Matthew Pelli, Reporter
@MPelliCourant
The Human Rights Club is promoting human and raising awareness about controversial issues around the globe. This club is headed by seniors Sydney Britt and Fatima Sonday, with the faculty advisors being Ms. Cullen and Mr. Darken.
According to Fatima, this club provides information about certain conflicts going on in the world and what others can do to help, “We run the club to help spread awareness around issues that are going on right now in the world and prevent injustices.”
The club also attends an annual conference at the Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center of Iona College. This year, all members of the club attended and Fatima, along with Junior Joelle Anselmo presented to raise important conversations on North Korea, “Joelle and I presented on North Korea and oppression in labor camps, and I feel like it’s really important right now, especially with what’s happening with Trump and the potential for nuclear war. It’s such a current issue, there is always something new coming out about it. We need to do more as a community to bring attention to these issues,”, she said. Sonday’s overall goal at the conference was to raise important conversations about what’s happening in North Korea and inform uneducated people on the topic. Sonday and Anselmo want to help make a difference in the world through this club.
There were two keynote speakers at this conference, Holocaust Survivor Judith Altman and mother of a Sandy Hook Victim, Scarlett Lewis. Both Judith and Scarlett were there to show their strength and perseverance through their horrific experiences and how it shaped them to be the people they are today.
Joelle was strongly impacted by these two speaker’s and what they had to say, “Scarlett Lewis talked about how she completely forgave Adam Lanza, the shooter, because he didn’t have the proper attention and nurturing as a child…” Joelle learned from Altmann to be more open to others and forgive people for their wrongdoings while also learning to never make fun of outcast kids who have a hard time fitting in. The Human Rights Club is teaching students how to forgive and forget while raising awareness on important issues and encourages other student’s to join.
