Modern Warrior: Damien Mander at TEDxSydney
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0:14 - 0:17My story begins in Zimbabwe
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0:17 - 0:19with a brave park ranger named Orpheus
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0:19 - 0:22and an injured buffalo.
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0:23 - 0:27And Orpheus looked at the buffalo
on the ground, and he looked at me, -
0:27 - 0:31and as our eyes met, there was an unspoken grief
between the three of us. -
0:31 - 0:36She was a beautifully wild and innocent creature,
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0:36 - 0:42and Orpheus lifted the muzzle
of his rifle to her ear. (Gunshot) -
0:42 - 0:46And at that moment,
she started to give birth. -
0:47 - 0:51As life slipped from the premature calf,
we examined the injuries. -
0:51 - 0:56Her back leg had been caught
in an eight-strand wire snare. -
0:56 - 0:59She'd fought for freedom
[for] so hard and so long -
0:59 - 1:02that she'd ripped her pelvis in half.
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1:02 - 1:05Well, she was finally free.
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1:05 - 1:09Ladies and gentlemen, today I feel
a great sense of responsibility -
1:09 - 1:14in speaking to you
on behalf of those that never could. -
1:14 - 1:18Their suffering is my grief,
is my motivation. -
1:21 - 1:26Martin Luther King best summarises
my call to arms here today. -
1:26 - 1:30He said, "There comes a time
when one must take a position that's neither safe, -
1:30 - 1:32nor politic, nor popular.
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1:32 - 1:38But he must take that position
because his conscience tells him that it's right." -
1:38 - 1:42Because his conscience
tells him it is right. -
1:43 - 1:46At the end of this talk
I'm gonna ask you all a question. -
1:46 - 1:49That question is the only reason
I traveled here today -
1:49 - 1:51all the way from the African savanna.
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1:51 - 1:54That question for me has cleansed my soul.
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1:54 - 1:59How you answer that question
will always be yours. -
1:59 - 2:02I remember watching the movie
The Wizard of Oz as a young kid, -
2:02 - 2:06and I was never scared of the witch
or the flying monkeys. -
2:06 - 2:11My greatest fear was that I'd grow up
like the Lion, without courage. -
2:11 - 2:15And I grew up always asking myself
if I thought I'd be brave? -
2:15 - 2:19Well, years after Dorothy
had made her way back to Kansas, -
2:19 - 2:21and the Lion had found his courage,
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2:21 - 2:24I walked into a tattoo parlor
and had the words -
2:24 - 2:27'Seek and Destroy' tattooed
across my chest. -
2:28 - 2:30And I thought that'd make me
big and brave. -
2:31 - 2:34But it'd take me almost a decade
to grow into those words. -
2:34 - 2:37By the age of 20 I'd become
a clearance diver in the navy. -
2:37 - 2:41By 25, as a special operations sniper,
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2:41 - 2:45I knew exactly how many clicks of elevation
I needed on the scope of my rifle -
2:45 - 2:48to take a headshot on a moving target
from 700m away. -
2:49 - 2:52I knew exactly how many grams
of high explosives it takes -
2:52 - 2:54to blast through a steel plate door
from only a few meters away, -
2:54 - 2:58without blowing myself,
or my team, up behind me. -
2:58 - 3:02And I knew that Baghdad was a shitty place,
and when things go bang, -
3:02 - 3:04well, people die.
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3:05 - 3:07Now back then, I'd no idea
what a conservationist did, -
3:07 - 3:12other than hug trees and piss off large corporations.
(Laughter) -
3:12 - 3:17I knew they had dreadlocks.
I knew they smoked dope. (Laughter) -
3:17 - 3:19I didn't really give a shit about the environment,
and why should I? -
3:19 - 3:25I was the idiot that used to speed up in his car
just trying to hit birds on the road. -
3:25 - 3:28My life was a world away
from conservation. -
3:28 - 3:30I'd just spent nine years
doing things in real life -
3:30 - 3:33most people wouldn't dream
of trying on a Playstation. -
3:34 - 3:40Well, after 12 tours to Iraq as a so-called 'mercenary',
the skills I had were good for one thing: -
3:40 - 3:44I was programmed to destroy.
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3:45 - 3:49Looking back now, on everything I've done,
and the places I've been, -
3:49 - 3:54in my heart, I've only ever performed
one true act of bravery. -
3:54 - 3:58And that was a simple choice
of deciding 'Yes' or deciding 'No'. -
3:58 - 4:01But it was that one act
which defines me completely -
4:01 - 4:07and ensures there'll never be separation
between who I am, and what I do. -
4:07 - 4:09When I finally left Iraq behind me I was lost.
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4:09 - 4:13Yeah I felt – ahh – I just had no idea
where I was going in life -
4:13 - 4:17or where I was meant to be and I arrived in Africa
at the beginning of 2009. -
4:17 - 4:20I was aged 29 at the time.
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4:20 - 4:22Somehow, I always knew
I'd find a purpose amongst chaos, -
4:22 - 4:24and that's exactly what happened.
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4:24 - 4:30I'd no idea though, I'd find it in a remote part
of the Zimbabwe bush. -
4:30 - 4:33And we were patrolling along,
and the vultures circled in the air -
4:33 - 4:38and as we got closer the stench of death
hung there, in the air like a thick, dark veil, -
4:38 - 4:41and sucked the oxygen
out of your lungs. -
4:41 - 4:45And as we got closer,
there was a great bull elephant, -
4:45 - 4:50resting on its side, with its face cut away.
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4:50 - 4:52And the world around me stopped.
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4:53 - 4:57I was consumed by a deep
and overwhelming sadness. -
4:57 - 5:00Seeing innocent creatures killed like this
hit me in a way like nothing before. -
5:00 - 5:05I'd actually poached as a teenager
and they're memories I'll take to the grave. -
5:05 - 5:10Time had changed me though;
something inside wasn't the same. -
5:10 - 5:13And it's never gonna be again.
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5:14 - 5:18I asked myself,
"Does that elephant need its face -
5:18 - 5:21more than some guy in Asia needs
a tusk on his desk?" -
5:21 - 5:25Well of course it bloody does,
that was irrelevant. -
5:25 - 5:27All that mattered there and then was:
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5:27 - 5:30Would I be brave enough to give up
everything in my life -
5:30 - 5:33to try and stop
the suffering of animals? -
5:33 - 5:36This was the one true defining
moment of my life: -
5:36 - 5:38Yes or no?
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5:39 - 5:43I contacted my family the next day
and began selling all my houses. -
5:43 - 5:47These are assets a well-advised mercenary
quickly acquires with the proceeds of war. -
5:47 - 5:50My life-savings have since been used
to found and grow -
5:50 - 5:54the International Anti-Poaching
Foundation. -
5:54 - 5:57The IAPF is a direct-action,
law enforcement organization. -
5:58 - 6:02From drone technology,
to an international qualification for rangers, -
6:02 - 6:05we're battling each and every day
to bring military solutions -
6:05 - 6:08to conservation's thin green line.
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6:08 - 6:11Now my story may be slightly unique,
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6:12 - 6:15but I'm not going to use it to talk to you today
about the organization I run -- -
6:15 - 6:19in what probably could have been
a pretty good fundraiser. -
6:19 - 6:24(Laughter) (Applause)
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6:27 - 6:32Remember, today is about the question
I'm gonna ask you at the end. -
6:33 - 6:36Because it's impossible for me to get up here
and talk about just saving wildlife -
6:36 - 6:43when I know the problem of animal welfare
is much broader throughout society. -
6:43 - 6:47A few years after I saw that elephant
I woke up very early one morning. -
6:47 - 6:51I already knew the answer to the question
I was about to ask myself, -
6:51 - 6:55but it was the first time
I'd put it into words: -
6:56 - 7:02Does a cow value its life
more than I enjoy a barbecue? -
7:05 - 7:09See, I'd been guilty all this time
of what's termed 'speciesism'. -
7:09 - 7:12Speciesism is very much the same
as racism or sexism. -
7:13 - 7:16It involves the allocation
of a different set of values, -
7:16 - 7:18rights or special considerations
to individuals, -
7:18 - 7:21based solely on who or what they are.
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7:22 - 7:24The realisation
of the flexible morality -
7:24 - 7:28I'd used to suit my everyday conveniences
made me sick in the stomach. -
7:28 - 7:33See, I'd loved blaming parts of Asia
for their insatiable demand for ivory and rhino horn, -
7:33 - 7:35and the way the region's
booming economic growth -
7:35 - 7:39is dramatically increasing
the illegal wildlife trade. -
7:39 - 7:41When I woke up that morning
though I realised, -
7:41 - 7:45even though I'd dedicated my life
to saving animals, -
7:45 - 7:47in my mind I was no better
than a poacher, -
7:48 - 7:50or the guy in Asia
with a tusk on his desk. -
7:52 - 7:59As this 'over-consumptive meat-eater'
I'd referred to some animals as 'beasts'. -
7:59 - 8:04When in reality I'd been the beast:
destructively obedient, -
8:04 - 8:09a slave to my habits,
a cold shoulder to my conscience. -
8:10 - 8:14We've all had contact with pets
or other animals in our lives. -
8:14 - 8:17We can't deny our understanding
of the feelings that each animal has. -
8:17 - 8:20The ability to suffer pain
or loneliness. -
8:20 - 8:22And to fear.
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8:22 - 8:26Like us also, each animal has the ability
to express contentment, -
8:26 - 8:32to build family structures, and want
of satisfying basic instincts and desires. -
8:32 - 8:34For many of us though,
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8:34 - 8:37that's as far as we allow
our imagination to explore -
8:37 - 8:40before the truth inconveniences
our habits. -
8:41 - 8:43The disconnect that exists
between consuming a product -
8:43 - 8:47and the reality it takes to bring that product
to market is a phenomenon to itself. -
8:47 - 8:51Animals are treated like commodities
and referred to as property. -
8:51 - 8:56We call it 'murder' to kill a human being
yet create legal and illegal industries -
8:56 - 8:58out of what would be regarded as torture
if humans were involved. -
8:58 - 9:04And we pay people to do things to animals
that none of us would engage in personally. -
9:04 - 9:10Just because we don't see it up close
does not mean we're not responsible. -
9:10 - 9:13Peter Singer, the man who popularised
the term 'speciesism' wrote, -
9:14 - 9:18"Although there may be differences
between animals and humans -
9:18 - 9:21they each share the ability to suffer.
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9:21 - 9:25And we must give equal consideration
to that suffering. -
9:25 - 9:29Any position that allows similar cases
to be treated in a dissimilar fashion -
9:29 - 9:33fails to qualify as an acceptable
moral theory." -
9:34 - 9:40Around the world this year 65 billion
animals will be killed in factory farms. -
9:40 - 9:44How many animals' lives
is one human's life worth? -
9:44 - 9:50A meat-eater in this room will consume,
on average, 8,000 animals in their lifetime. -
9:51 - 9:54Ocean pollution, global warming
and deforestation -
9:54 - 9:57are driving us towards
the next great mass-extinction -
9:57 - 10:02and the meat industry is the greatest negative factor
in all of these phenomena. -
10:02 - 10:07The illegal traffic in wildlife now ranks
as one of the largest criminal industries in the world -- -
10:07 - 10:10it's up there with drugs, guns
and human trafficking. -
10:10 - 10:12The ability to stop this devastation
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10:12 - 10:14lies in the willingness
of an international community -
10:14 - 10:17to step in and preserve
a dying global treasure. -
10:19 - 10:21Experimentation on animals –
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10:21 - 10:25If animals are so like us that we can substitute
using them instead of humans -
10:25 - 10:28then surely they have
the very same attributes -
10:28 - 10:32that mean they deserve
to be protected from harm? -
10:33 - 10:37Whether we're talking about factory farming,
live export, poaching, the fur trade, -
10:37 - 10:41logically, it's all on the same
playing field to me. -
10:41 - 10:43Suffering is suffering,
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10:43 - 10:45and murder is murder.
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10:45 - 10:47And the more helpless the victim,
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10:47 - 10:50the more horrific the crime.
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10:51 - 10:55Next time you think
an animal lover is too emotional, -
10:55 - 10:57too passionate, or even a little crazy,
please remember -
10:57 - 11:01we see things through a different lens.
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11:03 - 11:06So in a few days,
my son's gonna be born. -
11:06 - 11:10I find myself wondering,
"What kind of world is he entering?" -
11:11 - 11:15Are we gonna be the generation
that defines our failure as a species? -
11:15 - 11:18I believe our generation
will be judged -
11:18 - 11:21by our moral courage
to protect what's right. -
11:21 - 11:26And that every worthwhile action
requires a level of sacrifice. -
11:26 - 11:31Well, I now offer myself,
without reservation, to animals. -
11:31 - 11:35And when I strip away
all the material belongings around me, -
11:35 - 11:38I see that I too, am an animal.
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11:38 - 11:43We're family.
Together on one planet. -
11:43 - 11:45And of the five million species
on that planet, -
11:45 - 11:49only one has the power to determine
what level of suffering is acceptable -
11:49 - 11:53for all other sentient beings
to endure. -
11:54 - 11:56Whether it's eating less meat,
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11:56 - 11:59contributing to the fight against poaching
or speaking up for the voiceless, -
11:59 - 12:01we all have choices.
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12:01 - 12:06And small changes in our lives
mean big changes in others' [lives]. -
12:06 - 12:08So now back to the beginning.
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12:08 - 12:12My reason for being here
is my question for you: -
12:12 - 12:17next time you have an opportunity
to make a difference for animals, -
12:17 - 12:19will you be brave enough?
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12:19 - 12:20Yes or no?
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12:20 - 12:22Thank you very much.
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12:22 - 12:24(Applause)
- Title:
- Modern Warrior: Damien Mander at TEDxSydney
- Description:
-
Thirty-three year old Damien Mander served as a special operations sniper and clearance diver for Australia. Whilst deployed in Iraq he project managed the Iraq Special Police Training Academy, overseeing training of up to 700 cadets at one time. Following three years on the frontline of the Iraq war he departed in 2008 with no new direction in life. A trip to Africa left him face-to-face with the horrors that the world's wildlife is dealing with. Liquidating all personal assets acquired from 12 tours of duty, he founded the International Anti-Poaching Foundation. The organisation focuses on ranger training, operations and integrating modern technology into conservation.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TEDxTalks
- Duration:
- 12:34
Ivana Korom edited English subtitles for Modern Warrior: Damien Mander at TEDxSydney | ||
Helene Batt edited English subtitles for Modern Warrior: Damien Mander at TEDxSydney | ||
Helene Batt edited English subtitles for Modern Warrior: Damien Mander at TEDxSydney | ||
Jane Roffe approved English subtitles for Modern Warrior: Damien Mander at TEDxSydney | ||
Jane Roffe edited English subtitles for Modern Warrior: Damien Mander at TEDxSydney | ||
Jane Roffe edited English subtitles for Modern Warrior: Damien Mander at TEDxSydney | ||
Daniel Barreto commented on English subtitles for Modern Warrior: Damien Mander at TEDxSydney | ||
Sallyanne Craig commented on English subtitles for Modern Warrior: Damien Mander at TEDxSydney |
Sallyanne Craig
Dear Tatjana and Dear Approver,
I wasn't able to access this revision yesterday before it was sent for approval so my apologies about sending four small but VERY important corrections (and one not important one!).
1.02 Please reinstate 'Well' at the beginning of the sentence: Well she was finally free. This idiomatic use of the word forms an important link between the buffalo's terrible history, and what had to happen to set her free. It is a very resonant word for those for whom English is the first language.
1.26 There was a note attached to the transcript regarding this - I'm not sure what happened to it. Please reinstate 'politic' for political'. It is common, especially in Australia, to mistakenly use 'political' (pertaining to government) when actually 'politic' is meant (seemingly judicious or sensible under the circumstances). This is a direct quote from Martin Luther King and also very important to the meaning when it comes up for other translations. Ivana Korom, Jane Roffe and Damien Mander have all given prior approval to make this change.
3.03 Please reinstate 'well, people die.' Here, this idiomatic use of the word 'well' is the equivalent of a shoulder-shrug or throwing one's hands up in despair because nothing one does can change the outcome... Damien says 'well' although Tatjana you may have heard it as 'or'.
12.01Please reinstate "And' at the beginning of the sentence ie 'And small changes in our lives...' Again this is an important linking use of the word - what has gone before (your choices) will directly and profoundly change the future (the lives of others).
Only one other very minor change. I'd put playstation in lower case as it now in common use as the generic name for any kind of gaming console. I've no objection to using the brand name if you prefer, but it appears as PlayStation.
My thanks and best wishes to both of you. Please know I'd not trouble you if I did not believe these corrections vital to the talk.
Warmest, Sallyanne
Daniel Barreto
Hi everyone. I’m trying to find out how things work here. My intention is to prepare the Portuguese-Brazilian Subtitles. I just downloaded de English ones and I’m working on it. Do I need to register in any specific area here? Tks!