南非女演员塞隆在21届世界艾滋病大会开幕式上的演讲
Thank you.
Oh, so nice to see you! Hi, especially on your grandfather's birthday.
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.
It is typical, when invited to speak at a conference, to begin by saying, "I'm honored and I'm grateful to be here."
And I am grateful to be given a chance to speak, and to be here with such an esteemed group of people.
But if I'm being honest with myself, and with you, I'm also sad to be here at the 21st International AIDS Conference. This is the second time my country of South Africa has hosted.
And that's not an honor. And that's not something that we should be proud of. We shouldn't have had to host this conference again.
Please, please, please understand that I don't mean to insult anyone here or belittle the extraordinary work that has been done by this amazing community over the years.
I have seen the impact of your work firsthand. I have been personally inspired by your commitment to this fight. Countless millions of people would have died without your dedication and your compassion.
But I think it is time that we acknowledge that something is terribly wrong.
I think it's time we face the truth about the unjust world we live in.
The truth is: we have every tool we need to prevent the spread of HIV. Every tool: condoms, PrEP, PEP, ART, awareness, education…
And yet, 2.1 million people, 150,000 of them – children, were infected with HIV last year.
In South Africa alone, 180,000 people died of AIDS last year.
2.1 million children and counting have been orphaned by this disease. I could go on for a very, very long time with the statistics we all know so well.
But instead, let's ask ourselves: Why haven't we beaten this epidemic? Could it be because we don't want to? And by "we," I don't mean just the people in this room. I mean humanity – all of us.
Because when you ask why, you get the same answers again and again and again.
Ending AIDS is too expensive, too daunting, too complicated, too stigmatized, too politicized. And I'm to stop there, because those aren't really answers – they're just excuses.
The real reason we haven't beaten this epidemic boils down to one simple fact: We value some lives more than others. We value men more than women.; straight love more than gay love; white skin more than black skin; the rich more than the poor; and adults more than adolescents.
I know this, I know this, because AIDS does not discriminate on its own. It has no biological preference for black bodies, for women's bodies, for gay bodies, for youth or the poor.
It doesn't single out the vulnerable, the oppressed, or the abused. We single out the vulnerable, the oppressed, and the abused. We ignore them, we let them suffer, and then, we let them die.
My foundation, CTAOP, and a number of our colleagues, are calling on today's youth, to the young people, to be the generation that ends this epidemic – to be "GenEndIt."
I just want to be clear about what the "it" in that sentence is.
It is not just AIDS.
It is the culture that condones rape, and shames victims into silence.
It is the cycle of poverty and violence that traps girls into teen marriages and forces them to sell their bodies to provide for their families.
It is the racism that allows the white and the wealthy to exploit the black and the poor, and then blame them for their own suffering.
It is the homophobia that shames and isolates LGBT youth and keeps them from life-saving healthcare and education.
HIV is not just transmitted by sex – it's transmitted by sexism, racism, poverty, and homophobia.
And if we are going to end AIDS, we have to cure the disease within our own hearts and within our own minds first. And I believe the young people are the ones who can do it. Young people have always been the drivers of social change. Yes. And this generation holds unique promise. After all, this is the generation of Malala Yousafzai and Anoyara Khatun. This is the generation that are shattering taboos, redefining old notions of gender, sexuality, and racial justice.
Not long ago, right here in South Africa, I watched a young LGBT activist challenge a bishop to accept all people into the church. Her courage and her conviction was so inspiring to me. And I know that her confidence comes from caring adults who create safe spaces to talk about issues without any judgment; who educate and empower young people to take control of their bodies and ownership of their futures.
You are the world's leading researchers, the grant-makers, medical professionals, and program implementers. The work you do is vital. It has changed the course of this epidemic. But it will not end it – at least, not on its own.
Yes, we have to all play our parts. We have to work harder, and faster, and smarter than ever before. But it will not be our generation that would end AIDS. It will be the next generation.
I believe the single most important thing each of us can do is leave here tonight and to connect with a young person. Listen, truly listen, to what she has to say. Give her a seat to the table. Let her be part of the conversation. And let's make sure our work reflects her input and her voice.
The solution to the epidemic isn't just in our laboratories, and in offices, or in conferences like this. It's in our communities, it's in our schools, and it's in our streets – where one smart choice or a helping hand can mean the difference between life and death.
Nelson Mandela said: "Young people are capable, when aroused, of bringing down the towers of oppression and raising the banners of freedom."
If we support our young people, if we give them the confidence and the space to speak out against bigotry and injustice, if we take the time to listen and empower them, they will end this epidemic.
In closing, I really would like to thank you – all of you – for your amazing work and your commitment to this extraordinary movement. This assembly has truly been inspiring. And I'm going to say it again: I am incredibly grateful to be here.
But with all due respect, I hope we don't keep meeting like this. Since the first International AIDS Conference in 1985, we have been counting up, all the way to 21. Now it's time for us to start counting down. We have set a goal to end the AIDS by 2030. And there are four more International AIDS Conferences between now and then, they must be our last.
Thank you.
NSDA“SDcamps”全国英语演讲与辩论大赛（大学组）/SDcamps全国中小学生英语演讲与辩论大会（中小学及幼儿组）/美式辩论赛（以下简称大赛/大会）现诚招全国省市合作伙伴或城市合伙人，共同进行推广NSDA赛事品牌、举办赛事及培训活动、开展素质教育、美式营地项目等多方面合作。
我们希望认同NSDA理念，有赛事组织经验，或有教育资源，特别是有理想有热情的机构或个人一起携手，共同推广NSDA品牌、赛事及素质教育。以机构的形式，或以城市合伙人的方式均可。具体的赛事组织、盈利模式，欢迎电话或微信咨询。