Humane Edge May 2008

In This Issue:

• (ANYTHING BUT) A SILENT SPRING
  
• TO TV, OR NOT TO TV? EXPLORING MEDIA INFLUENCE
  
• FEATURED ACTIVITY: ENVISIONING A HUMANE WORLD
  
• FEATURED GRADUATE: GINA DIAMOND
• FEATURED RESOURCE: THE TEEN GUIDE TO GLOBAL ACTION
  
• BE THE CHANGE: AN INTERVIEW WITH MARY PAT CHAMPEAU
  
• HUMANE EDUCATION IN ACTION:DIGGING DEEPLY FOR TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE
  

(ANYTHING BUT) A SILENT SPRING 

Last May, the world celebrated the 100th anniversary of Rachel Carson’s life. Carson was an American biologist whose works have helped connect people with the natural world, and whose book, Silent Spring, first published in 1962, was one of the major catalysts for the modern environmental conservation movement. Silent Spring forced the devastating impact of pesticides on people animals and the planet into mainstream conversation. Silent Spring is still a relevant and important work today, and provides great opportunities for discussion, and for exploring important environmental and social justice issues.

In her book, Carson addresses a number of themes that are excellent for exploring with students. Here are a couple of ideas:

CONSEQUENCES:

• “The rapidity of change and the speed with which new situations are created follow the impetuous and heedless pace of man, rather than the deliberate pace of nature.” (7)
• “We are accustomed to look for the gross and immediate effect and to ignore all else. Unless this appears promptly and in such obvious form that it cannot be ignored, we deny the existence of hazard.” (190)

A. Students could explore the consequences of actions through scenarios. There are a plethora of “What would you do in this situation?” scenarios that explore environmental choices, social justice choices and more.

B. You could also use samples of actual decisions that have been made by government officials, business people, etc., and track what happened because of those decisions. This activity could lead to a discussion of what happens when we make choices without thinking them through, and/or when we don’t consider the long-term consequences.

C. You could also have students explore the continued used of pesticides and other toxic chemicals (the Environmental Working Group just released a report about toxic chemicals found in American pets), as well as issues such as the prevalent use of genetically modified organisms (without our consent or knowledge), cloning, marketing to small children, pre-emptive war, and many other contemporary issues.

D. It might also be enlightening to compare all the environmental progress that has occurred thanks to Rachel Carson, with the perspectives of those who today are championing DDT because of its use in battling infectious diseases in developing countries. Some have even blamed Carson for what they call an “ecological genocide.” It could be interesting to explore the health consequences of banning or limiting use of chemicals like DDT: Is it worth damaging the environment and other species, as well as potentially increasing incidences of cancers and other diseases to save millions from infectious diseases such as malaria and typhus? What alternatives exist that save people from diseases but also protect the health and well-being of animals, people and the planet?

HUMAN & PLANETARY HEALTH:

• “For the first time in the history of the world, every human being is now subjected to contact with dangerous chemicals, from the moment of conception until death.” (15)
• “The contamination of our world is not alone a matter of mass spraying. Indeed, for most of us this is of less importance than the innumerable small-scale exposures to which we are subjected day by day, year after year.” (73)
• “This piling up of chemicals from many different sources creates a total exposure that cannot be measured. It is meaningless, therefore, to talk about the ‘safety’ of any specific amount of residue.” (182)
• “It is not possible to add pesticides anywhere without threatening the purity of water everywhere.”  (42)

A. Students might find it enlightening to document all the instances in their days in which they’re exposed to potentially harmful chemicals. They could run through what they do each day, and record the products they use (as well as the foods they eat, the clothes they wear, etc.) and look at the health and environmental effects of the various chemicals and substances they regularly use.

B. It might also be interesting to look at the issue of "overkill," or “Do the means justify the ends?”. As Carson says, “How could intelligent beings seek to control a few unwanted species by a method that contaminated the entire environment and brought the threat of disease and death even to their own kind?” (9) Students could look at the kinds of problems that have occurred, on personal, local and even international levels, and examine and evaluate various “crisis” management techniques used.  Examples might include:

• Going to war to unseat a dictator
• The U.S. Wildlife Services Agency, which kills millions of predators each year, on the chance they might kill some cattle.
• The felony "three strikes & you’re out" law.
• Driving an H2 to get around town.

Find more ideas for using this book.

Interested students can also enter the 2008 Rachel Carson Sense of Wonder Contest, co-sponsored by the EPA, Generations United, and the Rachel Carson Council, Inc. The contest is for poetry, essays and photos that best express “the Sense of Wonder that you feel for the sea, the night sky, forests, birds, wildlife, and all that is beautiful to your eyes.” The deadline is June 16, 2008. Find out more.

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TO TV, OR NOT TO TV? EXPLORING MEDIA INFLUENCE

Last week thousands of people around the U.S. observed Turnoff (TV) Week by setting down their remotes and engaging in other activities. According to the Center for SCREEN-TIME Awareness, Turnoff Week is “a time for people to look at their relationship with the screen, how it impacts them and their family and all the things they could be doing, leading to more functional, healthy lifestyles.”

AdBusters has one-upped the TV turncoats and created Mental Detox Week, advocating turning off not just the boob tube, but “your DVD player, your video iPod, your XBOX 360, your laptop, your PSP.”

As usually happens with this yearly event, news stories report about how much more television people (and especially children) are watching, highlight recent studies about the impact of television and give a few tips for what to do to fill the time usually spent watching TV (an average of more than 4 hours, 35 minutes per person per day) and/or using the computer. There are also often quotes from teachers or professors or media professionals about how technology has become such an integral and invaluable part of our lives, that it’s too much to ask young people to turn it off, even for 24 hours. Then there are the commentaries (often from bloggers) about how lame this event is because people will just go back to watching TV the next week anyway, and how TV isn’t inherently bad -- that there are plenty of good, educational programs available for kids, and how there’s "No way you’re going to pry that remote [or that mouse] out of my hand!"

So, what’s the real story? Should parents and educators whole-heartedly embrace and promote the reduction of TV (and technology) in the lives of our children? Or, is TV a useful and educational tool that just needs to be used appropriately?

On the con side are reports such as the one from researchers at Cornell, which recently pointed to a link between young children watching TV and incidence of autism. Or, another study, which reported a correlation between TV “screen time” and obesity in preschool children. Or, the many studies that have shown a correlation between media violence and violence in children. Or, the reports from books like Last Child in the Woods that reveal how much our kids are suffering from “nature-deficit disorder.” Or, the parents who believe that TV can be significantly damaging on a variety of fronts, like the blogger at Unplug Your Kids, or the author of The Plug-In Drug.

So, is there no room for TV in a healthy, humane life? What about Animal Planet? The History Channel? PBS? As journalist Lisa Guernsey writes, what’s as important as reducing screen time is knowing “when to turn the TV on.” In a recent article Guernsey outlines the importance of knowing what’s developmentally appropriate for one’s child and emphasizes that “when shows are designed to fit the cognitive demands of specific ages, children can certainly benefit.”

Indeed, Guernsey points to studies that have shown that certain developmentally-appropriate TV shows have improved social, academic and critical-thinking skills over those children who didn’t watch those shows. And, at least one study has implied that video games help build “social confidence” in boys.

And, of course, television is just one of a growing number of electronic media that have become an integral part of most children’s lives. The controversy of TV, no TV, or which TV (or other media) provides a great opportunity to explore important issues with youth –- those often most deeply affected by all this electronic overload.

Here are a few discussion and activity ideas (you might choose to focus on television exclusively, or to open it up to other forms of digital media):

1. Have students discuss issues such as:

• Is watching TV a healthy activity, a harmful activity, or does it depend on the TV program? What are the benefits? The drawbacks?
• How much TV is appropriate for various age groups?
• How much impact does what you see on TV have on your values and behavior?
• How much impact do commercials have on your buying habits?
• What are the possible motivations for people/companies creating media?
• Should there be any controls/restrictions on media?
• What alternatives exist to mainstream media?
• How are problems solved in the media (such as problems prevailed over in 21 minutes for a 30 minute show, or bad guys “solved” by shooting them, etc.)?
• What does media tell us about our culture/world? What does it tell us about other cultures?
• How are men/women portrayed in media?
• How are people of other races, religions, sexual orientations, abilities, etc., portrayed?
• How does television (and/or other media) affect our relationship with other people? With animal species? With animals as individuals? With the planet?

2. Have students create a representation of the world the media portrays (drawing, collage, etc.), and then compare it to the “real” world. What are the differences, and why do they exist?

3. Have students list the values/attitudes/behaviors that we admire, our parents value, our society values, etc. Then have them list the values promoted by TV shows, movies, video games, advertising, etc. Lead a discussion on the differences between the two.

4. Encourage students to explore the power of narrative in the transmission of cultural values. Have them look at/find stories, fables, guerilla theater, ads, music videos, YouTube, songs, etc., and consider: how are we consciously & unconsciously affected by the stories within these media and how do they influence our behaviors, values, attitudes, etc.?

5. Have students watch age-appropriate shows of different types (decide how many and what types, such as a cartoon, a news program, a prime time show, a cable TV show (if students have access), etc.) and count the violent acts that they see during that show. You could repeat the exercise, each with different criteria, such as with “sexual” situations, racist and/or sexist comments, etc. All criteria (such as what constitutes a “violent act”) would need to be defined, so that everyone is clear. You could also have students include the commercials.

6. On July 26, 2000, numerous medial & psychological organizations (including the American Medical Association & the American Psychological Association) issued a joint statement that said “viewing entertainment violence can lead to increases in aggressive attitudes, values and behavior, particularly in children” (Consuming Kids, 117).
Explore with students: What is the relationship between media violence and children’s behavior? What are some other contributing factors?
Have them look at news stories and other resources about how some communities have responded to youth violence that appeared to be “influenced” by media. How did they respond? What/whom did they blame? What might have been a more effective response?

7. Explore: “Do commercials tell the truth?”
Find sample commercials promoting products that appeal to your students’ age group. (YouTube or the company’s website might be good sources.) Be sure to include a couple samples that especially “stretch the truth.”
Ask students to respond to the question: “Do commercials tell the truth?” and to share their thinking behind their answer. (You may wish to explore what “truth” is and what it means.)
Have students watch sample commercials and pay attention to the “truth” promoted in them.
Ask students to explore whether those sample commercials told the “truth” or not.
Ask students to consider what they know about “truth” in advertising and compare that to their own product preferences. Why do they have these preferences? (How have the commercials influenced them?)

You can also find free, downloadable activities about media, marketing and advertising on our website.

While it’s laudable and valuable for all of us to reduce our media consumption and connect with the “real world,” it’s important that we provide our youth with the creative and critical thinking skills they need to make humane, healthy choices.
 

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FEATURED ACTIVITY: ENVISIONING A HUMANE WORLD

What does a humane world look like? How different is it from the reality of our own world? How can we create the world we envision? Perfect for younger students, use this quick activity to help children think about the world they want and how to achieve it.



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FEATURED GRADUATE: GINA DIAMOND

Gina loved her career, but wanted to do something that would really reveal the power of education and help the world. One day, a postcard came in the mail....

Read about Gina's experiences. 

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FEATURED RESOURCE: THE TEEN GUIDE TO GLOBAL ACTION

The Teen Guide to Global Action: How to Connect With Others (Near & Far) to Create Social Change
by Barbara A. Lewis. Free Spirit Press, 2007.

“Realizing that we have the power to make a positive change and going out and taking action, wherever it may be…that’s the most important thing.” – Mihiri Tillakaratne, Global Activist

As more young people get tired of waiting for adults to “fix” the world and begin to realize their own power to enact positive change, they’ll look for resources to help guide them. Give them this title for a good place to start. Although the book provides only a superficial exploration of social change opportunities, it’s still filled with good ideas and relevant resources. The author encourages teens to determine their passions, skills and time available for creating social change and then shares strategies and ideas on how best to act. In addition to providing tips and websites, Lewis also offers inspiring stories of how other youth (both past and present) have helped positively transform the world. Issues addressed include human rights, hunger & homelessness, health & safety, education, environment & conservation, youth representation, and peace & friendship. As with many social justice treatments, the animal protection component is, unfortunately, completely missing.

The book is brief, filled with short chunks of information (just like many teens like), and offers numerous ideas for both local and global and long- and short-term actions. Teens looking to get a solid start on ideas and resources for helping make the world a better place will find Lewis’s guide a useful tool. 

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BE THE CHANGE: AN INTERVIEW WITH MARY PAT CHAMPEAU

If some people are a ray of sunshine, Mary Pat Champeau is the entire sun. As director of the M.Ed. and HECP programs at IHE, and a member of the faculty, Mary Pat spends her days -- and nights -- nurturing and supporting students through their IHE journeys with wit, wisdom and wild tales. Mary Pat has an M.A. in English from New York University. She has been a Peace Corps volunteer in Niger, West Africa, and has supervised teacher training programs in Southeast Asian refugee camps in Indonesia and Thailand. Before moving to Maine in 1994, she taught at NYU, worked for a number of organizations serving refugee populations and coordinated English language and American culture programs for the World Trade Institute in New York City. Mary Pat has worked with IHE since 2002. She currently lives in Maine with her husband George, son Liam, daughters Claire and Jing Hui, and animals too numerous to name.

IHE: WHAT ROLE DOES EDUCATION PLAY IN CREATING A BETTER WORLD?

MPC: I think education, in one form or another, is at the root of all positive change. It doesn't have to be formal education — classroom education — but through some venue, a new understanding of an old assumption is brought into the world, usually by a forward thinking person or group of people, and popular consciousness begins to shift. Attitudes, behaviors, and accepted norms all follow this shift. Time goes by. The new idea becomes an old idea, and we wait for the next forward thinking person to come along and help us evolve our thinking. Or we don't wait for someone else to come along: maybe that someone is us. I think it's a squandered opportunity in education that we teach history, basically, as the history of conflict. Of course, conflict (such as war) is one way in which people, cultures, language, and lands are altered — but it's only a thread in the weave.  Imagine if we learned about history through a different lens; the history of ideas, or the history of invention. We might all see ourselves in a historical context as changemakers then; taking our place in a long line of innovators that stretches back to the beginning of recorded time. Maybe this view would encourage us as humans to dominate a little less, and think a little more.


IHE: WHAT PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES HAVE LED YOU TO FOCUS ON EDUCATING OTHERS AS A METHOD OF CHANGEMAKING?

MPC: I love school. I love learning, I love teaching, I love reading and writing. After college, I joined the Peace Corps and was posted for two years in a small village in Niger, West Africa. My time there gave me a great appetite for teaching in situations where I had to live in a state of learning; places where the language and culture were new to me, or, better yet: teaching something I knew nothing about. I once taught a short course in American Sign Language in a Southeast Asian refugee camp. Nobody (including me) knew how to sign and there were a number of U.S.-bound refugees in the camp who were deaf and needed to learn American sign. I got a copy of the book, The Joy of Signing and started teaching, trying to stay one step ahead of my students. Needless to say, the students were accustomed to signing (in their own languages) and caught on immediately. They were often surprised that I couldn't follow their conversations even though they were using the signs I taught them! We had a lot of laughs about this: I was both the designated teacher and the slowest learner in the class. (Anyone who has children or classroom students is probably familiar with this role). Anyway, it was a good experience for me. It took the pressure off thinking I needed to be an expert in order to teach something of worth — not true. If we offer what we know with a sincere heart and a desire to help, it’s enough. The students will do the rest, easily surpassing our own capacity and imagination.


IHE: WHAT DO YOU SEE HAPPENING IN THE WORLD THAT GIVES YOU HOPE FOR A MORE JUST, COMPASSIONATE, SUSTAINABLE FUTURE?

MPC: Every time I open a newspaper or magazine or read publications online, I read about humane education. I see articles on climate change, GMO’s, the expansion of organic markets, shareholder activism, corporate responsibility, environmentalism, globalization, sweatshop labor issues, human rights legislation tied to trade agreements, gender and sexual-orientation equity, sustainable practice in the agricultural and corporate sectors, burgeoning awareness of how animals are treated in our society, the dangers of rampant consumerism. Two decades ago, very few of these issues were being written about in mainstream media and now they are a routine part of our national (and global) conversation. It’s a very exciting time.


IHE: What ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES IN CREATING A HUMANE AND PEACEFUL WORLD?

MPC: Our own trepidation.


IHE: WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR ASPIRING HUMANE EDUCATORS?

MPC: Find a way to use and nourish your own gifts and interests in your teaching so you don’t suffer the fate of so many crucial, creative educators: Burnout.


IHE: WHAT IS ONE BOOK, FILM OR STORY THAT HAS CHANGED YOUR LIFE?

MPC: The Italian film, Life is Beautiful. In the film, a father convinces his little son that their life in a German concentration camp during World War Two is actually an elaborate game of strategy and intrigue. The father is so spontaneous, imaginative and funny that there are moments in the film when, despite the horror of the scene, we in the audience were laughing out loud, sometimes through tears. The father doesn’t make it out of the camp, but the little boy does, with his innocence intact. Although (as far as I know) the film isn’t based on a true story, the triumph of love over fear has never (in my opinion) been so beautifully expressed as in this film. I saw it a long time ago, but still feel amazed by it.


IHE: WHAT TOOLS DO YOU USE TO STAY GROUNDED AND BALANCED?

MPC: I like to read students’ assignments. These always give me great hope and inspiration.


IHE: WHAT FEEDS YOU IN YOUR NON-WORK LIFE?

MPC: My husband and lifelong partner, my children, extended family, friends, good conversation, literature.

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HUMANE EDUCATION IN ACTION: DIGGING DEEPLY FOR TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE 

In our November 2007 Humane Edge, we shared an essay by IHE M.Ed. Grad Holly Clark about her work using humane education as a lens through which to teach her college English and composition students. Holly reported that her students had become vitally involved in social action and in helping transform their community. Now Holly has decided to flex her teaching muscles through a different means: creating and running The Earth and Spirit Center, a biodynamic outdoor learning cooperative. Read about Holly's vision and the changes she -- and her students -- are already creating in their community.

IHE: WHY THE CHANGE FROM TEACHING STUDENTS ABOUT SOCIAL JUSTICE THROUGH LITERACY TO A BIODYNAMIC OUTDOOR LEARNING COOPERATIVE?

HC: After years of exploring how to deepen students' connection to the larger biotic community through reading, writing, and discussion, I realized that what I now wanted to be teaching couldn't be taught INSIDE, and that it was something that students needed to find on their own.  I feel ready to create the spaces for others to connect with and broaden their own intimacy with the natural world, rather that reading or writing about it while still being somewhat disconnected from it.  And honestly, it has a lot to do with my own learning -- I feel like now I'm going to be entering an intense period of study taught by the earth!  So much of what this project focuses on is active listening within the natural world, and in order to create spaces for others to practice that, I need to hone my skills!  
 
 
IHE: YOUR STUDENTS ARE INVOLVED IN HELPING YOU WITH YOUR NEW PROJECT. HOW ARE THEY PARTICIPATING?

HC: After spending an entire semester reading about food justice and food deserts (low-income areas where organic produce is virtually impossible to find) in Louisville, they designed a gardening course to teach others to grow their own vegetables, and they're creating a series of support workshops throughout the summer.  They distributed seeds, wrote letters to the editor about food justice issues, and have brainstormed ways to expand the project to reach more diverse groups of people.
 
 
IHE: DESCRIBE THE EARTH & SPIRIT CENTER. SINCE IT'S AN ONGOING PROJECT, WHAT DOES IT OFFER NOW, AND WHAT WILL IT OFFER IN THE FUTURE?

HC: The Earth and Spirit Center is housed in a converted barn. The ESC offers a variety of courses on sustainable living, meditation, permaculture, biodynamic growing, and more.  
 
We're creating a center for outdoor sustainability education (permaculture gardening, rain barreling, holistic healing with native herbs, interfaith earth-reverence, horticultural healing, composting, eco-art, etc.), at the Earth & Spirit Center off Newburg Rd. in the Highlands.  A big component of the project is creating a CSA (community supported agriculture) mini-farm in the 3 acres of soccer fields below the Center.  There are a few things that make this CSA unique: it will be biodynamic, it will be in the middle of an urban landscape, and the majority of the produce will be donated to those who have the least access to healthy food and who need it the most.
 
Everything happening on the land is being guided by a reverence for the spirit that pervades the natural world, and a big part of what's being offered is a chance for others to broaden their own connections with this earth-centered spirituality.  This is manifested in practice in that we aren't just trying to get as much out of the land as we can, but instead we're exploring some really amazing regenerative farming practices that actually heal and build the soil and surrounding ecosystem in ways that produce healthier, more nutritious foods in the process.  Additionally, this biodynamic practice (lunar planting, zodiacal harvesting, intentional spiritual connection between the growers and the land, interconnections with the entire biotic community, herbal healing for the soil itself, permaculture, etc.) increases the healing potential for the growers who work the land, so it's an ever-expanding circle of rejuvenation, healing, and transformation for the earth, the growers, and those who get to eat the food.  
 
Over half the produce will be donated to Maryhurst (a residential rehab center for teenaged girls in the state foster system), whose girls are in dire need of healing, healthy, organic produce (currently, the food they get is NOT healthy and the kitchen staff is READY for our goods!), and we're already working to establish a sister-gardening program with ongoing horticultural therapy between Maryhurst and the Center.  We want to create an intentional community that can help bring this to fruition, which would mean starting now so that the farm will be up and running in spring 2009 and supplying Maryhurst's 70 girls with local, organic produce for three seasons.
 
 
IHE: WHO ARE YOUR PARTNERS AND HOW ARE THEY INVOLVED?

HC: Maryhurst home for girls, several high schools and preschools, a couple colleges, and other local growers.  
 
 
IHE: WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS?
 
HC: To create a source of biodynamic produce for the women at Maryhurst, to create outdoor spaces for people to deepen their connection with the natural world, and to bring people together to connect across lines of difference to share in the joy of growing food for others.


IHE: WHO'S YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE?
 
HC: Anyone!  Mostly students, ages 5 – 30.


IHE: WHY HUMANE EDUCATION THROUGH BIODYNAMIC PERMACULTURE, SPIRITUAL EXPLORATION, COMMUNITY ART AND SO ON?

HC: They all help people explore the ways our inner and outer worlds are not only connected, but are mutually affirming and ever-evolving.  In Louisville, we didn’t have an outdoor space for people of all different backgrounds to come together to explore the things that connect them to each other and to the natural world.  The intersections among earth-honoring practices in different faith traditions are amazing, and being able to recognize the ways we're all working towards the same goal is something that I think is fundamental to humane education.
 
 
IHE: HOW DO YOU ANTICIPATE THAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS WILL FARE IN THE TRADITIONALLY- CONSERVATIVE MIDWEST? WHAT HAS BEEN THE RESPONSE SO FAR?

HC: The response has been wonderful -- beyond my wildest dreams!  So many people are helping, volunteering, offering support, and coming out to be a part of the project.  A lot of people haven't heard of biodynamic agriculture before, but they're so interested, and they all want to learn more, so it's been really fabulous to just explain it to people.  I'm already working with more school groups than I can handle, and I'm working to create year-long experiential ed programs with several schools for next year.

 
IHE: HOW IS THE CENTER BEING FUNDED?
 
HC: I'm working to obtain grants, which is a new and wonderful learning experience for me!


IHE: WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGES? 

HC: Keeping all the pieces of it organized; there are so many!  
 
 
IHE: SHARE A SUCCESS STORY. WHAT HAS HELPED ENCOURAGE YOU?
 
HC: The gardening workshop organized by my students this past weekend was a radiant success story!  More than 25 students with FULL lives (kids, multiple jobs, etc.), who had never gardened or had an interest in healthy eating before the semester, took time from their Saturdays to come out and learn how to grow organic vegetables!  They organized all of it, and one student had her grandmother (a seasoned gardener) teach the workshop.  Many students brought their kids or parents, and everyone had an amazing time. The space is 20 beautiful acres, and many of these students live downtown and are never out in green space, so it was wonderful to see them exploring and enjoying that experience.

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