Developing a Social Conscience in Teens
I received a grant from the Muskogee Education Foundation to explore the Rwandan genocide with several student groups this year. The idea was to read Left to Tell by Emaculee Ilibagiza, a Tutsi college student who survived the Rwandan genocide by hiding in a tiny bathroom with several other women for three months while outside their families were being hacked to death with machetes by a rival tribe, the Hutu. In all, 800,000 Tutsis were killed in a matter of 3 months back in 1994.
The story is horrific enough knowing that these people met their end in torture and that so much killing took place in such a short time. It is worse when one considers these people had been friends with their killers, went to the same church, intermarried, had grown up together. No one can read this story without being moved.
Many young people know about this genocide only if they have seen the movie Hotel Rwanda. They know just as little about the continent of Africa and its history. Developing their sense of African history and an understanding of the causes of genocides is certainly an important outcome of this study. Understanding America's role in international affairs and the degree to which the rest of the world relies on America's moral compass is also a viable learner outcome. But, an even more important and long range, lifelong outcome is developing a social conscience in young people.
No, I'm not talking about the do-gooder social conscience in which we hug a tree for a day or pay lip service to the starving or to the child laborers in foreign countries and then go on about our merry way. I am also not talking about making ourselves feel guilty about living in the richest and the most wasteful country on earth or indulging in self-flagellation and America bashing.
I am talking about developing a compassion for others that is constant and consistent with our country's principles as stated in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and Bill of Rights, and the Emancipation Proclamation. I am talking about developing in young people not only a sense of right and wrong, but the ability, initiative, and courage to take steps to correct social ills. Raising the level of social consciousness, while maintaining a realistic outlook on human history, can help today's teens solve the problems which will face them tomorrow. The ultimate goal is to raise the quality of life for our citizens and others worldwide.
Already the genocide study has had positive effects at MHS. Philosophy Club members drew attention to Human Trafficking Awareness Day on Jan. 11th. Latin III students are making a documentary about the similarities between the Roman genocide against the Carthaginians, the Holocaust, and the Rwandan genocide. As part of their video they need input on certain issues. If you have a moment, they would appreciate it if you could click on the comment section and give your answers to the following questions:
1. Should high schools continue to teach the history and literature of the Holocaust and genocides, such as The Diary of Anne Frank or the Rwandan genocide?
2. Does the U.S. have a moral obligation to stop genocides from occurring in other countries?
Thank you for your time. I will let you know the outcome of the informal survey.
The story is horrific enough knowing that these people met their end in torture and that so much killing took place in such a short time. It is worse when one considers these people had been friends with their killers, went to the same church, intermarried, had grown up together. No one can read this story without being moved.
Many young people know about this genocide only if they have seen the movie Hotel Rwanda. They know just as little about the continent of Africa and its history. Developing their sense of African history and an understanding of the causes of genocides is certainly an important outcome of this study. Understanding America's role in international affairs and the degree to which the rest of the world relies on America's moral compass is also a viable learner outcome. But, an even more important and long range, lifelong outcome is developing a social conscience in young people.
No, I'm not talking about the do-gooder social conscience in which we hug a tree for a day or pay lip service to the starving or to the child laborers in foreign countries and then go on about our merry way. I am also not talking about making ourselves feel guilty about living in the richest and the most wasteful country on earth or indulging in self-flagellation and America bashing.
I am talking about developing a compassion for others that is constant and consistent with our country's principles as stated in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and Bill of Rights, and the Emancipation Proclamation. I am talking about developing in young people not only a sense of right and wrong, but the ability, initiative, and courage to take steps to correct social ills. Raising the level of social consciousness, while maintaining a realistic outlook on human history, can help today's teens solve the problems which will face them tomorrow. The ultimate goal is to raise the quality of life for our citizens and others worldwide.
Already the genocide study has had positive effects at MHS. Philosophy Club members drew attention to Human Trafficking Awareness Day on Jan. 11th. Latin III students are making a documentary about the similarities between the Roman genocide against the Carthaginians, the Holocaust, and the Rwandan genocide. As part of their video they need input on certain issues. If you have a moment, they would appreciate it if you could click on the comment section and give your answers to the following questions:
1. Should high schools continue to teach the history and literature of the Holocaust and genocides, such as The Diary of Anne Frank or the Rwandan genocide?
2. Does the U.S. have a moral obligation to stop genocides from occurring in other countries?
Thank you for your time. I will let you know the outcome of the informal survey.
Labels: social conscience in teens; studying the Rwandan genocide
posted by Melony Carey and Chrissie Wagner at
5:46 PM
3 Comments:
Hi Mel. It is unsettling to even think the first question should be up for dicussion. Of course man should study history-both the shining moments and the horrifying ones. How else can mankind learn? However, Study of history must be non-slanted and straightforward.
"This happened and this was the result."
It just seems that everything becomes politically driven. Endlessly discussed, constantly evaluated, sides weighed and positions taken...instead of what is morally right and what is morally wrong.
Politics is why we waited to get into WWII and ignored the Nazis systematic persecution of Jews, Catholics and Gypsies.
But, the issue is complicated. Yes, Africa is imploding. Powers to be perceive there is nothing of financial value, there is no agressive threat and there is no alliance to risk American lives and American money.
The warring between tribes is ancient and inbred, just as in the Middle East. Winning a battle is one thing, changing a culture that is centuries old is another.
Would you propose American occupation- armed troops patrolling all the hot areas of the world? And for a culture that has been at war within itself for centuries, how long would it take to "retrain" a tribal people?
It's not going too well in Afghanistan and Iraq.
I wish I had an easy answer but I do know that a social conscience is a good thing....if it is approached with a level head, a true evaluation of all sides, and all the issues; and without agendas. Ture social reform needs emotion and passion but also needs clear heads and honest appraisal. Let me know what your class comes up with. C
Hi, Chrissie. Well, I asked the BBC people, too, and they said yes, it has to be studied so it won't happen again.
How viable is the United Nations these days? Wouldn't they be the first line of defense? After all, they do have that little Unversal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948. It seems like it would come into play first.
The U.S.'s involvement is tricky. If it's a civil war, we can't interfere. It takes time to figure out if an action is a civil war or not.
I asked the kids if they thought it could happen here some day and they said absolutely not. We're too multicultural today.
My vote is :
1. Yes, we have to teach this literature and history.
2. America has to make sure of their position and go in for the right reasons. It probably wouldn't be right if we were just going to protect a wealthy American's gold mines? It's a hard call.
The kids haven't heard of Darfur and what is going on in the Sudan. Africa seems very far away to them, and it is.
1.there's no reason people shouldn't know about these tragedies - they're part of history
2. yes - because we are a superpower who has the economic resources to do something about it.
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