The Westerner for August 23, 2010
Meeting: chair, Mike Ryan; music, Jerome; grace, Frank
Attendance/Guests: 38 including Greg Dearden, guest of Duane; Adam Kibsey, Rotary Club of Edmonton South; Stan Harry, Rotary Club of Parksville Noon and former member of our club; Miao Tsai, Rotary Club of Ottawa; Laura Keegan, guest speaker; Kasey Armstrong, our bank branch manager @ Servus Credit Union
August Anniversaries: Nancy and Joe, Carol and Dave
50/50: Kasey Armstrong & Bill Buckham did not match cards
Finemaster: Bert fined Chris re garbled introductions, Frank for interrrupting the National Anthem, anyone not at the Ryan hosted BBQ, not knowing the Rotary District 5370 Secretary's name
Happy Bucks: Jennifer - back from Belise; Laurie - likes the Fringe; Grace - birthday card from GSE student that she and Bill hosted back in 1978
Guest Speaker: Rob Dunseith introduced Laura Keegan from the Central and Northern Alberta Division of Canadian Red Cross. She spoke about their program for youth "Global Youth Symposium". This is a unique experience for local youth to experience global issues.
The youth take a bus to YWCA Camp YoWoChAs @ Lake Wabumum under conditions that give them no warning or foreknowledge of what is to occur. First they role play HIV/AIDS discrimination leading to a downward spiral to more risky procedures - they undergo an experience with no right or wrong answers. Then there is a simulation of war, developing a code of war for civil war in their own country. Bias affects how roles are played. The challenge is to make good decisions in a conflict situation. The Red Cross volunteers then explain the Red Cross position re rules of war and how staff can exist and perform in war torn areas.
Over night, more volunteers come in to the camp at about 1:30 a.m. At 5:00 a.m. the youths become refugees and are kicked out of their beds. They are given a passport and have to play the role around the description of the person on the passport. Rebel soldiers chase them. At a border crossing, soldiers from the second country bar entry. The refugees then have to cross a land mine field to gain access to another country even though they should not cross. They experience massive bureaucracy at the second border crossing.
A role player acting as a United Nations representative, explains the refugee camp process. Local police do not give a pleasant experience. There are not enough supplies to go around. Some parts of the camp are not safe. Recruitment attempts by the rebel soldiers causes expulsion from the refugee camp.
There is a debriefing process at the end of the refugee project which usually results in negative experience reports. The youth then have to discuss and assimilate the experiences so as to apply what was learned to their real life.
Third Day - taking action - Red Cross is neutral which is hard for many people to accept when it comes to their participation - thus they can't work for the Red Cross. There is a segment on how to use the media - be a global citizen and/or activist.
Laura was thanked by Duane.