Violence

I admit to being very surprised by Randy Jenzen's presentation on October 29, or more specifically, to his conclusion that we are actually living in the least violent time of history.  My perception was quite different.  I was particularly surprised by the fact that men are 9 times more likely to be victims of war than women and children, that the number of refugees in the world is decreasing, and that current wars affect civilians far less than they used to.  The only facts that didn't surprise me was that the world spends approximately 75 times more on war than peace and that the biggest threat to global security is NOT global terrorism.  (I did find it interesting that in every year but 1995 and 2001, more Americans are killed by lightening, deer, peanut allergies, bee stings, and "ignition or melting of nightwear" than terrorism!)

Randy presented a number of theories with suggested factors which might explain why violence is decreasing:  spread of democracy, increasing economic interdependence, declining economic utility of war, growth in international institutions such as the UN, end of colonialism, increase in state capacity, decrease in ethnic discrimination, spread of human rights, proliferations of NGOs, increased participation of women in politics, dominance of US power, and the end of the cold war.

Which of these do YOU think have had the most impact on the decline in violence in our world?  Why do you think we have such a different perception?  Do you accept that violence IS, in fact, declining?  What does that mean for our world?  For you?

Those Big Questions

We looked at some essential questions in class, both in the handout and in our discussion after watching some of the videos.  There are so many important questions, and I personally find it very, very hard to not be able to see the answers.  At times, it makes me feel as though the issues are too big.  I'm hoping that as we all share our ideas, insights, doubts, information, more questions, and plans for action, we will all be able to look at social justice as a big, big issue, but not one that renders us overwhelmed or immobile.

As a way to feel more certain about actually being able to make a difference, I looked at the We Day videos on "shameless idealists".  You might want to check it out!

http://www.weday.com/we-day-u/shameless-idealists/?catid=shameless-idealists&slg=the-dalai-lama-in-conversation-with-craig-kielburger"

What is Social Justice?

What is social justice?   Is it a concept?  A practice?  Is Social Justice something people do, or something achieved? What does "social justice" mean to you?

And why do we study it?  Do you agree with the statement below?

It is our goal to educate youth to become global citizens who are able to think critically about world issues, at home and abroad. Racial discrimination, gender and class issues, war, poverty and inequality among humanity are only a few of the problems that plague the planet. Education is empowerment and with knowledge we can make change    

What are your goals for this course?