Heatherlyn at World Without Genocide Summer Student Institute

When I walked into the room at the William Mitchel College of Law in St. Paul, students (upperclassmen in highschool and just heading into college) were discussing the stories of "upstanders" - people who learned about kidnapped and enslaved child soilders who, when they arrived at their "enough moment", took action to be the change they wanted to see in the world.

This was a three day intensive, a summer student institute hosted by World Without Genocide. Ellen, the founder and director, told me that the students had been learning about genocide for the past two days and were to begin the next day with a panel discussion of holocaust and genocide survivors. The students were doing exceptionally well. She said she and her staff knew when they were planning the institute, that music should be a part of it, to add energy and inspiration, perhaps also lend a lift in the intensity of the program and to provide an example of how every part of live is influenced by and can, in turn, influence the issues of hate, dehuminization and genocide.

I had the opportunity to deliver a 45 minute interactive program of music and then, Jason and I stayed for a while longer to learn with the students, watch the latest Invisible Children film and create a red hand to contribute to the Red Hand Campaign, the universal symbol adopted world-wide by children, including former child soldiers, to demonstrate their determiniation to see the end of forced child labor in armed combat.

Thanks again to our friends at youthrive: LIVE! for connecting us to World Without Genocide so we could have to opportunity to practice some storydwelling, to see and hang out with some upstanding youth leaders who are changing the world, and have the chance to share some music too.

Thanks also to World Without Genocide for their incredible work, for the partnership we shared that evening and for the great mug and fair-trade coffee.

And thanks to these incredible students who are willing to give up 3 full days of summer to learn about issues of hate, prejudice, dehuminization and genocide; to not only learn, but also act and make a lasting difference. You all rock! Rock on!