Reclaiming Our Power
If we ask the question, "How powerful am I?" what is the
first thing that comes to mind? Do we think of what we own, the freedom
we enjoy, the things we are able to do? Or do we first identify with
our powers of empathy, understanding, and courage? In other words,
do we primarily identify with our abilities and privileges or with
our inherent human capacities. Billions of dollars are spent each
year to convince us that we are defined by how we look and what we
have. Combine those messages with all those we received growing up
about who we are and who we should be in the world. We may find that
we are holding some beliefs that inhibit access to our innate power.
If we see ourselves primarily in terms of our "relative"
powers we may lose sight of the deep and abiding capacities that connect
us to each other, to our planet and to our basic human integrity.
In this seminar we will identify the powers we consider to be inherently
ours, those that cannot be taken from us. We will then begin to reflect
on the people, places and practices in our lives that help us to connect
with those powers. From here we address the beliefs, habits, and experiences
that may be inhibiting access to our innate power. We will explore
the role of communication skills in cultivating empowering relationships.
We will identify strategies designed to help us reclaim our true identity
as innately brave, wise and compassionate people.
Power Literacy and Intercultural Understanding
One of the essential functions of culture is to remind us of our inherent
human potential. There are many kinds of cultural influences that
help to shape our personal perspective i.e. traditional, contemporary,
mainstream media etc. In this seminar we will begin by clarifying
our own cultural lens, claiming and celebrating the cultural influences
that empower us and divesting ourselves of those that don't. Once
we have become clearer about our own cultural identity, we can more
easily understand a cultural perspective that may be different from
ours. This practice of cultural perspective taking is essential in
order to effectively address the roots of bias that trouble our world
community today.
Many of us experience cultural bias in our daily lives. The roots
of that bias lie in generations of hierarchical cultural dynamics.
It is challenging to trace these roots and endure the overwhelming
sense of grief, guilt and powerlessness that may occur.
Using the power lens, we address these issues as we engage our courage,
wisdom and compassion. We liberate ourselves from the roles of victim
or oppressor. We move from a place of unified strength and determination
to effect change within our own lives and eventually within cultural
and institutional systems.
Power Literacy and Perspective Based Learning
Language Arts, Social Studies, Math and Science are the fundamental
components of most K through 12 academic programs. Perspective Based
Learning involves the use of a perspective lens, as an academic frame.
The purpose of this frame is to assist the student in utilizing these
essential disciplines to better understand his/her own world perspective.
In order for academic learning to have meaning we must constantly
address the question, "Who am I? And how do I fit in to this
world?"
In this approach we view four basic areas of dynamics that shape perspective:
personal dynamics, cultural dynamics, political and economic dynamics,
and environmental dynamics. We then discover the ways in which language
arts, social studies, math and science can help to clarify these four
basic areas.
For example, math and science help us to measure and understand various
aspects of our physical environment. Language arts and social studies
help us to understand human relationships within families, among cultures
and between nations. The perspective lens helps us to organize curriculum
content so that students see the relationship between learning and
their own direct experience of the world. We will examine existing
curriculum content and adapt it to these four basic areas of study.
Using the perspective lens as a framework we are helping students
to understand:
Environmental dynamics through bioregional studies. We use Math
and Science studies for this purpose.
Political and Economic dynamics by studying first local then global
political and economic issues through the formation of mini-societies.
We use Social Studies, Math and Science for this purpose.
Cultural dynamics by examining contemporary and traditional cultural
influences and discerning their own cultural perspectives. We use
Social Studies, Language Arts, Music, Art and Phys. Ed for this
purpose.
Personal dynamics by actively identifying themselves and one another
as innately powerful people capable of independent thought and collaborative
interaction. We use Language Arts, Music, Art, and Phys. Ed for
this purpose.
Democracy is crucial to our development as a peaceful and just society.
In order for our future citizens to participate in meaningful democratic
forums they need a comprehensive understanding of political, economic,
cultural and environmental dynamics. Our traditional academic disciplines
can provide them with the concepts and skills they need to do so,
as long as we present material in such a way as to help them develop
a perspective that has meaning, relevance and continuity.