US, UK Ireland Kids Talk Bullying
Unique Transatlantic Youth Video Conference Helps Kids Learn to Solve Growing Problem Around the Globe
LOUISVILLE, KY (October 9, 2006) - - - The Sullivan University System, through Sullivan Eurasia, its United Kingdom subsidiary, has partnered with the Muhammad Ali Center to hold a unique 3-country anti-bullying youth videoconference. The video-conference, which is part of a wider Initiative, will be presented to the Transatlantic Schools Anti Bullying Initiative Management Committee at its October meeting in Washington DC. The recommendations arising from the Committee’s deliberations will be presented to the UK and US Governments in April 2007.
This transatlantic videoconference was held Friday, Sept. 8, with children ages 10-16 from Ireland, United Kingdom and the United States. The event allowed for experience-sharing as well as discussions on peer mentoring, violence, the role of the bystander and coping strategies. Paul Quantock, Sullivan EurAsia’s executive director said, “By opening dialogue among school-age children who are in the midst of these issues, we can begin to concentrate on the origin of the problems and come together to resolve them.”
The videoconference was held at the Muhammad Ali Center from the U.S with students representing Kentuckiana private, public and parochial schools that are members of the Muhammad Ali Center Council of Students (MACCS).
From the UK, the videoconference was presented from the Bar Council while the major corporation Eircom hosted the kids from Ireland. Students from all three countries are active in addressing bullying issues and in some cases, have had extensive anti-bullying training.
At the opening of the conference, the Ali Center played a specially-recorded video message to all the kids from Muhammad and Lonnie Ali asking them to “find the greatness in yourselves for you and for others.”
While on many occasions, students found their opinions and experiences to be similar, the open and honest forum allowed for them to offer the differences, too. For example, in the US, students felt bullying issues needed to be addressed at an early age while the UK and Ireland felt bullying was more prevalent in the secondary level. One Irish student said, “I don’t think the concepts of mentoring can be understood in primary school.” In both cases the kids felt that having a mentor was key to making strides with bullying in schools. All seem to feel that having a mentor is a “safe place” for both the bully and the victim when incidents arise. A UK student said, “You need to go to someone you trust, you need to talk to someone as soon as you can.”
All the students look forward to further dialogue in the near future. Mike Fox, president and CEO of the Muhammad Ali Center said, “Our MACCS are proud of their association with the program and found immense value in hearing different viewpoints from their peers in England and Ireland, but also in realizing the similarities all of the students shared. They hope to continue to the important work of both the intervention and prevention of bullying.”
Fox added that this video-conference would not have been possible without the Ali Center’s other partnering institutions which played an important role in this global initiative: Interactive Solutions, Inc. and Tandberg USA, which provided videoconferencing solutions and consulting services, and U.S. LEC Communications, Inc. which provided the video/audio connection between the Ali Center and the United Kingdom.
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About Sullivan University
Sullivan University (www.sullivan.edu ), founded in 1962, is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA, 404-679-4501). Sullivan awards certificates, Associate, Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in career-oriented programs ranging from business and logistics to dispute resolution and early childhood education. Its nationally rated National Center for Hospitality Studies has been awarded over 300 national and international awards. Sullivan has six campuses and extensions across Kentucky as well as Sullivan Eurasia www.sullivaneurasia.org based in London, UK and Delhi India, UK. Sullivan University is a part of the Sullivan University System.
About Sullivan Transatlantic Schools Anti Bullying Initiative
http://www.sullivanantibullying.org
During May 2005 Sullivan EurAsia proposed the creation of a Transatlantic Schools Anti Bullying initiative. A draft of the Initiative Report will be published during the UK Anti Bullying Week in November 2006.
This Initiative is not a Network, nor will it seek to create anti-bullying projects itself. This Initiative is intended to be a fully comprehensive technology based resource for young people, parents, teachers and practitioners and will gather together in one place anti-bullying projects from the UK and the US, which will be made freely available.
Lord William Brett Chairs the Initiative. The Initiative will have two components: The Management Committee and a Best Practices Working Group. Sullivan EurAsia's International Project Director Paul Quantock coordinates the work of the Initiative.
The Management Committee has a membership comprising politicians and senior high-level advisors plus the Chairmen of the UK and US Best Practices Working Groups. This Committee will oversee the strategic direction of the work of the Initiative. The first joint transatlantic meeting of the Committee was held in London on 28 March 2006, with the next one in Washington on 26 October 2006.