BULLY Reaches 1 Million, Students Receive Lesson in Religious Tolerance After Sikh Attack

 

 

 

The BULLY Project reached 1 million kids today according to their Facebook page, which is roughly 11 percent of the kids in the country. The organization had recently launched the “I am the BULLY Project” campaign and contest that encourages youth to join the anti-bullying movement and inspire their friends to do so as well.
 

Thousands took the anti-bullying pledge, sending in their “I am the BULLY Project” photos to The BULLY Project. The wide array of eclectic and uplifting submissions can be seen on the organization’s Facebook page. Kids from all walks of life are represented as well as a wide range of age groups from little ones to young adults.

 

The BULLY Project will send prizes to the kids who recruited the most friends into the anti-bullying movement. The prizes include a copy of the BULLY Educator DVD and toolkit, BULLY t-shirt, and sticker pack. The educator kit includes Not In Our School materials.

 

 

Selma High School freshmen received the opportunity to learn about the Sikh religion and community. Members of the civil rights organization, The Sikh Coalition, spoke at classrooms to educate and spread awareness about Sikhs following the May 5 beating of an 82-year-old Sikh man in Fresno, CA, just 20 minutes outside of Selma.
 

The students learned a lot following the visit. One student, Amy, wrote “I learned that I have a lot of Sikh friends. I didn’t know anything about Sikhs or what they even did. Also they are not bad at all in any way and they shouldn’t be treated different because they look different.”

 

For others, like freshman Bibi, it was an opportunity to highlight bullying and name-calling against Sikh classmates. According to the article, Bibi has heard some of the hurtful things that people say about them. “To see how they look after someone says something, it hurts me,” she said.

 

Bibi choses to be an upstander. “I hear a lot of things people say, and I’m like ‘You don’t even know anything about it,’” she said.

 

The Sikh Coalition plans to conduct more presentations outside of Selma. The Sikh Coalition Advocacy Manager Simran Kaur said the education system is the best venue for making a positive impact on the lives of young people.

 

Read the full story from the Selma Enterprise here.