zealand 28th of September 2001 0:09:59.891,0:10:04.030 and at the tarmac of Auckland Airport we felt home. 0:10:04.030,0:10:08.271 For the first time, we felt on solid ground 0:10:08.271,0:10:13.822 and so we transferred to Mangere Refugee Center 0:10:13.822,0:10:15.705 and from there we've been living in Christchurch 0:10:15.705,0:10:21.057 for the past 11 years. 0:10:21.075,0:10:23.089 That's me and my dad right now when we went back 0:10:23.089,0:10:25.172 this Saturday to Afghanistan and to think 0:10:25.172,0:10:28.972 where we've come from and where I am at right now 0:10:28.972,0:10:33.778 where I'm standing on this stage today is a story of hope 0:10:33.778,0:10:36.391 and I want to tell all of you this is my message to all of you. 0:10:36.391,0:10:39.788 We're all going through a tough time right now 0:10:39.788,0:10:45.355 this country right now is the last land mass to be colonized. 0:10:45.372,0:10:48.488 Everyone in this auditorium is either a migrant, 0:10:48.488,0:10:51.654 a refugee, or a descendant of one. 0:10:51.654,0:10:54.738 It's forever enriching its identity 0:10:54.738,0:11:00.462 with people from all over the world. 0:11:00.462,0:11:03.771 And so if I, in final remark, regards I just wanted 0:11:03.771,0:11:05.822 to tell you we're all going through a tough time 0:11:05.822,0:11:07.708 you know, never lose hope because there are other people 0:11:07.708,0:11:09.480 going through tougher times. 0:11:09.480,0:11:12.390 We all have the power to make a difference 0:11:12.390,0:11:15.803 as I graduate and head off from this stage and go 0:11:15.803,0:11:17.937 to University down the road I wonder, 0:11:17.937,0:11:21.187 "How can I make a difference?" 0:11:21.187,0:11:24.922 But the reality is we all have the power to make a difference. 0:11:24.922,0:11:29.558 And that can be as easy as listening to someone tell their story. 0:11:29.558,0:11:31.221 Thank you. 0:11:31.221,0:11:41.603 (Applause) 0:11:42.625,0:11:44.062 (Moderator) No, don't go, don't go,stay, 0:11:44.062,0:11:46.760 we gotta talk a bit about your family. 0:11:46.760,0:11:58.170 (Applause) 0:11:58.916,0:12:04.896 (Moderator) The word "Tampa" looms very large in history 0:12:04.896,0:12:08.513 and so to have met somebody who came here from 0:12:08.513,0:12:11.201 the Tampa is a huge privilege. 0:12:11.201,0:12:14.498 You asked, "Who or what is New Zealand?" 0:12:14.498,0:12:16.931 The simple answer is "You are!" 0:12:16.931,0:12:19.532 and you didn't come on your own. 0:12:19.532,0:12:21.914 and so we would like to acknowledge family and friends 0:12:21.914,0:12:25.931 in the audience if they would like to stand please? 0:12:25.931,0:12:28.932 You're out there. Thank you very much indeed. 0:12:28.932,0:12:36.177 (Applause)