Teen FREEDOM WRITERS, photographers tell their stories
& teach humankind to become closer, better
Monday, 02 July 2007
"An enemy is one whose story we have not
heard."
1. STORIES in writing
TEACH WITH YOUR HEART is a book by Erin Gruwell you cannot have until next year -- January,
2008.
Who is Erin Gruwell?
How has she helped to move alienated, hopeless
people from war to peace, from isolation to cooperation and creativity
together?
Erin Gruwell was a
singular, novice teacher who took on the lowest-potential, gang-orientated high school students she could have found -- youth at
war with families, peers, teachers, and themselves.
She found a way for them to save their lives while
discovering their wings -- their humanity, intelligence, beauty, importance,
imaginations and trust in each other and life.
At the core was this -- Erin
Gruwell gave the youth their voices, by shepherding
them to write their own Stories.
All 150 students graduated from high school.
FREEDOM WRITERS is how they are known today.
FREEDOM WRITERS DIARY is the book of their stories.
Hilary Swank made the movie -- FREEDOM WRITERS -- a
real how-to for humankind, a must-see for
practical steps to move us humans toward our highest . together.
SEE THE TRAILER and find the DVD are at http://freedomwriters.com/
LEARN MORE about Erin Gruwell's students, and her experiences teaching and
learning.
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2. STORIES in photos
Story is the real power to transform
people and relationships everywhere -- http://traubman.igc.org/story.htm
.
In the
The youth are guided by PhotoVoice,
a London-based initiative that encourages documentary photography worldwide.
Citizens who have traditionally been the subject of
photos and films are assisted to become the creators.
The subjects now have control over how they are
perceived by the rest of the world, while simultaneously learning a new skill
which can enhance their lives.
SIDE-BY-SIDE was initially due to begin in the summer
of 2006.
It was was delayed because
of the conflict between
Mohammad, a 13-year-old Palestinian from
"Israelis can see we're not terrorists, and we
can see they're not all soldiers on checkpoints."
Nitzan, a 14-year-old
Israeli Jew expressed: "We can all see each other's photos to learn about
the real lives of the other side, not only what we see on TV."
"I hope this project can connect our lives with
the world," wrote Sameh, age16 and Palestinian.
"It's the start, it's not the end," Lior Melzer says of the first
workshop.
"You take a small stone and throw it in the water
and there are ripples.
"This is what we do."
SEE PHOTOS captured by the Israeli and
Palestinian youth participants.
Grasp these youth-photographers and their
lives.
Know the "other" better, wherever you
live.
Replace fear with familiarity.
Through creativity.
On the road to real freedom.
Where every Story, every person,
every relationship and each new idea matter.
And make a difference.
Finally, READ the full story:
Fresh
lenses trained on ME conflict
By Saeed Taji Farouky
Published by BBC News -- 30 January
2007
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6310779.stm