Martin Luther King Day at Proctor is more like an in-depth analysis of human ethics. The entire day is dedicated to workshops (27 of them!), special assemblies and a keynote address. Through dorm meetings Sunday night, the entire school prepped for an address by the former Speaker of the Rwandan Parliament--Joseph Sebarenzi--by viewing Hotel Rwanda. Below, Mr. Sebarenzi attends a workshop on conflict resolution taught by a visiting guest instructor.
Now in political exile, Mr. Sebarenzi, whose parents and seven siblings were murdered during the genocide of 1994, applied the teachings of Dr. King retroactively to Rwanda in a powerful speech that prompted a standing ovation.
Only through the power of non-violence can the hatred between the Hutu and Tutsi be overcome. Joseph's message of forgiveness and compassion is amplified by the horrors of his own experience. How does a man who has lost so much give money to an imprisoned man who was responsible for his family's murders?
At an afternoon assembly, students and teachers read statements written by students on the theme "This I Believe."
That meeting ended with a community sing-along of "Amazing Grace."
Congratulations to Marti Adams, the Student Activities Office, and all of the students and teachers who made this day so powerful.
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