Project at Academy of Our Lady forms activists

    Sometimes, there are problems in our world that seem too big to solve, but by joining together, young people can devise amazing ways to resolve or bring attention to those problems.  
    I found a problem that needed attention, and thanks to the efforts of students at my school, Academy of Our Lady High, we are helping to address suffering taking place thousands of miles from our Marrero campus.  
    We’re working with the One Million Bones movement, a group of young activists, students and artists coming together to use their hands and hearts to help bring attention to the genocidal actions of governments in countries such as Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Somalia.  In those countries, members of certain political and cultural groups have faced unfair and brutal repression.
    One Million Bones asks supporters to literally create one million bones with their hands, hearts and clay. Bones from all over the country will be collected and be placed in a massive display on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., as a visible petition to make our government’s leaders more aware of genocide.
    I asked my school’s Key Club and National Art Honor Society to collaborate in support of One Million Bones, and both clubs readily agreed.
    My sister and fellow student, Treng Tran, offered many ideas in support of this project. We asked the moderators of the clubs to consider taking part in the project, and I then contacted one of the Louisiana coordinators for One Million Bones, Dana Nguyen. She immediately replied back and told me that she was pleased to work with us. Eventually, I decided to get the whole school involved and proposed the idea to Salesian Sister Michelle Geiger, our principal, and she was fully supportive.
    On Sept. 27, two speakers, Dana Nguyen and Emily Gatehouse, came to our school and made a presentation about genocide, where it is happening, and what we can do about it. From Sept. 28 to Oct. 2, students gave up their lunch time and hand-crafted 582 replicas of human bones. Then at the end of the week, one of the speakers came to pick them up.
    I have learned a lot from this experience. It does take hard work to organize an event for the whole school. Not only did I learn that, but I learned that I really can make a difference and get people involved. Also, one way I can apply this experience to my life is that I can take a stand and voice out my opinion to let the government know about horrible issues that could be taking place around the world. This has been a very wonderful experience for me as a senior. It really has taught me so much and allowed me to know that I can take a stand on an issue and do what I believe is right.
    To learn more about this project, go to the website www.onemillionbones.org.