To Bear Reality, We Must Cultivate Joy, Connection, Compassion

Posted on July 31, 2009 by zoeweil

T.S. Eliot once wrote, “Humankind cannot bear much reality.” In today’s world, threatened as it is by global climate change, human overpopulation, massive extinctions, fresh water depletion, toxic waste, and replete with escalating worldwide slavery, brutal institutionalized animal cruelty, human starvation and many more problems, it’s no wonder we can’t bear much reality.

In our Master of Education and Humane Education Certificate Programs at the Institute for Humane Education, we know students struggle with the content of their courses (on education, human rights, environmental preservation, animal protection, and cultural issues such as consumerism, social psychology, media and globalization). Although every course has books and articles with practical and wise solutions to our problems, each also exposes our students to the challenging realities of our time. After all, we cannot solve our entrenched problems and transform unhealthy systems if we don’t know about and understand them.

Many of our students struggle with the dark content of some of the books and films in the program because, indeed, it is hard to bear that much reality. But there is another reality that our program explores: that of our human capacity to experience wonder, joy, connection, compassion, and understanding. Our students are required to spend time in a natural setting, participate in activities that reawaken their reverence, meet and connect with people from other cultures, listening to their stories and building relationships. Each student also does a practicum, not only to put their knowledge and training into practice, but also to experience the joy that comes in doing the work of humane education.

Yes, we cannot bear much painful reality, and so we must cultivate the joyful reality that is our inheritance so that we can hold the joy and pain together and rely upon our experience of profound connection and empathy to face and transform those systems which harm. If we expect to change the world through doomsday stories, we will find that many turn away, unable to bear that much reality. But if we inspire people to fall in love with this gorgeous planet, revel in their senses and ability to feel awe, turn their apathy into compassion, and hear the stories of the heroes among us, then we will discover that our reality is huge: full of light, dark, and everything in between, and we can bear it all in our hearts and minds in order to create a better world.

~ Zoe

(Note: Zoe’s getting ready for Residency, so this is a repost, originally posted 11/24/08.)

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No Child Left Unkind: Building Humane Education Competencies

Posted on July 29, 2009 by zoeweil

Teachers are expected to educate their students so that they are competent in certain subjects, and No Child Left Behind and state laws require that students pass tests demonstrating their knowledge and competencies. While it’s important to know that we are succeeding in our goals as teachers, and that our students are actually learning and developing the skills we endeavor to impart, the danger with constantly measuring our students is that we may begin to teach simply to enable them to pass multiple choice tests and neglect what’s harder to measure, but ultimately more important to learn: to think creatively and critically, to connect relevant issues of our time to our personal responsibilities, actions and choices, and to make healthy, positive choices for ourselves and others.

If we believe that the primary goal of education ought to be the ability to participate effectively and enthusiastically in the unfolding of a peaceful, sustainable and humane world, then there are certainly competencies we will want our students to have:

  • the ability to think critically and creatively about the challenges we face, as well as the messages that bombard us from all sources, so that we gain freedom
  • the awareness and understanding of our individual responsibility to do more good and less harm, so that we gain commitment
  • the tools to make positive choices and be problem-solvers, so that we gain empowerment

There is no standardized test to measure these competencies, and such a test would potentially undermine the very creativity, process-orientation, and flexibility that education should seek to cultivate. Yet we must ensure we’re succeeding in our goals as educators. How can we do this?

We can observe our success in the projects our students take on and the outcomes of their efforts, witnessing their commitments in action. We can “test” their skill at recognizing fact from opinion and thinking critically with entertaining activities that allow them to analyze and deconstruct all sorts of messages, from advertising to media to government to textbooks. We can engage them in group projects and witness their sense of empowerment grow as they succeed in solving or contributing to the solutions to local and global problems. If we’re attentive and creative, we can know that our efforts to raise a generation of creative citizens and “solutionaries” are working.

~ Zoe

(Note: Zoe’s getting ready for Residency, so this is a repost, originally posted 9/29/08.)

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Stories From Newfoundland #3: 50,000 Birds

Posted on July 27, 2009 by zoeweil

Cape St. Mary’s Ecological Preserve lies at the southernmost tip of the southwest peninsula on the Avalon Peninsula in Newfoundland. It is usually shrouded in fog. In fact, the day that we drove there from St. John’s, Newfoundland’s biggest and most colorful city, it was sunny and warm. But as we wound our way down the peninsula the fog rolled in, thick, foreboding, even a bit eerie as it crept along the bogs and over the narrow road. It lifted a bit as we entered the visitor center at the beginning of the mile long trail, and from the large windows we could see bird rock, a huge outcropping jutting up a couple hundred feet from the sea by the cliffs that lined the shore (see photo). Bird rock gets its name from the thousands of birds who nest in every foot of space. Years ago the birds who claimed the rock were murres; now they are gannets. They nest all over the cliffs, and you can hear them (and smell their guano) more than a mile away.

We walked to bird rock, arriving to a cacophony. The gannets, beautiful, prehistoric-looking birds, come to the same nest each year with the same mate. They lay their egg and spend all summer caring for their chick, who lies mostly immobile on the sparse nest, lest she fall to her death off the cliff edge before being able to fly. There are ten thousand gannets who nest here, another ten thousand murres , and as many kittiwakes. There are a few hundred razor bills – the closest relatives of the extinct great auk – and they all share what looks like crowded high rise apartment buildings. Though territorial, they tolerate each other surprisingly well, given that they may have a mere square foot or two of space.

This year the summer in southern Newfoundland has been hot and dry. The winds are coming from the west bringing warm air. And the capelin, abundant in the north where we watched the whales, haven’t come to their bays in the south. Thus the murres who depend upon the capelin have laid few eggs, and there are no chicks in sight. The kittiwakes are leaving their chicks alone on their nests to find food, whereas in normal years either the father or mother would stay behind with them. It’s possible that there are more single parents this year due to lack of food as well.

There are more icebergs, too. This may sound counterintuitive. How can there be more icebergs when the water is warmer? The icebergs calve off the great glaciers in Greenland and travel for 2-3 years around the coast of Greenland, over to Labrador, and follow the Labrador current down to Newfoundland. With global warming there are more calving icebergs traveling their several year journey.

We’re all connected, and it’s so very obvious when you sit at Cape St. Mary’s and pay close attention to the birds surrounding you. In the midst of my own awe and gratitude for the privilege of seeing this wondrous place, I couldn ’t help but regret the role I played in contributing to the persistent problems befalling these animals. My trip to Newfoundland, the fuel I consumed just to get to this magnificent land, plays a destructive part. I watched the birds in amazement and with deep appreciation, and knew that we visitors help protect this rare place by ensuring its preserve status. But we also harm it.

MOGO choices are occasionally simple and clear. Sometimes they are challenging. What is MOGO for me – to witness and experience the natural world I seek to protect – isn’t always MOGO for those I seek to help. Yet these experiences further ignite my passion to help because my awe and wonder spur greater knowledge, understanding and more committed action.

~ Zoe

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Stories From Newfoundland #2: Humpback Whales

Posted on July 24, 2009 by zoeweil

Every summer, humpback whales travel north from their winter homes in the Caribbean where they’ve lost tons of weight (literally). They come to eat capelin, small fish that comprise the majority of their diet. The humpbacks feast for months and then head south to mate or bear their young, having put on the fat they need to get them through the winter. We happened to be at the right place at the right time one evening at sunset, perched on high rocks over a bay in which dozens of humpbacks and harp seals were feeding beside icebergs. In ten minutes we’d seen eight whales breach, rising out of the ocean propelled by their powerful tails and crashing back down with a huge splash (my husband took the accompanying photo). Then we climbed lower on the rocks, just 25 feet above the cold North Atlantic to watch several pairs of humpbacks directly below us lunge feed, roll and dive. It was spectacular. We weren ’t the only ones reveling in the opportunity to be this close to these behemoths: one of the people who worked at the Inn where we stayed, who has spent eight 5-month seasons on this island seeing countless whale displays, was just as excited and amazed as we.

Imagine what would happen if we raised children who regularly experienced the wonders and beauty of the natural world and who grew up with such appreciation and love for nature. Perhaps they would be as joyful and appreciative as this man was. Perhaps they would strive to protect this beautiful world.

~ Zoe

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Stories From Newfoundland #1: Newfoundlanders

Posted on July 22, 2009 by zoeweil

I spent the past two weeks in Newfoundland on vacation, and although this blog is not normally filled with musings on travel, some of the experiences I had feel compelling enough to write about. I’m not fond of stereotypes and generalizations, but it’s funny how when they are positive they don’t seem problematic to say, so I’ll just say it: I love Newfoundlanders. While not every Newfoundlander I met embodies the generalizations I’m about to list, the great majority seemed to have most of these qualities:

  • Honesty
  • Humility
  • Humor
  • Openness
  • Acceptance
  • Friendliness without being cloying or pushy
  • Down-to-Earth-ness
  • Love of their land without patriotic bravado
  • Generosity
  • Helpfulness

Although I’ll be posting about some amazing nature experiences on “the rock,” meeting and talking to Newfoundlanders was a huge highlight. One evening in particular stands out: for my 48th birthday we went to hear Anchors Aweigh, a four-man band who play Newfoundland, Cape Breton, and Irish music on a host of instruments, including the native “ugly stick” and the accordion. The leader of the group also tells Newfoundland stories to his sold out crowds who laugh so hard it hurts. But what struck me was the sheer joy the band clearly experienced, playing for three hours straight, no breaks. They seemed as if they would go on all night, and only reluctantly stopped because the audience wasn’t accustomed to post-midnight music. Given that this band of middle-aged men plays three nights a week all summer to audiences who only pay Canadian $12, this is love at play. Would that we were all so joyous and generous.

~ Zoe

Image courtesy of natalielucier via Creative Commons.

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Look Beyond Either/Or to the Both-And

Posted on July 20, 2009 by zoeweil

I’ve been thinking a lot about the ways in which we humans seem to gravitate towards “either/or” choices. Either we protect Northern Spotted Owls or people’s logging jobs. Either we invade Iraq or not. Either we pull the troops out or stay. There are more. Either we trust our minds or hearts. Either we are Christian or Muslim. Either we are Republican or Democrat.

Yes, there are people who want to protect owls and jobs, think beyond either/ors and work creatively to come up with the wisest choices in Iraq, trust both their minds and hearts, see the connections between all religions, and consider themselves Independents. But it seems to me such people are the minority.

Among activists, the either/ors are sometimes cast starkly: either someone (or some company or industry) is good or evil. The CEO of Altria (formerly Philip Morris), of Exxon-Mobil, of Monsanto –- they must be evil, while the CEO of Working Assets/CREDO must be good.

It’s just not this simple. But complexity is, well, complex. Commitment to seeing both-ands instead of either/ors demands more from us. It may at first even appear wishy-washy, as if you’ve lost your passion and your commitment if you don’t immediately “take sides.” It shouldn’t. Instead, a commitment to both-and is a commitment to problem-solving at the deepest level. A realization that people have the capacity for dangerous, unwise, unhealthy choices, as well as compassionate, kind, and brilliant choices means that we can try to influence the former, rather than call people names and divide the population into us and thems.

There will be many times when taking sides is exactly what you need to do, but let’s not let side-taking become a knee-jerk reaction to everything that is presented to us in either/or terms. You’ll find either/ors everywhere. Listen for them. And then see if you can determine a more nuanced both-and…and a solution that works for all.

~ Zoe

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Valuing Teachers/Valuable Teachers

Posted on July 17, 2009 by zoeweil

Zoe’s on vacation this week, so this is a repost that was originally posted 7/7/08:

As an educator, Woody Allen’s famous line in Annie Hall still haunts me. “Those who can’t do, teach, and those who can’t teach, teach gym,” he quipped to big laughs. As a teenager watching the film for the first time, I laughed, too. I certainly wasn’t considering teaching as a profession back then. No status, poor pay, little respect. Woody Allen was right, and I had my sights set on something important; I went to college pre-med.

Years later, I became an educator despite Woody Allen, but as I said, his line still haunted me: did I become a teacher because I couldn’t do something? I’ve come to realize the answer is a resounding no. I could do plenty of things. I choose to teach because I believe that we must raise a generation with the knowledge, tools, and motivation to create solutions to global challenges and create a better world. I teach because I love inspiring and empowering people to live their lives as meaningfully and positively as possible. I teach because I believe that good education is one of the most important gifts we can give others. I teach because I can think of no nobler, more meaningful, or more important work for myself. I teach precisely because it is the best thing I can do.

Yet, our society still grants teachers little respect, even less pay, and hardly any status. And it shouldn’t come as a surprise that while many brilliant, inspiring, enlightened people go into teaching as a profession, many others go into teaching for less than noble reasons. A few years ago, I learned that a certain state university (which will remain unnamed) accepts people into its M.Ed. program who have a C average from college. I find this disturbing.

We want our doctors and lawyers to be exceedingly smart and well-educated. We expect our college professors to be not only highly intelligent, but also wise. But we don’t have very high expectations of the teachers who will be paving the way for our children’s future on countless levels, not least of which is their passion for and ability to pursue lifelong learning.

I’ve written in this blog that I believe the purpose of education should be to provide the knowledge, skills, and inspiration for people to live sustainably, peaceably, and humanely, but I’ve not written much about teachers. We need to build a society in which the very brightest, wisest, most inspired and inspiring people go into teaching — not just at the university level, but in primary and secondary schools, too. We need to value our teachers the way we value our physicians and pay them accordingly, so that such people are drawn to education, not just to medicine, law, and business.

There is no easy formula for this. But there are some steps we can take:

  • If you are a parent, show your gratitude and respect for your children’s best teachers. Let them know how important they are. Share books and websites with them (such as HumaneEducation.org) so they can learn more themselves.
  • If you are a teacher, honor yourself. Woody Allen was wrong. Realize the potential you have to make an enormous impact on the lives of your students as well as on the world. Be a lifelong learner, and commit to bringing humane education to your students. Doing so may reawaken your passion for and commitment to your chosen profession.
  • If you are an educational reformer, brainstorm ways in which we can begin to pay teachers better and more equitably across communities. Meet with other educational reformers to draft policy ideas and share these.
  • If you are a concerned citizen, write letters to the editor, your own blog posts, or simply voice your commitment to education – help build a society which values education and hence attracts more and more valuable teachers.

Our motto at the Institute for Humane Education is “The world becomes what you teach.” We believe that we will build a better world when we teach for such a world. Nothing is more important than the teachers who will do this great work.

~ Zoe

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Widening Our Criteria for MOGO Food Choices

Posted on July 15, 2009 by zoeweil

Food is in the news, and many people are considering what’s MOGO (Most Good) when they make their food choices. But making MOGO food choices can be complicated. Taking into consideration what’s best for people, animals, the environment, and oneself in a system that is extremely complex isn’t easy.

Periodically, a food movement will emerge that seems to answer the question, “What’s the MOGO diet?” For about two decades the vegan movement has grown substantially because it has made connections between the protection of individual health, world hunger, ecological protection, and animal rights. The organic food movement has also grown considerably, too, buttressing the vegan movement with another lens through which to make MOGO food choices.

Recently, the locavore movement has emerged, and its proponents argue that eating locally, including eating animal-based foods and choosing local over organic when local organic is unavailable, is MOGO, because local foods require less energy to transport and help communities create food security in unreliable energy times.

But then there are studies that show that eating foods considered local (within 150 miles) that are transported by small farmers in small trucks is actually less energy-efficient than eating foods grown further away but trucked in a single large vehicle, and still other studies show that local meat still contributes more global warming gasses than non-local non-animal foods. Such studies don’t diminish the positive effects of truly local food (within 20 miles for example), and the food security that can happen through sustainable, local agriculture, but they point out that local shouldn’t be the only lens for MOGO food.

I believe that when we grab onto a food concept, like vegan or local or organic and make all our choices through this single lens, we limit our capacity to make truly MOGO food choices. It’s much easier to choose foods through a single lens, and I understand the desire to do so to simplify such complicated choices, but instead, we can consider several lenses when choosing food.

My criteria for MOGO food, which I describe at greater length in my book, Most Good, Least Harm, are these:

As often as possible, choose foods that are:

  • Locally and organically produced.
  • Plant-based.
  • In season.
  • Produced through fair trade practices.
  • Whole and unprocessed.
  • Not overly-packaged, and if packaged, only in recycled and recyclable materials.
  • Low in saturated fats and cholesterol.
  • Produced without refined sugars and without hydrogenated vegetable oils.
  • Produced without abuse towards and exploitation of animals.
  • Not genetically engineered.

Bon appetit,

~ Zoe

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How Do We Change?

Posted on July 13, 2009 by zoeweil

Note: Zoe’s on vacation this week, so this is a repost that was originally posted 6/30/08.

Artist and changemaker Chris Jordan asks several questions in his fascinating presentation at the TED conference. Through his powerful photographs of human behavior and mass consumption, Jordan attempts to make our unconscious societal choices conscious so that we can change destructive and unhealthy behaviors and systems. Jordan’s captivating wall-sized photographs depict, in a compelling and often visually stunning manner, such mundane realities as the number of plastic cups we use on airplane flights in the U.S. each day or the number of people who die from smoking cigarettes every year. By making our societal choices accessible in this way, he invites viewers to reflect upon their own individual contributions (presumably both positive and negative) to the world. I consider Jordan’s work to be a spectacular example of humane education through art.

But what I found most compelling about this particular presentation was his question to the audience. How do we change?

It’s an old question with a long pedigree of distinguished and not-so-distinguished answers. Psychologists, philosophers, anthropologists, preachers, and advertisers alike have all sought to understand the forces that mold us, and then to mold us toward their own aims.

This is true for humane educators as well. The primary goal of humane education is to provide people with the knowledge, tools, and motivation to create a peaceful and humane world. Note that humane education seeks to do more than provide relevant information and skills; it must also instill desire to create a good world and motivate its recipients to be engaged changemakers. We humane educators are in the influence business, attempting to answer the question “How do we change?” so that we can help our students change themselves and the world for the better.

From my perspective as a humane educator, I believe that we change:

  • By emulating those who inspire us most (so humane educators must model a positive message as fully as possible)
  • Through daily practice and a commitment to live with integrity (so humane educators must provide maps for such a practice)
  • When the choices before us include convenient, healthy, and positive options (so humane educators must offer these and work toward their development)
  • When we are part of healthy systems and live in healthy situations (so humane educators must help create such systems and situations for our students)
  • With support from others who also strive to change for the better (so humane educators must provide such support)
  • By pursuing lifelong learning and wisdom (so humane educators must inspire others so that they are passionate about learning)
  • When we have hope (so humane educators must offer painful truths about current realities in ways that do not create despair but rather engender enthusiasm for new possibilities)

Our task as humane educators is to create change, and so we must seek to answer Jordan’s question so that our work has the greatest impact. I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas for answering this perennial question.

~ Zoe

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The Low-Carbon Diet

Posted on July 10, 2009 by zoeweil

“Full disclosure: I love to eat meat. I was born in Memphis, the barbecue capital of the Milky Way Galaxy. I worship slow-cooked, hickory-smoked pig meat served on a bun with extra sauce and coleslaw spooned on top.

“My carnivore’s lust goes beyond the DNA level. It’s in my soul. Even the cruelty of factory farming doesn’t temper my desire, I’ll admit. Like most Americans, I can somehow keep at bay all thoughts of what happened to the meat prior to the plate.

“So why in the world am I a dedicated vegetarian? Why is meat, including sumptuous pork, a complete stranger to my fork at home and away? The answer is simple: I have an 11-year-old son whose future—like yours and mine—is rapidly unraveling due to global warming. And what we put on our plates can directly accelerate or decelerate the heating trend.”

So begins Mark Tidwell’s essay, “The Low-Carbon Diet,” in Audubon Magazine.

This thought-provoking and well-researched essay makes the argument that for the sake of the planet, we should all dramatically reduce our consumption of meat, dairy and eggs, even if they are produced locally.

Here’s another excerpt:

“Indeed, accounting for all factors, livestock production worldwide is responsible for a whopping 18 percent of the world’s total greenhouse gases, reports the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization. That’s more than the emissions of all the world’s cars, buses, planes, and trains combined. “So why do we so rarely talk about meat consumption when discussing global warming in America? Compact fluorescent bulbs? Biking to work? Buying wind power? We hear it nonstop. But even the super-liberal, Prius-driving, Green Party activist in America typically eats chicken wings and morning bacon like everyone else. While the climate impacts of meat consumption might be new to many people, the knowledge of meat’s general ecological harm is not at all novel.”

You can read the whole essay here.

~ Zoe

Image courtesy of PlayfulLibrarian via Creative Commons.

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