Alisha Virmani speaking about bullying at a recent conference on human rights
It’s not every full-time university student who devotes as much time as Alisha Virmani does going to bat for victims of bullying. She was in Halifax recently at the annual conference of the Canadian Association of Statutory Human Rights Agencies. From the moment she began to speak about perceptions of the word “worth,” I was struck by Alisha's candor around the disturbing reality of what youth today deal with when it comes to bullying.
First she grabbed everyone’s attention by holding up a $50 bill that had been crumpled and stomped on, asking participants if they believed it still held value. It was her segue to her personal story as a target of cyber-bullying, a struggle that has left her sexually exploited and racially slurred on the world stage we call the Internet.
She is a young woman with hopes and dreams to fulfil and ready to take on the world. One could feel purpose in her voice as she described years of verbal abuse – in person and online – and the courage she admits it took to face her tormentors and adults who protect them with statements like, “You should feel flattered” or “It’s just boys being boys.” Alisha sensed quiet outrage in the room and filled the void with her infectious smile, letting us know she’s stronger now.
She believes addressing mental health is as important as addressing physical health and that teaching compassion rather than punishment is key in creating more nurturing and safer environments.
Alisha is now studying at Queen's University but when she first got involved with the Canadian Red Cross's bullying prevention program as a youth facilitator when she was a student at Fredericton High School. She has appeared before a Senate committee examining cyber-bullying issues and was a member of an advisory committee to New Brunswick's education minister.
Her determination to make a difference for those affected by bullying will be celebrated at a fundraising dinner November 6 in Saint John when she is honoured as 2013 recipient of the Canadian Red Cross’s Young Humanitarian Award for New Brunswick.
