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Racism history class "At this point in time, with so much that's gone on, lots of students were experiencing a lot of confusion," says Melanie Flynn, co-ordinator of the workshops. "There were lots of really negative reactions, and a sort of feeding of the stereotypes." One key focus of the World History of Racism in Minutes (WHRM) workshop is to demonstrate that, throughout history, all cultures have contributed positively to world development. "It was a really great exercise for the students to be able to go in and actually see how those countries in particular [Middle East] interacted with the rest of the world, how they have played in the big picture," says Melanie. "They were able to see what kind of environment they have lived in for many decades, centuries even, and to know that they were once very prosperous." The workshop also portrays the historical origins of many racist ideas that exist today. The workshop shows that these ideas are connected to past and present inequalities, power relationships and conflicts. Melanie says it was enlightening for the students to realize that much of the internal conflict that takes place in the Middle East continues to be religious in nature. "Teenagers, all too often, think about the clothing others wear or the accent they speak," she says. "They don't think about the fact that these conflicts are often religious in nature, and that just because a person comes from Afghanistan doesn't mean they're a part of them. The workshop really allowed them to see that." Melanie feels the workshop helped to make students more aware of their own prejudices and what exactly is wrong with them, particularly with regard to those in Arab countries. "It empowered them to make different decisions for themselves," she says. This past school year, over March and April, over 600 students participated in the workshops in high schools across Northumberland, Peterborough and Haliburton.
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