Hi Liz
Very impressive effort, thank you so much!!!
I have thought about you alot lately and would love to check in,
including getting some feedback on the Justice & Sustainability
course at IC that I'm co-teaching with community members (who I'm
paying out of pocket). I would also love your presence or at least
input to a session on food justice.
I assume this is a *very* busy time for you, so "Sorry, not for 3 or
4 months " would be a fine answer, but even 20-30 minutes, *if* that
worked for you, would be nice.
Warmly
Elan
SOCIAL JUSTICE AND SUSTAINABILITY FALL 2009 TUE/THU 1:10 - 3:50 PM
SUMMARY
This highly participatory course will engage students in
understanding the profound connections and the all-too-common
disconnections between the social justice and sustainability agendas
and movements. It also provides tools and field experience for being
effective change agents in contributing to the coming together that
is beginning to occur, and is co-designed with local community
members to be of optimal value to the local community.
We begin with the historical and global context of this challenge and
opportunity, then put major emphasis on inspiring national and local
solutions. We also focus as a learning circle on the attitudes and
behaviors around race and class, power and privilege, that must be
engaged in order to understand and support this work. You will also
engage in local justice and sustainability-related projects, in field
trips, and in conversations with local leaders in the justice and
sustainability movements. When we see the world equally through the
lenses of justice and sustainability, profound changes can happen!
Topics will include: The Environmental Justice movement and the "Just
Sustainability" movement, Social Justice and Sustainable Community
Principles, Native American Sustainability Perspectives, Undoing
Racism, Eliminating Poverty, Building Partnerships across
Differences, Systems Strategies for Just and Sustainable Communities,
Food Justice, Health Justice, Energy and Climate Justice, Housing
Justice, Green Collar Economy, and Transportation Justice.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Participants in this course are expected to learn the following
information and develop the following understandings and skills.
Nearly all the items will be touched upon on a national, local and
personal level. Objectives A B, and C refer to participants'
educational development and Objective D refers to the equally
important goal of collaborating with and contributing to the local
community.
Many of the items below are relatively new and challenging insights
and skills. I do not expect mastery or even substantial competence
but I do expect participants to engage, and reflect, as a learning
team member and active contributor, in this complex and pioneering
endeavor.
A) Information
Participants will learn about
1. Major impacts of poverty and racism on community health and major
principles and strategies of movements to eliminate poverty and
racism.
2. Histories of the sustainability and environmental justice
movements and their growing mutual influence.
3. Projects and organizations that successfully integrate justice and
sustainability in areas such as food, health, energy, housing, and
transportation.
4. Personal, policy and other options for supporting justice and
sustainability causes.
B) Understandings
Participants will
1. Recognize the ways that the goals, principles and strategies of
the justice (social, economic and environmental) and sustainability
movements are inseparable components of any long-term solutions to
our planetary crises.
2. Understand the pervasive negative impacts of racism, classism and
corporate consumerism on all members of our society, especially those
(including nonhumans) with less privilege.
3. Identify the uniquely important contributions that different
cultures and demographic groups in our area is making and can make to
creating a thriving and equitable local community.
4. Grasp why and how the sustainability movement can make major
advances for society by becoming a strong supporter of social justice
causes.
5. Realize the central role that participation and empowerment play
in creating a just and life-enhancing society and its relevance to
their own personal development
C) Skills
Participants will be able to, at least at a beginning level,
1. Recognize and analyze community challenges in systemic ways that
include, and even integrate, social justice and sustainability
perspectives
2. Experience and recognize patterns of racism and classism within
themselves and in the people and institutions around them and have
access to a variety of effective responses
3. Connect socially in a sustained and mutually satisfying way with
at least one person or group that they were previously less likely to
connect with because of internalized and/or institutionalized
patterns.
4. Discuss sustainability issues in ways that are inclusive and
culturally sensitive.
5. Work in teams in respectful, collaborative ways on projects that
contribute to the long-term wellbeing of our local community.
D) Community Contribution
This course is designed as much for the benefit of the community as
for the students, and much of the learning will come through the
process of contributing. The course design and content has been and
will be co-developed with local community residents and leaders, as
well as course participants, through ongoing conversations and
inquiries.
The course will:
1. Address community needs in respectful, collaborative ways, as
perceived by a cross-section of community members, through 900 -1100
student hours of project work. The projects are co-designed with
community organizations and guides to contribute in clearly defined
areas of community need.
2. Financially compensate community educators who are presenters,
consultants, field guides, and project guides, thus modeling that
universities should pay community educators who contribute to service
learning programs, when their work is not part of a regular salary.
3. Share video, online and other resources developed for and in the
course that provide inspirational multicultural examples of people,
projects and organizations that are pioneering in this field.
4. Engage students in community events and activities that seek
citizen understanding and support.
5. Model one way that university courses can work collaboratively
with the local community for mutual benefit.
--
Elan Shapiro
Sustainable Living Associates
Frog's Way B&B
211 Rachel Carson Way
Ithaca, NY 14850
607-275-0249 607-592-8402 Cell
"Be the change we want to see in the world"
Mohandas Gandhi
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