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Marc Schaeffer
Joined: Mar 30, 2002
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Province/State: Manitoba
City: Winnipeg
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RESPECT Youth
January 26, 2003 - 11:43 AM
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Dear RESPECT Youth,
First allow me to re-introduce the goals of RESPECT:
1. To increase awareness of refugee issues amongst youth.
2. To build bridges between refugee students and non-refugee students.
3. To encourage students to act to raise awareness of refugee issues and to organize fund-raisers for their refugee schools.
For more information, please check out: www.winnipegrefugee.org/respect/
To get involved please contact me.
This thread is intended for young people involved in RESPECT to discuss their experience. Here are some questions for you to start with. I hope that this space becomes your space. I look forward to seeing your thoughts, your ideas, and your dreams here!
a) What did you know about refugees before participating in RESPECT? How had you learned about refugees before RESPECT? What was your impression about RESPECT?
b) What did you do to increase your awareness of refugee issues before the letter exchange?
c) What was your impression of your refugee pen-pal after reading the letter?
d) What are your future plans for RESPECT at your school?
** These questions are just ideas for what to post here. Please use this thread to introduce yourself & your school, to post any thoughts & ideas about RESPECT, you can even post your letter from your pen-pal (please exclude identifying information for their privacy). **
Kate Mossman, a university student on the Board of Directors for Winnipeg Refugee Education Network (www.winnipegrefugee.org), has agreed to moderate this thread.
Please feel free to contact me anytime with any questions or comments!
Be well,
Marc Schaeffer
RESPECT International Coordinator
www.winnipegrefugee.org/respect/
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Kate Mossman
Joined: Jan 27, 2003
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Re: RESPECT Youth
January 27, 2003 - 02:55 AM
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Hi there everyone! My name is Kate, and I'm a third-year University student at the University of Manitoba. I am currently studying Anthropolgy, which I really enjoy as it is a truly facinating field. I hope to be able to help the different student groups out with any questions they might have about RESPECT, and how to go about organizing activities in the schools. I am a member of WREN and RESPECT, and I was also involved in an Amnesty International group in my high school, so hopefully I might be able to assist everyone in undertaking the RESPECT program. I think it's great that you all decided to get involved and I'm looking forward to talking with you and determining the best way to go about this communication. Take care, Kate
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Natalie Bannister
Joined: Jan 27, 2003
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City: Cobble Hill
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RESEPECT Youth
January 28, 2003 - 06:20 AM
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Hi, my name is Natalie and I am the organizer of a RESPECT group at my high school.
I found out about RESPECT when I attended the Global Issues Symposium for Youth in Port Moody, BC. I picked up an information package, and when I looked at it I thought, "Hey, I can do this." So I did!
We learned a lot about refugee/ IDP (Internally Displaced Person) issues and I guess I just have a sort of sympathy for what those people must be going through. Living in such a modernised Western world it's very easy to ignore or overlook the fact that right now, millions of people are suffering. It's also very easy to ignore the fact that we ~can~ do something. RESPECT is my little way of trying to help the world!
It was so exciting when our first letters arrived. I was really excited, but wasn't sure how enthusiastic everyone else would be (I kind of had to convince some people to join). I was surprise at how touched everyone was when they read their letters. A couple of girls almost started crying when they read about kids who had lost both their parents or who had to live and sleep outside, under a bush.
We have eleven people involved and are all looking forward to our first letters from our penpals.
That's all for now!
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Kate Mossman
Joined: Jan 27, 2003
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Welcome!
January 29, 2003 - 02:56 AM
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Hi Natalie! I'm so glad you've decided to get involved with RESPECT! It's great to know that there are young people out there like yourself and your group that want to get involved and make a difference. I had the same reaction when I first saw some of the letters- it's incredible the type of hardships some of these kids have faced, and yet they still are optimistic about improving their situation in life. As for getting others involved, 11 is an excellent place to start. Hopefully as the penpal exchange continues, other people will hear about it and want to get involved as well. A question for you: is there a geography or world issues class that might have some students interested in also participating- that might be a good place to find people who also might want to be involved in RESPECT. In my experience, that's where we found a lot of our members for a school Amnesty group. Anyhow, I look forward to chatting with you more in the future. Let me know how things are going and if I help with anything. Thanks! Kate
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Rylee Cizik
Joined: Jan 30, 2003
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Re: RESPECT Youth
January 30, 2003 - 03:43 AM
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Hi, My name is Rylee and I am a grade 11 student from Winnipeg, MB. I started a RESPECT group in my school a couple months ago, and I am hoping for it to grow!
In school I have not learned anything about refugee life, only the definition of a refugee in 9th grade Canadian Studies. I was introduced to refugee issues through a teacher of mine, but it was out of school time. He asked anyone that was interested to see him so I did, and became a part of the Winnipeg Refugee Education Network mailing list and others affiliated. I read more and more emails that taught me about the awful things happening to others, and I wanted to help in some way.
I got the Winnipeg Refugee Education Network to come to my school and they made a great presentation. The WREN told me all about RESPECT and I was eager to be a part of it so as I mentioned, I began a RESPECT group in my school to promote refugee education locally. Now I am trying to recruit others, as the RESPECT group in my school currently has five members. So far we have replied to seven young refugees in Uganda, and discussed the issues amongst ourselves. The letters we received were very moving and sad. We are hoping to send them books as well, since many of them voiced their disappointment about poverty and war in their area not allowing them the education they desire.
In the future my RESPECT group has plans of fundraising, making things like posters to put up around our school, and sending the refugees education related materials. I am expecting our group to grow over the months as we increase awareness and spread the word! Thanks! ~Rylee
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Kate Mossman
Joined: Jan 27, 2003
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Re: RESPECT Youth
February 5, 2003 - 02:53 AM
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Hi Rylee! I hope you're doing well. I think it's great you're already thinking about fundraising. As for getting informed, maybe your group could do some research on the situation in Uganda, and better understand the difficulties faced by the students you are writing to. Later on, you could even incorporate this information into a presentation/bakesale, where other students pay a couple bucks to listen to the presentation while enjoying some baked goods. You may decide to just provide the snacks for free, as this is an excellent way to convince people to come out to meetings (as often experienced by WREN :P) Let me know what you think of these suggestions. Take care! Kate
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Marc Schaeffer
Joined: Mar 30, 2002
Posts: 8
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http://www.romero-online.com/respect/
February 16, 2003 - 09:54 AM
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Dear RESPECT Youth,
RESPECT Youth has moved to:
http://www.romero-online.com/respect/
Please check us out there, read the messages online, post appropriately in the threads, or make a new thread for a new discussion topic!
Be well,
Marc Schaeffer
RESPECT International Coordinator
www.winnipegrefugee.org/respect/
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