Global Issues

“A Culture of Peace will be achieved when citizens of the world understand global problems, have the skills to resolve conflicts and struggle for justice non-violently, live by international standards of human rights and equity, appreciate cultural diversity, and respect the Earth and each other.”
                                                     - The Hague Agenda for Peace and Justice in the 21st Century

This quote and the document behind it set the precedent for the topics which will be explored in Global Issues this year. With support and coordination from the Peace Studies and Environmental Science classes, each of the areas will be touched upon.

The class seeks to integrate the concepts of Global Citizenry and student-centered education. Student-centered education is a doctrine which values the present wisdom, skills, and beliefs that a student brings to the classroom. Education for Global Citizenship is learning which supports a shift in consciousness recognizing the interconnectedness of all human beings. Hand in hand with this acknowledgement comes a commitment to actively support social and environmental justice. The following are the over-arching goals of the class:

  1. To explore our roles and responsibilities as U.S. and Global Citizens.
  2. Gain an understanding of the interconnectedness of Global Issues.
  3. To understand the relationship between the local and the global.
  4. To identify root causes of international and local problems.
  5. Introduction to the benefits and pitfalls of globalization.
  6. To develop critical thinking, media literacy, research, and presentation skills.
  7. Identify ways in which our lives and our daily choices are connected to the quality of life for those in other countries.
  8. To explore the concepts of equality, justice, dignity, and security through international documents (such as The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and The Earth Charter).
  9. Be introduced to and envision possibilities and forms of activism/civic engagement, as well as existing peacebuilding organizations.       
  10. Create an open and engaging learning community where we are all teachers and learners.                  

Global Issues will also be activity-based with the use of role plays, simulations, and small to large group discussions. Live guest speakers and opportunities to attend related lectures and workshops will be employed to give students the opportunity to interact with frontline activists-both local and global. The methods of facilitation will be consistent with the principles that it wishes to encourage: holism, dialogue, values formation, reflection, and participation.

Our trip to Mexico will give us a rare and impressive opportunity to make an in-depth case study of immigration issues and the effects of globalization.

The most significant assignment of the semester is the ongoing Youth As Peacebuilders project or Y.A.P. In the beginning of the semester, each student will identify a global conflict for which they feel motivated to effect positive change. The bulk of the project is a 10-15 page Conflict Mapping paper where the students conduct extensive research in order to identify the goals and strategies of both parties in the conflict. Conflict Mapping is a contemporary conflict analysis tool which is used prevalently in international peacebuilding institutions such as The United Nations. It challenges the students to understand that there will never be true peace unless there is collaboration between groups. Youth As Peacebuilders topics have included:

  • The Oppression of Iranian Women Human Rights Activists
  • Free Speech in Public High Schools
  • Monsanto vs. Indian Farmers
  • Disaster Capitalism and the War in Afghanistan
  • The Re-Opening of the Idaho Maryland Mine in Nevada City

In addition to the paper, the students each choose a form of activism in which they can get involved to create change. These projects have been quite diverse and exciting. YAP actions in the past have included:

  • Designing and printing T-Shirts: "No Farmers, No Food" and donating the money from sales to a agricultural policy institute
  • Creating a presentation about torture in Guantanamo to show at a home high school
  • Designing beautiful "Transgender Remembrance Day" posters with support group information on them to hang around town

Readings for the class will include: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Globalization from Below by Jeremy Brecher, No Logo by Naomi Klein, Soul of a Citizen by Paul Loeb, The Earth Charter and more!