CPT 2011 co-educators attending a Welcoming Braai at Rose's home
Back row: Teddy, Marie, Joe, Siobhan, Katherine, Leanne, Dana,Logan, Kate, Tom, Lianna, Anna, Meaghan, Julian, Taylor
Front row: Ashley, Sharielle, Brenna, Emily, Nicole, Terri, Kayla, Susie
Center front: their new friend Georgia

Human RIghts Training Weekend

Human RIghts Training Weekend

28 February 2011

Nicole on acknowledging and respecting differing perspectives

Nicole (far right) on Human Rights Training weekend
This past weekend we had the Human Rights training experience. In the time that we spent at the olive farm there is so much that I learned about human rights and the way that people work together that it is overwhelming. It is not even that everything I learned was necessarily taught. Rather, what I learned form the most was watching the ways that different people from different places interacted with each other. This weekend was really cool because it allowed people from South Africa, Zimbabwe, DRC, and Namibia, to interact with American students. We had to do many projects and split into many groups and come together and make decisions that would benefit us all and incorporate all of our ideas without making anyone feel like they’re ideas weren’t making a contribution. From this trip, where there was just over 50 people that had to work together, it really put it into perspective just how difficult it must be for any decision, ANYWHERE in the world to be made. It took our small group of 8 people hours of discussions to try to come to agreements on certain issues and even still we didn’t all agree with the final outcome of our presentations. It just further enforces the idea that everyone has different experiences in their lifetimes. These different experiences forces us to have different opinions, viewpoints and perspectives. Just because we disagree with someone else’s beliefs doesn’t necessarily make either one of us wrong. It just makes us different. It’s just important for everyone to understand that there are going to be these differences when you interact with other people. And while you don’t have to agree with them it is important to acknowledge their viewpoint.

"You and I both see the world through a different lens, with different perspectives. 
We have different viewpoints and see different things.
 But it is just that, Different. Your perspective is no better or worse than mine."

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