NEWSLETTER January 2020 WHO WE ARE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD The Janusz Korczak Association of the USA, founded by Mariola Strahlberg To commemorate the Convention, of Shining Mountain, is a member of governments all over the world, as well the International Korczak Association as the Palais des Nations in Paris and the (IKA), whose roots date back to the Polish Korczak Committee, founded in United Nations in New York City, pledged 1947. their alignment with the Convention and supported the 2019 Global Pledge: For Dr. Korczak, a pediatrician, children’s Every Child, Every Right. Here is an open author, educator, and humanitarian, was well-known in Poland and Europe letter to the world’s children from UNICEF for his innovative work at his Orphans’ Executive Director Henrietta H. Fore: Home and Our Home in Warsaw. Dr. Korczak, his assistant Stefania 8 Reasons Why I’m Worried, and Wilczynska, nine staff members, and Hopeful, About the Next Generation [Public domain] States from United of State Department U.S. Photo: approximately 196 children were taken As we look back on 30 years of the Henrietta Fore continued the letter with to the Treblinka death camp on August Convention on the Rights of the Child, eight reasons she thought there is hope. 5-6, 1942. They disappeared into its we should also look ahead, to the next To hear her speech, click here. bowels, never to be seen again. 30 years. We must listen to you—today’s After WWII, Korczak’s legacy as an children and young people—about the At Korczak USA we believe there is hope educator and hero grew in Poland as issues of greatest concern to you now and and that is why we work on promoting the well as abroad. begin working with you on twenty-first rights and voices of children and strive to create a better world for them. It is clear Here in the USA, Dr. Korczak’s legacy century solutions to twenty-first century was promoted by Prof. Millicent problems. With that in mind, here are to us that we need to do everything in Magaliff and Dr. Kurt Bomze, through eight reasons why I’m worried for your our power, starting with small steps to their Janusz Korczak Society of future: make sure that the world we leave for our America, founded in 1991. In 2013, children is safe, meaningful and affords Mariola Strahlberg officially joined 1. You need clean water, clean air and a opportunities for all children. International Korczak Association and safe climate. formed Janusz Korczak Association 2. One in four of you is likely to live, and of the USA. Joyce Reilly, Professor learn, in conflict and disaster zones. Life is a Story You Write as You Go Efrat Efron, Max Gilman, and Mariola —A Voice of a Child Strahlberg are current board members. 3. We must make it OK to talk about You can reach us and learn about our mental health. Last summer, Mariola Strahlberg visited activities via our website (korczakusa. 4. Over 30 million of you have migrated Sicily. One day she spent a whole day on a com). from your place of birth. beautiful farm, milking cows, baking bread Thank you to all who have already sent 5. Thousands of you will officially never and learning how to make a ricotta cheese. your donations. To help us continue exist, unless we act. There she heard a story of a little 13-year- our work, you can contribute via the 6. You need twenty-first century skills old girl who couldn’t go to school because DONATE button on our website, or for a twenty-first century economy. there was no way for her to get to and send us a check with the form at the from school. This is the story of courage, end of this newsletter. 7. Your digital footprint must be protected. incredible drive and the possibility for a 8. You might be the last trusting child’s voice to be heard loud and clear. generation of citizens ever. (Continued(Continued onon pagepage 2) Page 1 January 2020 NEWSLETTER January 2020 Life Is A Story You Write As You Go - cont’d from page 1 WORTH KNOWING My name is Caccamo Agostina Margherita. while almost all the children hated to go My grandparents have always lived in a to school! So the next day Mrs Rose and I The Spring 2019 farm in the countryside since they were went to the Mayor of my town. We asked Issue of PRISM, an children. They considered their children him if it was possible to have a minibus that Interdisciplinary as work arms in fact the sons worked in brought students from the countryside Journal for Holo- the fields and fed the animals while the to the town to attend the high schools. caust Educators daughters did the housework and looked I told him these words that I have never had two articles after the younger brothers. When they forgotten: “My name is Margherita. I am that mentioned were 14 or 15 years old, they could marry a 13 years old child who lives in a farm. Janusz Korczak— and have their own family. I want to continue my studies because Oral Torah from the Warsaw Ghetto: My grandparents were illiterate but my I love studying but nobody can bring me A Personal Interview with Professor parents went to school because, after the to school. The Italian Constitution and Israel Gutman, and Turning Points: A Second World War, the Italian Government the Convention on the Rights of the Reflection on Jewish Warsaw and Lu- decided to build the primary school in the Child states that to study is a Right so, blin. To read the articles, visit https:// countryside. So my father and my mother when parents cannot help their children, www.yu.edu/azrieli/prism-journal studied until they were 10 years old and the Italian Government must help them. and scroll down to page 14 and page they finished the primary school. When I Mr Mayor, can you help me please?” He 71. Thank you to Karen Shawn, editor, was born, children were obliged to go to looked at me and he didn’t say any words. for sharing the journal with us. school until 13 years old and you could He was surprised by my self-initiative and marry after 18 years old. desire to study. After few minutes he told me: “Don’t worry Margherita. Tomorrow Since I was a child, I loved studying. I was a minibus will bring you here and you will very curious and I always asked a lot of go to high school.” My dream came true! questions to my teacher because I wanted I attended the high school and I became a to know everything. She answered me teacher. Since that day all the children that with the love and the passion that she lived in the countryside could go to high On November 14th, 2019, the Janusz had for her job. Instead my parents told school by minibus and they were free to Korczak Association of Canada invited me: “Margherita, stop asking questions!” choose the school they wanted to attend. Senator Murray Sinclair to deliver the My teacher was fantastic, so, one day, I Margherita sent this update when she University of British Columbia Dean’s asked her how I could become a teacher. heard that her story would be published in Distinguished Lecture: Janusz Korczak She answered me that I was very good the Korczak USA newsletter: the Father of Children’s Rights— at school, I helped my classmates, I loved Turning Rights into Action. You can studying so I could attend the high school “I am honored that my story is going to to become a teacher. I was enthusiastic! be known abroad. I had to work after listen to his speech by clicking here When I went back home, I told my parents high school, even if I wanted to go to the or read about it in the article in the I wanted to attend the high school and university. Jewish Independent entitled Canada’s become a teacher. My dad answered me “I was a teacher at the elementary school, Legacy of Trauma at http://www. that it was impossible because I had to wife and mother of two wonderful boys: jewishindependent.ca/canadas- work in the farm and that only those who Giada, 12 years, and Luca, 10. The day I legacy-of-trauma/. lived in the city could attend high school. turned 41, I decided to give myself a gift The high school was 20 kilometres from —I joined the university. And with great my house and nobody could drive me. So, joy I would like to let you know that I when I finished the secondary school, I graduated with the degree in psychology stayed at home. It was a terrible period for on September 18th, 2019. Today I am me. Day by day I felt depressed, I didn’t eat very happy, I In October 2019, Joyce Reilly met anything and I couldn’t get up from bed. will work as with Dr. Kurt Bomze to initiate a new My parents were worried and they didn’t a specialist project, “History of Janusz Korczak in know what to do. for disabled the USA.” They are planning to create One day Mrs. Rose, one of my mother’s children and I a chronological documentation of the friends, came to my house.