I had been looking forward to the human rights
weekend
with Africa Unite for many weeks. When the day finally came I was so excited to
get on the bus and start talking to people who I would meet for the first time.
I had great conversations with someone on the bus ride there who was originally
from Zimbabwe. We discussed topics like literature, politics, studies, human
rights, and refugees. I thoroughly enjoy meeting people who have very different
backgrounds than me, and hearing their stories or points of view. As we got
closer to the olive farms there were less and less houses and large buildings
around. All you could see were vast rolling fields and clouds of dust as the
sun started to set. I had no idea that the place we were staying was this
beautiful. We were all taking so many pictures of the views with Table Mountain
in the distance.
On
Friday evening we were assigned rooms and roommates then got ready for a
delicious dinner. The food was so amazing the entire weekend and we were never
hungry with tea-time twice a day. After dinner we did introductions and were
assigned specific countries for the weekend. We had to de research on the
country, pick a President, and make a proposal for how we would spend $1
billion. I was in the winning Egypt group! After a great start to the weekend
most of us were ready for bed so that we could get some rest before a very busy
Saturday.
 |
| Aimee participating in "getting to know you" exercise |
The
activities on Saturday were very engaging, educational, and fun. One of the
best parts of the program was that everyone was so passionate about human
rights and participating to the fullest extent. We broke into groups to discuss
human right education and present to the rest of the participants. I enjoyed
the activity that allowed us to reflect on four different standpoints of human
rights violations- perpetrator, bystander, healer, and victim. It was inspiring
and eye-opening for people to share their stories with the rest of the group
because we all have different encounters with human rights.
Another
exercise we did consisted of very intense discussions about five different
countries settling on a new planet. Two countries were able to settle on the
fertile area and two countries landed on the infertile area. One country (my
group) had to make a proposal for the other countries to allow them to settle
on the new planet. I learned that sometimes the group in the weakest position
makes the most effort to try to make a situation better for everyone because there
is not as much at stake. If there is something to loose then it is more likely
to make decisions based on fear. This exercise was completely make believe and
only took an hour or two but people took their assigned roles very seriously
and acted how they were “supposed to” in that group. People assumed rights
based on positions they were placed in. For example, a country in the fertile
land decided they would be the ones to distribute food to the others. The
country wanting to settle on the planet created a plan for everyone to share
community gardens. The countries in the infertile lands took a backseat in
deciding the fate of the settlement of the new country.
On
Sunday we learned about the rights that asylum seekers and refugees have when
coming to another country. We were given sample application forms to fill out
as if we were asylum seekers ourselves. No one was able to complete the form
without knowledge of the languages that the form was written in. This
demonstrated only a small portion of the struggles that asylum seekers have to
face in a foreign country. The process is long and complicated especially if
there are language barriers preventing communication.
Finally,
I learned that it is important to combine intellect with interaction and
implementation. Some people or even countries may have more of one than the
other, which is why collaborating with people of different backgrounds is
crucial to any positive improvements in society. It all starts with discussions
and bouncing ideas off one another. It is also important that we share what we
have learned with family and friends because not everyone knows about their human
rights and responsibilities. This weekend was very empowering and I am grateful
to Africa Unite for the opportunity to grow and share with people from all over
the continent of Africa. I am looking forward to staying in touch with friends
that I met during this weekend. I was even able to hear an amazing life story
on the bus ride back home just by asking a simple question about pictures taken
over the weekend. Meeting people for the first time and getting to know them is
one of my favorite things to do. This weekend has given me even more motivation
to never be afraid to talk to someone with a different perspective. You can’t
judge a person by what is on the surface and their stories will only enhance
your own life perspectives. I am excited to continue being educated about human
rights and share what I have learned with others.
No comments:
Post a Comment