A Child's Silent Cry

This file photo dramatizes the pain many children feel as a result of bullying by their peers. The Humanity Project’s acclaimed antibullying programs effectively reduce school bullying.

Editor's Note: This blog was written especially for the Humanity Project by Tracy Ikola, a freelance writer on health issues.

A Child’s Silent Cry: Turning Tragedy Into Change

by

Tracy Ikola, RN-MSN, CNL

For 13 years, I have dedicated my life to trauma and emergency nursing, witnessing incredible resilience and heartbreaking loss. In the ER, humanity reveals its rawest forms: pain, fear, hope, and sometimes tragedy. Some moments leave a lasting imprint, shaping how we see the world and our responsibility to one another.

One evening, a 12-year-old girl was rushed into our resuscitation bay. She had been found unresponsive in her bedroom, having used her Hello Kitty blanket to hang herself from her closet rack. For 45 agonizing minutes, we fought to bring her back. Despite our efforts, Jess* was gone.

I will never forget the silence after that code or the sight of her wrapped in that blanket. What once symbolized innocence and security became a heartbreaking testament to a pain no child should ever endure.

As the doctor spoke with her grieving parents, we learned the depth of her suffering. Jess had been relentlessly bullied at school. The cruel words, the exclusion, the quiet torment had chipped away at her until she believed she had no place in this world. I imagine she felt invisible. Unimportant. Alone.

Jess’ story reflects the gravity of the Humanity Project’s motto, “Equality for each, respect for all.” It is not just a slogan; it is a lifeline. It calls us to recognize that every human life has value, that every voice deserves to be heard, and that kindness has the power to save lives.

Bullying, discrimination and cruelty strip away dignity and self-worth, building a culture where individuals feel worthless. In children, they create isolation and the belief that they do not belong. But when children are surrounded by respect, they learn their value. When supported, they find the strength to overcome challenges. When they know they matter, they are less likely to be swallowed by despair.

This is more than just a tragedy; it is a call to action. We must be proactive in teaching people, especially children, that they are enough just as they are. That their worth is not defined by others' ideas. That they are seen, heard and loved. We must foster environments where respect is the foundation of every interaction, where cruelty bears no weight and kindness is the expectation, not the exception.

It starts with us. Talk to the people in your life about the power of respect. Teach children to recognize when someone is struggling. Encourage them to stand up for themselves and others. Support organizations like the Humanity Project that work to build a culture of self-worth and kindness. Every conversation, every act of compassion, every effort to uplift another person makes a difference.

That blanket serves as a painful reminder of how fragile a child’s sense of self can be when they feel unworthy. But it should also serve as a symbol of what we can change.

Let Jess’ silent cry push us to continue to build a world where no one feels invisible, unheard or unworthy. Let it remind us that kindness is not just a virtue but a responsibility we all share. Let us work together to ensure that no life is ever lost to the belief that they do not matter.

*Names and identifying information have been changed or withheld to protect privacy.

Honor and Privilege

A recent Humanity Project Board of Directors retreat (two members absent)

The Humanity Project Board of Directors has just adopted a new code for themselves… a set of expectations, really, for those who are privileged to sit among this distinguished group of folks. Our board includes respected authors and college professors, teachers and journalists, health experts and LGBTQ activists. They are smart, seasoned and eager to advance the values of the Humanity Project.

The recently adopted document spells out expectations big and small, something that should prove especially useful for future board members. Here is the new statement:

Responsibilities of Humanity Project Board Membership

The Humanity Project is a unique nonprofit organization with a rich history dating from its founding in 2005. THP board membership is an honor and a privilege given carefully selected individuals who unequivocally agree with the Humanity Project’s mission, motto, programs and methods. Accordingly, this statement of responsibilities is adopted by the Humanity Project Board of Directors as guidance for members, new and old. We believe it outlines the minimum engagement that THP board members should expect of themselves and each other as part of a team that aims to make a significant difference in the community and beyond.

Every Humanity Project board member is expected to do the following:

1. Read each THP newsletter and email carefully

2. Respond promptly to important emails when feedback or votes are requested

3. Attend all THP board meetings unless prevented by an unavoidable personal or professional conflict

4. Make at least one personal monetary donation to THP each year

5. Attempt to raise donations and/or attract sponsorships whenever feasible

6. Attend at least half of THP’s public events each year

7. Do your best in daily life to spread word of THP’s mission, website, social media and work in the community

8. Whenever possible, assist with hands-on efforts to advance THP programs and projects under the guidance of THP’s president or other staff leadership: e.g. helping deliver Humanity Club sessions; making phone calls; helping event setup/breakdown; scheduling Speakers Bureau appearances; etc.

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Those eight simple items make clear that the Humanity Project is an active organization with strong, engaged leadership — and that future board members must plan to take vigorous part in our efforts. We think this is just one more way that our 20-year-old nonprofit can ensure we’re doing everything possible to inspire individual self-worth as well as universal respect and equality. That’s our goal. Our great Board of Directors is an important tool as we go about doing this work, day in and day out.

Beyond Gold

We are quite proud. The Humanity Project has just received the latest Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar, the respected national nonprofit information service. Platinum is the highest rating given by GuideStar. And it is not awarded easily.

The platinum rating means you can have full confidence that your donations to the Humanity Project are being used wisely — and for the purpose you intend. It means we are transparent about our finances, our board of directors, our mission and programs and goals. Basically, the platinum rating means you can trust the Humanity Project.

As you no doubt know, we’ve been around now for 20 years. We believe that the Humanity Project has earned your trust over that entire time. We work hard to make a genuine difference in our community and in our world. Transparency and integrity are nothing new for us. But our platinum rating from GuideStar offers proof of those qualities for those who may not yet be familiar with the Humanity Project.

So yes, we’re proud of our shiny new GuideStar status — upgraded in 2025 after several years at their gold rating. (Gold is GuideStar’s second highest rating, also considered impressive.) We hope you may consider joining the Humanity Project by signing our Pledge for Humanity, if you’ve not done so already. Perhaps you might even care to make a donation to support our work. We’ll use it to bring our inspiring programs and other materials to children and adults at no charge, just as always. Respect-for-all, equality and self-worth … those values are at the core of everything we do. We are the Humanity Project.

Statement of Values In The New America

Note: The following statement of values by the Humanity Project was published in February 2025 as our response to new policies and executive actions in the United States and in Florida. It was written by Humanity Project Founder and President, Bob Knotts, and signed by all members of the Humanity Project Board of Directors.

Humanity Project Statement of Values in the New America

The Humanity Project is deeply disturbed by the severe social changes we see happening around us. Our 20-year-old nonprofit organization believes in the goodness and inherent value of every human being. But in the New America of 2025, provocative rhetoric and discriminatory policy are aimed squarely at undermining the worth of individuals whose social groups are targeted as undesirables by Washington and by our home state of Florida.

We reject those labels. And we speak out now as a reminder that all people deserve the respect due them as fellow members of humanity. No one is fundamentally defined by characteristics such as their race or religion, their gender or sexual orientation, their place of birth or their green card status. Science shows that each of us is unique and therefore uniquely valuable – a singular combination of genetics and experience with vast potential for good.

The Humanity Project also recognizes the importance of a diverse society where vulnerable minorities are treated fairly, with a robust understanding of the significant contributions made by their members. As such, we rise here in support of our friends within the transgender community as well as all other LGBTQ individuals today under broad political attack. We stand with wrongly demonized immigrant populations whose labors propel America’s economic engine. We see the worth of the disabled. And we hear the voices of all people, no matter their race or religion or gender, whenever they share their knowledge and talent to improve our society.

The Humanity Project believes the equal value of every individual must serve as a core concept for our nation and for our world, a guiding principle that allows us to welcome each human being to our shared endeavors. “Equality for each, respect for all” is the motto of our organization. We regard universal equality and unconditional respect as key tools to promote self-worth, the building block of every healthy and productive human psyche.

Policies and practices by government that seek to diminish any individual or any group are counterproductive to meaningful social development. So is the cascade of distortions and fabrications that spills daily from Washington and Tallahassee about our fellow citizens. In this New America, old ideas struggle to return – antiquated and disproven notions now celebrated for political gain. The Humanity Project urges more enlightened approaches to governance, with political leadership that recognizes the importance of uplifting its people and inspiring a hopeful future shared by everyone. In the end, the challenging project that is humanity must include us all.

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Bullyproof Your Child

The Humanity Project offers many many free resources on a variety of topics related to our mission. These include our programs and speakers bureau, of course, but also lots of online features: blogs and podcasts, fables and videos, music and our store. And more. Through our great sponsor, Google, the internet materials are promoted worldwide… and they attract visitors every day from six continents. (Nothing from Antarctica, yet.)

We’ve just added a valuable new post to our gallery of information. It’s called Bullyproof your child. We think parents will find this a useful guide to help them raise self-confident, healthy children. Based on decades of our experience, the Humanity Project believes that parents can train their children to build deep feelings of self-worth. And in doing so, help their kids become “bullyproof.” The article explains why that happens and offers very practical tips about how to accomplish this.

The post is adapted from a forum for parents on bullying. It was presented at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward County, Florida on January 11 2025 by Humanity Project Founder & President, Bob Knotts. Here is part of the message:

“Bullying only hurts if it strengthens doubts the child already has about themself. In other words, the self-doubts we all have, including children, are openings for bullies to do their damage. Your child’s insecurities are the only weaknesses a bully can exploit to cause pain. The child who feels they are… whatever their insecurity might be. Stupid, fat, ugly, unpopular, awkward, klutzy or anything else. Bullies will discover those insecurities and hammer at them mercilessly. But those taunts only do real harm if the child already believes them to be true in some way. The bully just confirms those self-doubts. And makes them worse. Nasty comments never really reach a kid who is truly self-confident.”

We hope you’ll check out our new post. And please, pass it along to any parents who may benefit from reading this piece. The Humanity Project’s most fundamental mission is to promote and inspire greater feelings of self-worth among as many human beings as possible. That’s why we work toward “equality for each, respect for all” — because equality and respect help individuals to recognize more of their own value, their humanity. And therefore to recognize the value of others too. For centuries, great thinkers have understood the core importance of self-worth in the lives of their people and their societies. The Humanity Project believes better, wiser parenting is the key to building self-worth.

Welcome. Jerson!

Jerson Dulis, Board Director

The Humanity Project sends our warmest welcome to Jerson Dulis, our newest board of directors member. Jerson brings a vast experience to our efforts along with an engaging personality and lots of energy.

Originally from Haiti, Jerson is Director of Outreach & Development at Broward Community & Family Health Centers. This fine organization provides a wide range of health services to residents across Broward County, Florida. His varied responsibilities include outreach, fundraising, marketing, strategic partnerships, public relations, transportation and the implementation of new community health programs. Jerson also serves as a liaison for strategic government relations and partnerships. With a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences and a Masters of Public Administration, he has received many honors including the Community Partnership, Leadership Excellence, and Unsung Hero awards.

You can look over the Broward Community & Family Health Centers website here.

Jerson Dulis is married with two young boys — and he’s a bigtime Miami Heat basketball fan. He brings to the Humanity Project his many community connections and partnerships, a valuable asset to our work. Coupled with his fundraising expertise, Jerson will help us find new ways to gain the funding needed to expand our acclaimed programs. We are excited to tap into his ideas… and to work alongside this longtime community activist. Again, Jerson, welcome aboard! We know you can help us inspire “equality for each, respect for all.”

Our 20th Year

Yesterday, November 3 2024, the Humanity Project turned 19-years-old. And today, we begin our 20th year serving the community. We are proud of that. Let us give you a very abbreviated history as we look forward to expanding and celebrating in the consequential 12 months ahead:

  • Incorporated in Florida on November 3, 2005.

  • Began Humanity Project Podcast in March 2006.

  • Won IRS federal tax exemption in September 2006.

  • Organized and led the nation’s first mass children’s march against bullying: November 2008.

  • Began Antibullying Through The Arts program in March 2009.

  • Created original antibullying books given free to all teachers in schools that received our antibullying program: Summer 2010.

  • Antibullying book and other program materials given free to schools nationwide after Time Magazine for Kids published an article celebrating the Humanity Project: October 2010.

  • Created I Care program to teach respectful driving to teens and parents: February - June 2012.

  • Created thp4kids.com website for LGBTQ teens and other youth seeking guidance and self-worth: October 2012 - May 2013.

  • Created new materials for the I Care program, including a new component for parents: I Care: Just Help Them Drive: 2013-2016.

  • Created Humanity Club as a live version of the thp4kids.com website, teaching middle school student leaders to create an atmosphere where all students feel valued and welcome: Fall 2015 - Spring 2016.

  • Received federally registered trademark for the name, “The Humanity Project”: February 2018.

  • Expanded Humanity Club to elementary schools: Fall 2018.

  • Created “Humanity Gardens” at schools, libraries and parks: Spring 2019 - present.

  • Revised mission statement and wrote new trademarked logo: “Equality for each, respect for all”: Summer 2019.

  • Held “Goodstock,” an all-day fundraising concert with multiple bands and dancers on the 50th anniversary of Woodstock: August 2019.

  • Organized and led virtual library meetings that brought together diverse segments of the community during the pandemic to seek mutual understanding: Fall 2020 - Spring 2021.

  • Expanded Humanity Club to more schools: Fall 2022 - present.

  • Organized and led effort to rename Oakwood Park as “Humanity Park”: Fall 2022 - Spring 2024.

  • Won renaming of “Humanity Park” in collaboration with Hollywood LGBTQ Council: May 2024.

Humanity Project Board of Directors at Humanity Park

The list above is just a small fraction of our achievements in the past 19 years. During that time we have taught the value of self-worth, equality and respect-for-all to tens of thousands of students from grades K - 12. And even to some groups of college students. We have reduced traffic crashes and prevented injuries and perhaps even some deaths thanks to our unique I Care program, sponsored by State Farm. We have created numerous original and innovative videos, musical works, blogs, podcasts, fables and other writings, sharing them worldwide at no cost through our sponsor, Google. We have carried our uplifting ideas to local audiences through live talks and to more than 11,000 followers around the globe through our social media on Instagram, Facebook, X, Threads and Tumblr. And more, much more.

We hope you take pride in supporting the Humanity Project, an organization dedicated to spreading a positive message about the goodness and inherent value of every human being. And as we begin our 20th year, we thank you for that vital support, whether it comes through donations or volunteer work or simply by following us here and on the internet. We believe in you. We are grateful that you also believe in us.

Hope For A Better Future

Many of us worry about our troubled world. As adults, we look around and fret, confronted by obstacles along humanity’s path that often appear overwhelming. The climate has changed undeniably in frightening ways. Right wing dictators and hope-to-be despots have sprouted in the United States as well as in many other nations. News reports are pocked with violent images, day after week after month. Political ideologies divide neighbors, friends and families. Where can we look for hope?

At the Humanity Project, we find hope for the future in drawings like the one above — a lovely painting created for our Humanity Club by a fifth grade student in a public school. And we discover hope in our discussions with children these days: their eagerness to help others, their refusal to succumb to racist stereotypes, their openness to new ideas, their belief that the decades ahead can be better than the decades into which they were born.

You may have heard similarly hopeful comments from others who work with today’s children. The kids truly are different than we were in significant respects, perhaps in part because many have been forced to grow up so much faster than the children of our early years. The internet and social media, school gun violence, parenting styles and more surely have contributed to the greater maturity of modern kids. They tend to be much more informed about things such as sexuality and drugs, politics and race. Young people also are taken much more seriously than during our childhood, some of them seizing opportunities to influence national and international affairs. Think of Malala on education equality, for instance, or Greta on climate challenges. We read about important innovations and inventions by middle school students. That kind of impact was virtually unattainable to the youth of previous eras.

So yes, we find hope in our kids. Not because they are young but because they are aware and determined. Many many of them want to be part of the solutions to our problems — we see this attitude all the time among our Humanity Club kids. We look at their enthusiasm, we listen to their wisdom. And we are inspired — and hopeful. For one more example from our Humanity Project students, check out the short poem below by an elementary school student. Maybe it can help some of us to worry less than we do about the future. The kids of our world? Hey, they’ve got this.

Humanity Club

See that photo, a fifth grade student helping a younger child? This is one example of the Humanity Project’s acclaimed “Humanity Club” program. And so we offer you this latest peek into the program as a way of saying “Thank you” to every person and organization that supports the Humanity Project in any way. You make it possible for us to give away this program for free to schools in our community.

Humanity Club is about inspiring feelings of confidence and self-worth in youngsters. We handpick fifth grade student leaders, then help them to recognize their own value and the value they can share with others. This is accomplished through discussions, stories, videos, music, games, roleplaying and more. Once our kids have a firm grasp of their own worth, they find ways to teach younger kids at their school about self-worth as well as equality and respect for all human beings. We’ve been offering this program for more than 12 years now — and it works. You don’t have to believe us about the Humanity Club’s success. Just check out some of our many testimonials. As one school principal wrote to us: “Students have learned how to identify bullying, how to prevent bullying, and how to build positive relationships through interactive events led by the Humanity Club student leaders. Since the induction of the program, we have seen a reduction in behavioral incidents, particularly in 4th and 5th grades, by 47%.” We call that measurable success. And, again, it’s possible only through your support for the Humanity Project — whether that’s through direct donations, volunteering, sponsoring a child or simply following us on social media. It all helps. “Equality for each, respect for all.” That’s the Humanity Project.

An Inspiring Example

We want to offer a big Humanity Project “thank you” to our new friends in Toronto, Canada — Wow Digital Inc. In a recent Instagram post on their popular IG page, Wow Digital created a lovely (and unsolicited) nine-page post about our organization. We’ve reposted and also sent the link to some friends. The response has been very positive indeed.

This is just part of what those media-savvy folks told their Instagram visitors: “The Humanity Project sets an inspiring example of how non-profits can communicate their values and mission clearly, openly, and consistently… an organization that integrates technology into the communities they serve… They are transparent in their beliefs and accomplishments throughout their content. And don’t miss their epic video content!”

We’re very grateful to Wow Digital for their generous interest in the Humanity Project — and our efforts to promote “equality for each, respect for all.” And when the time comes that we need their expertise to keep us on the right track, we’ll be sure to connect with these experts. Meanwhile, we’ll continue to value their friendship and collaboration in our mutual efforts to make this planet a wiser, healthier, more respectful place for all of us to live. Thanks, Wow Digital!


A Valued Addition

Celia Negron Marino

The Humanity Project is very pleased to welcome Celia Negron Marino to our distinguished Board of Directors. She brings to us her extensive experience with educating both adults and children — and a passion for improving the lives of individuals.

An educator for more than 30 years, Celia has taught students at many levels – from elementary school to high school to adult education. Her focus has been both on teaching ESOL classes (English as a second language) and training other ESOL educators. After developing and teaching adult education at a Long Island community school and at York College Queens in New York City, she began her long career in Broward County, Florida schools. Celia has served as Broward ESOL Council president, ESOL trainer for the district’s Cross Cultural Course and as New Teacher Mentor & Coordinator. A curriculum specialist, she has worked extensively in elementary schools coaching and training regular education and ESOL teachers.

The addition of Celia Negron Marino also helps our efforts to make our Board of Directors as diverse as possible. Not only do we have more women than men among our directors, we also boast diversity in sexual orientation, ethnic background and professional experience. Celia is originally from Puerto Rico, strengthening our ties to the Hispanic community that’s so well represented in our South Florida home base. We believe she will make important contributions to the ongoing work of the Humanity Project to promote “equality for each, respect for all.” Welcome aboard, Celia! We look forward to working with you.

Our Dear Friend

Shaikh Shafayat Mohamed

by Bob Knotts, Founder & President

A Personal Reflection

I have lost a valued friend. The Humanity Project has lost a valued Board director. And our community as well as the world at large have lost an important voice for respect among all people. I am profoundly saddened to announce the death of Shaikh Shafayat Mohamed, the result of an unexpected sudden illness that began only short days ago.

Shafayat was the Imam of a busy South Florida mosque as well as a highly regarded Muslim scholar who spoke all over the world, in person and through his TV program that was seen by millions. The Humanity Project twice was featured on that show. Everywhere he went, Shafayat spoke up for interfaith understanding and compassion — and he represented what it means to apply the Humanity Project’s core values in daily life: The need for self-worth within every individual. The importance of equality and respect at every level of society. The celebration of human diversity. As he said in a recent public forum: “Christians, Jews, Muslims, we need all sides to educate one another about each other.” Shaikh Shafayat Mohamed believed this to his core. And he lived it in his work and his day-to-day life.

I am writing this blog under my byline for a reason. The passing of this extraordinary man requires the expression of loss in terms more personal than a mere announcement by the nonprofit organization he served. I had many many conversations with Shafayat over the past few years, chats that usually began with the words, “Hello, my friend!” Every word I ever heard from him and each action I witnessed reaffirmed for me his deep and genuine commitment to universal respect among all people. He was a wise and compassionate human being. And I cared for him a lot, as I always will.

In closing, I feel it’s perhaps appropriate to share a musical composition I finished only about a month or so ago — with no thought whatsoever that it might be used in this way, of course. At this link, you’ll find a simple video to accompany the brief work I titled, “Of Fond Remembrance.” It’s a classical composition for flute and harp that tries to convey the bittersweet feelings of both gratitude and sadness at the memory of someone lost to us in one way or another. Listen to the music.

To the fine family of my friend, Shafayat, I and everyone at the Humanity Project offer our most sincere and deepest condolences on your loss. We know you will make every effort to continue his work — just as we at the Humanity Project will redouble our own fight to promote self-worth, equality and respect in our troubled world.

This website and all materials on it are copyrighted by the Humanity Project®.

(Fables and some music are copyrighted by the author, Robert Spencer Knotts.)

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