Passionate about human rights
BY JONATHAN KANE
Callie Bourgette, a Sage School senior and member of the Compassionate Young Leaders, says she is passionate about human rights.
“I’ve always found it incredibly interesting,” she said in an interview. “So many people are caught up in making money that we really need to step back and look at the problems in the world that affect us like social issues, sexism, poverty and racism.
“I think we are focused too much on trying to better ourselves and our situation in the world. It’s all about ‘me me me’ and we need to be helping other people and putting ourselves in their shoes and empathizing with them.
“You just need to get involved in your own community and what is happening there,” Bourgette said. “Programs like The Advocates for Survivors of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault and The Hunger Coalition need people to help out and get involved.”
To that end, Bourgette volunteers at The Advocates and interns as part of Advocates ETC [Every teen hs a Choice], which is part of the organization’s education program.
“We help educate the community about violence prevention and healthy relationships,” she said. “We go into the schools and talk to the kids and tell them what a healthy relationship is and what to do if they are in an unhealthy relationship and to give them resources to get help and get out of the relationship.
“A healthy relationship is one where the partners communicate with each other and are empathetic to one another and that there is trust,” Bourgette said. “Those are the biggest three. In an unhealthy relationship, you are not comfortable and you have to trust your gut. If you can feel that it’s wrong, then it probably is wrong. Then you want to get help and talk to someone that you trust.
“It’s so important to have someone to talk to,” she said. “After that, the next step is either to get out or talk to your partner and figure it out. If it’s really bad, you need to get professional help. From the outside, though, it is hard to truly understand what is going on.”
As part of the Compassion Young Leaders program, Bourgette traveled last year to Ladok, India, on a humanitarian mission. This year she will be travelling to Mexico.
“I joined because friends had done it and it seemed really interesting and because I wanted to help outside the community,” she said. “Also, I was very interested in mindfulness and meditation, which are at the heart of the program, along with learning about secular ethics.
“You need to make sure that you are checking in with people and to make sure that I am not projecting my feelings on another and to be compassionate and empathetic and care about others.
“The program has taught me so much, like how to become more compassionate and present and how to live life to the fullest,” Bourgette said. “It’s also taught me how to take care of other people and myself and how truly lucky we are to live where we do.”