PS & J Symposium

Inspired. Energized. Excited. Slightly wary. Wow.

Those are my feelings today after the Peace & Social Justice Symposium. Talk about reinfusing my hope for Valpo, giving me some exciting issues to work on, and a whole freakin’ today to talk about issues affecting this world and how we can work for positive change amidst them!
Amen!

I’m not sure I’m exactly ready to be this hopeful again. I’m sort of in a Jonah-state with God which I think I need to sit with that for a little while (inshallah)…and certainly I could wake up tomorrow exhausted like I did all last week and some of this enthusiasm could fade.

But hell, for now I’m praising God for it. Because whew, I like hope. Hope is my core. It twists and wraps around my faith, my joy, my energy, my soul. And there have been a few too many days without hope.

So today is for action, for learning, and finally for reflection. Which I’ve been doing a whole hell of a lot of lately. So…what was today?

The 5th Annual Valparaiso University Peace & Social Justice Symposium.

Started off the day with a speech from Dr. Henry Rosemont (who later totally gave a perspective for my honors thesis!!! Pure awesomeness) who talked about the Confucian perspective of humanity and how it relates to social justice “Individual Freedom vs. Social Justice: A Confucian Meditation”

Now, I’m not gonna lie, I was pretty wary…but it was so interesting. He talked about how our concept of individual freedom perhaps limits us from seeing our freedom in the context of our communities. He brought it the ideas of 1st and 2nd generation human rights. The first generation being the civil and political human rights that we hold dear here in the US that are protected by the Bill of Rights. And then the 2nd generation of human rights are those that protect our cultural, economic, social rights – our freedom to lead a full life

He gave the example of how you could respect someone’s 1st generation rights by ignoring someone – you can respect someone’s right to speak but pay not attention to what they say for instance. Instead, with 2nd generations rights you get no choice – you have a responsibility to the other person.

He also put forth the thesis that if we see our freedom as individuals in the realm of 1st generation rights we are often unable to make the leap to understanding why we have a responsibility to the other. Why are success, our flourishing is linked to another. However, if we start with the community, with the idea of humanity, then therefore the rights of the individual also matter. Because it is only by respecting another’s rights, by helping another flourish that we can flourish.

Then he went back and showed how this is linked to Confucian ideas and assumptions – a religion that makes interaction with others obligatory; where identity comes from the relation to others (I am…a daughter, a friend, a leader, etc); where the family is held up as the most important unit. The most interesting nugget I took from this part was that in the Confucian ideal the state is seen as an extension of the family, a close connection – because if the state is going to require you to be a good father, daughter, etc and act accordingly than the state must provide you the tools to do that – education, health care, just laws, etc.

Very interesting. The idea that we can only flourish when other flourishing really resonated with me. He used the quote that I’d heard it before, maybe it’s overused but man it’s good…
“All mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated…As therefore the bell that rings to a sermon, calls not upon the preacher only, but upon the congregation to come: so this bells calls us all…No man is an island, entire of itself…any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.” John Donne.

The first workshop I went to was with Amy Mendoza, Executive Director of the Indiana Commission on Hispanic/Latino Affairs…fanfreakintastic! Rare that you find someone working hard on an issue, knowing a lot, but also being able to provide real steps of what to do. I was stoked, and could go on but I have so much more to reflect on…so I’ll just give nuggets: advocating a change in Indiana’s driver’s license requirements, using community networks to reach Latinos and Hispanics and helping build relationships with them, and working on the DREAM Act.

The plenary speaker, Chris Breljie – equally fascinating. Although I groaned when he say he was going to talk about his vocation and said just “be open to possibilities”…God is obviously not going to make “sitting in the belly” a relaxing experience. Whatever. He was also great at putting a face on immigration, bringing out his passion for his vocation, and giving encouragement to those who want to bring positive change.

That was the most powerful theme of the day. I heart hope.

He also urged us to advocate to our senators to go for Comprehensive Immigration Reform…and it all comes back to being involved in the political process…Viva la Vote anyone?

The last workshop was with Rosemont again where he talked about the TRC. Yay honors thesis! And then the closing speaker again…great! He was a Valpo grad (as was Breljie) and came here in the 70’s during the time of extreme racial tension. He spoke so truly and yet also so positively, really encouraging students to learn and that make something of that learning. Wonderful.

And then as if the day wasn’t enough! I got to sit around with people from SALT, Partners for Peace and Hanover’s People for Peace groups and just talk about our passions, our concerns, or ideas…oh boy, there’s gonna be a network of social justice impassioned students soon. It’s gonna happen. And damn I’m excited.

Written Nov. 4, 2006.