7/2 History: Revisions and Reimaginings

History: Revisions and Reimaginings
July 2nd, 6:30pm in Flat Branch Park, Rain Location: Memorial Union

When reading these articles, think about the ways we package history in our culture.

What Are the People Who Reenact 20th Century Wars Up to?

Why Study War?

Comfort Women & US Troops

Late Victorian Holocausts
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2005/is_3_36/ai_99699494/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2001/jan/20/historybooks.famine

Animated Anastasia Film: Fictionalization of Historic Events
We'll be watching Anastasia on Wednesday 7/1, 6:30pm location TBA

Renaissance Fairs

World History vs Western History

Historical Film as Real History (pdf)

The New Central Asia: The Creation of Nations

1. Consider the artificiality of nations, and how in schools they are taught to be organic in making.
2. What purpose does it serve the state and individuals to believe that nations have an organic vs. constructed from artificial means?
3. If modernization is an integral part of developing a national identity as in the case of Central Asia nations, then what does that mean for developmental theories that try to modernize nations and its impact upon the world's tendency towards globalization?

The Origins of the Third World
Read the Introduction, Famine in India, Turning Drought into Famine, and Deliberate British Policies in India.

1. Why is this failure of forced lasseiz-faire policies, that killed millions of people, not ever discussed in schools?
2. Why are complications which are associated with economic/informal imperialism not taught in schools, whilst direct formal imperialism which occupies less time in history so carefully dissected?

6/25 Genocide

Thursday June 25th, 7pm Kaldi's Cafe

Questions to think about as you read these articles

1. Do you think that international actors have failed the victims of genocide?

2. What are the technical downfalls for defining genocide?

3. Does peacekeeping work? What about mandates and funding?

4. What do you think of the Responsibility to Protect idea? Is it overwhelmingly idealist?

5. What roles can activist play? What other actors should be involved that are not included?

Further reading: Ellie Wiesel, Samantha Powers, John Prendergast and Don Cheadle, Phillip Gourevitch, NY Times articles by Nicholas Kristof

What is genocide? (Everyone read this one)

Please see post below- Genocide 101

Geographic locations of genocide past/hot zones

1 Armenia genocide

http://www.asbarez.com/2009/05/29/from-san-diego-to-sacramento-one-man%E2%80%99s-genocide-commemoration/

2 Sri Lanka

http://www.tamilsydney.com/content/view/2231/37/

3. Areas of concern

http://www.genocideintervention.net/educate/crisis/overview

Video (short)

1. Srevrenica Genocide (Bosnia) by Ron Haviv

http://srebrenica-genocide.blogspot.com/2009/05/video-ron-haviv-eyewitness-testimony.html

2. Don Cheadle http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urKOYd3cfdU&NR=1

3.Morenohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yWScO08vl8&feature=channel_page

4.Stand video: 100 Days http://www.youtube.com/user/StandAntiGenocide

Peacekeeping

1.Peacekeeping 101

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peacekeeping

2.United Nations Peacekeeping History

http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1988/un-history.html

3. Darfur peacekeeping mandates

http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSL142491420080801?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

Movements/activism/educational articles

1. Darfur Experts Debate Conflict: Alex De Waal vs John Prendergast (Everyone read this one)

http://www.newsweek.com/id/69004

2. A list of legislation that has been passed (I worked on Genocide Accountability Act and Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act 2007)

http://www.darfurscores.org/darfur-legislation

3. Genocide Intervention Network-The Responsability to Protect (R2P)

http://p2p.genocideintervention.net/educate/r2p

4. China's genocide Olympics

http://www.savedarfur.org/newsroom/clips/chinas_genocide_olympics/

5. Militarism, Ethnicity, and Sexual Violence in the Rwandan Genocide (read the Bea Gallimore part, it starts on page 9)

http://docs.google.com/gview?a=v&pid=gmail&attid=0.1&thid=121f67d07affed47&mt=application%2Fpdf

Refugee

1 Department of Homeland Security Report 2008 (sort of technical but interesting)

http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/statistics/publications/ois_rfa_fr_2008.pdf

Infrastructure

1.Rwanda's rebuilding efforts

http://allafrica.com/stories/200906020560.html

Trauma

1. Doctors group find rape common against Darfur women...

http://blog.taragana.com/n/doctors-group-finds-rape-common-against-darfur-women-urges-international-warrants-67990/

Genocide 101

Genocide 101

Genocide is from the Greek - Genos (family, tribe, race) and the Latin –Caedes (massacre; pronounced kay-dees), was originally coined by Raphael Lemkin, a Polish Jewish legal scholar, in 1943. In 1948, the United Nation’s Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide defined genocide as “Any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:
Killing members of the group;
Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its
physical destruction in whole or in part;
Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
...Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.
There exists, however, a large debate on how to properly define the word “genocide” and moreover, what events constitute genocide or are otherwise crimes against humanity or war crimes. (students know basic genocide)

The 8 stages of genocide
Classification
Symbolization
Dehumanization
Organization
Polarization
Identification
Extermination
Denial

Past genocides and USA Prez
a. Wilson-Armenia
the Ottoman government intentionally destroyed over 1 million Armenians from 1915 - 1923.

b. Rosevelt Holocaust


c. Carter- Cambodia
Khmer rouge instituted a new authoritarian regime.All opposition to the regime was exterminated in a genocidal campaign. Between 1975 and 1979, over 2 million Cambodians were targeted for destruction.

d. Clinton-Rwanda

e. Bush/Obama-Darfur
Current hot spots/areas of concern
the extent to which mass atrocities are occurring
the extent to which civilians are being targeted
In our assessment of how civilians have been targeted by mass atrocities, we relied on the following indicators:
1.levels of mortality, drawing from a number of different sources
2.levels of forced displacement, largely relying on Internal Displacement Monitoring Center numbers
3.the frequency and intensity of human rights violations committed against civilians, as reported by expert and relief organizations, as well as the media

What is Social Justice?

This seems like something that should have been addressed much earlier, but I'm curious how everyone defines social justice. These definitions frame our conversations and I want to know how others interpret the subject.

From Wikipedia: Social justice, sometimes called civil justice, refers to the concept of a society in which "justice" is achieved in every aspect of society, rather than merely the administration of law. It is generally thought of as a world which affords individuals and groups fair treatment and an impartial share of the benefits of society.

What does it mean when we say something is or isn't social justice? What subjects are included under the heading "social justice"?

I think this is particularly relevant when we're discussing topics that seem to fall outside the range of tradition social justice, such as wellness, suicide prevention, sustainability, etc. In some areas there is a clear connection, but these are disciplines that rarely collaborate. Are the goals of these groups fundamentally different or is this a failure to explore the interconnectedness of the issues? And if the groups are different, do we still have a responsibility to each other? I know we demand social justice mentality from all the groups on campus, but social justice groups often fail to reciprocate for wellness or sustainability.

I'd love to hear everyone's opinions!

Summer Welcome Revue and Skits

Our July 16th topic is about integrating social justice in an educational setting, with a focus on peer education. We're going to use Summer Welcome as a case study. It would be great if everyone could attend either Revue or the Wellness Skits before that meeting. They both go until July 8th. When watching these, keep in mind that the intended audience is incoming freshmen.

Revue: Sunday-Thursday, 8pm in Jesse Aud – Mainly entertainment, but they also share a little about Mizzou traditions and campus life. Put on by the Summer Welcome Leaders.

Wellness Skits: Sunday-Thursday 1pm in Conservation Aud - Intended to be educational, focusing on wellness issues (alcohol, tobacco, body image, etc). Put on by campus peer educator groups.

Social Justice is not the primary goal of either, but both include things that are positive and problematic from a social justice stand point.
Things to think about while watching Revue or Skits:
1. Do they achieve their primary goal (education on campus life or wellness)?
2. How effective are they at keeping the attention of the audience? How effective are they at communicating the information in an engaging way?
3. For those of you who have seen revue/skits in the past, what changes have you noticed?
4. What stood out a positive step towards social justice? What was problematic?
5. What effect do you think skits or revue would have on the incoming freshmen who attended summer welcome?

6/18 Social Entrepreneurship

June 18th, 7pm, Kaldi's Cafe

As you read these articles think about this

who is a social entrepreneur?

What does that entail?

Do you need passion or skills or both, if so what sort of skills?

how much influence does wealth and charsma play in the leader of these ventures?

what sort of interaction is visible between those who "help" and those "helping"?

For those who want to change the world, are we attempting to play "God"/ be saviors? How can we be authentic?

How can we incorporate service-learning in the classroom? How could we teach social consciousness?

Ashoka: Innovators for the public

What is social entrepreneurship--on PBS

Creating an entrepreneurial campus culture

Fostering social entrepreneurship through liberal learning in the social sciences

Service-learning-What is?

If not now, when? by Nancy Bea Miller

Everyone a Changemaker by Bill Drayton

Reshaping social Entrepereneurship by Paul C. Light

Doctor on Call--CNN clip on Josh Nesbit's hope phones and Frontline SMS

Kiva's website-- this is a really awsome venture, check it out, maybe donate

Government's role;

Serve America Act

Give Act

***if you are considering starting an organization in the future... read this one--why you need to more entrepreneurial and how to get started by Peter Brinckerhoff

Romanticizing Abuse

Twilight and Teen Dating Violence:

http://sparrow.beyondtherift.com/blog/?p=255

Twilight is of course not the only example of creepy/manipulative/abusive behavior being touted as romantic; Beauty and the Beast and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers both immediately come to mind.

I find romance a very troubling cultural concept because social norms of chivalry provide an effective mask for manipulation. Chivalry is based on a man protecting his partner, but this can also have the effect of making her emotionally, financially, or otherwise dependent on him. Culturally, women are taught to value these traits in their partner, which could hide warning signs of controlling behavior. With kindness, romance, and manipulation so closely linked, it can be confusing for those in an abusive relationship to understand their experience in the context of abuse.

Just Read 6/11: Pornography and Sex Work (Let's Talk About Sex, Baby)

Let's talk about you, AND me. Let's talk about all the good things and the bad things that there be! Let's talk aboooout sex!

Introductory Facts:

1) Wednesday night, Erin and Amy are getting PUMPED UP for this discussion by watching the TOTALLY EXCELLENT AND RELEVANT film "Gypsy." Also the lyrics are by Sondheim, but THAT'S NOT IMPORTANT. What's important is the JUSTICE. Anyway. If you're big into musicals, email us like woah and we'll make enough popcorn for you. Join us. Come to second level. If you want.

2) Flamingo Fundraiser!

So there's an initiative by Columbia Montessori to provide discounted daycare to low-income families, especially those living in the first ward. They're meeting Monday, June 8th, from 3:30-4:30 at the Daniel Boone Library, in conference room A, to talk about a fundraiser they'd like to do to raise money towards what I think we can all agree is a nifty goal.

The idea is: plonk a flamingo in a yard from a list we'll be given by the organizers. The unsuspecting victim will pay a donation to rid their yard of the tackiness and sentence a 'friend' to similar avian horrors/charitable contributions. While you don't have to play, if you'd like to help distribute these, this fundraiser will run from June 10th through July 15th.

So if you'd like to attend the Monday meeting or aid in the migration/enjoy minor night-time vandalism of stranger's yards, send us a message via carrier pigeon. Or hit reply. It's up to y'all, but if you could re-breed an extinct species (the carrier pigeon) just for this, I'd be totes impressed.


As per usual, please check out at least 2-3 of the following and meet us in Kaldis at 7 on Thursday night.

Sex Work in America:

Wired's Rundown of the Suicide Girls Controversy

http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2005/09/69006

Porn actress Sasha Grey on the adult film industry

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=1&hid=105&sid=fdfaee62-b23d-44fe-8357-132a26911cd3%40sessionmgr108&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=aph&AN=39144605

Feminist approaches to pornography and sexwork:

http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/1297

Sex Workers' Perspectives:

Peruse Spread Magazine, a publication for and by sex workers:

http://www.spreadmagazine.org/index.html
(with articles like 'tips on clients with disabilities,' and Ask a Ho: Should I tell my parents?)

Wikipedia's summary of Sex Worker Rights issues

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_workers%27_rights#European_Conference_on_Sex_Work.2C_Human_Rights.2C_Labour_and_Migration

Sex Trafficking and Tourism:

check out "Why Hiring a Sex Worker is Like Sunning on the Beach: A Defense of Sex Tourism in Thailand" (http://www.spreadmagazine.org/sextourism4.2.html) from Spread versus

http://www.humantrafficking.org/countries/thailand , and
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,208800,00.html

Other cultural perspectives:

Japan's Sex Industry

on the book Pink Box--bouncy, encyclopediac pictorial guide:

http://www.straight.com/article-74893/a-visual-journey-into-japans-sex-industry
http://www.pinkboxjapan.com/about.html

the Darker Side:

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/15/world/tokyo-journal-red-light-scouts-and-their-gullible-discoveries.html

Sex and Taboos in the Islamic World

http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,443678,00.html

"a look (at) how the modern gay rights movement in Cuba is interwoven with the rise in sex workers and why this communist country just may grant same-sex marriage rights before the United States in order to demonstrate their commitment to human rights." PODCAST

http://www.feastoffools.net/gay-fun-show/2009/05/01/fof-979-cuban-sex-workers-and-british-scally-lads-050109/

"Risk exposure and risk management strategies among gay male sex workers in Germany"

http://gateway.nlm.nih.gov/MeetingAbstracts/ma?f=102238193.html (abstract)

Holland: Tempting the Tourist With Hookers and Hookahs

http://europeforvisitors.com/europe/articles/holland_hookers_and_hookahs.htm