Page 111 - Witness

repeats itself, as if that is an unchangeable reality. But the truth is, history does not repeat itself – it is people who repeat the mistakes of the past. But they don’t have to and we don’t have to!”
A student of Polish background, Bart Bonikowski, after listening to survivors on the trip, wrote:
“I came to realize that...we must listen; we must welcome opportunities to become exposed to other cultures and to other peoples; and we must educate each other. Hope can only be realized through mutual understanding. Only through such an understanding can we promote knowledge and diminish hatred. And then maybe, just maybe, will we be able to say ‘never again.’”
And from a Muslim student, Ayesha Siddiqua Chaudhry, when she returned:
“I think the trip to Poland...forced us all to transcend our religious, political, and cultural bound- aries in order to bear witness to the common humanity we all share. This common humanity is what should unite us when injustice is inflicted upon any one of us.”
Finally, it is worth quoting African-American student Marie Mirlande Noel, who, in a speech at the United Nations on January 27, 2008, after she came back from Europe, said:
“I challenge you, as I challenge myself, to be a beacon of change and to dare to question any inhumane treatment of others. I know that we cannot take care of all the world’s injustices, but I urge you to at least identify one step that you can take toward making a positive difference, however small. This is how change begins.”
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