Course Assumptions

Karl Deutsch - Harvard Professor, mentor and lead teacher in Peace, Justice and Social Change course, in which I was an unofficial teaching assistant . His premise that the social scientist, like the medical doctor, has the moral obligation to be both diagnostic and prescriptive is a core underpinning of my courses. http://www.thecrimson.com/article/1979/5/23/the-best-political-scientist-in-the/?page=3

Peace Pilgrim - In 1978, I received a phone call from a friend in Berkeley, Ca. alerting me that the Peace Pilgrim was in town. "Who I asked?" This amazing women stayed for several days talking with my students. Her sweatshirt had  "Problems are opportunities in disguise " written on the back. This notion has become an assumption of my offerings. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_Pilgrim

Gene Sharp - I met Gene Sharp at Harvard and remained in contact with him over the years. His scholarship on non violent social change has been embraced by scholars and activists all over the world. A central premise of Sharp is his construct about power.  Any authority  (ruler/parent/teacher) is dependent on the consent of those ruled.  Take away the consent and the authority will dissipate and collapse. His work of identifying the many historical methods of non violent resistance provides excellent insight into the many techniques that have been used.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Sharp

From The Journey to Ixtlan by Carlos Castanada

For me the world is weird because it is stupendous, awesome, mysterious, unfathomable; my interest has been to convince you that you must assume responsibility for being here, in this marvelous time. I wanted to convince you that you must learn to make every act count, since you are going to be here for a short while; in fact, too short for witnessing all the marvels of it.

Margaret Mead

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.  Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.

William Penn

True godliness does not turn men out of the world, but enables them to live better in it and excites their endeavors to mend it.



Social Responsibility 


Friends are called, as followers of Christ, to help establish the Kingdom of God on earth. Let us strengthen a sense of kinship with everyone. Let that sense of kinship inspire us in our efforts to build a social order free of violence and oppression, in which no person's development is thwarted by poverty and the lack of health care, education, or freedom. Friends are advised to minister to those in need but also to seek to know the facts and the causes of social and economic ills and to work for the removal of those ills. Let us cherish every human being and encourage efforts to overcome all forms of prejudice.
Advice from "Faith and Practice," New England Yearly Meeting of Friends (Quakers),1985

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