PREVENTING GLOBAL VIOLENCE-
PROMOTING GLOBAL PEACE
CHALLENGES, CONCEPTS, CHRONOLOGY, CITIES, COUNTRIES, CORPORATIONS, CONDITIONS, CAUSES, CAVEATS, CHOICES, CONCLUSIONS
Barry Weisberg, J.D.
CONTENTS:
1. Summary
2. Class Format
3. Student Requirements
4. Course Grade
5. Course Outline and Calendar
6. Bibliography
7. Draft Encyclopedia
8. Poem: "Too Many," by D. Knowledge, 1994
"The truth is that it is contrary to the nature of life if it is not violent, and contrary to the nature of violence if it is not constant."
Michael de Montaigne
"We are effectively destroying ourselves by violence masquerading as love."
R.D. Laing
"Mother, mother, mother. There’s too many of you crying.
Brother, brother, brother. There’s too many of your dying.
What’s going on? What’s going on? What’s going on?"
Marvin Gaye
"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler."
Albert Einstein
(1) SUMMARY:
This course will utilize the sciences and the humanities to examine both the past, present and future of human violence against people, other species and the environment, and the prospects for peace. This challenge requires us to consider how we feel about violence, what we think about violence, what we know about violence and what we do not know about violence.
Violence is defined by the instructor as "the threat or use of psychological or physical force to disturb, damage or destroy people (depriving them of basic human needs and human rights); other species and the environment." This is a non-conventional definition of violence.
Understanding violence is important because (1) this is the most violent era in history, (2) violence has become more deadly than ever before, and (3) the human capacity for violence is unique and unprecedented in the entire history of life on earth. Understanding peace is important because it is the only viable alternative to violence.
The general goal of the class is to present an historical, scientific and holistic understanding of global violence and global peace. This is both a theoretical and a practical concern of the instructor - which will become evident in the course.
(2) CLASS FORMAT:
The instructor welcomes questions or comments at any time during any class.
Each class will consist of several elements, subject to change.
.1 Initial Questions for discussion. Students are encouraged to come to class having already thought about the questions for the day. Outstanding or troubling current events can always be raised for discussion.
.2 A Power Point computer generated slide presentation and discussion. Notes on every presentation will be distributed.
.3 Presentation of Current Events.
.4 A video film and/or discussion of current event assignments on Mondays.
Office hours are available by appointment prior to or after class. Students are welcome to call me at my office (773-257-5652).
(3) STUDENT INFORMATION:
.1 Class:
Attendance, Participation and Class Presentation. The class will start promptly each night. Please be on time.
Students who are required to miss classes for family or work related matters are excused with notice to the instructor.
.2 ASSIGNED READINGS
2000, A Better World for All, International Monetary Fund, Washington, D.C., 2000.
Challenges of Violence Worldwide, National Association of Social Workers, Washington, D.C., 1997
Violence in Columbia, Building Sustainable Peace and Social Capital, World Bank, Washington D.C., 2000.
Technical Notes on Violence Prevention, Editors Mayra Buvinic and Andrew Morrison, International American Development Bank, Washington, D.C., 2000 - Hand Out in Class
.3 REFERENCE WORKS: RESERVE BOOK ROOM
Encyclopedia of Violence, Peace & Conflict, Academic Press, NY, 1999.
Ronald Gottesman & Richard Maxwell Brown, Editors, Violence in America, An Encyclopedia, Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York, 2000
.4 POWER POINT SLIDES
An outline of the computer slides will be available each class, with hand outs and resource recommendations.
.5 WEEKLY CURRENT EVENT
Each student will bring two newspaper/magazine/Internet news items or a review of a new book on some aspect of violence to class on Monday. The subject of the item is indicated on the syllabus. All items must be 8.5x11 inches. In the upper right hand corner place your name, the date of the item and its source. Each student will be expected to summarize and comment on the items in class. Consider the following types of questions:
+What is the particular form of violence? Where? When?
+Why is it violence?
+Who were the perpetrators, victims, witnesses, etc.?
+Was the form of violence legal or illegal?
+What were the cause(s) of the violence?
+Could or should it have been prevented? Why? How?
.6 NEW YORK TIMES
Every student is asked to read the New York Times daily, either in the library, with a subscription, or on the internet.
Please be certain to read the Science Section, every Tuesday.
.7 UN FOUNDATION SUBSCRIPTION
Please subscribe (no cost) to the UN WIRE, a daily service that updates news on the UN . Http://www.unfoundation.org
.8 BOOK CRITIQUE (5 Pages)
Each student will select one book on one form of violence against children (preferably a book on the subject of your paper) and prepare an evaluation of the book to be submitted by March 7, 2001.
A style sheet for the critique will be made available to students.
.9 PAPER (10 Page Maximum)
The paper will be on UNDERSTANDING AND PREVENTING (......VIOLENCE) AGAINST CHILDREN. Example: child abuse, corporal punishment...
In September, the UN will convene a special review session on children. Students are encouraged to consult the documents associated with this process. (Http://www.unesco.org)
A style sheet for the paper will be distributed and discussed in class.
Each student should submit a one paragraph summary of the proposed subject to the instructor on, _______________________ for comment.
The paper will be summarized by the student in the last week of class.
THE PAPER IS DUE ON _______________. LATE PAPERS MAY NOT BE ACCEPTED.
.10 COURSE GRADE:
The final grade for each student will consist of one quarter for turning in the news items and class participation, one quarter for the book evaluation, and one half for the paper.
.11 THERE WILL BE NO FINAL EXAMINATION.
(5) COURSE OUTLINE
1-CHALLENGES: WHAT’S GOIN’ ON?
2-CONCEPTS (Superstition, Scripture, Science, Sources, Resources)
3-DEFINITION
4-CHRONOLOGY-COSMIC, NATURAL, HUMAN
5-CITIES
6-LOS ANGELES
7-COUNTRYS (INTER-STATE & INTRA STATE)(MEGA-VIOLENCE)
8-COLUMBIA (?) OTHERS...MEGA VIOLENCE?
9-UNITED STATES
10-CAPITALISM & CORPORATIONS
11-GLOBALIZATION OF/AS VIOLENCE
12-CONDITIONS: TYPOLOGY (ENCYCLOPEDIA), TOPOGRAPHY
13-PEOPLE: (ECONOMIC, POLITICAL, SOCIAL) POVERTY, WAR
14-PEOPLE (CULTURE/ART) RELIGION, MEDIA
15-FAMILIES, WOMEN
16-CHILDREN (UN Special Session)
17-RACE/ETHNICITY/MINORITIES (UN World Conference on Racism)
18-SPECIES EXTINCTION
19-AIR, LAND, WATER (OCEAN)
20-CAUSES (PROXIMATE & ULTIMATE) (2?)
21-CHOICES: INTERVENTION, PREVENTION, PEACE PROMOTION
22-MACRO: GLOBAL/REGIONAL PEACE PROMOTION (ARCHITECTURE)
23-MESO: NATIONAL, PROVINCE/STATE, CITY PEACE PROMOTION
24-MICRO: FAMILY, COMMUNITY, SCHOOL PEACE PROMOTION
25-CONCLUSIONS: THE FUTURE OF VIOLENCE/FUTURE OF PEACE
(7) DRAFT ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GLOBAL VIOLENCE
| Abuse
and Neglect
Alienation Animals (cruelty, experimentation, husbandry, vivisection) Anti-Semitism Armaments Armed Forces Assassination Assault (aggravated, sexual) Atomic (accidents, disposal, contamination, power, waste, war, weapons...) Automobiles (deaths, injuries, road rage...) Banditry Biocide Biological Weapons Body Mutilation/Decoration Bullying Capital Punishment Cannibalism Chemical Weapons(poisoning) Children (child abuse, exploitation, homicide, infanticide, neglect, maltreatment, soldiering, suicide, prostitution, slavery) Climate Change Colonialism Consumerism Corporal Punishment Crime Against Humanity Cruel and inhuman treatment Date Rape Deadly Force Democide Diaspora Discrimination Down Wind Dowry Deaths Drugs (Illegal: mortality, morbidity, trafficking violence) Duels Ecocide Economic Disparity (poverty, hunger, starvation, income disparity, unemployment...) Elderly (abuse, assault, starvation...) Ethnic/Racial Cleansing Euthanasia Female Genital Mutilation (FMG) Families (spousal abuse, child abuse, elderly abuse) Femicide Forced Evictions, Migration Free Markets, Free Trade Gang Violence Gender Violence Genocide Genetics (engineering, genome alteration, cloning...) Geocide Half Life of Nuclear Material Hate Crimes Head Hunting Health Hazards Homophobia Honor Killing Humancide Human Needs Denials (9) Human Rights Denials (76) Hunting Incarceration Indigenous People International Sanctions Inter-species violence Invasion of Privacy Kidnaping Language Extinction Lynching Maldevelopment Malnutrition Marginalization Massacres Martyrdom Media Violence (TV, film, music) Mental Health Disorders (anxiety, post traumatic stress syndrome) Mercenaries Military (industrial complex (installations, intervention).. Murder (Negligent, Non-negligent, Homicide, Serial, Mass...) Occupational Violence Organized Crime Pesticides Police Brutality Pollution Post-Traumatic Stress Poverty Racism, Racialism (racial discrimination, disparate treatment, discrimination, driving while black, hatred, intolerance, racial profiling, red lining, xenophobia...) Rape Refugees Religious (intolerance, persecution) Revolution Sacrifice Slavery Spanking Species Extinction Sports (combative, violent, spectators) Starvation Stress Structural Adjustment Substance Abuse (Legal: alcohol, tobacco...) Suicide Terrorism Tobacco Torture Toxic Poisoning Trade (Free) Underdevelopment Vigilante Violent Crime (murder, rape, assault, robbery, kidnaping) Vivisection Xenophobia War (world, hot, cold, civil, jihad, just, low intensity, space, trade, on drugs, on crime...) Weapons (mass destruction) Women (sexual assault, abuse, genital mutilation, honor killing, dowry deaths, rape...) |
(8) POEM: TOO MANY....
Back in the day
I don't remember goin' to
Or hearing about
Too many funerals
Except for those grandmas and grandpas
Died of old age
But
In this day
I see and hear about
Too many funerals
All the time
Funerals for victims of drive-byes
Funerals for victims of gang warfare
Funerals for victims of police brutality
And why are there so many funerals
Funerals for victims of car-jackings
Funerals for victims of drunk driving
Funerals for victims of reckless driving
And where are the funerals for folks
Dying of old age
'Cause all I see are
Funerals for victims of crack
Funerals for victims of nicotine
Funerals for victims of alcohol abuse
Funerals for victims of hyper-stress
Funerals for victims of heart attacks
Funerals for victims of kidney collapse
And where are the funerals for folks
Dying of old age
'Cause all I see are
Funerals for victims of rape
Funerals for victims of spousal abuse
Funerals for victims of penis-drive patriarchy
And where are the funerals for folks
Dying of old age
Where are they
'Cause all I see are
Funerals for victims of AIDS
And
Funerals for victims of AIDS
And
Funerals for victims of AIDS
And
Does anybody have a cure for AIDS
And where are the funerals for folks
Dying of old age
'Cause all I see are
Funerals for victims of homelessness
Funerals for victims of hopelessness
Funerals for victims of suicide
And why are there so many funerals
Funerals for victims of
White on Black
Black on Black
Brown on Black
Yellow on Brown
Yellow on Black
Black on Yellow
And
Everybody else on everybody else
Violence
Too many
Funerals for victims of
Everybody on everybody violence
And where are the funerals for folks
Dying from going to
Too many funerals
Dying
From going to
Too many funerals
Too many
Too many
Funerals
Too many
Too many
Dying
And
Does anybody
Die of old age anymore
Anybody
Die
Die
Dead
D. Knowledge, April 19, 1994