It is understanding and applying important ideas and principles. And with this project, you will put principles into action. Part of any education is about understanding how past events shape the present. The policies of these nations (and our own) did not come out of nowhere. A series of decisions were made that led to this point, however disastrous those decisions were. You must first understand
how other governments work and how to communicate with government officials in a professional manner. You must know how the system works and then take action for justice. Part of taking action is about communicating ideas. Communication is an essential part of learning. How do you communicate principles and ideas is as important as learning them. The individuals and groups we will be advocating for are ordinary people caught in extraordinary circumstances. They are not perfect, but they deserve justice. In many parts of the world, the justice and liberties we expect as Americans do not exist. In those parts of the world where millions of men and women toil under oppression, they must organize, protest, and fight for the basic freedoms we often take for granted. You will see the stark differences between the United States and these other nations. Hundreds of millions of people in the world struggle daily for food, clean water, or shelter. Many live in tyranny and need someone to hear their plight. You can begin to make a difference by taking a few minutes of your time to write a letter asking to spare an innocent person’s life. Our project will be about putting principles into action. If you want a world where there is justice and freedom, you must be a part of the solution. You must be a force for good in the world. Sitting on the sidelines is simply not an option. In the process, we will learn to be better human beings than we are now and become better citizens of our own communities and the world.
“Education without morals is like a ship without a compass, merely wandering nowhere. . . . we will have to repent in this generation not only for the hateful words of the bad but for the appalling silence of the good.”
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.