VCE Achiever
Dean Levitan
Establishing the Youth Against Genocide in Darfur (YAGID) charity is Dean Levitan’s proudest achievement to date. It is an Australia wide initiative and its membership is 500 strong. It is also thought to be the largest charity run by people under the age of 18.
The culmination of Dean’s hard work for YAGID came in April last year, when he organised a rally attended by 250 students.
The group met at the steps of the Victorian Parliament to promote awareness of the suffering caused by the conflict in Darfur. They also wrote letters to Parliamentarians to lobby for action and marched to Federation Square and Flinders Street Station, where they handed out pamphlets and spoke to the public about the Darfur crisis.
‘It was great to see that all my efforts had been worthwhile. To see so many people come together who concurred with my ideas and were willing to share my passion for this cause.’
Dean, who attends Mount Scopus Memorial College, established YAGID after experiencing the March of the Living tour of Holocaust landmarks in Poland.
‘It was a life changing experience for me. Seeing such depths of tragedy and suffering gave me a greater understanding of what happened. Visiting the concentration camps taught me that indifference to injustice is not acceptable. It sounds like a cliché, but I felt it would be irresponsible not to do something – that’s why I created YAGID.’
The next major event for Dean is coordinating the Coexist Live Concert. The idea of Coexist Live originated from a discussion with a friend about the recent conflict in Gaza. They were saddened by the level of division this conflict has created within Australian communities and wanted to do something to promote harmony among the many ethnic cultures in Australia.
‘I want to break down cultural barriers. What is happening in the Middle-East should not dictate how we treat each other in Australia.’
The concert will be held in September this year at a major Melbourne venue. Dean and his small team have been busy planning it – developing the blue print, drumming up sponsorship and fine-tuning the logistics. With additional support from some of the young executives who organised the Make Poverty History concerts, this will surely be a success.
Another major project Dean is helping to coordinate is the 2009 Australian Youth Parliament. His main task at the moment is to recruit young representatives from different states. As a Victorian Representative, Dean hopes to give a voice to the state’s youth at a national level. ‘Many young people feel disempowered and the Youth Parliament is about creating dialogue on youth issues.’
At school, Dean is one of the Social Action Captains and a School Vice Captain.
‘I try and make school enjoyable for students by initiating extracurricular activities. I have helped organise game days and breakfasts. It is about creating a balance between academic pursuits and a social, community atmosphere for students.’
Dean’s leadership at school has been crucial to the success of many fundraising events, which include the introduction of bottles of Thankyou Water to local high schools. The sale has successfully generated over $3000 in six months, with proceeds going to poverty stricken Congolese. Dean also coordinated the fundraising of over $4000 for Canteen Week to help children with cancer.
Dean also participates in groups that promote religious tolerance and interfaith dialogues between students from different schools.
Next year Dean plans to travel the world, going to Israel and Europe and also doing some voluntary work in Rwanda and Cambodia.
As far as university goes, Dean is still deciding what he wants to do. However, he is certain that he will continue to expand on his current charity commitments and always be involved in raising awareness for causes. ‘After my trip I’d like to get the Youth Parliament off the ground and broaden the scope of YAGID. Of course it will depend on the pertinent world issues of the time. I just know that I’ll always be involved in something.’
The VCE Achiever Award is coordinated by the VCAA to recognise the efforts of VCE students in promoting community involvement in their local school and wider community. VCE Achievers actively participate in such activities as the arts, environmental protection, aged care, hospitality, local council initiatives, fundraising and public speaking. Monthly finalists receive a three-month subscription to the Herald Sun, and in December one overall winner will receive a notepad computer donated by Lenovo Australia. Students in government, Catholic and independent schools may apply for the award in 2009 by using the application form on the VCAA website (Excellence and Awards > VCE Achiever Award).
