NewsHour Extra covers the conference with Global Kids and Manhattan Neighborhood Network

Online NewsHour
RealAudio: The U.S. and Israel pullout of the U.N. racism conference.
(9/3/01)

Video from
Durban

Diaries from Durban

Diaries by
Dezroy "Dez" B.

Day 8

Day 7

Day 6

Day 5

Day 4

Day 3

Day 2

Day 1

Diaries from Durban
Dezroy "Dez" B.
Global Kids

At last, the day has arrived for me to show my true colors. I helped facilitate a workshop on racism for a South African organization called Umtapo. It was the highlight of my day.

We did the workshops in a center in a place called the Valley of a Thousand Hills. The workshop was touching, because most of the people in the workshop were in South Africa during and after apartheid. It was shocking to hear what they had to
say. They said that before apartheid everyone used to help each other out, and that blacks used to be more friendly to blacks, but now things have changed. They said it is not the same, and this really shocked me.

I felt great facilitating a workshop in South Africa for the first time. I loved the energy that the participants had, and I also loved hearing what they had to say. I hope that next time I am in South Africa I will be able to facilitate more of these workshops.

After the workshop ended we went to a women's center deep in the Valley of a Thousand Hills. They told us how they got started with no money. And they told us the women were even the ones who built the road from the main road down into the valley.

It was sad to hear what these women had been through and I'm very proud of them for the way they have come through their hardships. I was happy to hear that they don't have to depend on anyone, and all of their stories touched me very much.

After the workshop we went back to Durban. I attended a Global Youth Network meeting, and I was happy to see that they were making progress.