Global Perspectives: How the World Works

Global Perspectives: How the World Works is the Phi Theta Kappa Honors Study Topic for 2016-2017.  The topic is broken into eight themes and this past weekend I had the opportunity to attend the Michigan Region Mini Honors Conference at Jackson College to explore the topic more in depth.  Faculty from Jackson College shared their perspectives on a number of themes and I want to share my perspectives on one timely theme, Rights and Responsibilities. We started by sharing what rights do we cherish and why these rights are important to us?

This conversation was happening the weekend before the election, an election viewed by some as the most politically divisive election in the history of the United States.  Student’s discussed women’s rights, the right to marry a person of your choosing, human rights, the freedom of individualism, the concept of rights vs entitlements, etc.  We then moved into a discussion on what is needed to protect your access to expression of these rights and what would happen if that access is denied or expression is not protected?

My group discussed the role of the media in this election and how the media has a responsibility to provide the truth which had become increasingly more difficult to discern.  We talked about even the fact checking, which was more prevalent than ever, left us wondering if we could trust the fact checking.  This discussion then segued into a conversation on where my rights end and yours begin—the “murky middle”—if you will.  We discussed when our fundamental rights are challenged, the result is often incivility which leads people to shut down and condemn the other.  Once we start to shut down, our opportunity for learning is diminished and relationships become strained. Among individuals this is dangerous enough, what happens when incivility escalates to neighborhoods, communities and ultimately a nation.

The conversation which was not long enough, challenged each of us to consider what our individual responsibility should be and what specific strategies we could employ.  We discussed one strategy was to consider our own prejudices and stop the spiral in our own head about why we are thinking the way we are thinking.  It also became evident the need to listen, to really listen to both (or all) perspectives and agree to disagree by detaching the person from the idea.

It was a great session with very thoughtful students and we ended the conversation with a reminder to exercise our right to vote on Tuesday and a light-hearted look at “How To Change the World (a work in progress) with Kid President (Soul Pancake) on you tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4z7gDsSKUmU If you haven’t seen it, check it out and remember to vote tomorrow!