Education to Change the world
The problems we are facing as a society today are numerous and huge. While many people express an interest in creating a peaceful and sustainable world, as a society, we spend comparatively little time and few resources working to achieve this ideal. So what can we do to change this? I believe education and the cultural paradigm we promote and foster through both the formal education system and other societal institutions is the answer.
Growing up, my parents raised me within a framework that made it clear that it was our job to make the world a better place. For a long time I didn't realize that this is not common to most everyone else, as I had assumed the mentality I was exposed to was the norm. In contrast to the paradigm I was raised with, other opportunities I was privileged to have showed me something very different. I was fortunate to participate in national/international science fairs during high school, and then to also attend a private liberal arts college to study biochemistry and policy studies. These experiences gave me a much greater appreciation for how the prevailing forces in society create and reinforce a paradigm that is reductionist and exploitative in nature. The result of this, is that we continue to travel further down a path that is counter to creating the sustainable and peaceful world we say we want.
Growing up, my parents raised me within a framework that made it clear that it was our job to make the world a better place. For a long time I didn't realize that this is not common to most everyone else, as I had assumed the mentality I was exposed to was the norm. In contrast to the paradigm I was raised with, other opportunities I was privileged to have showed me something very different. I was fortunate to participate in national/international science fairs during high school, and then to also attend a private liberal arts college to study biochemistry and policy studies. These experiences gave me a much greater appreciation for how the prevailing forces in society create and reinforce a paradigm that is reductionist and exploitative in nature. The result of this, is that we continue to travel further down a path that is counter to creating the sustainable and peaceful world we say we want.
"The significant problems we have cannot be solved at the same level of thinking with which we created them."
- Albert Einstein
- Albert Einstein
I feel strongly that we need a new paradigm for being and living in this world, and we need it fast. I plan to develop more specific ideas and materials for creating a new paradigm within the formal education system, with a focus on shifting how science is taught, to better emphasize holism and true critical thinking. In the mean time here are some of the related philosophies that I have been deeply influenced by and find very compelling:
Holistic Nonviolence
- Holistic nonviolence is an emerging path for personal transformation and social evolution. It is intended to foster the creation of a global community of conscience organized around an ever-deepening commitment to regard and treat all others, however they may differ from ourselves, with care and respect.
Peace Literacy
- Peace Literacy is a growing movement of educators and concerned citizens who want to empower people with the training, skills, and understanding needed to heal the root causes of our problems, rather than merely addressing surface symptoms.
Montessori Education
- Maria Montessori believed education was the most powerful and universal way through which to reconstruct society; a way to transition from war to peace. Therefore, it is necessary to think of education as peace, not education for peace.
