Teaching: The Most Noble Profession

Posted on December 30, 2011 by zoeweil
For my final blog post of 2011, I thought I’d repost my most widely-read essay of the year: “Teaching: The Most Noble Profession,” that was published on Common Dreams.org, a progressive news site. Here’s a short excerpt:

“Teachers are the agents of the future. Will our world be populated by people ready and able to meet that future as creative and critical thinkers; as wise, compassionate and knowledgeable citizens; as skilled and motivated solutionaries within their professions? The answer to this question lies with teachers. More than any other profession, teaching has the power to create a healthy, just, and peaceful world (or not). It has the ability to seed our society with informed, caring and engaged citizens (or not). It has the capacity to inspire lifelong learning and a passion for knowledge, understanding, and innovation (or not). Is there anything more important than this?”

Read the complete essay.

For a humane world,

Zoe Weil, President, Institute for Humane Education
Author of Most Good, Least Harm, Above All, Be Kind, and The Power and Promise of Humane Education
My TEDx talk: “The World Becomes What You Teach“

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Embracing the Adage “To Whom Much is Given, Much is Expected”

Posted on December 28, 2011 by zoeweil

Take a look at this 4-minute video, It Only Takes a Girl:




This video is a reminder to me that I have the luxury to critique the educational system in my country and to advocate for changes in our approach to schooling largely because, despite the flaws in my own education, I was, in fact, among the most privileged to receive it.

This video is a reminder that when I complain about the food at a restaurant, I am so very fortunate to never lack food.

This video is a reminder that when I drink the tap water in a city and it tastes less good than my filtered well water, I am among the profoundly lucky who can simply turn on a faucet and have as much uncontaminated water as I could ever want.

This video is a reminder that it is not cultural imperialism to advocate for the education of girls and fight for an end to their exploitation no matter where they live in the world and no matter what the cultural norms or religious tenets that perpetuate their oppression.

This video is a reminder that I must constantly embrace the adage “to whom much is given, much is expected.”

This video is a reminder that it’s not enough to just spread this video; I must do something to make a difference.

For a just and humane world for all,

Zoe Weil, President, Institute for Humane Education
Author of Most Good, Least Harm, Above All, Be Kind, and The Power and Promise of Humane Education
My TEDx talk: “The World Becomes What You Teach“

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Freedom & Love: The Beagle Freedom Project

Posted on December 26, 2011 by zoeweil

For my blog post today, I wanted to share this beautiful video of freedom and love. Enjoy.

For a humane world,

Zoe Weil, President, Institute for Humane Education
Author of Most Good, Least Harm, Above All, Be Kind, and The Power and Promise of Humane Education
My TEDx talk: “The World Becomes What You Teach“

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My Solstice Wish for Humanity

Posted on December 21, 2011 by zoeweil
Tonight is the longest night of the year in the northern hemisphere and the longest day in the southern hemisphere. Usually on the northern hemisphere’s winter solstice I write about my experience in Maine, where the darkest night also represents the turning of the year toward light.

This year, perhaps because I’ve been conversing regularly with a couple of people in Australia and New Zealand who read my blog, I’m struck by how limited my solstice message is each year. I’ve really just been writing for those in the North above a certain latitude. Not only are my musings not applicable to the temperate South, they also don’t mean much nearer the equator where most people in the world live. Their days are relatively stable, hovering around half night and half day. The metaphors of entering the darkness and bringing light don’t carry much power.

I’ve always been struck by the fact that the light immediately returns after the winter solstice and immediately ebbs after the summer solstice. Just as summer begins, with its promise of luxuriously long days and nights that go on and on, it is in fact growing darker; and just as winter begins, with its promise of cold and dark, it is in fact growing lighter.

And what this reminds me of, that I hope is applicable to everyone, everywhere on this solstice, is that things are far more intricate than they seem. Longest day/longest night – these are the extremes that mark the vastly larger, more complex, more nuanced life that lies between the poles. Yet it seems that we humans so often cling to those poles, defining ourselves, casting our vote, throwing our lot in with those who profess often simplistic either/ors. We are surrounded by these simplicities, whether they come in the form of partisan politics, diet fads and health regimens, religious dogmas, or economic absolutes. Too often they lead us away from wise solutions to our challenges.

And so my solstice wish for humanity is this: Let us remember that the extremes of longest day/longest night happen only twice every year and that the solutions to our myriad problems will be found in our muddy, complicated, daily world by those who are willing to listen, learn, explore and think deeply and creatively, rather than attach themselves to the loud and obvious absolutes that we humans are so prone to notice and cling to, to our great peril.

Zoe Weil, President, Institute for Humane Education
Author of Most Good, Least Harm, Above All, Be Kind, and The Power and Promise of Humane Education
My TEDx talk: “The World Becomes What You Teach“

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Let Us Learn From the Life of Vaclav Havel

Posted on December 19, 2011 by zoeweil
Image copyright European Parliament/Pietro Naj-Oleari
via Creative Commons.

This morning the news reports are focused on the death of Kim Jong-Il. I wish I were hearing more about Vaclav Havel, who also died this past weekend. Both led countries, but while one was an oppressive dictator, the other was a truly great statesman, humanitarian, writer, and truly courageous leader. One practiced totalitarianism; the other spoke out against it and served five prison sentences in defiance of Soviet oppression before becoming Czechoslovakia’s president. That the life and death of a dictator is eclipsing the life and death of one of the 20th century’s greatest people in terms of air time is unfortunate. So today, I’d like to honor and express my gratitude to Vaclav Havel.

When I feel despairing about the state of the world and fear that nothing I do will amount to much in the face of the grave problems we face, the cruelties we perpetuate, I think of Havel, who said this:

“I feel a responsibility to work toward the things I consider good and right. I don’t know whether I’ll be able to change certain things for the better, or not at all. Both outcomes are possible. There is only one thing I will not concede: that it might be meaningless to strive in a good cause.”

If ever I doubt the value of working toward a more humane, peaceful, and healthy world, I remember Havel. I cannot control the outcomes of my efforts, but it will always be meaningful that I do my best and embrace my responsibility to work towards what I believe is good and right.

My his words be of value and inspiration to you, too.

In gratitude to Vaclav Havel.

Zoe Weil, President, Institute for Humane Education
Author of Most Good, Least Harm, Above All, Be Kind, and The Power and Promise of Humane Education
My TEDx talk: “The World Becomes What You Teach“

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This Everyday Hero Made My Day; Hope He Makes Your Day, Too

Posted on December 19, 2011 by zoeweil
Image copyright Storycorps.

Check out this 2008 NPR story about Julio Diaz, a 31-year-old social worker who
responded to a mugger by, just possibly, changing his life for the better.






Zoe Weil, President, Institute for Humane Education
Author of Most Good, Least Harm, Above All, Be Kind, and The Power and Promise of Humane Education
My TEDx talk: “The World Becomes What You Teach“

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Living According to Our Values Means Questioning Our Choices

Posted on December 15, 2011 by zoeweil
On the way to the airport in Guayaquil, Ecuador, I met an observant Jewish man who looked out of place with his yarmulke and long coat in this Latin American, equatorial country. I asked why he had come to Guayaquil and he told me that he is hired to certify kosher food in countries around the world. Waiting in line to check in, I asked him whether in addition to certifying slaughter as kosher he also observed the conditions under which animals were raised, he said he did not. He had, in fact, never visited a modern confinement agriculture system. I talked about how inhumane they were, and he was skeptical.

He asked how I knew they were inhumane. And so I described to him what I have seen myself: hundreds of thousands of chickens crammed into cages in typical egg factories and calves chained at the neck in tiny crates in modern veal factories. I talked about my studies with an observant rabbi who is a vegetarian because he insists not only in following the letter of the law (kosher slaughter was, at its inception, far more humane than typical slaughter of the time), but also the spirit of the law (which clearly rejected cruelty to animals). Only slowly did I seem to pique his interest. I gave him my card and encouraged him to learn more for himself.

Later, I reflected upon this man’s work. He is trying to do what he considers God’s work. He is attempting to deeply live according to his values. Yet, it is harder and harder to do this without an equally strong commitment to learning more, to bringing our inquiry to our choices and actions, to insisting upon greater understanding than what we are likely to obtain from our culture, whether observant Jewish culture or popular culture.

I hope that our brief interaction will spur him to learn more and consider how he can more genuinely live according to his religious beliefs. He mentioned that at his age, he might not pursue more knowledge in this area, but he hesitated as he said this. I like to think he will reconsider and open himself to new knowledge so that he might more fully live his values.

For a humane world,

Zoe Weil, President, Institute for Humane Education
Author of Most Good, Least Harm, Above All, Be Kind, and The Power and Promise of Humane Education
My TEDx talk: “The World Becomes What You Teach“

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Ecuador, Galapagos, and the Rights of Nature

Posted on December 12, 2011 by zoeweil
Image copyright Edwin Barkdoll.

My husband and I recently visited the Galapagos Islands in celebration of our 20th anniversary. It was a tough call choosing to go to the Galapagos. On the one hand, visiting this natural wonder has been a long-standing dream; on the other, such travel is anything but eco-friendly, given the fossil fuels necessary to transport us there. Plus, most trips to the Galapagos are cruise-based, which I didn’t want to support because of the high eco-footprint of cruise ships. It was important to me that if we were going to make this trip, we do so as responsibly as possible. We found an ecologically sensitive tour company which offered a trip that included the very rare opportunity of camping for a couple of nights, along with kayaking, staying in local hotels, hiking up to the rim of a volcano overlooking the second largest caldera in the world, and supporting local fishermen’s transitions into eco-friendly tourism (emphasizing wildlife viewing rather than taking).

The trip was amazing. Never have I experienced wildlife so unafraid of humans. Even the giant tortoises, who live to be close to 200 years old, would walk up to us, even though slaughter and exploitation are within their living memories. Sea lions chose to swim with us, playing, circling, and cavorting within inches of our faces, and ten dolphins came over to play in the bow waves of a boat we were on, seeming to perform for our entertainment as we cheered at each new feat. Even yellow warblers, who rarely come close at home, flitted around our feet. There were Marine Iguanas everywhere and gorgeous Sally Lightfoot crabs (the only animals afraid of us) and sea turtles and sharks who swam beside us, and frigates and boobies and congregations of golden eagle rays. For someone like me who loves animals, this was truly heaven.

What was gratifying was seeing the effort the Ecuadorian government goes to to ensure that the Galapagos Islands, once exploited, are now protected. Permission to camp was hard to come by and took years for approval, and our tour company ensured that we left the campground cleaner than we found it. Trips into the national park (which comprises 97% of the islands) had to be accompanied by a national park guide, and nothing could be removed (not a shell, a feather or a rock). The two-meter rule (you are not permitted to get any closer to the animals than two meters) was constantly reiterated. After decades of exploitation on the Galapagos Islands, the Ecuadorian government is making every effort to restore ecosystems and ensure the health of the native species. This is challenging in light of introduced species which threaten indigenous ones, but there are tireless efforts to right the wrongs of the past. The government has limited the number of people who can live on the Galapagos, and now, if you were not born there and aren’t married to a native of the Galapagos islands, your visit must end after three months.

Such attention to protection and restoration makes sense in a country that was the first to ratify a new constitution that affirms the rights of nature, stating that nature “has the right to exist, persist, maintain and regenerate its vital cycles, structure, functions and its processes in evolution.” It’s worth reading the articles to understand just how meaningful this really is. There is much that still needs to be done to truly protect the Galapagos, but it is gratifying to see what humans can choose to do as we evolve in our thinking about our place on this beautiful planet.

For a humane world,

Zoe Weil, President, Institute for Humane Education
Author of Most Good, Least Harm, Above All, Be Kind, and The Power and Promise of Humane Education
My TEDx talk: “The World Becomes What You Teach“

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Localization v. Globalization: A False Dichotomy

Posted on December 9, 2011 by zoeweil
For my blog post today, I’m sharing a recent post I wrote for Common Dreams, a progressive news site. Here’s an excerpt from “Localization v. Globalization: A False Dichotomy”:

“The economic localization movement is growing. Locavores have become widespread, with the “100 mile diet” representing the new eco-conscious food trend. Author Helena Norberg-Hodge begins her TEDx talk, The Economics of Happiness, with this impassioned plea: ‘For all of us around the world the highest priority, the most urgent issue, is fundamental change to the economy,’ and goes on to say, ‘The change that we need to make is shifting away from globalizing to localizing economic activity.’ This, she suggests, is the economics of happiness. Even in my own town, a yoga studio has a sign on the wall urging yoga practitioners to shop locally.

As a humane educator who teaches about the interconnected issues of human rights, environmental preservation and animal protection, I am uncomfortable with the fervor surrounding localization. While the farmer’s market and local food movements have certainly been beneficial – helping farmers, communities, and individuals alike – it’s not realistic, desirable, or responsible to reject global trade out of hand or to advocate localization as the urgent answer for our times.”

Read the complete essay.

For a humane world,

Zoe Weil, President, Institute for Humane Education
Author of Most Good, Least Harm, Above All, Be Kind, and The Power and Promise of Humane Education
My TEDx talk: “The World Becomes What You Teach“

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For Deconstructing Advertising “Jingles Every Day”

Posted on December 7, 2011 by zoeweil

Jodie Hittle presented a 7-minute TEDx “poem” that is hilarious, clever, entertaining, but most important of all, elucidating, and one of the most important tools humane educators can use in their efforts to help their students deconstruct advertising and gain some freedom from the insidious brainwashing that occurs through commercial messages which bombard us every day:

For a humane world,

Zoe Weil, President, Institute for Humane Education
Author of Most Good, Least Harm, Above All, Be Kind, and The Power and Promise of Humane Education
My TEDx talk: “The World Becomes What You Teach“

Like my blog? Please share it with others, comment, and/or subscribe to the RSS feed.   

Filed under: consumerism, critical thinking, humane education | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

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