A School for Iqbal 09/2003 Update

A Congratulatory Letter From The United States Department of the Interior:

Dear Student Members Past and Present of “The Kids’ Campaign : A School for Iqbal” :

Congratulations !
A committee of representatives of The Adams National Historical Park, the Thomas Crane Public Library and The Quincy Point Congregational Church has selected “The Kids’ Campaign : A School for Iqbal” as recipients of the “Voices of Justice Award.” The presentation will take place at the Adams National Historical Park, home of Presidents John Adams, John Quincy Adams and their families.

Following the award presentation, an educational program called “John Quincy Adams & The Amistad” is being held at the Adams National Historical Park. The program ties in with a visit to Boston of a reproduction of the former slave ship Amistad built by “Amistad America.” The ship’s visit to Boston is part of a national tour aimed at teaching the historic lessons of perseverance, cooperation, leadership and justice through “The Amistad Incident of 1839.”

The educational program centers on John Quincy Adams’ critical role in the Supreme Court defense of the Amistad’s African slaves who had unsuccessfully attempted to free themselves. Former President John Quincy Adams at age 74 became the voice of slaves who had no voice. In March 1941 the U.S. Supreme Court issued its final verdict : the Amistad Africans were free people and should be allowed to return to their homeland. To commemorate the Quincy connection to the Amistad’s visit, a special event has been planned at the Adams National Historic Park. In addition to guest speakers, authors and historians, the aforementioned committee has included an award ceremony to recognize those in our community who today give voice to the voiceless, especially poor, working children who have no voice. Whether you are 74 or 12, there is no age limit on activism.

Students in “The Kids’ Campaign : A School for Iqbal” are the “Voices of Justice Award” honorees for 2003. The selection committee was very impressed when they learned that :

Since 1994 when they hosted Iqbal Masih in their Broad Meadows Middle School classroom, these students voluntarily meet regularly after school to research, brainstorm and strategize ways they can work together to educate others about poor, working children in developing countries who suffer silently, who work, are malnourished, are bought and sold and never or rarely go to school. These students established “A School for Iqbal” in Pakistan.
These students not only become the voices of voiceless children, but they also take actions such as raising thousands of dollars each school year to build schools and build hope for poor children around the world through a national program they co-founded in 1998 called “Operation Day’s Work-USA
These students help mobilize US youth to “work a day” to bring education and other humanitarian aid to their peers in developing countries such as Haiti, El Salvador, Nepal, Bangladesh and Ethiopia.
These students who are also members of “Operation Day’s Work” then donate that “one day’s pay” to fund an education project in a country of their choosing. Most students involved give up a day of April vacation to perform one day of “sponsored” community service at historic sites in Quincy such as the USS Salem and the Thomas Crane Public Library. Armed with a pledge sheet and a rake or mop, these students accomplishgreat deal in one day’s work. Two communities benefit : ours is a little cleaner and greener and children in a community far, far away get new educational opportunities.

It’s amazing what students can do in a day.
Congratulations to “The Kids’ Campaign : A School for Iqbal” !

Sincerely,
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
Adams National Historical Park
Quincy, MA
USA

A SCHOOL FOR IQBAL

SEPTEMBER 2003 Campaign UPDATE