Capable of Creating Change

“Thou shalt not be a victim. Thou shalt not be a perpetrator. Above all, thou shalt not be a bystander.” (Holocaust Musuem, Washington, D.C.)

I strive to never find myself in a situation being the bystander, I strive to be the activist; the one getting involved and being the voices of those whose voices are silenced and oppressed. Last summer, I was able to participate in a two-day lobbying event in Washington, D.C. with an organization called Invisible Children in order to pass a bill that would make the conflict going on in Uganda more of a priority. We had meetings with our representatives of state and were able to step in and be the voice of child soldiers and sex slaves of Uganda. Seeing so many youth participating in this social act, made my adrenaline rush to make change in the world; I was so inspired. And when this happens, its like tons of light bulbs flick on in my head. On returning to Brazil, I had a plan. I was going to start a social justice club not only raise money to help fight injustice around the world, but to also spread awareness. So I did. Things didn’t exactly kick off so well, and at times I felt like this idea was hopeless, but those innocent kids yet to be tainted by the corruption of the world kept me going. I began to realize that it didn’t matter if I was the only one, or if the number of participants was less than ten. It’s not about me, it’s about them.

So now, second semester has begun and I tried doing things differently this new year. Instead of inviting random people, I thought about those whose qualities involve leading. And now, there are seven of us, yet we are a passionate seven. We are currently helping the school’s student government with throwing an event to raise money for Haiti, and we plan to do other things to raise money for Haiti relief as well. And so, as club plans have been forming, my plans have been as well. I plan to go to Haiti this summer with a group, where we can help in the relief efforts in any way possible. Whether its bringing medical supplies, clothing, or money to help rebuild, I want to do anything I can to bring a sense of hope to Haiti. “We have before us the glorious opportunity to inject a new dimension of love into the veins of our civilization” (Martin Luther King, Jr.). We are capable of creating change.