This past Monday, as every week at 5:30 pm (sharp), fifteen 10th grade
students from Denmark High School in Jerusalem gathered in our assigned
room at the Nicanor Community Centre as part as our "Personal Commitment
Project."
Our instructor, appointed by the Community Centre, is Arie Luski, and he
works with us on a special project on fighting AIDS.
So, you are probably asking how it all started?
One Monday, about a month before International AIDS Day (December 1), Arie
gathered us, his students, together and told us about his plan: He
suggested that youth should teach youth about AIDS prevention. We were
thrilled with the idea and very enthusiastic. So much so that only a month
later, during the commemoration of the International AIDS Day, we had
already organized ourselves. We handed out stickers and postcards on
fighting AIDS and hung AIDS posters that we had made. For this first event, we received very positive comments from all the people involved.
On December 2, 1996, our group was invited, as representatives of Israeli
youth, to meet with the Knesset's Health and Education Committee, with the
attendance of the Health Minister and other Members of Parliament.
Government members listened as we described AIDS awareness among Israeli
youth.
On December 16, 1996, we all participated in the Young Leaders Convention
held at Gerard Bachar Hall in Jerusalem, where we presented an exhibition
on AIDS, during which we handed out stickers, informational material and
even condoms, encouraging Convention participants to express their ideas on the subject.
The highlight of our project was a three-day seminar at Kibbutz Shefayim's
Guest House where we participated in a training workshop. The workshop was
conducted by professionals in the area of medicine, and dealt with the
scientific and social aspects of AIDS.
At present, after participating in the seminar, we are active in schools
and community centres, teaching youth about fighting and preventing the
AIDS disease. We are able to do this in our own unique way, youth's way,
the best way!
Editor's note: Arie Luski works as inventory manager at Ha'Igud Society for Transfer of Technology offices during the day, making sure all of our 20 cooperating institutes have necessary informational material, including
Shalom Magazine, available for participants. After we finish work for the
day he heads to his other job as community youth organizer.