Effective Action for Sustainability and Justice

Description

Students will work as part of a network of college students sharing in-depth, local case studies to generate understanding of strategic and tactical options for effective intervention in complex social-ecological issues to foster sustainability and justice. This program will train students for advocacy in government, private and non-profit organizations; support them in living fulfilled lives in difficult circumstances; and build communities of mutual support. Students will research and write a book for their peers on the topic of effective political action, for print and web publication. In addition they will create a web site housing a database of case studies in the policy, strategy and tactics of sustainability and justice. This web site will also serve as a communications center for activists and for those studying activism. Attention will focus on ethical, personal and social consequences of choices about how to think and act in situations of uncertainty, complexity, conflict and stress, and how to live effectively in potentially despair-inducing times.

Students will examine local, contentious, ongoing issues with complex ecological, social and political aspects. They will attend meetings of organizations and legislative committees, interview participants, research issue history, and study interactions of biophysical, social and political components. Analysis will be informed by interdisciplinary readings on political theory, practical and ethical aspects of individual and collective action, complex systems, and environmental analysis.

During fall quarter, we will gain the needed factual and theoretical foundation, outline the book and web site, and establish communications with peers elsewhere. Winter quarter will center on field work, researching and drafting. Spring quarter will involve extensive editing, rewriting and assembly of the final products.

Students will gain skills in writing, including editing; oral, written and web-based presentation; qualitative social science research; complex social-ecological systems science; oral history; understanding political organizing, negotiation, mediation, lobbying and decision making; and collaborative work on a large-scale project. There will be the opportunity to explore conflict, engagement and reconciliation.