4 lessons I learned from taking a stand against drugs and gun violence
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0:01 - 0:03About 12 years ago,
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0:03 - 0:05I gave up my career in banking
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0:05 - 0:08to try to make the world a safer place.
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0:08 - 0:13This involved a journey into
national and global advocacy -
0:13 - 0:17and meeting some of the most
extraordinary people in the world. -
0:17 - 0:23In the process, I became
a civil society diplomat. -
0:23 - 0:26Civil society diplomats do three things:
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0:26 - 0:29They voice the concerns of the people,
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0:29 - 0:32are not pinned down by national interests,
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0:32 - 0:35and influence change
through citizen networks, -
0:35 - 0:37not only state ones.
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0:37 - 0:42And if you want to change the world,
we need more of them. -
0:42 - 0:44But many people still ask,
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0:44 - 0:49"Can civil society really
make a big difference? -
0:49 - 0:54Can citizens influence and shape
national and global policy?" -
0:54 - 0:57I never thought I would ask
myself these questions, -
0:57 - 1:00but here I am to share some lessons
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1:00 - 1:05about two powerful civil society
movements that I've been involved in. -
1:05 - 1:09They are in issues
that I'm passionate about: -
1:09 - 1:13gun control and drug policy.
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1:13 - 1:17And these are issues that matter here.
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1:17 - 1:22Latin America is ground zero
for both of them. -
1:22 - 1:24For example, Brazil --
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1:24 - 1:31this beautiful country hosting TEDGlobal
has the world's ugliest record. -
1:31 - 1:36We are the number one champion
in homicidal violence. -
1:36 - 1:43One in every 10 people killed
around the world is a Brazilian. -
1:43 - 1:48This translates into over 56,000 people
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1:48 - 1:51dying violently each year.
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1:51 - 1:57Most of them are young, black boys
dying by guns. -
1:57 - 2:02Brazil is also one of the world's
largest consumers of drugs, -
2:02 - 2:07and the War on Drugs
has been especially painful here. -
2:07 - 2:10Around 50 percent of the homicides
in the streets in Brazil -
2:10 - 2:14are related to the War on Drugs.
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2:14 - 2:19The same is true for about
25 percent of people in jail. -
2:19 - 2:25And it's not just Brazil that is affected
by the twin problems of guns and drugs. -
2:25 - 2:32Virtually every country and city across
Central and South America is in trouble. -
2:32 - 2:36Latin America has nine percent
of the world's population, -
2:36 - 2:41but 25 percent
of its global violent deaths. -
2:41 - 2:44These are not problems
we can run away from. -
2:44 - 2:46I certainly could not.
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2:46 - 2:51So the first campaign I got involved with
started here in 2003 -
2:51 - 2:53to change Brazil's gun law
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2:53 - 2:56and to create a program
to buy back weapons. -
2:56 - 2:58In just a few years,
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2:58 - 3:00we not only changed national legislation
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3:00 - 3:04that made it much more difficult
for civilians to buy a gun, -
3:04 - 3:10but we collected and destroyed
almost half a million weapons. -
3:10 - 3:14This was one of the biggest
buyback programs in history -- -
3:14 - 3:17(Applause) --
-
3:17 - 3:21but we also suffered some setbacks.
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3:21 - 3:26We lost a referendum to ban
gun sales to civilians in 2005. -
3:26 - 3:30The second initiative was also home-grown,
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3:30 - 3:35but is today a global movement to reform
the international drug control regime. -
3:35 - 3:37I am the executive coordinator
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3:37 - 3:41of something called
the Global Commission on Drug Policy. -
3:41 - 3:44The commission is a high-level group
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3:44 - 3:48of global leaders brought together
to identify more humane -
3:48 - 3:52and effective approaches
to the issue of drugs. -
3:52 - 3:56Since we started in 2008,
the taboo on drugs is broken. -
3:56 - 4:01Across the Americas, from the US
and Mexico to Colombia and Uruguay, -
4:01 - 4:04change is in the air.
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4:04 - 4:07But rather than tell you the whole story
about these two movements, -
4:07 - 4:11I just want to share with you
four key insights. -
4:11 - 4:15I call them lessons to change the world.
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4:15 - 4:17There are certainly many more,
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4:17 - 4:20but these are the ones
that stand out to me. -
4:20 - 4:22So the first lesson is:
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4:22 - 4:26Change and control the narrative.
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4:26 - 4:28It may seem obvious,
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4:28 - 4:31but a key ingredient
to civil society diplomacy -
4:31 - 4:35is first changing and then
controlling the narrative. -
4:35 - 4:38This is something that veteran
politicians understand, -
4:38 - 4:43but that civil society groups
generally do not do very well. -
4:43 - 4:45In the case of drug policy,
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4:45 - 4:49our biggest success has been
to change the discussion -
4:49 - 4:51away from prosecuting a War on Drugs
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4:51 - 4:55to putting people's health
and safety first. -
4:55 - 4:59In a cutting-edge report
we just launched in New York, -
4:59 - 5:06we also showed that the groups benefiting
most from this $320 billion market -
5:06 - 5:10are criminal gangs and cartels.
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5:10 - 5:13So in order to undermine
the power and profit of these groups, -
5:13 - 5:16we need to change the conversation.
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5:16 - 5:23We need to make illegal drugs legal.
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5:23 - 5:26But before I get you too excited,
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5:26 - 5:29I don't mean drugs
should be a free-for-all. -
5:29 - 5:33What I'm talking about, and what
the Global Commission advocates for -
5:33 - 5:37is creating a highly regulated market,
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5:37 - 5:43where different drugs would have
different degrees of regulation. -
5:43 - 5:47As for gun control,
we were successful in changing, -
5:47 - 5:50but not so much
in controlling, the narrative. -
5:50 - 5:52And this brings me to my next lesson:
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5:52 - 5:56Never underestimate your opponents.
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5:56 - 5:59If you want to succeed
in changing the world, -
5:59 - 6:01you need to know who you're up against.
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6:01 - 6:05You need to learn their motivations
and points of view. -
6:05 - 6:07In the case of gun control,
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6:07 - 6:10we really underestimated our opponents.
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6:10 - 6:13After a very successful
gun-collection program, -
6:13 - 6:15we were elated.
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6:15 - 6:17We had support from
80 percent of Brazilians, -
6:17 - 6:20and thought that this could help us
win the referendum -
6:20 - 6:23to ban gun sales to civilians.
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6:23 - 6:26But we were dead wrong.
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6:26 - 6:29During a televised 20-day public debate,
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6:29 - 6:33our opponent used
our own arguments against us. -
6:33 - 6:35We ended up losing the popular vote.
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6:35 - 6:38It was really terrible.
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6:38 - 6:44The National Rifle Association --
yes, the American NRA -- -
6:44 - 6:46came to Brazil.
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6:46 - 6:49They inundated our campaign
with their propaganda, -
6:49 - 6:50that as you know,
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6:50 - 6:55links the right to own guns
to ideas of freedom and democracy. -
6:55 - 6:58They simply threw everything at us.
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6:58 - 7:00They used our national flag,
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7:00 - 7:02our independence anthem.
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7:02 - 7:04They invoked women's rights
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7:04 - 7:09and misused images of Mandela,
Tiananmen Square, and even Hitler. -
7:09 - 7:13They won by playing with people's fears.
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7:13 - 7:18In fact, guns were almost completely
ignored in their campaign. -
7:18 - 7:21Their focus was on individual rights.
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7:21 - 7:23But I ask you,
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7:23 - 7:25which right is more important,
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7:25 - 7:27the right to life
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7:27 - 7:30or the right to have a gun
that takes life away? -
7:30 - 7:34(Applause)
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7:34 - 7:38We thought people would vote
in defense of life, -
7:38 - 7:43but in a country with a recent past
of military dictatorship, -
7:43 - 7:47the anti-government message
of our opponents resonated, -
7:47 - 7:51and we were not prepared to respond.
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7:51 - 7:53Lesson learned.
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7:53 - 7:56We've been more successful
in the case of drug policy. -
7:56 - 8:01If you asked most people 10 years ago if
an end to the War on Drugs was possible, -
8:01 - 8:03they would have laughed.
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8:03 - 8:06After all, there are huge
military police prisons -
8:06 - 8:10and financial establishments
benefiting from this war. -
8:10 - 8:16But today, the international drug
control regime is starting to crumble. -
8:16 - 8:21Governments and civil societies
are experimenting with new approaches. -
8:21 - 8:23The Global Commission on Drug Policy
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8:23 - 8:25really knew its opposition,
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8:25 - 8:27and rather than fighting them,
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8:27 - 8:32our chair -- former Brazilian President
Fernando Henrique Cardoso -- -
8:32 - 8:36reached out to leaders
from across the political spectrum, -
8:36 - 8:39from liberals to conservatives.
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8:39 - 8:44This high level group
agreed to honestly discuss -
8:44 - 8:46the merits and flaws of drug policies.
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8:46 - 8:50It was this reasoned, informed
and strategic discussion -
8:50 - 8:54that revealed the sad truth
about the War on Drugs. -
8:54 - 9:01The War on Drugs has simply failed
across every metric. -
9:01 - 9:03Drugs are cheaper
and more available than ever, -
9:03 - 9:06and consumption has risen globally.
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9:06 - 9:08But even worse,
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9:08 - 9:15it also generated massive
negative unintended consequences. -
9:15 - 9:19It is true that some people
have made these arguments before, -
9:19 - 9:20but we've made a difference
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9:20 - 9:23by anticipating the arguments
of our opponents -
9:23 - 9:25and by leveraging powerful voices
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9:25 - 9:30that a few years ago
would probably have resisted change. -
9:30 - 9:34Third lesson: Use data
to drive your argument. -
9:34 - 9:37Guns and drugs are emotive issues,
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9:37 - 9:41and as we've painfully learned
in the gun referendum campaign in Brazil, -
9:41 - 9:44sometimes it's impossible
to cut through the emotions -
9:44 - 9:47and get to the facts.
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9:47 - 9:50But this doesn't mean
that we shouldn't try. -
9:50 - 9:51Until quite recently,
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9:51 - 9:55we simply didn't know
how many Brazilians were killed by guns. -
9:55 - 10:01Amazingly, it was a local soap opera
called "Mulheres Apaixonadas" -- -
10:01 - 10:02or "Women in Love" --
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10:02 - 10:06that kicked off Brazil's
national gun control campaign. -
10:06 - 10:09In one highly viewed episode,
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10:09 - 10:13a soap opera lead actress
was killed by a stray bullet. -
10:13 - 10:17Brazilian grannies
and housewives were outraged, -
10:17 - 10:21and in a case of art imitating life,
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10:21 - 10:26this episode also included footage
of a real gun control march -
10:26 - 10:28that we had organized right here,
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10:28 - 10:31outside in Copacabana Beach.
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10:31 - 10:37The televised death and march
had a huge impact on public opinion. -
10:37 - 10:41Within weeks, our national congress
approved the disarmament bill -
10:41 - 10:45that had been languishing for years.
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10:45 - 10:48We were then able to mobilize data
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10:48 - 10:51to show the successful outcomes
of the change in the law -
10:51 - 10:53and gun collection program.
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10:53 - 10:55Here is what I mean:
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10:55 - 10:58We could prove that in just one year,
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10:58 - 11:03we saved more than 5,000 lives.
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11:03 - 11:07(Applause)
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11:07 - 11:09And in the case of drugs,
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11:09 - 11:15in order to undermine this fear
and prejudice that surrounds the issue, -
11:15 - 11:20we managed to gather and present data
that shows that today's drug policies -
11:20 - 11:24cause much more harm than drug use per se,
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11:24 - 11:28and people are starting to get it.
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11:28 - 11:30My fourth insight is:
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11:30 - 11:34Don't be afraid to bring
together odd bedfellows. -
11:34 - 11:36What we've learned in Brazil --
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11:36 - 11:38and this doesn't only
apply to my country -- -
11:38 - 11:43is the importance of bringing diverse
and eclectic folks together. -
11:43 - 11:45If you want to change the world,
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11:45 - 11:49it helps to have a good cross-section
of society on your side. -
11:49 - 11:52In both the case of guns and drugs,
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11:52 - 11:55we brought together
a wonderful mix of people. -
11:55 - 12:00We mobilized the elite
and got huge support from the media. -
12:00 - 12:04We gathered the victims,
human rights champions, cultural icons. -
12:04 - 12:07We also assembled
the professional classes -- -
12:07 - 12:10doctors, lawyers, academia and more.
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12:10 - 12:12What I've learned over the last years
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12:12 - 12:18is that you need coalitions of the willing
and of the unwilling to make change. -
12:18 - 12:20In the case of drugs,
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12:20 - 12:24we needed libertarians,
anti-prohibitionists, legalizers, -
12:24 - 12:26and liberal politicians.
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12:26 - 12:29They may not agree on everything;
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12:29 - 12:33in fact, they disagree
on almost everything. -
12:33 - 12:39But the legitimacy of the campaign
is based on their diverse points of view. -
12:40 - 12:42Over a decade ago,
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12:42 - 12:46I had a comfortable future
working for an investment bank. -
12:46 - 12:50I was as far removed from the world
of civil society diplomacy -
12:50 - 12:53as you can imagine.
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12:53 - 12:55But I took a chance.
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12:55 - 12:57I changed course,
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12:57 - 13:00and on the way, I helped
to create social movements -
13:00 - 13:05that I believe have made
some parts of the world safer. -
13:05 - 13:10Each and every one of us
has the power to change the world. -
13:10 - 13:15No matter what the issue,
and no matter how hard the fight, -
13:15 - 13:20civil society is central
to the blueprint for change. -
13:20 - 13:22Thank you.
-
13:22 - 13:26(Applause)
- Title:
- 4 lessons I learned from taking a stand against drugs and gun violence
- Speaker:
- Ilona Szabo de Carvalho
- Description:
-
Throughout her career in banking Ilona Szabó de Carvalho never imagined she’d someday start a social movement. But living in her native Brazil, which leads the world in homicidal violence, she realized she couldn’t just stand by and watch drugs and guns tear her country apart. Szabó de Carvalho reveals four crucial lessons she learned when she left her cushy job and took a fearless stand against the status quo.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TEDTalks
- Duration:
- 13:38
Krystian Aparta edited English subtitles for 4 lessons I learned from taking a stand against drugs and gun violence | ||
Helene Batt edited English subtitles for 4 lessons I learned from taking a stand against drugs and gun violence | ||
Krystian Aparta edited English subtitles for 4 lessons I learned from taking a stand against drugs and gun violence | ||
Helene Batt edited English subtitles for 4 lessons I learned from taking a stand against drugs and gun violence | ||
Helene Batt edited English subtitles for 4 lessons I learned from taking a stand against drugs and gun violence | ||
Morton Bast approved English subtitles for 4 lessons I learned from taking a stand against drugs and gun violence | ||
Morton Bast edited English subtitles for 4 lessons I learned from taking a stand against drugs and gun violence | ||
Morton Bast edited English subtitles for 4 lessons I learned from taking a stand against drugs and gun violence |