Three Teens Up To No Bad

Eric Messinger,Arielle Wisotsky,David Messinger

If I believed everything I read or see in the news about teens I would be left with the impression that they shouldn't get together, can't use the internet productively, and are not too interested in being altruistic. Of course I could say the same about adults based on what I read and see in the news too. Much of what we are fed about young people is really the worst kind of negative reinforcement - a continual emphasis on hedonistic or damaging behaviour and no affirmation of positive and productive efforts. Teens who commit murder are headline news worldwide. Teens who are using their time, talents, and energy to try and prevent murder hardly get a mention. The good press doesn't seem to find it's way to us out here in information consumer land. But it did find it's way to my email inbox recently and is well worth letting you know about.

Arielle Wisotsky, David Messinger, and Eric Messinger are three New Jersey highschool students who are have using their initiative to do something beneficial. Last Spring Arielle visited the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC. Arielle’s grandmother is a holocaust survivor and upon seeing the exhibit and thinking of her grandmother, Arielle vowed to take action and help other victims today. After talking with her friends David and Eric, they decided to focus on Darfur. Arielle says, "I really couldn’t sit back and do nothing. As long as innocent people are being tortured and killed, I feel that it is our responsibility to do what we can to stop this."

Arielle, David, and Eric have started a non-profit foundation, Help Darfur Now, Inc., whose mission is to help victims in Darfur. The funds will be sent to organizations located in Darfur like Doctors without Borders to be used to purchase much needed food, medicines, and shelter. They have created a very well designed website, Help Darfur Now, with information on Darfur and on how you can make tax deductible donations for the Darfur refugees. And I'll mention that I've linked their site here under my Websites of Note. They have informative articles and photos, and I like their layout and their purpose. Their charity has no overheads (all expenses have been kindly paid for) so all donations go directly to the Darfur relief effort. In addition, they are distributing flyers throughout the community. They encourage people to contact their local representatives to ask them to pass legislation to help the victims in Darfur. Arielle, David, and Eric are hoping to raise $5,000 for Darfur, though personally I'd like to see them receive more for the Darfur refugees than that.

The Darfur situation has deteriorated. As Arielle, David and Eric say on their website,

"The international community has taken notice - the U.S. Congress recently labeled the situation in Darfur a genocide. A team of U.N. human rights investigators reported that the government and the Janjaweed have instituted a "reign of terror". Like the Rwandan genocide in 1994, as depicted in the recent movie "Hotel Rwanda", nothing substantial has been done to stop the atrocities occurring in Darfur each day. A supposed ceasefire in 2004 has not prevented the violence from continuing, and the situation is becoming increasingly dire. The chaos seems never-ending."

Big situations can appear impossible. Yet history shows us that both the prominent and the "ordinary" have their place in creating change - for better or worse. I don't underestimate the capacity of grassroots people like you and me, each doing what we can. It adds up quite surprisingly. So I do recommend visiting Arielle, Eric, and David's site, Help Darfur Now. It's the sort of effort that deserves positive attention. You may consider linking it if you have a weblog or site, and you may like to donate something to help them reach their target - or raise more than their target. As Christmas approaches it seems like a great opportunity to do something for those who are the least in the eyes of the world. And what a reminder that just because we don't see the good news it doesn't mean it isn't happening.

This post is featured in Spotlight on Darfur 3: Christmas Edition.