My first diary and I'm asking for help....
I will be presenting next week at a conference in Austin, Texas, sponsored by the Association for the Study of Law, Culture and the Humanities.
The roundtable panel in which I will be participating will be discussing "Lawyer Activism and Social Justice." Forget the "lawyer" part for the moment and -- as the activist community you are with the obvious sense of justice I see displayed here every day -- help me answer a few questions or pose your own. I will be using your answers as part of the basis of my presentation. SO...
Roll it over with me....
The Kos community is so rich with experience and ideas -- passions and plans -- that I thought I could find no better source for helping me frame this upcoming discussion. Please think a bit and give me your ideas on the following questions -- or add your own below. It will be both helpful and (I hope) another example of how activism and social justice can be taught in new contexts that traditional educators must embrace or, at least, become aware of as a potent tool.
Some questions to get y'all started:
- What is activism? Lawyer activism?
- What is the relationship between activism and social justice?
- Is activism technique or a value?
- Does value-based teaching have any worth? Or should teachers strive for "neutrality?"
- What are the roles of teachers, students, clients, and communities in activism?
- How is "activism" different from "social justice?"
- Any other thoughts on the social justice issue?
Thank you, all, for helping me. The plan is to digest and summarize the comments which I will post after the weekend. Take all your suggestions and comments to the conference and start a conversation about expanding our notions of activist communities and what that might mean for creating a more just society.
Thanks again,
Immanentize