Goodwin Youth Leadership Conference Teaches Important Lesson

By Brian Mahadeo

          Sterling High School hosted the 4^th annual Goodwin Youth Leadership Conference on Thursday April 25^th in its state of the art Media Center.  Over 60 students from St. Joseph High School in Hammonton, Bishop Eustace and Sterling collaborated to develop ways to prevent hate and intolerance in their communities through the study of historical and contemporary incidents of Genocide and human rights violations from the Holocaust of World War II up to the present Civil War in Syria.  Incidents such as the prevalence of global Human Trafficking were also studied and discussed.  Guest speakers included Simon Birnbaum, a survivor of Auschwitz and Buchenwald, Arthur Seltzer, a US Army soldier involved in the liberation of the camps, Dr. Jerry Ehrlich, of Doctors without Borders who documented the genocide in Darfur by smuggling the art work of children out of the country, and Dr. Paul Winkler, Executive Director of the NJ State Commission of Holocaust Education.  Dr. Winkler presented Mrs. Michelle Llewellyn, a Sterling High School World Language teacher, with the Axelrod Family Award for excellence in teaching tolerance.   The event was coordinated by Mr. John Gardiner, Assistant Curriculum Director and Social Studies Teacher at Sterling High School, Mr. Bill Hocker, Global Studies Teacher form St. Joe’s and Ms. Suzy Eulyer, the Amnesty International Advisor from Bishop Eustace.



            Mrs. Michelle Llewellyn, Axelrod Family Award winner, with from l to r :

                                   Mr. John Gardiner, Dr. Paul Winkler, Mr. Arthur Seltzer,

                                  Mr. Simon Birnbaum  and Mrs. Helen Kirschbaum of the

              Goodwin Holocaust Museum and Education Center of the Delaware Valley.



          Attending the Holocaust, Genocide and 21^st Century Human Rights Conference on April 25, 2013 was a life changing event. Not only has genocide and the violation of human rights been a problem in the past, but even in today’s time we find it making an existence. It’s very evident that the Holocaust, Rwanda killings, and international human trafficking haven’t been enough to teach the world a lesson.



            During the 21^st century the Darfur genocide, Syrian revolution and other forms of human trafficking are very similar to older tragedies. In Darfur, Africa a militia group called the Janjaweed raids villages, steals valuables, and then rapes all the women, as well killing countless others. Their government goes on as if their country is doing fine, but thanks to insiders a lot of evidence shows that it is the total opposite over there. These people need help but no one is really at their aid. When will they be able to feel free again? About 19 years ago Rwanda went through the same things, and even before that Europe was facing the Holocaust. Both of these genocides had the same story, help was needed but no one helped. The U.S. turned its back to refugees from Europe, and Bill Clinton turned the other cheek while Rwanda was suffering. Later he claimed that it was the biggest mistake of his life.

 

            There’s this pattern of events over time. Countries go through problems beyond their control, and nobody feels that it’s their responsibility to help. Even in today’s society people see someone in need or in danger and just keep it moving. My mother taught me that wrong is wrong and that right is right, so when you see someone in need of help it’s only right to help. Maybe if the U.S. had helped out Rwanda and the Jewish refugees, the damage would have never been so severe.

            To sum up, genocides don’t start with a huge bombing or gun shots. They start when people see a problem and don’t do a thing to fix it. They start when that student in the hallway gets bullied and no one wants to help. Or, when that woman’s abusive husband beats her and the neighbors witness it but don’t call the cops. The best way to stop genocide is to speak up, lend a helping hand, and do the right thing.