About Syria:
The Basics of the Conflict and why we're involved:
As a world community, our lives are all interconnected. When the freedom of one human being is threatened, the freedom of everyone is affected. It is the basic philosophy of our human rights club, and applies to our school, state, country, and world--especially so today in the country of Syria. For forty long years, the tyrannical Al- Assad family has been ruling the Syrian people with an iron fist. Since the Arab Spring revolts of 2011, his forces have killed over 20,000 in the past two years, with an additional quarter million Syrians forced to flee for their lives to refugee camps in neighboring countries. In short, the situation there has all the warning signs of genocide, one which challenges us to make a statement as a world community.
What makes the issue even more compelling for us as students is that the Syrian revolt was started by a group of fifteen 9 to 12 year-old boys in the town of Daraa who brazenly wrote on the side of their school “The people want to topple the regime”. The students’ efforts were followed by other Syrian children who courageously pressed their painted green hands against the walls of their community as a sign of symbolic protest. For them, social justice education and activism weren’t just options as they are here in America—but a necessary means to survival itself.
The Holocaust was in World War Two. Rwanda was right before we were born. Now this is our time--one in which we want to make a stand against the values that threaten liberty around the world. In short, we are Springville and we are Syria!
What makes the issue even more compelling for us as students is that the Syrian revolt was started by a group of fifteen 9 to 12 year-old boys in the town of Daraa who brazenly wrote on the side of their school “The people want to topple the regime”. The students’ efforts were followed by other Syrian children who courageously pressed their painted green hands against the walls of their community as a sign of symbolic protest. For them, social justice education and activism weren’t just options as they are here in America—but a necessary means to survival itself.
The Holocaust was in World War Two. Rwanda was right before we were born. Now this is our time--one in which we want to make a stand against the values that threaten liberty around the world. In short, we are Springville and we are Syria!
How this connects to our event and sleepover:
By participating in the "Sleepover for Syria" it is hoped that we as students learn more about the conflict and how to help. Additionally, through contributing pledges from our family and friends, we hope to help alleviate some of the suffering of Syrian refugees living in the camps. Each student has been asked to raise at least $25 to participate--all of which will go to the International Rescue Committee's Syria Relief Fund ( http://www.rescue.org/news/irc-mobilizes-aid-refugees-fleeing-deepening-crisis-syria-13187)
More about the crisis their can be learned from a recent article in the New York times at http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/12/world/middleeast/relief-crisis-grows-as-refugees-stream-out-of-syria.html and http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/27/world/middleeast/winters-approach-adds-to-crisis-as-syrians-continue-to-flee.html?ref=refugees
To learn more, go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-17258397 and
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2012/sep/25/child-refugees-life-syria