1st Karaoke casting 2011-2012

Here are the loooooong due videos of the performances of the winners as well as some photos of all the contestants who participated in the first Karaoke casting, year 2011-12.

Congratulations to all of them!

 

30th January 1948 - Gandhi is assassinated

Revered the world over for his nonviolent philosophy of passive resistance, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was known to his many followers as Mahatma, or "the great-souled one." He began his activism as an Indian immigrant in South Africa in the early 1900s, and in the years following World War I became the leading figure in India's struggle to gain independence from Great Britain. Known for his ascetic lifestyle–he often dressed only in a loincloth and shawl–and devout Hindu faith, Gandhi was imprisoned several times during his pursuit of non-cooperation, and undertook a number of hunger strikes to protest the oppression of India's poorest classes, among other injustices. After Partition in 1947, he continued to work toward peace between Hindus and Muslims. Gandhi was shot to death in Delhi in January 1948 by a Hindu fundamentalist.

Gandhi's funeral - Indians' tribute 

in History.com

FROM HELL TO HEAVEN

Made by Survivors Network, a US based NGO, fights slavery and human trafficking.

"From Hell to Heaven" shows you what's being done to help Indian girls who are victims of sex slavery.

This video has also inspired students to write a poem , imagining themselves in the same situation.

Watch the video and read  examples of the excellent work done!

From Hell to Heaven

 Born little angels,
sentenced to hell;
The misery of a lifeless future
in which we fell.
Trapped between walls
that rose, oh, so high,
Impossible to shatter,
We're lost in an endless night.

So, from that sentence
we have escaped,
Thus in our fate
We're not destined to hate.
The light brought by sunshine
gave us some hope.
We were rescued by stars
who saved our soul.
Fearless, independent
Our future now looks bright.
No more dark days,
Only a thousand lights.

Jéssica Santiago

(12º A - school year 2011/2012)

Darkened, shattered, little
Empty, soulless.
When imprisoned,
That's how I defined myself.
Everything around me
Felt like hell.
I was beaten until I lost track of time,
Almost starved to death and still,
No one cared about me.

I realized I was just another ghost,
Like the other girls who were with me.
But wait!
A ray of shimmering light crossed the thick darkness
And hope returned to me.
I was rescued and suddenly all the little pieces of me,
Scattered around the floor reunited,
And, for the first time in many years
I felt good, hopeful.

Now, I can say I have a home,
A place where I am actually wanted
And needed ...
I've climbed the mountain, beaten the devil,
And still survived.
Life is worth living,
So hang on and wait for the happy chapter of yours!

João Santos

(12th A - school year 2011-2012)

My innocence was taken,

By those whose hearts are ice cold,

Just as suddenly as the first raindrop

of a storm that's yet to come.

They took me, those men.

They made me stone dark and broke me.

I fear the darkness

I hate the night.

Those alleys, ...

Alleys where I walked,

Naked of pride or joy of living,

Overwhelmed by the heavy shame.

Shame that won't ever vanish.

It is past now, I'm aware.

Only a disturbing memory

Still haunts me though ...

All the horrour and pain,

Deprive me from sleeping every night.

Because I know,

Those who murdered my childhood,

They live there,

In the night,

In the dark alleys.

And they make the most frightening of dreams

Come true,

And break little innocents like former me.

Catarina Mendes,

(12º A -  school year 2011-2012)

We Day

Free The Children's We Day is more than just one day of celebration and inspiration. We Day is the movement of our time - a movement of young people leading local and global change.
Harnessing the energy and passion of a young community of changemakers, We Day brings youth together in an unparalleled setting to show them that they are not alone in their journey to make a difference.
Within stadiums full of cheering young people, We Day brings some of the greatest social issues of today to the forefront, and - no matter the cause, no matter the issue - provides ways in which every young person can find their place within the movement to create global change.

At We Day, youth from across North America join together to celebrate the positive actions they are taking and to build the momentum of the movement of young people making a difference in their communities and around the world. Through We Day, youth learn that it is cool to care.
The We Day movement lives online at Weday.com, an online hub dedicated to educating, engaging and empowering a generation of socially conscious youth.
Featuring videos by world-renowned celebrities and speakers, newspaper articles about timely global and social issues, and countless other resources, Weday.com is social justice education at its best.

We Day Facts
Over 160,000 people will have attended We Day since the first We Day in 2007
In the 2010/2011 school year, youth:
Volunteered more than 1.7 million hours of their time
Raised $5.4 million in donations to support local and global organizations
Collected more than 519,000 lbs of food to stock the shelves at food banks.

http://www.weday.com/about