Monika Bulaj: The hidden light of Afghanistan

[aeneanesse]

I think Monika is the most inspiring person I have ever listened to!

[ingush1989]

There is only one solution for afganpeople.

[LetaStaceyjr641]

cool bin so lieb

[ordnascrazy]

(Esperanto) Tre interesa kaj grava prelego.

Vere, kion ni okcidentanoj scias pri tiaj popoloj? Ni nur malmulte konas ilin kaj tiu malmulto devenas de la televidoj aŭ de la ĵurnaloj. Sed vidi rektokule kaj nur legi estas tre malsimilaj aferoj.

La scio pri io ajn estas la plej grava afero, kiu povas liberigi la homojn.

[Tolstoievsky]

opiuuum smoke that shit yeaaaah

[armytaskforce11x]

she sounds like a yokal.....she is not even from afghanistan

[najimabdel]

@armytaskforce11x She's from Poland, listen better.

[SidTempleton]

@kesifarr she said the silent people, not the small. 

[twistedbass15]

GENIUS !!!!!

[antoshahorosha]

Can you please be more specific Monika, your beautiful analogies fly past me faster than your eastern fantasies.

[kesifarr]

a voice to the small people >_<

[yoshiSCTV]

Beautiful. Thank you^

[ivangrozny27]

The US is the root cause of practically all of Afghanistans current problems. They are the true terrorists. The Taliban are basically a Pashtun guerrilla army angry at being occupied by foreign armies and they have every right to resist. The fact that they have fundamentalist beliefs is neither here nor there. They will always enjoy local support so long as foreigners occupy their lands. You cannot say Afghan this and Afghan that because this country is an articifical construct of many tribes.

[libanlibanliban]

great.

[MrTrenttness]

Thank you!

[ogrish84]

Afghanistan loves acid.

[hdwblade]

What is this about? I couldn't understand what she was saying..

[Atanar89]

Undertitles? I can't understand a thing.

[1000wrongdecisions]

Those are amazing images

[DeathSkuul]

she speaks horribly! MINUS for this video (dislike)



[MidNightSummer0]

@DeathSkuul

i wanna see you giving a speech in polish....

[DeathSkuul]

@MidNightSummer0 I'm a Bulgarian and I think I would cope with it very well, but nevertheless you do not do something when you know u kinda look like an idiot doing it!

[bobmarlzzz]

im surprised afganistan has anything to offer tourists after america raped the shit outta that land

[ZZzzzzzWhat]

@bobmarlzzz Well Afganistan has some wonderful giant Buddha statues considered one of the wonders of ancient world and .. oh right,they were destroyed by the Taliban, never mind.

[johnq3000]

Well I understand everything but I also hang out with some polish people very often...

[andresico2]

I saw her video where she was speaking italian. I do not understand how such an eloquent women was so unable to transmit her message in english.

I watched her video twice, and still am unable to understand what she meant in several parts.... very unrehearsed, but VERY powerful photography ... especially when she explains it in italian lol

[ndyt]

It's all about religion.

[silverface125]

What??????????????

[eatingtacos000]

her accent was pretty hard to understand. still, an interesting video

[ashesoneeight]

Profit of a global conflict is right.The US troops are there to protect the opium fields.Heroin imports sky rocketed in the us since we entered Afghanistan. We started this whole mess in the first place during the 70s.We need to leave.

[rossmoore13]

People need to understand the wars in the middle-east more. it's not the farmers and workers with the bombs, It's the religious brainwashers.

[homad89]

@rossmoore13

it is a war for oil & power nothing more

religion is just a tool

[pinojow]

@homad89 If only they hadn't got bored with their medieval lives and decided to export terrorism, the world would have happily left them alone.

[ArtisticAtrocity]

@pinojow If only Russia and the States weren't always trying to steal their oil. :/ The capitalist interests of USA are the brutes and cavemen of this conflict, not the afghani. You'd fight too if they tried to stole your goods.

[Circora]

@rossmoore13 The farmers and workers are with the guns only..

[tenisplayer]

@rossmoore13

they need cable tv to braimwash by another trash.

scuarepants bob and cool trash.

[GuildyDawg]

@rossmoore13 no u idiot... the war is all about douche bag america invading to jack oil and the government not doing shit about it cuz america is on good terms with it and the rebel resistance is trying to drive pussy america out because all they want is peace for their ppl without western influence that they are GOD DMAN SICK OFF!!

[rossmoore13]

@GuildyDawg You do Know that before The wars in the middle east american companies already owned almost all of the oil there. By the rebel resistance you mean the Taliban? the Taliban are not freedom fighters the want everybody to be ruled by old and dangerous laws. I am all for people practicing there religious beliefs but not stoning someone to death.

[armytaskforce11x]

@rossmoore13

No its white people trying to change rules.If russia invaded america and try'd changing my rules i'd set up ieds to and ambush them.

[LudicrousTachyon]

@rossmoore13 Don't forget the survivors of "collateral murder". We create the situation where it's easiest for children of murdered parents to seek survival and desire vengence. Those brainwashers are most able to provide both those things.

[VaeVictisAeternum]

@rossmoore13 No, the farmers and workers are often the backbone and the main supporters of any religious extremists. When you first start to learn about those countries you tend to think their extremism to be imposed by a handful of out of touch thinkers and a counter reaction to outside forces. But when you really get familiarized with the situation, only then you truly understand why those ideas could take hold in the first place.

This is the banality of evil.

[agabaire]

@CptMcClain, "then religion must die"... r you out your mind???

religion has always been there... mankind always fought,but this isn't because of religions don't be hasty to blame this on something. take some responsibility !!! don't blindly say stuff like that

[Ilamarea]

Fuck yeah, go Poland do awesome stuff.

[WhiteTiger333]

Blessings to your work, Monika! It takes individual hearts to bring the balance of humanity to global greed...including mainstream media. (And, I speak American English, but had no problem understanding the words).

[Dazis4Real]

It disgust me to see people having to live in such a manner this close to 2012 :-( So saddening...Although Australia has a growing oppressive rule, We do not have war and destruction from crazed religious oppressors thank goodness, We just have a crazed redhead dictator in training who will find herself out in the cold at the end of her final destructive term..

Thank you Monika for the reality pics, Even if your fair attempt at English does not please everyone.

[DanieljTAH]

The audio transcription is hilarious!

[naybobdenod]

For sure the worlds cancer is Religion.

( In the immortal words of Christopher Hitchens ` religion poisons everything ` )

ALL cancers need to be eradicated once and for all so as to let our species flourish.

The constraints of all religions imposed upon unsuspecting individuals is in itself a disgrace.

And for the believers who ALWAYS dwell on the morality question,uff.As a species we could not have got this far had morality not been innate !.

Rapture,lmfao.

[djlegacy96]

@naybobdenod

religion cant be blamed for everything

a good bit. but we are what we are.

this worlds cancer is homosapiens

[bradq]

@djlegacy96 thanks for proving my point

[naybobdenod]

@djlegacy96 Good comment I hasten to add and thanks for that.

The constraints of the religious upon those who wish to flourish are apparent.Ethics and morality are innate.

The need for religion only exists in the eyes of those who seek power over others.

Religions is just a means of suppressing the masses !

[ArtisticAtrocity]

@djlegacy96 Wrong, we have a right to be here and we will stay here. The problem is that we need to start looking beyond petty conflicts and start improving not only our lives, but the lives of others. We need to remember that these are PEOPLE too and we share common interests.

[djlegacy96]

@ArtisticAtrocity

If the lessons of history

teach us anything

its that nobody learns

the lessons that history

teaches us

[bradq]

Lucifer wants to divide Christians and Islam lest we unite against the synagogue of satan.

[ZZzzzzzWhat]

@bradq hahahaha

[maxjosephwheeler]

Too difficult to understand....make more vids on psychology, tech, or medicine!

[lglglggl]

This video was way too short!

[BJ219]

Beautiful photography.

[ThoughtfulGeek]

Dear TED, please could we have HD video uploads for photographic presentations like this? I'd love to see more of her work in the high definition detail that it deserves.

[leegee23]

@ThoughtfulGeek I think you can now download HD video from the TED website.

[chocomalk]

Brave woman.

Beautiful talk.

[neurel111]

hidden light -> darkness

[scottaussie1]

i thought it was a great story , i understood her good ,

[americanbunker]

Enjoyed the images. Had no problems with her accent.

[Siglojunior]

Nice pictures, weak talk

[BaileysBeads]

That's been the first non-annoying woman talking on TED since a while.

[EdEditz]

Awesome story but so annoying to have to listen to such an heavy accent. I couldn't understand half she said. That's a shame considering the ernestness of the story she's telling.

[Uriel1816]

A hidden light indeed. Shining through the soul.

[zarkoff45]

Those photographs look like Rembrandt paintings.

[Leviathandk]

She sighs a lot..Its sounds like she doesnt want to be there...

[leegee23]

Much appreciated. Looks pretty much like the photographs taken before the US made a business out of waring in Asia (again).

[TheEidolon7]

@leegee23 Is the U.S. there alone? No. Are there troops from many countries over there killing innocent people? Yes, there are. Pointing fingers at one scapegoat and placing blame does not solve the problem, especially when it is misleading.

[leegee23]

@TheEidolon7 Oh OK: it wasn't their idea, they didn't talk anyone into it, they never do such things, do they. Hardly misleading, when we've seen it so often on the news for so many years. What would help solve the problem would be if the US went back to the US: I'm not sure anyone else wants to be there, or has such a large part of their economy involved in the so-called war.

[leegee23]

@TheEidolon7 Thanks for not resorting to the usual foul-language and ignorance found on these 'forums'

[TheEidolon7]

@leegee23 No problem, it's not my intention to be emotional. But as an American, I know very well that quite a lot of us are against the tyranny and horrors of greed and war. We are very much affected by it. The powers of control are not just in the U.S. I don't think the U.S. on it's own can force so many countries to join in war. In fact, I know first hand that the U.S. gov. does not decide alone. Nationalism is a tool of separation and control. We all need to Unite. Be well.

[leegee23]

@TheEidolon7 I take your point and appreciate it: '...you have nothing to loose but your chains.' However, the military occupation is largely under a US national flag, and US national command, and it is US corporations that seem to do very nicely out of it, at the expense of the locals. I lobby my (British) MP to pull the troops out, I trust you do the same. It feels pretty futile, though.

[TheEidolon7]

@leegee23 The struggle is a very difficult and complex one, to be sure. Thank you for your efforts.

[leegee23]

@TheEidolon7

Would the US have done it alone? Granada, Panama suggest they would. Would Obama do it? I'm not sure. I do think that had the US left Afghanistan, and Iraq, alone, no-one else would have attacked. We then might all be a little better prepared to deal with the real problem-maker of the region, Iran....

[JanMarie1007]

Wonderful photographic documentation...and yes unfortunately there is a long hit list comprised of Muslim Intellectuals who don't agree with Muslim Fundamentalism!!!

[atheer2002]

a country totally destroyed by religion..

Listen Baghdad..

[ZinayH]

So much talk for nothing.. I dont mean to offend the Speakers on this show, but To much talk and no action! No one even knowing that the world is going to hell will ever do something about it!

At this point in time the only thing we need is a chipp implanted in our brains and let the elites control us! LOL

LIke the Movie In Time.. where the banks own us by Time currency! Wait its almost like that but now! LOL

Wake up people!

[ThefamousZozo]

I am german, and i have no problems understanding her, and was very moved of her speech.

I hope i could hear more of this maginficent persons speech

[shiftplusone80]

Interesting photography... looks like paintings. Is there a name for this style of photography?

[hooloovoo1st]

I know people are going to insult me for this, but when the speaker has such a thick accent they should probably subtitle these videos.

[SAsgarters]

@hooloovoo1st Nah.

[marrydruli]

@hooloovoo1st so true

[WoodCroftwoodcroft]

@hooloovoo1st Go to:

ted. com/talks/monika_bulaj_the_hid­den_light_of_afghanistan.html

for English subtitles.

[jayloganyt]

@hooloovoo1st and @EdEditz: how come I understand every word? Get used to a world of many languages and many accents.

[IntrepidStranger]

@hooloovoo1st I did not find it too hard to discern her accent, but then I may have more experience than you at this. Perhaps listening to the BBC could help you. :P

[erdal0]

@hooloovoo1st I thought it was a man. I was not looking on the screen.

[freaky011]

@hooloovoo1st do you not speak english very well?

[Saber10inch]

@hooloovoo1st you wont get insulted for your question youll be insulted cause these already have subs for this.. go to their home page look this video up and you can pick ANY language and youll have subs for it! thats only if youre intrested enough to be botherd to look this video up in their home page

[elboertjie]

@hooloovoo1st You are right, but we are used to such diverse heavy accents here in Europe.

[elkfu]

@hooloovoo1st they are subtitled in TED's web

[ahmadmoalla]

@hooloovoo1st or better always subtitle also for people who can't hear!

[Thelizzardcat]

@hooloovoo1st Subtitles are available at the Ted.com actual website ;)

[creosole]

@hooloovoo1st

My plan was to watch the video in its entirety and then call you an uncultured swine. I'm sorry for being so mean spirited.

[bearcat648]

Amazing photos!

[Icix1]

You can find a silver lining in anything, that doesn't make it okay. Afghanistan is a war wracked drug infested medieval age shithole. There's no getting around that. 

[ArtisticAtrocity]

@Icix1 That might be, but you have to consider that the states have had a heavy role in making them that way, as well as many other countries.

[CptMcClain]

Some day, our children's children will look back at us and wonder how the world did not destroy itself when religion had so much power. If the world is to survive to the age of reason, then religion must die, borders must fall, and morality must be considered as the science of well being.

[southeastatheist]

@CptMcClain good point

[Choirathlete]

@CptMcClain I completely agree with you that religion is a very destructive force in the world, and that the good parts (charity etc) do not require the perpetuation of the bad parts (prejudice, dogma etc) to continue. I'm curious about your idea that "borders must fall." What exactly do you mean by that and why?

[espada9]

@CptMcClain: Sounds like an Orwellian nightmare to me, you can't change human nature without force, what do you propose political reeducation camps? Didn't you so called "progressives" try that already? Why not try it again after all you only murdered 100 million last time right?

[xlReGaRdLeSslx]

@CptMcClain Sounds like the New World Order.

[TheEidolon7]

@CptMcClain Amen to most of that. However, nothing wrong with cultures and religions as long as they are not oppressive and are chosen freely. Forcing science and one idea of morality is no better than forcing religion. The Wiccan motto (I am not Wiccan) is nice, "As it harm none, do what though will".

[team1337er]

@CptMcClain

Why so radical? I'm an atheist but i know several believers who done a lot of "good things". They went to South America in order to work on some projects against poverty.

imho religion as such is good. It's the people who falsify the ideas behind belief. Interestingly all of the "good" religious ppl were martial artists. Following your logic everyone should become a m.a.? I don't think so.

Sorry for my weak english but i'm not a native speaker.

[BrixSnBs]

@CptMcClain If we want to survive the age of reason we must eliminate anything that blocks free thought. That includes organized religion, which of course is a obvious problem in fanatically religious countries like Afghanistan, but in the western world(besides the US maybe) I think there are bigger issues blocking free thought. Religion is in my mind way too often used as an easy scapegoat thus eliminating issues like authority, sectarianism, tradition, and prejudice from the public discourse.

[jgbloyd]

@CptMcClain So your view is supremely correct and all others are wrong? Smacks of religion. Same problem of being stuck in one world view whilst blaming all others and justifying attacks on their views.

Btw, if you were a better scientist, you'd stop worrying about humanity's destruction and just observe how it plays out without being biased to your own kind.

[balancex3]

@CptMcClain spoken like a true advocate of the new world order.

[MrCattlehunter]

@CptMcClain Don't see why they'd need to wonder. They didn't have science, which is necessary for destroying the world.

[paulwall142]

@CptMcClain Your an idiot. Humans will always fight over stupid shit. Do you seriously think that religion is the real cause of conflicts and war? Do you really think that a peaceful utopia is possible? Are you really that naive? Religion is an excuse to fight. If religion dies people are going to find other stupid shit to fight about. Your comment reminds me of the atheist war south park episode.

[mbommari]

@CptMcClain Or perhaps our children will become even more religious than we could possibly imagine. And they will look back on us as unenlightened, non-spiritual people who did not understand the value of a human life, but merely considered it a means to an end. I'm not disagreeing with you, I'm just saying that being anit-religion or atheist does not a moral person make. Science is good, but not all scientists are

[Drar54321]

@mbommari morality has nothing to do with faith, so please dont say that just because somone is an atheist they are more likely to be unmoral

[NobodysOffTheHook]

@CptMcClain One of my favorite comments... ever.

[Kaeralho]

@CptMcClain geez, thanks for putting it out so well, sir. great choice of words.

[tommmmmm]

ABSOLUTELY boring and disgusting video. -1

[Dragonuver]

This is very inspiring.

[TheEidolon7]

Not only is the Taliban an evil, what about the thousands of innocents and civilians murdered and tortured by NATO forces?

[onyo101]

@TheEidolon7 that is war it sucks but so does war

[TheEidolon7]

@onyo101 Would you say that if your Mother or loved ones, or entire family was wiped out for no reason...because some greedy oil mongers wanted your countries oil and who knows what else? "Oh well, that's war, it sucks..." sigh.

[onyo101]

@TheEidolon7 i would be sad but am a ware of the fact that innocent people die in wars and i never said anything about the reasons behind the war, also all wars are fuelled by greed

[TheEidolon7]

@onyo101 We can disagree. You seem to imply that war is OK. I say it is not OK and especially for the reason of greed. There are better alternatives to killing, regardless of the reason. As a disabled combat veteran, I feel it is my duty to protest and speak out against the atrocities of war and the filthy reasons behind them. Guns are not toys and wars are not fun. Be well.

[onyo101]

@TheEidolon7 not once did i say or imply war was okay, nor did i say any ware that it was fun or guns are toys. i said that is sucks that would imply that it is negative. also you seem to like putting words in my mouth to try and push what ever it is you believe. all i said was that it sucks, and i can get over that fact unlike you apparently,

[TheEidolon7]

@onyo101 Interesting reply, and channel. Yes, war sucks very much. Be well.

[TheLegalizeIt]

Thank you, for cell phones. Light up the world.

[defaultuser88]

I used to be an afghan, but then I took an arrow to the knee

[look25]

@defaultuser88 looooooooooooooooooooooooooooo­ol

[bactrian89]

@defaultuser88 I was actually born there, but still took the arrow to the knee :(