Today Tour for Humanity spent a rainy but meaningful day at a high school in Whitby. The History Department Head of the school booked our visit (and one more in December and 2 in the new year), after hearing colleagues at other schools talking about Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) programs.  Feedback from staff was so positive that we are already in talks for repeat visits next year. 

FSWC Educator Daniella had four Grade 10 History classes on the bus, all of whom participated in the Canadian Experience workshop. The classes were just finishing World War II in the curriculum and had previously studied Residential schools, so the material in the workshop fit perfectly.  The second workshop of the day was by far the most memorable. It began when Daniella was discussing current hate crime statistics in Canada and she was explaining to the class that racism and discrimination looked different today compared to instances in history. One student asked Daniella if she thought it was possible to have a world or a society that did not have racism. This was probably one of the most interesting questions Daniella has been asked by students. Daniella told the student that she hoped it was possible, but that ending racism and hate would only be possible if every person fought for that common goal. Daniella explained Simon Wiesenthal's famous quote, "Freedom is not a gift from heaven, we must fight for it every day" and how she felt that this quote was especially appropriate for his question. This line of discussion prompted other students to share similar questions and insights, including one student who questioned whether in 1,000 years there will still be racism because everyone would be "beige" - as he called it. When we transitioned the workshop to  images of teenagers who had committed suicide because of cyberbullying, a girl in the class shared a story of someone who she knew who had also been bullied to the point of suicide. This prompted 3 other students to share stories of people they knew who had also taken their own lives. While these were all very tragic stories, it certainly helped the class understand that cyberbullying is a problem that affects every community. Daniella worked with the group to come up with possible solutions, including something as simple as saying hello to someone in the halls at school.