Last Tuesday, September 21st, was World Peace Day. You may have hear about Peace One Day, an audacious idea that all war could cease for one day. Young people often feel powerless to make a difference, but when given the tools to communicate, their messages can cause adults to pause and think. But are these messages too simple? After all, they are only a few words. Is this what the world needs to hear–and do? What do you think?
Peace One Day from Jan Smith on Vimeo.
December 10th is the anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations in 1948. To mark this significant day, Huzzahnians shared their creativity: they wrote hip hop routines that focus our attention on the importance of human rights, and what happens when human rights are not respected or protected.
We were inspired by the video below, created by young people in Kenya. Their message is about the environment, and they share it in a very effective way.
We have explored what human rights with the help of various resources and the amazing videos and PSAs at the Youth for Human Rights site. Mr. Laurie, our student teacher, helped us create criteria using the video as our exemplar.
Writing lyrics collaboratively was hard, but having created our own criteria really helped. Here are are a few of the lines different groups came up with:
Abuse is a crime from all time/ It hurts–nobody should be treated like this/ They get banged they get bashed they get harassed
Everyone has the right to eat/ No more hungry people on the street/ No more hungry people/No more hungry people
Livin’ on the streets with disgusting feets/ Some of missing our heartbeats
Nothin’ to do ‘cept lick up the dew/ Welter with no shelter/ There’s no fun when your under the sun/Your gonna feel some pain if your out in the rain/ Ya …Ya… Ya… gonna wail when it starts to hail
The right of a human is the right of all humans: to live.
After writing, revising, choreographing, and practicing, we were ready to share. Mr. Laurie made a graffiti backdrop for us and we chose our clothes to suit the presentation. Sharing the hip hop routines was fun, and maybe a bit nerve-wracking. Here is just one:
Each group did a terrific job of getting its message out, and we looked pretty great, too.
Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.
Huzzahnians, what was this experience like for you?