AMERICANS THANK YOUTH OF OMAGH
Americans thank youth of Omagh
Trans-Atlantic video conference helps young people to cope with September 11 horror
YOUNG people from Omagh Youth Centre have been helping their counterparts in the USA come to terms with the events and the aftermath of September 11 through a unique video conferencing link-up.
The Omagh Youth Centre used the Western Education and Library Board's (WELB) Technology Education Centre's video conferencing facility in Omagh to link up with the American Students.
During the recent video conference, which was broadcast throughout the entire American school, the students shared their own experiences of the Omagh bomb and the coping mechanism that were put in place to help them deal with the traumatic experience.
The three-way link-up involved schools from New Jersey and the House of Representatives in Washington DC. Congressman Donald Payne and Norman Houston, First Secretary of the Northern Ireland Bureau in Washington DC, took part in the video conference from Capitol Hill.
"Although none of us was in New York at the time, we were shocked, frightened and angry at what happened", said one 15-year-old American student. "We found it a relief to talk to young people who understood our pain and our confusion so well".
A CD-ROM on the Omagh Bomb called 'One Day in August' was sent to Bishop Francis Essex High School (BFHS), New Jersey, and to Congressman Donald Payne before the video conference took place. This gave the Americans an understanding of the Omagh atrocity and helped them relate immediately to the young people from Omagh Youth Centre.
Congressman Payne paid tribute to the people of Omagh for their courage and dignity, which he said, was "a source of inspiration to Americans". He thanked the Omagh young people for reaching out so warmly to their American peers. He also thanked them for listening with such empathy to the stories of the young Americans.
Mr Houston spoke of the need for all young people to look outward and take advantage of the opportunities available for short-term work and study in other countries, particularly the USA. "We need to broaden our horizons," said Mr Houston and "to deepen our awareness and understanding of other cultures". He also praised the pioneering work done in video conferencing by the WELB, which was opening up the wider world to its young people.
Brother Howard McKenzie in a letter to the Omagh Youth Centre thanked them for helping the American students begin the process of mending their spirits. As a result of the video conference many of the students were able to look forward from September 11 to a time of recovery and the teachers are now designing assignments to help the young people further explore their emotions.
He said: "We could see how difficult it was for the Omagh students to relive their horrors of August 15 1998 which were resurrected through the
September 11 terrorist attack on America.
"All of us at BFEC have been wrestling with issues such as fear, anger, self-defiance, revenge and uncertainty. Through the insight and guidance of the Omagh students, Congressman Payne, and the Northern Ireland first Minister Secretary, Norman Houstan, we have confronted those suppressed emotions."
Omagh Youth Centre has previously video conferenced several times with the New Jersey schools and the University of Cape Town, South Africa as part of a WELB Three Continent Education Outreach Project. Common interest issues such as Aids, Peer Education drug abuse and teenage pregnancies were discussed in the previous link-ups.
Marie Martin, International Officer with the Western Education and Library Board (WELB), is delighted with the success of the project. Many young people participated in the project and many more were positively affected as a result of the programme.
She said: "I am particularly pleased that the programme has gone so well. All those who took part were tremendous. They were fully committed to the project and the results are clearly evident in their work to date."
Susan Edgar, 22, from Omagh Youth Centre said: "I felt I was doing something to help the people of America come to terms with what happened drawing on my own personal experiences."
David Eccles, 17, from Omagh who participated in the video conference with New Jersey, said: "The conference was very encouraging. It allowed us to view and discuss the archive CD-ROM on the Omagh Bomb with our friends in New Jersey.
"Talking to the Americans and advising them on our coping strategies give us a great deal of satisfaction. Seeing their reaction not only made us feel helpful but it made us feel appreciated."
Trans-Atlantic video conference helps young people to cope with September 11 horror
YOUNG people from Omagh Youth Centre have been helping their counterparts in the USA come to terms with the events and the aftermath of September 11 through a unique video conferencing link-up.
The Omagh Youth Centre used the Western Education and Library Board's (WELB) Technology Education Centre's video conferencing facility in Omagh to link up with the American Students.
During the recent video conference, which was broadcast throughout the entire American school, the students shared their own experiences of the Omagh bomb and the coping mechanism that were put in place to help them deal with the traumatic experience.
The three-way link-up involved schools from New Jersey and the House of Representatives in Washington DC. Congressman Donald Payne and Norman Houston, First Secretary of the Northern Ireland Bureau in Washington DC, took part in the video conference from Capitol Hill.
"Although none of us was in New York at the time, we were shocked, frightened and angry at what happened", said one 15-year-old American student. "We found it a relief to talk to young people who understood our pain and our confusion so well".
A CD-ROM on the Omagh Bomb called 'One Day in August' was sent to Bishop Francis Essex High School (BFHS), New Jersey, and to Congressman Donald Payne before the video conference took place. This gave the Americans an understanding of the Omagh atrocity and helped them relate immediately to the young people from Omagh Youth Centre.
Congressman Payne paid tribute to the people of Omagh for their courage and dignity, which he said, was "a source of inspiration to Americans". He thanked the Omagh young people for reaching out so warmly to their American peers. He also thanked them for listening with such empathy to the stories of the young Americans.
Mr Houston spoke of the need for all young people to look outward and take advantage of the opportunities available for short-term work and study in other countries, particularly the USA. "We need to broaden our horizons," said Mr Houston and "to deepen our awareness and understanding of other cultures". He also praised the pioneering work done in video conferencing by the WELB, which was opening up the wider world to its young people.
Brother Howard McKenzie in a letter to the Omagh Youth Centre thanked them for helping the American students begin the process of mending their spirits. As a result of the video conference many of the students were able to look forward from September 11 to a time of recovery and the teachers are now designing assignments to help the young people further explore their emotions.
He said: "We could see how difficult it was for the Omagh students to relive their horrors of August 15 1998 which were resurrected through the
September 11 terrorist attack on America.
"All of us at BFEC have been wrestling with issues such as fear, anger, self-defiance, revenge and uncertainty. Through the insight and guidance of the Omagh students, Congressman Payne, and the Northern Ireland first Minister Secretary, Norman Houstan, we have confronted those suppressed emotions."
Omagh Youth Centre has previously video conferenced several times with the New Jersey schools and the University of Cape Town, South Africa as part of a WELB Three Continent Education Outreach Project. Common interest issues such as Aids, Peer Education drug abuse and teenage pregnancies were discussed in the previous link-ups.
Marie Martin, International Officer with the Western Education and Library Board (WELB), is delighted with the success of the project. Many young people participated in the project and many more were positively affected as a result of the programme.
She said: "I am particularly pleased that the programme has gone so well. All those who took part were tremendous. They were fully committed to the project and the results are clearly evident in their work to date."
Susan Edgar, 22, from Omagh Youth Centre said: "I felt I was doing something to help the people of America come to terms with what happened drawing on my own personal experiences."
David Eccles, 17, from Omagh who participated in the video conference with New Jersey, said: "The conference was very encouraging. It allowed us to view and discuss the archive CD-ROM on the Omagh Bomb with our friends in New Jersey.
"Talking to the Americans and advising them on our coping strategies give us a great deal of satisfaction. Seeing their reaction not only made us feel helpful but it made us feel appreciated."
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/0935
Published Date: 24-Jan-02
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