Strategies for change by https://padlet.com/mkenny30/kxvzqifyzbh09oz6 en-us 2020-11-25 10:42:15 UTC 2020-12-04 08:53:12 UTC hello@padlet.com Dismantling racism within and beyond the Iranian Diaspora https://padlet.com/mkenny30/kxvzqifyzbh09oz6/wish/959493961 I am familiar with dismantling racism in Western institutions like in the US and the UK but I am not working actively on decolonising and questioning systemic racism within my Iranian diaspora community. Some readings: The Slave Trade and African Diaspora in Iran - Behnaz Mirzai, Dhow Cultural Dialogues (2005) and Who Am I? The Identity Crisis in the Middle East - PR Kumaraswamy, ME Review of Affairs (2008). On a macro level - understanding systemic racism beyond the West and in other communities. ]]> 2020-11-25 11:19:11 UTC https://padlet.com/mkenny30/kxvzqifyzbh09oz6/wish/959493961 Understanding more about combatting 'Racial Gaslighting' https://padlet.com/mkenny30/kxvzqifyzbh09oz6/wish/959557710 Racial gaslighting sounds like 'If you protested/said it peacefully, more people would listen to you' or 'What I said/did is not racist' or 'Just to paly the devil's advocate here...' -- In this context gaslighting is one of the forms of intellectual boundary violations. It is not innocent and has some deep consequences. @ogorchukwuu on Instagram discusses this and other strategies for change]]> 2020-11-25 11:51:41 UTC https://padlet.com/mkenny30/kxvzqifyzbh09oz6/wish/959557710 Indigenous knowledge & theory mkenny30 https://padlet.com/mkenny30/kxvzqifyzbh09oz6/wish/959561691 Thinking back to our first Course Q&A, way back in September, I am going to work harder on integrating indigenous knowledge, theory and scholarship into this course. - Meryl]]> 2020-11-25 11:53:46 UTC https://padlet.com/mkenny30/kxvzqifyzbh09oz6/wish/959561691 Learning to share statistical data about racial inequalities in a way that showcases HOW racism caused inequalities. https://padlet.com/mkenny30/kxvzqifyzbh09oz6/wish/959574176 In doing so, you force the reader to understand the power of institutional racism opposed to overlooking it.]]> 2020-11-25 12:00:29 UTC https://padlet.com/mkenny30/kxvzqifyzbh09oz6/wish/959574176 Local changes https://padlet.com/mkenny30/kxvzqifyzbh09oz6/wish/963658688 Although I know that huge changes are needed today and around the whole world, I almost feel that a lot of change starts at a local, even familial level. I tried before this course to gain as much knowledge as I could. But now that this course is at an end, I think know that knowledge needs to be passed on to others that I personally know so that I can make the change I want to see - have those conversations that are hard but might possibly change the perspectives of my friends/family. Maybe if we all did this to a greater extent and about issues we care about maybe something greater will change? ]]> 2020-11-26 14:44:51 UTC https://padlet.com/mkenny30/kxvzqifyzbh09oz6/wish/963658688 Thinking about ways to truly embed intersectionality https://padlet.com/mkenny30/kxvzqifyzbh09oz6/wish/965761834 Lately I've been reminded that even among those who go on and on about intersectionality, there's a lot of resistance to actually embedding intersectionality, which requires deprivileging gender as always the entry point or the most important entry point into analysis. Sometimes depending on the issue, gender is actually not the most important 'explanatory through line' to borrow from Shields, and if it is, it might be men who are disadvantaged. (While this may seem obvious, I dare you to say it some women's organisations.)

]]> 2020-11-27 14:23:04 UTC https://padlet.com/mkenny30/kxvzqifyzbh09oz6/wish/965761834 Globalist Education https://padlet.com/mkenny30/kxvzqifyzbh09oz6/wish/970485860 I feel as though the rise of populist movements around the world are a case of the education systems placing a huge amount of importance and focus on the nation state, in the form of 'authorised' education. This promotes the sense that the country in which you live is the only thing worth knowing about, fostering a sense of isolationism, individualism and superiority within these movements. This narrow education has limited the collective knowledge about contemporary and historical experiences of people from other nations or those from marginalised backgrounds. I believe that a more intersectional, global focus in education systems around the world will enable people to empathise with and respect one another, regardless of their gender, race, sexuality, ability etc. I feel as though if people had better access to education and knowledge about other communitites then we would not see the same rise in populist movements as we do today. ]]> 2020-11-30 09:05:41 UTC https://padlet.com/mkenny30/kxvzqifyzbh09oz6/wish/970485860 Thoughts on social media and challenging our thinking https://padlet.com/mkenny30/kxvzqifyzbh09oz6/wish/981952009 Something I have thought about a lot lately when considering strategies for change is the importance of examining where society is encouraging us to focus our social attention. Social media in particular for me is an area of concern, and a reflection of how individualist our culture has become. It encourages us to focus so much of our mental energy on ourselves and our own opinions, and I think this is something to be incredibly wary of; it not only gives us the ability to ‘brand’ ourselves but also strongly encourages us to do so, presenting our lives and thoughts as carefully curated soundbites and images that make it easy to give the appearance of engagement with and action on social issues. What this often looks like in reality is a series of adjacent monologues, rather than meaningful dialogues where there is an exchange of opinions/experiences and true listening to one another (I have been and still am totally guilty of this at times, this isn’t me getting on my high horse!). 

Social media can also encourage us feel like an ‘authority’ on social issues just because we have an opinion on them, even when this opinion is in conflict with the lived reality of multiple others, and those who are more informed on the issue in question. It also creates echo chambers that prevent us from coming out of our individual bubbles, meaningfully connecting with others and challenging our thinking around difficult issues; indeed, throughout UGCW I personally have found being educated, re-educated and acknowledging the role of my own positionality in determining my opinions and thoughts a painful process at times, where letting go of old or unhelpful thinking could feel like conceding precious ground. This bore close examination; why was my ego factoring into my stance on social justice issues? I believe it’s something fostered by the individualism find ourselves surrounded by - if the most valuable thing we can cultivate is our own self-image then of course anything that challenges that will be met with defensiveness. For me the way out of this is connection and discussion with others and absorbing myself in material that takes me firmly out of my own comfortable world view, particularly that of marginalised scholars - UGCW has given me the opportunity to do exactly that and I am incredibly grateful for it. 

- Martha
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