The Sonic Activist | Gabriel Akon | TEDxYouth@ScotchCollegeAdelaide
Diceboro argues that systemic issues like racism are the greatest barriers to human progress, proposing that the concept of "sonic activism"—using sound to drive progressive action—can be a tool for social change. He draws evidence from his personal journey as a refugee and immigrant, culminating in forming a movement to support children in South Sudan and advocate for "Australians" in Australia.
## Speakers & Context
- Diceboro (stage name), a man from the "Original Skin" community in Africa.
- Delivers a talk combining poetry, personal narrative, and political advocacy.
- Identifies himself as representing a generation of "new Australians" who feel caught between belonging and marginalization.
- Presents his experiences as a refugee from Ethiopia and South Sudan, culminating in life in Australia.
## Theses & Positions
- *Education is still the fastest way out of poverty* for students in refugee camps.
- *Human connection is the most precious thing we can use in this world.*
- The primary tools for overcoming systemic barriers are **sports** and **music**, as they facilitate connection and expression.
- **Sonic activism** is the use of sound/force to interact with and reconstruct the world into a better version of itself.
- Racism is described as *"a cancer of humanity"* and the biggest distraction from unifying efforts.
- He aims to empower a generation of "new Australians" to contribute to society while fighting for a "fair go."
## Concepts & Definitions
- **Sonic Activism:** The use of sound/force to explore, interact with, and reconstruct the world around us to become a better version of itself.
- *The sonic:* The vessel used to carry the inspiration and the message.
- *The activist:* The manifestation of that message into progressive action.
- **Diaspora:** A word derived from the Greek word *diáspora*, meaning people dispersing from their homeland; used to personify his life journey.
- **Anglo-African / Austro-Aliens:** A group describing individuals who want to be Australian but are treated like aliens, stuck somewhere in between.
## Mechanisms & Processes
- **Building Connection:** Sports (especially soccer) proved to be an escape and a means to build friendship and human connection.
- **Self-Expression:** The realization that learning poetry and subsequently English provided the necessary language to express himself and eventually connect with global culture.
- **Hacking Culture:** Used the global platform of Hip-Hop culture to connect his own culture (from the Monjung people in South Sudan) to a worldwide movement.
- **Leveraging Superpowers:** Used the superpowers derived from his difficult experiences to establish tangible infrastructure.
## Timeline & Sequence
- **Age 8:** Had a dream of climbing an endless ladder toward a "heavenly destination," realizing he needed to look down to see the path.
- **War Period:** Born in a war/jungle/famine; family walked for two months from Ethiopia to a refugee camp.
- **Mid 1990s:** Arrived at **Kakuma refugee camp**; spent 7 years there, starting at age 2.
- **Age 10:** Smuggled out of Kakuma camp.
- **Post-Refugee Camp:** Lived in a small village in Kenya for 3 years.
- **Humanitarian Visa:** Accepted to Australia under the humanitarian visa program.
- **Present:** Living in Australia for 15 years (at the time of the talk).
## Named Entities
- **Kakuma refugee camp:** UNHCR camp where the speaker spent 7 years.
- **Ethiopia:** Country of origin during the refugee journey.
- **Kenya:** Location where the family lived for three years after leaving the camp.
- **Australia:** Country that accepted the speaker via the humanitarian visa program.
- **South Sudan:** Home of the Monjung people and the current focus of aid efforts.
- **Monjung people:** People from the south of Sudan, near the cradle of human civilization.
- **Tupac, Malcolm X, John Lennon, Maya Angelou, Muhammad Ali:** Cited as examples of sonic activists.
- **Diceboro:** The stage name and alter ego he created.
- **TMP Foundation:** Organization with which he partnered.
## Numbers & Data
- Duration in Kakuma refugee camp: **7 years**.
- Population capacity of Kakuma camp: Initially built for **90,000** people; fluctuated up to **200,000** refugees.
- Duration of travel from Ethiopia: **2 months** straight walking.
- Journey outside camp: **24-hour** journey.
- Age when arriving in Australia: **10 years old**.
- Years in Australia: **15 years** (as of the talk).
- Current beneficiaries in South Sudan: Helping put more than **1400 kids** through school.
- Goal for South Sudan: To reach **5000** kids in the next couple of years.
## Examples & Cases
- **The Dream:** Climbing an endless ladder, realizing the destination was visible by looking down, and finding a "sea of people climbing up with me."
- **Disease Suffering:** Witnessing many people in the refugee camp suffering from preventable diseases due to lack of medical access.
- **Australian Laws:** Studied laws like **Terenulus policies** and **white Australian policy**, which he noted were effective enough to inspire apartheid in South Africa.
- **Survival Tools:**
- Sports: Made friends and connected with people.
- Music: Provided a path to self-expression, leading to learning English and Hip-Hop.
- **The Superpower Implementation:** Using acquired skills and support to partner with his brother to build a recording studio in the same refugee camp they grew up in.
## Tools, Tech & Products
- **Soccer ball:** Simple tool used in the camps for play.
- **Microphone/Sound System:** Implied tool used in musical performance.
- **Recording Studio:** Built in the original refugee camp with his brother.
- **Label:** Created a label called **Playback Gateway**.
## Counterarguments & Caveats
- The speaker addresses the perceived lack of formal opportunity for those arriving in Australia without established support networks.
- Notes that success is defined by an internal narrative ("when i succeed i am australian") versus external systemic failure ("when i fail i'm african").
## Methodology
- **Poetic Reflection:** Analyzing a childhood dream as a vision/premonition of his life's trajectory.
- **Narrative Documentation:** Chronicling life milestones: refugee experience $\rightarrow$ trauma $\rightarrow$ educational opportunity $\rightarrow$ systemic racism $\rightarrow$ activism.
- **Sonic Activism Framework:** Developing a actionable theory based on lived experience, connecting global artistic forms (poetry, hip-hop, drumming) to political goals.
## Conclusions & Recommendations
- The central goal is to incite the audience to become sonic activists.
- Call to action: *Let's embrace these children and anybody that wants to be part of this beautiful nation.*
- Final imperative: Build unlimited hope by turning "trials and tribulations" into progressive action.
## Implications & Consequences
- The current structure of racism forces immigrants and minorities into a state of perpetual negotiation of identity.
- If addressed, the "new Australians" generation represents untapped potential for minimal investment and maximum societal outcome.
- Failure to address racism prevents the full unification and achievement of the human race.
## Verbatim Moments
- *"welcome to the mind of a young black african king diceboro man from original skin born to a lost world but he's destined to win let it begin"*
- *"If you ever get lost just follow the beat"*
- *"where the hell are we going actually even more important than that was why was an eight-year-old boy the one that's up here"*
- *"i saw humanity at his highest and its lowest"*
- *"education was the only way up"*
- *"real quick shout out to australia for that man otherwise i won't be here right now"*
- *"i realized i entered the second phase of my lifetime survival part two"*
- *"having this smooth dark chocolate beautiful skin was a problem in this country"*
- *"hip-hop gave me a global platform which transcended race religion or even political beliefs"*
- *"i call it sonic activism"*
- *"I'm here to represent a generation of new australians and i call them the austro-aliens"*
- *"when i succeed i'm australian when i fail i'm african"*
- *"a child who was not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth"*