The week of St. Patrick’s day I stumbled upon a streak of luck that placed me in the company of a great number of individuals with an indefatigable drive to change the world for the better. Myself and 7 other students from School Year Abroad France participated in the Global Issues Network (GIN) annual conference, with this year’s theme being “Caring for Humanity: Our Duty”. We met with 15 other schools from all over the world and participated both as educators and students. By the time this three day conference was finished, I had acquired some invaluable insights.
My team and I presented the business of sex trafficking. We gave insight into the logistics of the abhorrent industry and proposed some solutions that would combat the demand as well as make identification of sex trafficking more efficient. As enthused as I was to present the subject that I had grown to be so passionate about, I quickly became equally invested in many of the topics presented by others. Students and keynote speakers alike addressed concerns of refugee acceptance, the power of social media for influencing social change, and the ensnaring cycle of poverty, all the while having personally made strides to address the issues they held so closely to their hearts.
The initiative of one individual in particular really resonated with me. This was on the part of Jaz O’Hara, a British fashionista who in an act of compassion one day went to visit the refugee camp in Calais, France coined “The Jungle”. There over 3,500 individuals await to be processed. They all hope to be granted asylum in England, a haven just an hour away by car. After making a post on facebook inviting people to drop off any supplies they had handy at her house, O’Hara had an outpouring of support and founded an organization to intervene at Calais. Her post had been shared 64,000 times in one night, and through her suddenly all the people she had visited in the camp were given a voice and a stage. She will be making a documentary as well to further illuminate conditions in the camp.
In attending the conference I learned that stories such as O’Hara’s are not well meaning farces fabricated in hopes of making us think we have the power to ameliorate the misery in this world. I learned that in identifying issues of concern ourselves, we acquire the ability to turn other heads in the right direction. This starts a chain reaction. Each person helps out in his or her way. The network of support grows exponentially more effective and significant with each new recruit. For the April break approaching, I will be volunteering for six days in the Calais refugee camp. I am honored to serve as one more voice adding to the chorus.