HIP Newsletter - Issue 0015

Welcome to Issue 0015

We're excited to report that HIP has completed another successful training session! This time we had the privilege of working in Palermo Italy. We were able to work with a group called Giocherenda, a non-profit founded by refugees and migrants. Daniel Mambwe-Warwick, one of our Instructors that delivered this training, has written a report that I've included at the bottom of this email.

"My son is my hero." Oakdale teen lifts truck enough to free trapped father beneath. This is a great example of the power someone has when they simply choose to act. The son had no reason to think he could life a car but when an opportunity to save a person arises taking action matters the most. Link Here

Red Cross lauds "Real Heroes." The central and Northern New York Chapter of the American Red Cross honored several individuals for acts of heroism in their community at its Real Heroes Celebration. These awards exemplify the impact that everyone can have. Link Here

The business 9 women kept a secret for 3 decades. These 9 women - or Nana's as they like to be called - gather every month to help those in need. They help those going through hard times in a multitude of ways, showing the impact that one group can have. Link Here

Lightning bolt strikes a moving car and the whole town rushes to the rescue. You can see in the video that the wave of good samaritans begins with just one or two people. This is the power taking action can have. If no one does anything that becomes the norm and no one else will act. Link Here

Thanks for reading

As promised here is the report of our training session in Palermo. It's written by Daniel Mambwe-Warwick who was there delivering the training.

We were hosted in Sicily by Clelia Bartoli, a long-time HIP supporter and teacher, and Giocherenda. Giocherenda is a non-profit organization based in Palermo, Italy, that was founded by migrants and refugees. Its mission is to create and foster a collaborative space for the community where innovation and hands-on activities are emphasized. The organization invited us to provide HIP training so that they can teach our ideas to their groups and help build a better culture in education spaces and within their own organization.

On our first day, we headed to the Giocherenda headquarters for our training. There were people from a variety of backgrounds in attendance, including students, educators, and refugees and migrants from The Gambia, Guinea, India, Ivory Coast, Mali, and Somalia. During the training, the group was attentive and interactive, and they absorbed the information very well. There were even spontaneous discussions on the topics that were organic and inquisitive.

After the first few sessions, we had activities that really resonated with the group. These activities challenged them to think about who in their lives could be their mentors and how they could mentally prepare themselves for heroic acts when the opportunity arises.

The response to these experiences was overwhelmingly positive. We had thought-provoking conversations about how the group planned to introduce the concept of heroism into their own communities. The inspiration and passion that the participants had for building a heroic culture around them was contagious, and it left me wanting to check in a few months to see what they have achieved. One participant from Somalia even said that our training was the best experience of his life, which was the highest praise I have ever received.

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