1. Global Rights, Local ActionGlobal Rights, Local Action
Exploring Human Rights Through Service Learning in the
Social Sciences
Alonzo Smith
Layla M. Hashemi
Montgomery College
Rockville, MD
2. Human Rights in Practice: LeadingHuman Rights in Practice: Leading
to Careers and Continued Activismto Careers and Continued Activism
Looking to the future
→ Need to create incentives for our students to learn
A Few Assumptions (vid Daoust and Epperson)
(1) American students are globally and geographically
challenged
(2) Human beings have the potential for both good and
evil
(3) Conflict, not violence, is the opposite of peace and is
inherent in the human condition
3. Introductions – Global HumanIntroductions – Global Human
Rights CourseRights Course
Who we areWho we are
– Alonzo Smith
●
History
– Layla M. Hashemi
●
Political Science
●
Student population
– Diversity
– Veteran population
●
NEH Grant →
●
GLOBAL
HUMANITIES
INSTITUTE
4. Global Humanities Institute (GHI) @ MCGlobal Humanities Institute (GHI) @ MC
As part of its Bridging CulturesBridging Cultures
initiative,initiative, NEH has awarded the
College $490,000 to launch an
Institute for Global Humanities
Initiatives (IGHI) and a series of
related international education
programming.
●
As a part of the grant, the College will
match two-to-one for a total of $1.49
million in funds required for the new
NEH Challenge Grant from individual,
corporate and foundation gifts over the
next six years.
●
With the IGHI, Montgomery College will
be able to strengthen its long-term
humanities programs and resources.
5. PS260: Politics in ActionPS260: Politics in Action
●
Now with the specific subtopic of “Global Human Rights”
taught this past Spring 2013
●
Course objectives and aims
– Explore the nature of universal human rights in
both theory and practice
– Recognize the importance and impact of the
media, especially social media, to influence
human rights
– Greater appreciation of cultural differences and
awareness of global connectedness
6. PS260: Global Human RightsPS260: Global Human Rights
Course MaterialsCourse Materials
●
Textbook
●
Workbook
●
Cress on Service Learning
●
Library Tutorial
●
Learning Management System
– Reflection blogs
– Weekly discussion questions
●
Online media
– Documentaries
– Music videos
– Images and articles
Course ComponentsCourse Components
●
Introductions,
linking with
local service
learning
partner
●
In class
lectures,
discussions,
videos and
presentations
●
Final
celebration of
service, linking
the experience
to future
8. Service Learning OpportunitiesService Learning Opportunities
Additional OpportunitiesAdditional Opportunities
- David Smith
- Interfaith/ Intercultural
Exchanges
- Health Care is a Human Right
9. THE DEATH PENALTYTHE DEATH PENALTY
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/americas/2013/05/2013521896180295.html
10. Service Learning OpportunitiesService Learning Opportunities
ROCKVILLE MAYOR PHYLLIS MARCUCCIO (CENTER), MONTGOMERY
COLLEGE STUDENTS GINA FRANCESCA SUAREZ (LEFT) AND
VIRGINIA BEZERRA DE MENEZES (RIGHT), MONTGOMERY COLLEGE
PROF. ALONZO SMITH (FAR LEFT), AND DAVID SMITH, CHAIR OF THE
ROCKVILLE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION (FAR RIGHT) (PHOTO
COURTESY: CITY OF ROCKVILLE, MD)
“Working with Local Government as a
Means of Advancing Global Human
Rights and Student Learning”
davidsmith.wordpress.com
Peacebuilding and Community Colleges
11. The Journey towards BecomingThe Journey towards Becoming
Global CitizensGlobal Citizens
●
Why community colleges, why now
●
Why Service Learning?
– Giving students opportunities to
network
• Build communications skills
• Links to local community
15. VIDEOS – DOCUMENTING HUMANVIDEOS – DOCUMENTING HUMAN
RIGHTS ABUSES AND ACTIVISMRIGHTS ABUSES AND ACTIVISM
16. EXPLORING THE WEBEXPLORING THE WEB
Poets of Protest
Freedom House
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights First
Witness
Al Jazeera -
Entire page on human rights
17. THE POWER OF INFOGRAPHICS.THE POWER OF INFOGRAPHICS.
18. OF HUMANS. Images of rig
Syrian
children
carry
pictures of
13-year-old
Hamza al-
Khatib Photo:
REUTERS
Act Like a Man, Dress Li
in Iran/ “Be a Man”
Movement
19. VIDEO AND MUSIC: OMAR OFFENDUMVIDEO AND MUSIC: OMAR OFFENDUM
#SYRIA Music Video
http://youtu.be/TXjEWrhkb6g
#Jan 25th
http://youtu.be/sCbpiOpLwFg
20. Human Rights in Practice: LeadingHuman Rights in Practice: Leading
to Careers and Continued Activismto Careers and Continued Activism
Looking to the future
→ Need to create incentives for our students to
learn
A Few Assumptions (vid Daoust and
Epperson)
(1) American students are globally and
geographically challenged
(2) Human beings have the potential for both
good and evil
21. Omar Offendum Lyrics
The purpose
of these
verses is to
unify the
masses
7oms up to
7assakeh
… Banyas
to
Damascus
I have a dream
this regime will
fall
And that what
comes next
Will be better for
us all
Alawite - Druze -
Armenian -
Kurdish
Equality in
Parliament
Its been a long time coming
And there's no turning back now
Voices are the weapons
In these military crackdowns
Millions on the streets
In defiance of your gat sounds
Look who's got you shook
Doctor don't know how to act now...
Editor's Notes
Pg 156 Egypt “I Wish” http://youtu.be/ZQOG27iZRmk
Montgomery College is one of six community colleges nationwide to be awarded a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Challenge Grant for Two-Year Colleges. As part of its Bridging Cultures initiative, NEH has awarded the College $490,000 to launch an Institute for Global Humanities Initiatives (IGHI) and a series of related international education programming. As a part of the grant, the College will match two-to-one for a total of $1.49 million in funds required for the new NEH Challenge Grant from individual, corporate and foundation gifts over the next six years. With the IGHI, Montgomery College will be able to strengthen its long-term humanities programs and resource
Global citizens of the world (given the background of MC students, veteran population,
Share stats on the ticking time bomb
Poets of Protest reflects the poet's view of the change sweeping the Middle East through its intimate profiles of six contemporary writers as they struggle to lead, to interpret and to inspire. Poetry lives and breathes in the Middle East as in few other places. In a region long dominated by authoritarian regimes, poetry is the medium for expressing people's hopes, dreams and frustrations. Poets became historians, journalists, entertainers - and even revolutionaries. Ever since Tunisians chanted Abu al-Qasim al-Shabi's If the People Wanted Life One Day poetry has been a key weapon of the Arab Spring, used to taunt regimes' refusing to see the writing on the wall. As the revolution spread to Egypt, it turned out that the writing on the wall was also poetry - graffiti by young artists painting the works of poets like al-Shabi or Egypt's Ahmed Fouad Negm. Poets of Protest focuses on the writers, their political and artistic struggles, and their work, with beautifully filmed visual interpretations of the poems.
* mention that none of our students even knew who the president of Syria was as we began the unit
Inspired by the resilience of Egyptian people during their recent uprising, several notable musicians from North America have teamed up to release a song of solidarity and empowerment. The track is fittingly titled "#Jan25" as a reference to both the date the protests officially began in Egypt, and its prominence as a trending topic on Twitter. Produced by Sami Matar, a Palestinian-American composer from Southern California, and featuring the likes of Freeway, The Narcicyst, Omar Offendum, HBO Def Poet Amir Sulaiman, and Canadian R&B vocalist Ayah - this track serves as a testament to the revolution's effect on the hearts and minds of today's youth, and the spirit of resistance it has come to symbolize for oppressed people worldwide.
Pg 156 Egypt “I Wish” http://youtu.be/ZQOG27iZRmk
Don't shoot with your mechanism Soon come the reckoning that looms Second guessing the protesters Was a recipe for Assad to address his own doom... Its been a long time coming And there's no turning back now Voices are the weapons In these military crackdowns Millions on the streets In defiance of your gat sounds Look who's got you shook Doctor don't know how to act now... "alsha3b yureed isqaa6 al-nithaam"
