Divisiveness is tearing apart our country, friendships and families. Whether you’re a Liberal Democrat or a Conservative Republican….an environmentalist or a climate change denier…. whether you are
legal or illegal immigrant….straight or gay….our country is facing disunity we haven’t seen since Vietnam, Nixon and the 1960’s.
Charles knows about intolerance from personal experience. He’s pivoted from a bullying victim to a national voice and advocate.
A lone surviving triplet, Charles believes he was chosen to live for a reason - that reason or sense of purpose is restoring civility, tolerance, kindness, acceptance, inclusion back in our divided country. His message is timely considering our hate speech and Twitter rage culture.
Kolin's advocacy for tolerance, kindness, and respect started when he was a child, bullied by his grade school peers.
Charles, who is part of the neurodiverse community, was taunted and excluded from groups and shunned by classmates. He was not shown tolerance or inclusion by his peers.
“My generation lives in a culture of division, hate-speech, intolerance, and lack of respect for one another that is demoralizing,” says Charles. “One just has to look no further than our government, our elected representatives from all sides, to see the lack of empathy, courtesy and respect both Republicans and Democrats display towards one another on any given day. Just watch the news and you'll see the disgraceful way we hold each other in contempt. If the best of us, our elected officials behave that way, how are we to model our behavior towards another?
“Whether you’ve been bullied like me, or you simply have a different point of view on an issue, or your discriminated against due to race , sexual identity , religion , etc., we need a Unity Day. We need a day where despite all of our differences we are unified for a purpose that is uniquely human .... our humanity itself,” says Kolin.
This website is to inspire all of us to do better. And follow Charles’s lead.
Charles Kolin is the recipient of the 2019 “Together against Bullying award” from the National Bullying Prevention Center In MN.
He is the recipient of the Lynne A. Laukhuf Citizenship Prize .
Charles was selected as a “Top 10 Teen to Watch “ by Greenwich Magazine in fall 2019.
He is also an honor student and Varsity Soccer Athlete.
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