HASTA
(Hopeful, Aware Students
Taking Action)
HASTA students take part in the International Day of Action for Peace,
March, 2007 -- calling on
authorities to apply the Geneva Conventions in the case of Guantanamo Bay "detainees"...
What does that strange unassembled jigsaw say? See below!
(HASTA Youth In Philanthropy presentation, May 2005)
Established in 1996 as a school-based Amnesty International group, école Kelvin's HASTA has expanded to embrace themes ranging from human rights to the environment, from fundraising for charitable organisations to lobbying and awareness campaigns. In 2002, HASTA was awarded the YM/YWCA Peace Medal for Manitoba, in recognition of their work in educating about and promoting the cause of peace locally and globally. In 2003, HASTA received the Manitoba Teachers' Society Youth Humanitarian Award. The award annually recognizes a student group who has demonstated outstanding efforts to improve their community through informed citizenship in a civil society. HASTA was cited for its efforts to educate the student body on issues ranging from responsible consumerism to commuting to school environmentally, from the campaign to ban landmines to war-affected children and its innovative awareness activities including the Eco-Fashion Show, the HOT DOCS film festival, CHEWS your Cause Bake Sales and Amnesty International Write for Rights Campaign. MTS spokesperson Carol-Ann Swayzie also highlighted the students efforts to persuade the Winnipeg School Division no.1 to purchase only 100% recycled, chlorine-bleach free paper for all 79 schools and administrative staff -- a goal on its way to being acheived as the Division switched to 33% post-consumer stock shortly after HASTA's 2003 campaign.
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Students from grades 9 - 12 meet weekly (on Thursdays, after school!)to learn more about world
issues and to take action to address them in a constructive way. Some
specific issues which HASTA has examined have included:
HASTA's
creed has long been Margaret Mead's famous observation: "Never
doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the
world... indeed, it is the only thing that ever has..."
HASTA with members of FAIRE from Maples Collegiate, Winnipeg
For more information
about FAIRE, contact Chuck Duboff at Maples Collegiate, Winnipeg
The recent cases of Maher Arar and of Omar
Kadar -- Canadian citizens whose rights have been ignored in the effort to
combat terrorism -- prompted HASTA to collect over 300 signatures to present
to Canadian Members of Parliament, urging them to pressure our neighbours to
adhere to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights... -- and to march for
peace...
the
International Campaign to Ban Landmines
HASTA has organized the Landmines Game as well as
exhibits in the cafeteria and library highlighting the need for all
countries to sign the Ottawa Treaty. In 2005, HASTA raised money for
the "One Love Project" to assist landmine survivors in Rwanda; a
dozen "HASTA" paraded in anti-mining suits and baked goodies to
collect over $300.00.
Global Awareness Day
On three occasions, HASTA has provided an opportunity for the entire student body and all staff to benefit from the experiences of dozens of community activists who come to Kelvin to share their experiences on topics including:
 | global warming |
| weaponization of space |
| human rights in Chile under Pinochet |
| interpretive dance and human rights |
| capital punishment |
| majority world women & education |
| Olympic athletes & the 1 tonne challenge |
| art & censorship |
| young workers and labour rights |
| child labour |
| street workers |
| inner city poverty |
Over 40 HASTA volunteers have made this event possible each year. Special thanks go to Kerry Harris, Leezann Freed-Lobchuk and Andrea Derbecker who co-ordinated our most recent "GAD" on March 17, 2005!
War
Affected Children
HASTA representatives took part in the world conference on War
Affected Children in 2001 and hosted Kelvin's own Tequila Mockingbird
band on their province-wide tour promoting awareness about this vital
issue.
Kelvin Community Garden
In the spring of 2004, Winnipeg's former Mayor, Glen Murray, turned the sod on HASTA's community garden, located on the fringe of our athletic field. Over the following months, HASTA volunteers planted the newly turned earth with organic herbs as well as potatoes, onions and carrots and weeded and watered throughout the summer. In the fall, bushels of fresh produce were harvested, all donated to Winnipeg Harvest. The vision is to create an outdoor classroom to learn about sustainable agriculture and to help feed Winnipeg's hungry. In spring 2005, 15 students helped expand the garden (now featuring two spherical areas), weeding and planting beets, carrots, potatoes and peppers. Contact HASTA if you want to lend a hand or some gardening equipment!
Amnesty International
letter writing
Each month, dozens of letters are sent to world
leaders whose citizens suffer human rights abuses. Letters
arrive in their thousands, often resulting in liberation or at least
the rule of law being observed.
In December, 2004, hundreds of Kelvin students participated in the Write for Rights campaign. With a dozen cases to focus on, students joined thousands around the globe in a letter writing blitz that prompted the release of one Burmese prisoner of conscience even before the campaign ended. Each month between 5 and 25 students take time out to work for HASTA-Amnesty-Kelvin. Contact HASTA for details!
Each month of June HASTA
|
-challenges the Kelvin population to choose earth- friendly ways of getting to school, |
|
-educates people on the health and environmental benefits of participating and to raise awareness about the detrimental consequences of driving cars. |
|
- conducts a school-wide survey of how students and staff got to school; it's amazing to see how far people travel by bicycle or bus to get to our hallowed halls... and shocking to see how many drive a car, alone, when residing fewer than three blocks away! |
In 2005 15 "HASTA", aided by 33 Géographie 2G students will conduct the Commuter Challenge Survey.
HASTA traditionally holds
"Name your price"
Bake Sale Events
for causes such as
|
the African AIDS pandemic |
|
Afghan landmine survivors |
|
Haitian hurricane survivors |
|
Asian tsunami support for schools |
Students can contribute whatever price they wish for tasty comestibles, with all proceeds going to an international charitable organization. The sales have met with enormous success with hundreds of dollars being raised over the years simply by posting information about the crisis issue at hand and referring students and staff to become aware when they ask "How much is this?" HASTA's reply: "What's this issue worth, to you? The price is as written on your conscience!"
| Art City, |
| Lazarus Housing, |
| Centre Taché, |
| Habitat for Humanity |
| Hope Centre |
| Ikwe-wedjiitiwin, |
| John Howard Society |
| Klinic |
| Literacy Works, |
| Sage House, |
| Jocelyn House |
| Resource Assistance for Youth |
| Children's Wish Foundation |
A total of $5, 000 was distributed. Each year, all Kelvin students are invited to take part in this valuable learning opportunity. A celebration of HASTA students' work and the organizations chosen this year to receive funding was held at in May, 2005. Here's how we "put the pieces" together to harvest the essential kernel of truth from our interviews and site visits:
Contact...
|
Señorita Hodgson <mhodgson@wsd1.org> (rm. 27) or |
|
Monsieur Sokalski <rsokalski@wsd1.org>(rm. 35) for further information. |
Youth In Philanthropy 2003
