Wow. So after about 4 months of crazy planning, stress and no sleep, Human Rights Week pulled through and was amazing.
I guess, in short, the people who weren't supportive, seem minimal to the amount of support, and awareness we did raise within our student body and the community.
It's crazy how a few high school students can get together and pull off an event such as this one. I am slowly recovering from the months and months of planning, but it was all worth it. It was worth it, even if ONE person came to realize the importance of being aware of human rights issues and taking the time to no more and do something small. I'd see students walk by our merchandise and they'd throw down 5,10,20 dollar bills, or people read our information booths and sign the petition for Darfur. It's small things like those... that kept my going.
At the beginning of the week, during our assembly I was so tired from coming back from Champaign the morning of at 4am, and so when some students were laughing during the guest speaker's specch, it kinda hit me. Not everyone will care. But that's reality, and I guess I needed it. Not to say there's no room for optimism, but I guess being too idealistic can be dangerous.
Anyway, in one week, we raised over $1200, to give to three organizations, based on the 3 main issues we were covering, received over 700 signatures for the petition for Darfur, sold like... over 200 bracelets, and 120 of them are being sent to an orphanage in India. The deed is done, and there's still much to do. Raising awareness I guess is the first part, but taking action and looking at your life, seeing what you can do... is the hardest part. It's not just about going to Africa, South America, Asia or India... to see the atrocities people go through, but it'd evaluating your life... and making changes. So, I guess I'm struggling with that right now...
So February was a good month. U of I was fun (also I learned/realized so much.. I'll post later) and Human Rights Week went amazing. Gah.. I'll post more later on a speaker/woman I met from Sudan, who seriously... is one of the most amazing people I have met in my life.
More on that later, I gotstowork.
