The second semester proved to be an even greater learning experience than the one that came before it. I learned that just because people attend your first event does not mean they will attend your next, and just the people who’ve chosen to dedicated their lives to preserving and ensuring human rights globally are some of the best people you will ever meet.
I started this semester with a trip to Washington, D.C. where I joined like minded individuals in the fight to end Genocide as part of the Lemkin Summit. After hearing from individuals like Samantha Powers, the U.S. delegate to the U.N., we were all powered up to use our lobbying skills to push valuable legislation that would help the United States move closer to protecting the rights of people across the world. Upon returning to the University of Southern California, I was excited to spread what I had learned to my student body through programs like a Virunga film screening, a Holocaust Remembrance event, the Walk to End Genocide and having a Rwandan Genocide survivor come speak. My goal in putting together these events was to reach as many people as possible ranging from people concerned with the conflict minerals and environmental aspects of Virunga to Jewish people who were honoring the lives of loved ones lost during the Holocaust. I worked very closely with Stand: the anti-genocide coalition on campus so that they could utilize their base of followers to ensure that people attended each of these events.
My favorite event of the semester was the Los Angeles Walk to End Genocide. On a crazy weekend in L.A., I managed to find a great group of individuals to come out and join the walk despite being in the middle of finals and other obligations. It was touching to see the way people were dedicated to stand up against genocide and the support family and friends gave regarding an issue I was so passionate about. As we were walking, one of my friends commented on how they were shocked so many people came out for the walk and I considered how strange this sentiment was. Even though no one would deny that genocide is horrific, it’s still happening well into the twenty-first century and despite hundreds of people showing up to the walk, I could only hope that there are more people out there that want to end genocide.
As the school year concluded, I will continue to bring awareness to others so that more people feel the need to work against these injustices, and bring an end to genocide and mass atrocities.