Peace Studies : Alternatives to Violence (B-CC Syllabus, 2002)
Peace Studies/Alternatives to Violence
Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School
Spring Semester 2002
Colman McCarthy
Course Syllabus
Much of the world is awash in violence: military violence, domestic violence, economic violence, media violence, environmental violence, animal-abuse violence, racial and gender violence, verbal violence. Time now to examine the ideas and ideals of a few dissenters who believe that better and saner ways exist to resolve conflicts than fists, guns, armies, bombs and nukes. “There is no way to peace,” wrote A.J. Muste, “peace is the way.” This course offers a few moments to examine the literature of peace. Every government claims it wants peace; every human heart yearns for it. Odd, isn’t it, that only a few schools offer courses in the philosophy, history, politics, literature and practice of pacifism and nonviolence. No, not odd. Scandalous.
Our class meetings will include ample amounts of discussion, debate and any other kind of fairminded intellectual exchange. Let’s listen well to each other. Listening is an act of caring. Class discussions are based on readings from the course text, “Strength Through Peace: the Ideas and People of Nonviolence.” or handouts. Everyone is expected to read and intellectually absorb the assigned essays and be prepared to discuss them in class. We will NOT be rushing through the essays for the ignoble goal of covering ground. Teachers who like to “cover ground” should be encouraged to coach the cross country teams
The most persuasive excuse for missing class is a death: yours or mine.
Let’s go with this: occasional reflection essays based on the course readings. The writing should be full-effort, in keeping with the belief that what is written without effort will be read without joy. Be creative, be self-demanding. Avoid cliches, hack language. Edit out useless words. The purpose of a reflection paper is to rethink what you’ve already thought. The purpose is not to unload a pile of footnotes, or showboat with an impressive bibliography. If you find that you’re writing the paper just to get a grade, or just to get it out of the way, or out of fear that the inevitable “something bad” will happen if you don’t: if any of that is at play, don’t waste your time or mine. Instead, either summon up some self-discipline and make it a quality piece of writing that you are proud of, or be brutally honest and say, take your choice: (a) “I’m an astonishingly lazy person” (b) “my career goal is to be an assistant deputy floor manager at Home Depot and writing papers about peace won’t get me there” (c) “I’m just learning how to be rebellious and not turning in a paper will help me to be known as The Class Rebel” (d) “ I’ve got afternoon sports; SAT anxiety; college admissions forms to fill out as well write admissions essays that will make me out to be the next Einstein, Shakespeare or Emily Dickinson; required community service; three AP courses taught by terrorist teachers; I was just dumped by my one and only true love; I have to carpool with amazingly dull people; my body is not even half-awake at 7;25 a,m; and now I have to write a creative and no-cliché paper? Yikes!!
AVAILABILITY
Appointments when mutually convenient. Phone: 202 537 1372. Address: Center for Teaching Peace, 4501 Van Ness St., Washington DC 20016.
PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS OR ANY PRESENTABLE RELATIVES
Invite them to our class. They’re welcome anytime, especially agitators.
AND LET THE LITERATURE OF PEACE BEGIN
ORGANIZATIONS
--American Friends Service Committee. 202 265-7997 www.afsc.org 1328 Florida Ave., NW, Washington DC 20009. A Quaker organization and Nobel Peace Prize winner whose international peace work is based on faith in the power of love to overcome violence and injustice.
--Amnesty International USA 202 544-0200 www.aiuse.org 600 Pennsylvania Ave., SE, Washington DC 20003. A worldwide human rights organization that works to free prisoners of conscience and eliminate torture, executions and abductions. Also a Nobel Peace Prize winner.
--Ayuda, Inc. 202 387-4848. 1736 Columbia Rd., NW, Washington DC 20009. Ayuda offers legal support and social services to refugees, immigrants and battered women in the area of domestic violence, child support and custody.
--Bethesda Fellowship House Adult Day Services 301 654-2077. 8015 Old Georgetown Rd., Bethesda MD 20814. It provides a safe environment for physically frail and memory-impaired senior adults. The professional staff offers therapeutic activities and medical supervision.
--Black Student Fund 202 387-1414. www.blackstudentfund.org 3636 16th St., NW, Washington DC 20010. Provides scholarships (K-12), books, emergency intervention, food clothing, tutoring, summer programs, college counseling.
--Bread for the City 202 265-2400 www.breadforthecity.org 1525 7th St. NW, Washington DC 20001. Working to decrease poverty by providing fee medical care, legal advice, social work services, food and clothing to low-income people.
--Capital Area Food Bank 202 526-5344 www.capitalareafoodbank.org 645 Taylor St., NE, Washington DC 20017 It provided 20 million pounds of food last year to lover 700 local hunger organizations.
-Center to Prevent Handgun Violence 202 289-5670 www.cphv.org 1225 Eye St., NW, Washington DC 20005 Chaired by Sarah Brady, it work with schools and community groups to reduce and prevent handgun shootings.
--Children’s Defense Fund 202 628-8787 www.childrensdefense.org 25 E St. NW, Washington DC 20001 Run by Marian Wright Edelman, CDF is a research and advocacy group on behalf of children and their families. It has summer internships for high school and college students.
--Congressional Hunger Center 202 547-7022 229 1/2 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, Washington DC The guiding spirit is Rep. Tony Hall of Ohio, one of the few members of Congress who specializes in reducing world hunger. The director is John Morrill.
--Doctors Without Borders USA 703 548-2200 www.doctorswithoutborders.org 66 Canal Center Plaza, #310, Alexandria VA 22314. Doctors and nurses provide medical care in over countries to victims of war and disasters.
--Free the Slaves 202 588-1865 www.freetheslaves.net With an estimated 27 million slaves worldwide, this group works to inform the public of the realities, as well as decrease the trafficking in modern slavery.
--Fund for Animals 301 585-2591 www.fund.org 8121 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring MD 20901 Directed by Heidi Presscot, it works to prevent cruelty to animals through education, litigation and legislation.
--Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County 301 962-3720 www.habitat.montgomery.md.us 2446 Reedie Dr. #13, Wheaton MD 20902
--Indian Law Resource Center 202 547-2800 www.indianlaw.org 601 E St., SE, Washington DC 20003 A non-profit that provides legal help to tribal nations.
--Judge David Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law 202 467-5370 www.bazelon.org 1101 15th St. #1212, Washington DC 20005 Protects people with mental disabilities from exclusion and discrimination.
--Lawyers Committee for Human Rights 100 Maryland Ave. NE, Washington DC 20001 202 547 5692. A research and advocacy group involved in decreasing human rights violations around the world. Contact person: Susan Benesch.
--Literacy Council of Montgomery County 301 942-9292 wwwobjectlinks.com/literacy 11701 Georgia Ave., Wheaton MD 20902
Recruits and trains volunteers to help adults learn to read and write.
--N Street Village 202 939-2071 1333 N St, NW, Washington DC 20005. Serves homeless women with medical, housing and addiction problems.
--Oxfam America 703 548-2200 www.oxfamamerica.org 66 Canal Center Plaza, #310, Alexandria VA 22314 One of the best-known anti-hunger groups, with projects worldwide.
--Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine 202 686-2210 www.pcrm.org Ut seeks to protect animals by promoting alternatives to animal experiments in research and education, as well as disease prevention through education about diet.
--Robert F. Kennedy Memorial 202 463-7575 www.rfmemorial.org 1367 Conn. Ave. NW, Washington DC 20036 A human rights and social justice group, directed by Kerry Kennedy Cuomo.
--Special Olympics 202 824-0204 www.specialolympuics.org 1325 G St., NW, Washington DC The world’s leading ahtletic program for children and adults with mental retardation. Directed by Timothy Shriver, who lives on Drummond Avenue in Bethesda.
--Witness for Peace 202 588-1471 www.witnessforpeace.org 1229 15th St. NW, Washington DC 20005 Works to reduce sweatshops and to increase economic justice in Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and elsewhere.