New York is a big city with density population and many skyscrapers and high buildings. The United Nations headquarters, New York burs market, and the status of liberty are the most precious and important symbols of the United States and they give political, financial and cultural value and importance to this city. New York city is also knows as a capital of the world due to its political, financial and cultural importance in the world and also the beauty of this city become a dream for most of people to be visit or to be live in. Without doubt the importance and value of the New York City is varied from person to person, but my point of view is something else and different about it.
I think this city is not very special for me and my expectation was something else from It, but unfortunately I experienced something else , and I do not mean that I ignore its beauty and hundreds of other valuable things, The only thing which was unpleasant for me was the existence of different social classes and living conditions among the people in this city. You can see a huge and deep social, cultural and financial gap in this city which is very rare in other countries and cities.
The story starts here:
When I arrived in New York City my eyes stared on its skyscrapers, 200 meter height, and of course it was the first time to see them in my real life, everything seemed perfect until my eyes reached on people who lived for ages under those skyscrapers and buildings which worth of billions of dollars. Maybe these people also dreamed dream of New York City once and now their dream come true and they live in as well, but without shelter and with diseases. There is no governmental or private person or organization to help with them. The hotel that was booked for me was located in front of the United Nations Headquarters and along to this way there were many cases like this too. Seeing these scenes have changed my mood and I am sure its picture will remain in my mind for years or in entire life. These skyscrapers and these homeless and hopeless people showed me the reality of the city, the reality of injustice and inequality.
Saturday was the first official day of our program. On this day, we began a meeting called sustainability and Flexibility. We also visited this day with a visit by Mrs. Charlotte, Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF.
I and the nine other members of the Child 10 Award winners from Sweden and the United States participated at this meeting. We began the meeting by introducing our work plans in eight minutes.
The introduction of the Child 10 program and workshop to improve the situation of human rights in general and the situation of children in particular, was part of the program that was organized. The workshop was lasted for four days and it was a useful workshop and at the same time challenging workshop that was instrumental in advancing our work.
The night of that day , we were invited by Mrs. Molly Gachman, one of the most famous artists of New York City.
Following the four-day workshops, we visited the New York High Immigration Tribunal on Wednesday. The New York Immigration Court is located in a large building that in each floor several courts are held. Unfortunately, the court is more like torturer for asylum-seekers, seemed to be inadequate and inequitable. The system was old, the cases were handled and carried out in the presence of the general public, but still this kind of investigation was not enough and sufficient, and no judge spent more than five or ten minutes on a case. Finding and being witness of this situation in the court helped me further understand injustice and devastating realities in the New York City. At the end of this day I put a little time on myself and visited the beautiful square in the name of Times. This square is one of the most important and famous business and tourism centers of the New York City, due to this square New York City is known as nicknamed “City that Never Sleeps”.
At the end, I would like to thank the Child 10 Foundation for providing this opportunity.
As well as a special grace from Jacob who managed the whole program, thank you Jacob for arranging this good program, and thank you Sarah for helping and being so careful about human rights and children’s rights.
Sarah, you are more than a friend, founder of Rich for Change foundation , founder of Child 10 foundation for me, I fact you are the source of hope and inspiration for me.
Thank you for great hospitality.
And at the end I would like to thank all of my American colleagues, I certainly miss you, and next time I will visit you on another city.
A special thank for Swedish friends and institutions colleague who had accompanied this trip, we laughed, enjoyed, talked and even wept together.
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