I got up yesterday morning to an email inviting me to see a new video made by people with disabilities who are confronting bullying and teasing in the school system. Given how I've been feeling these past few days, I didn't really want to see it even though I really wanted to see it - if you know what I mean. I decided to give it a go and, I loved it. There was something in there that person who sent me the email really wanted me to see, but she didn't tell me.
It caught me totally off guard.
I had been wondering if it mattered that I do what I do. I think, maybe, that it does, but I'll let the video speak for itself:
Same as You (short Film) from Fulton Media on Vimeo.
32 comments:
Yay Dave! You should take some well earned pride in seeing your work go second and third hand.
Big and hearty WOW!
Sending love and light to Joe and you!!!
Julia
I am thrilled that you like the video. The S.A.Y. presentation is done in two parts one week apart. At the end of part one, the presenters lead the class in "The Pledge of Personal Power" (Thank you Dave!). At the end of Same As You Part Two, they call up a student from the audience to lead their peers in the Pledge. It is awesome.
That gave me chills. I have a feeling that your ripples extend FAR beyond anything you can imagine.... :)
Hi Dave
I'm not actually writing to comment on this post, but to say that I attended a training session at my workplace today - a session that required us to watch your 'Ethics Of Touch' DVD.
When I rocked up to training this morning I must confess that my attitude was less than positive. I've worked in the disability field for about 2 years now, and prior to this I was a teacher and so I have attended many, MANY training sessions that have left a lot to be desired. Usually I end up being bored and completely disengaged.
Your seminar though was enthralling. You spoke with such clarity and empathy and intelligence and I was blown away by just how much thought I was suddenly giving to the tiny little rituals I perform every day in my job without even realising.
The stories that you told involved situations that we could all relate to, your demonstrations were so clear and there were many times today that the whole room cracked up laughing at your descriptions.
So I just wanted to say thanks for providing me with one of the best training sessions I've ever attended. And the blog is fantastic, and has been added to my list!
Cheers
What a wonderful video about such an incredibly important subject... Bullying is epidemic and the effects last a life time. At 49 I am still a little scared of teenage girls, especially when they form a pack!
Huge kudos to you, mate. What a wonderful thing to receive this affirmation of the difference you make every day. I don't know what sadness has plagued your life recently but news like this can only help at this difficult time.
I think SAY is the kind of organization we should all back to the hilt!
Is the video available anywhere online with captions for those of us who are deaf?
I am glad this video was here to help you when you were feeling down, though frustrated that I am unable to watch it myself.
Andrea, Good question, I'll ask.
Dear Dave:
I am not sure what has you feeling low these days but want you to know that you are in my thoughts and prayers.
This is a very good video. Your work matters Dave. But even more YOU matter Dave. The work that you do is what it is because you are who you are.
I hope you feel better soon.
Colleen
Thanks, Dave, I appreciate your checking!
I am not good with the words, but I can say thank you. Is it enough to say for today? (typed verbatim with help from staff)
Amazing and important. I posted it to my Facebook Page.
As a parent and a human being, I say Yes Dave, of course your work matters! Thanks for showing us this video, it was wonderful to see your pledge performed and has rooted itself in my memory to share with my kids (so thanks for that too!). I truly hope the surprise lifted your spirits.
Wishing you well,
Liz
Brisbane Australia
Wow!
Sure wish it had been captioned...
Wow, it gave me goosebumps and tears all at one time. Very powerful. Your message has legs!
that's really powerful, touching... thank you again for your work.
You are an amazing man Dave! You are the light to so many. Be well!
Awesome Dave.
That is absolutely amazing. You are truly changing the world.
Wow, just wow. Dave you're changing the world :)
I'm stealing the video for facebook too :)
It's great that they drew such inspiration from you, but as a former bullied child, I'm not sure how much good the SAY program will actually do.
On numerous occasions my school had speakers come in to talk to us about how bad bullying was. Each time I felt excited and validated listening to them, and hoped that finally the bullies might actually start to care about the pain they were putting me through. But it made no discernible difference whatsoever. I remember one time, as we were walking out of the auditorium after an anti-bullying talk, a couple of boys shoved me and called me names. When I asked them whether they'd listened to what the guy had just finished saying, they laughed at me.
You bet it matters.
Wow. Just...wow.
Your words, your heart...changing the world.
Go, you!
Woo Hoo!! Got chills!! Love it!!!
Mich
to those requesting captions- great idea. I will work on it. (I am the coordinator of S.A.Y.). To Ettina- Let me explain briefly what is different about S.A.Y. presentations. It is the goal of our presentations to provide the kids with the tools to be a school of "allies". A school that does not tolerate bullying. Statistically only one out of every ten kids is a bully. So, the average group of ten kids would have one bully and one victim. We target the other eight. Those kids need to go from being bystanders to being allies. Eventually I hope to have some clips of actually presentations online. Dave has been a huge inspiration to us at We Care a Lot Foundation in so many of our projects. The Pledge of Personal Power is the perfect conclusion for the S.A.Y. presentations. The video can also be viewed at saybullyprevention.org. And yet another hearty THANK YOU to Dave for all that you do!!!
Destinee Dale: I will look forward to your adding captions to all of your videos, both off line and on line. Although I have been fortunate that I didn't experience bullying when I was growing up (a bit of teasing, but not enough to leave the kind of long-term scars that I know others have experienced from more sustained bullying campaigns), I know that deaf children do certainly experience bullying too. AND, deaf children too are potential allies for victims of bullies: I know I certainly was, or at least would have been if I had known how when I was growing up.
And, deaf adults can be parents or teachers for children (deaf or hearing) who experience bullying also. Or, parents and teachers of children who are potentially allies. And they, too, need to know how to handle these kinds of situations in a way that genuinely ends the bullying--not like the kind of ineffective programs Ettina experienced when she was growing up.
Adding captions to ALL of your online and offline videos will be an important way of reaching all of these audiences. I appreciate that you now recognize the importance of this.
But, let me also speak in a very direct way here for moment, even bluntly. Speaking as a deaf person, I always feel disappointed, betrayed, and angry when I find that videos like this, made by organizations supposedly trying to serve people with disabilities, that aren't captioned. Aren't we supposed to be part of the community you're supposed to be trying to serve, too? Then why do your videos serve to shut us out and exclude us and leave us behind? When you leave captions off your videos, isn't that practicing EXACTLY the kind of and exclusion and isolation from information, communication, and community that you're trying to fight against when it's done by others?
I raise this point because I am hoping that, once you have learned the technical side of doing the captions and figured out the budgeting issues to pay for it, that you will eventually come to "own" the importance of captioning so strongly that some day you will stop saying that captions are simply a "great idea." Instead, perhaps you will come to say, "Captions are so fundamental to fulfilling our mission that we can no longer imagine not doing them. Because failing to caption would conflict with the message we are trying to teach."
Since you are admirers of Dave's work, I am optimistic that you are one of those rare souls found in humanity who has the courage to push yourself to grow to the next stage of practicing inclusion, even if it takes a little self-wrestling to get there. So I believe you will reach this stage, and am honored to have "met" you here to see this process occur.
Thank you,
Andrea S.
so thankful for this video...I almost lost my son to bullying
[ LOL Dave, I am tempted to believe you are lying. ]If you RREEAALLLLYY STILL have doubts of the value of your work, and the tremendous impact you have made (which we readers have vouched for many a time)(and which should be self evident from numberous of the stories you share here) , I think you need to work on accepting your good qualities!
Come on Dave, accept it: the world may not yetbe perfect, but you have DEFINATELY made a sizable indentation on the education of disabled people, their staffs, and families.I suspect that you feel that if you can't change ALL wrongs, you have not been effective. You are not G-d: you can not make every inconsiderate person change.....
I have been working on captions for quite some time. I happen to be hearing impaired and my cousin (who I am very close to) is deaf. However, technical skills (or lack thereof) and budget are a reality. I cannot in good conscience not release something that would help a great number children because of it. The deaf are definitely not being excluded. we have had interpreters at our presentations (both sign and Spanish) when needed. Until we get the technical piece worked out that is the best we can offer. I understand your frustration, I feel it. Please be assured that this video, the video clips in our presentations, and our song WILL be captioned. You are absolutely right it isn't simply a good idea, as if it were optional. It is imperative to have them. It is simply not reasonable not to help some of the kids while we are working the details to help all of them. Please feel free to keep in touch and offer suggestions. I appreciate input. All of us here viewing Dave's blog obviously share a lot of goals and philosophies.
Thank you, Destinee Dale, for taking the time to give a reply -- and to make it a meaningful reply.
May I suggest at least a transcript of the video while waiting to resolve the technical and other issues related to getting the captions done? A transcript would also be helpful for deafblind people, particularly if you incorporate descriptions of the visuals (since deafblind people would have no other way to access the video).
Thank you, I appreciate your responsiveness.
This video is great. I'd like to reference it in some correpondence to legislators, etc. in my area as I think it would be a very useful tool in addressing the serious problem of bullying. The message of the video truly gets across that we're all the same; but, unique in our own way ... and that we're here for one another. Very very good message. Thanks for posting it :)
Elizabeth & Andrew
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