“Partnering with schools to foster student advocacy and teaching intercultural tolerance is at the core of the PESA mission,” says Executive Director Seymour Amster. “You see it when PESA stepped in to help coordinate Grant High School’s Armenian Genocide Assembly that empowered hundreds of students to be upstanders. You see it when PESA funded a field trip for Grant students to the Armenian Genocide Martyrs Monument in Montebello. You see it when PESA hosted its Community in Action event that highlighted the story of Asa Kent Jennings, who was responsible for saving 250,000 Armenian lives. You see it in our powerful student education programs created and presented by our interns on topics such as accepting differences, human rights, the importance of community service and the three A’s: what it means to be an ally, advocate and activist.”
“Some might argue it’s a stretch to make a direct connection between a young kid being bullied and violence on a mass scale,” says Nordikyan. “But is it? Why do these atrocities keep recurring throughout history? They stem from hatred, misunderstanding and fear of others. Can PESA stop genocide? Of course not. But we can do our part to support and educate as best we can, to sow seeds of acceptance and head off intolerance.” ■
If you’d like to support PESA’s many social and educational initiatives, please contact us.