Between July 27th-August 2nd, 2008, 35 students from over 15 Western New York school districts attended the Summer Institute for Human Rights and Genocide Studies. The theme of the week was "From the Holocaust to Darfur: American Responses to Genocide".
Dachau Liberators Charles Zappo and Miron Wasik share a handshake after their presentations at the Summer Institute. Both provided eyewitness testimony on what it was like to see the Holocaust first hand.
One of the hallmarks of the Summer Institute is the opportunity for students to interact with figures and role models who have shaped the past and the future. Here, a student listens admiringly to the stories of Dachau liberator Miron Wasik.
Likewise, a student here spends some time talking with Charles Zappo, discussing his experiences in 1945 liberating Dachau.
Pictured here with several students, Auschwitz survivor Joe Diamond spoke at the Institute on its first day. Mr. Diamond was taken to Auschwitz with his family in late 1944, whereupon his mother, younger brother, and several other family members were killed. He is chair of the Speakers Bureau of the Holocaust Resource Center of Buffalo: http://www.holocaustcenterbuff.com/
In an incredible moment, Mr. Diamond realizes that he too was in the area that Mr. Zappo was in Germany in 1945, quite likely, liberated by his battalion . (This was after surviving Mr. Diamond survived a death march from Auschwitz to that area.)
Greg Peterson spoke to our students on the life of Nuremberg prosecutor and Western New Yorker Judge Robert H. Jackson. Mr. Peterson is chairman of the Jackson Center in Jamestown, NY. http://www.roberthjackson.org/
Here Mr. Peterson poses with several students after his presentation. His support and friendship has been a crucial part of the Institute's growth.
Here Rwandan genocide survivor and Western New Yorker Victor Habinshuti recounts how he escaped from his native country during its genocide in 1994. He is currently finishing his engineering degree at the University at Buffalo.
Escaping with his brother, Victor spent time in several refugee camps, eventually over time, becoming a citizen of the United States. Much to their delight, he spent the rest of the day with the students watching Sometimes in April, a gripping HBO movie on the Rwandan genocide.
Victor, his brother, and older sister who along with 800,000 Rwandans was killed during the genocide.
Sudanese Lost Boy and Western New Yorker Fidele Ding Dhan poses after his presentation with a student from the Summer Institute. Fidele is in the process of building a clinic in his hometown there as well.
Former Chief Prosecutor in Sierra Leone David Crane spoke to our students about the history of Sierra Leone and his role there as Chief Tribunal investigating human rights abuses, which was the world's first war crimes trial after Nuremberg.
Here Professor Crane simulates a situation of what life is like for child soldiers in Sierra Leone, and the terrible choices they faced. Mr. Crane was the first in the world to prosecuted child soldiering as an international crime.
One of the hallmarks of the Summer Institute is close interaction with its speakers, many of whom are known worldwide. In doing so, the program hopes to provide the role models and knowledge that will lead to careers that will enrich the world.
Here Professor Crane poses with two of the Institute's students. In addition to his work as an International Judge, Mr. Crane founded Impunity Watch at Syracuse University, a group which tracks, exposes, and monitors human rights abuses in real time. http://www.impunitywatch.org
Here Professor Crane poses with the staff of the Summer Institute: from left to right: Ben Higgins, Springville High School; Matthew Meader, Hamburg High School; Professor Crane; Drew Beiter, Springville Middle School; Lori Raybold, Hamburg High School; and Stephanie Brown, Grand Island High School.
The five teachers were assisted by interns Michael Baronich aof Canisius College, and Lara Sweeney, recently graduated from Fredonia State. The two are Social Studies Education majors.
Several students listen to one of the speakers.
Initial funding and support of the Institute was given by Paul Benson (pictured on right), Project Director of the federal Teaching American History Grant run by Jamestown High School. In the past five years, the TAH Grant has provided high quality professional development to over two hundred teachers in the greater Western and Southern Tier areas of New York State.
As frequently as possible, the program likes to feature the talents and experience of its students. Here Springville High School Student Kiersten Roetzer makes a presentation on her recent trip to the Nazi concentration camp Mauthausen.
Throughout the Institute and school year, the students communicate online through a closed social network or NING. There, they can share thoughts, debrief their experiences, and plan future events. Here Kiersten poses after her presentation. She hopes to go into a career in social studies education.
Here, Silver Creek Seniors Emily (left) and Adri listen to a presenter. The two attended the Summer Institute for two years, going on to college programs in political science and human rights journalism.
A part of both programs were interactive activities and time for students to process the speakers and material.
In an effort to understand the inequalities in the world's food supply, the students participated in a "Hunger Banquet" where, after drawing random identity cards, they were put in three different groups. Those pictured in this photo represent those in developing countries living under two U.S. dollars a day--over two billion people worldwide. These students ate rice and beans for their lunch.
These students represented the world's small but growing middle class, and were allowed to have a small bowl of soup and a sandwich.
Representing the world's more affluent populations, these students had a meal that was made by a restaurant, including the use of a table cloth and waiter. The goal of this exercise was to to raise empathy and understanding about the disparities of the world's food supply.
