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嗨，大家好我是個藝術家，也是一位父親－差不多當第二次了，謝謝。我想與大家分享我最新的藝術企劃。這是一個iPad童書應用程式，有點古怪和傻氣，名稱為「Pop-It」，內容是關於孩子與父母之間的互動。
因此，這是關於如廁訓練－希望大部份人都瞭解這個經驗。你可以移走墊毯，你可以讓寶寶大便，你可以做這所有有趣的事；你可以將泡泡刺爆，你可以畫畫，大家都該嘗試一下。
但你知道嗎？我對兒童讀物有個疑問，我認為其中充滿了意識宣傳，至少以一位印度人試著在公園坡購買這些美國書籍的經驗來說。不提了，我受的教養是不該批評他人。所以我說，「我打算用自己的宣傳方式來抵制這一點。」如果你仔細看的話，這是一對同性戀夫婦撫養一個孩子。不喜歡嗎？搖晃它，就會變成一對女同性戀夫婦。（笑聲）再搖晃它，就會變成一對異性戀夫婦。你們知道，我甚至不相信所謂理想家庭的概念。
我必須向你們敘述一下我的童年。我在一所非常正統的教會學校求學，接受修女、神父、兄弟姐妹們的教導。基本上，我接受教育，以期成為一位好撒瑪利亞人，我確實做到了。一天結束後，我回到傳統的印度教家庭，這或許是主要居民為伊斯蘭教徒的街區中唯一的印度教家庭。基本上，各種宗教慶典我們都會慶祝。事實上，當我們街區有婚禮舉行時，所有人都會為了這場婚禮而油漆自己房子。我還記得我們哭得很慘，當我們在夏季時一起玩耍的小山羊變成印度料理時。（笑聲）我們在回教齋月期間都得禁食，這是一段非常美好的時光。
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以下為系統擷取之英文原文
Hi everyone. I'm an artist and a dad -- second time around. Thank you. And I want to share with you my latest art project. It's a children's book for the iPad. It's a little quirky and silly. It's called "Pop-It," And it's about the things little kids do with their parents.
(Music)
So this is about potty training -- as most of you, I hope, know. You can tickle the rug. You can make the baby poop. You can do all those fun things. You can burst bubbles. You can draw, as everyone should.
But you know, I have a problem with children's books: I think they're full of propaganda. At least an Indian trying to get one of these American books in Park Slope, forget it. It's not the way I was brought up. So I said, "I'm going to counter this with my own propaganda." If you notice carefully, it's a homosexual couple bringing up a child. You don't like it? Shake it, and you have a lesbian couple. (Laughter) Shake it, and you have a heterosexual couple. You know, I don't even believe in the concept of an ideal family.
I have to tell you about my childhood. I went to this very proper Christian school taught by nuns, fathers, brothers, sisters. Basically, I was brought up to be a good Samaritan, and I am. And I'd go at the end of the day to a traditional Hindu house, which was probably the only Hindu house in a predominantly Islamic neighborhood. Basically, I celebrated every religious function. In fact, when there was a wedding in our neighborhood, all of us would paint our houses for the wedding. I remember we cried profusely when the little goats we played with in the summer became biriani. (Laughter) We all had to fast during Ramadan. It was a very beautiful time.
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但我必須說，我永遠不會忘記，當我13歲時，發生了這件事。巴布里清真寺－印度最美的清真寺之一，由巴布爾國王建立，我想是在16世紀－被印度教活躍分子毀壞。這在我居住的城市中引起大騷亂。這是第一次，我感受到這個社區的不安。五歲的鄰居小孩跑進我家說，「Rags，Rags，你知道，印度教徒正屠殺我們穆斯林，小心點。」我說，「老兄，我是印度教徒。」（笑聲）他說，「啊！」
你們知道，我作品的靈感來自於像這樣的事件，即使在畫廊的展示中，我也試著重新回顧像巴布里清真寺這樣的歷史事件；只萃取出其中的情感片段，並想像我自己的生活，想像以不同的觀點學習歷史。
還記得剛剛你搖晃童書，然後父母的性別改變了？我還有另一個想法。這是一本關於印度獨立的童書－非常具有愛國意識；但當你搖晃它，會得到巴基斯坦的觀點；再搖一次，就會得到英國的觀點。
（掌聲）
你必須區分事實與偏見，對吧？即使我設計的童書中有可愛、毛茸茸的動物，但它們也展現出地緣政治關係，它們展現以色列－巴勒斯坦，印度－巴基斯坦之間的關係。你們知道，我想提出一個相當重要的想法。我的想法是，我們教導創造力的唯一方法，就是在最初階段教導孩子不同的觀點。畢竟，童書是教養孩子的手冊，所以你最好給孩子能教導他們不同觀點的童書。反過來說，只有當你教導他們不同的觀點，孩子才能夠進行想像，並設身處地瞭解某個不同於他們的人。
我想提出一個觀點：藝術和創造力是培養同理心非常重要的工具。你們知道，我無法保證能讓孩子過著不帶偏見的人生，我們都不免有偏見，但我保證會以多種不同觀點改變孩子的想法。
非常感謝。
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But I must say, I'll never forget, when I was 13 years old, this happened. Babri Masjid -- one of the most beautiful mosques in India, built by King Babur, I think, in the 16th century -- was demolished by Hindu activists. This caused major riots in my city. And for the first time, I was affected by this communal unrest. My little five year-old kid neighbor comes running in, and he says, "Rags, Rags. You know the Hindus are killing us Muslims. Be careful." I'm like, "Dude, I'm Hindu." (Laughter) He's like, "Huh!"
You know, my work is inspired by events such as this. Even in my gallery shows, I try and revisit historic events like Babri Masjid, distill only its emotional residue and image my own life. Imagine history being taught differently.
Remember that children's book where you shake and the sexuality of the parents change? I have another idea. It's a children's book about Indian independence -- very patriotic. But when you shake it, you get Pakistan's perspective. Shake it again, and you get the British perspective.
(Applause)
You have to separate fact from bias, right. Even my books on children have cute, fuzzy animals. But they're playing geopolitics. They're playing out Israel-Palestine, India-Pakistan. You know, I'm making a very important argument. And my argument [is] that the only way for us to teach creativity is by teaching children perspectives at the earliest stage. After all, children's books are manuals on parenting, so you better give them children's books that teach them perspectives. And conversely, only when you teach perspectives will a child be able to imagine and put themselves in the shoes of someone who is different from them.
I'm making an argument that art and creativity are very essential tools in empathy. You know, I can't promise my child a life without bias -- we're all biased -- but I promise to bias my child with multiple perspectives.
Thank you very much.
