Alex learners tour Holocaust and Genocide Centre
ALEXANDRA – I learnt that as leaders we can either make or break the world with our slippery tongue, says Esther Ndebele of Alex High School.
Some influential learners of township schools in Alexandra, Diepsloot, Soweto and Joburg central recently toured the Johannesburg Holocaust and Genocide Centre.
The tour was organised by Africans for Peace, an organisation of independent students, scholars and activists.
The aim of the tour was to introduce young leaders in the high schools to advanced leadership skills, and the learners got to learn about the responsibilities of being a leader and the powers it possesses.
“The future leaders get to learn about the damage the past leaders caused through the abuse of freedom of speech. Leaders have great and immense power and with that power comes great responsibility,” said Klaas Masilo, the head coordinator for Africans for Peace.
The young leaders had a discussion and debriefing session about everything they learnt during the tour. “The tour gives them a pure understanding of the German Holocaust and the Rwandan Genocide.
“A different perspective is visited, apart from what they read about in their school curriculum. This is mainly to challenge their thinking and viewpoint. More than 10 schools and 50 learners were invited to this programme,” Masilo added.
Esther Ndebele, a learner of Alexandra High School commented after the tour, “What I have learnt on the tour is that as humans we have choices and it’s up to us to decide what we do with those choices.
“We can either make or break the world as most of it is influenced by the tongue. It is up to us to decide what we do with what we hear as leaders,” Esther concluded.
Details: www.africansforpeace.com
