Developing a Social Conscience in Teens

I received a grant from the Muskogee Education Foundation to explore the Rwandan genocide with several student groups this year. The idea was to read Left to Tell by Emaculee Ilibagiza, a Tutsi college student who survived the Rwandan genocide by hiding in a tiny bathroom with several other women for three months while outside their families were being hacked to death with machetes by a rival tribe, the Hutu. In all, 800,000 Tutsis were killed in a matter of 3 months back in 1994.

The story is horrific enough knowing that these people met their end in torture and that so much killing took place in such a short time. It is worse when one considers these people had been friends with their killers, went to the same church, intermarried, had grown up together. No one can read this story without being moved.

Many young people know about this genocide only if they have seen the movie Hotel Rwanda. They know just as little about the continent of Africa and its history. Developing their sense of African history and an understanding of the causes of genocides is certainly an important outcome of this study. Understanding America's role in international affairs and the degree to which the rest of the world relies on America's moral compass is also a viable learner outcome. But, an even more important and long range, lifelong outcome is developing a social conscience in young people.

No, I'm not talking about the do-gooder social conscience in which we hug a tree for a day or pay lip service to the starving or to the child laborers in foreign countries and then go on about our merry way. I am also not talking about making ourselves feel guilty about living in the richest and the most wasteful country on earth or indulging in self-flagellation and America bashing.

I am talking about developing a compassion for others that is constant and consistent with our country's principles as stated in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and Bill of Rights, and the Emancipation Proclamation. I am talking about developing in young people not only a sense of right and wrong, but the ability, initiative, and courage to take steps to correct social ills. Raising the level of social consciousness, while maintaining a realistic outlook on human history, can help today's teens solve the problems which will face them tomorrow. The ultimate goal is to raise the quality of life for our citizens and others worldwide.

Already the genocide study has had positive effects at MHS. Philosophy Club members drew attention to Human Trafficking Awareness Day on Jan. 11th. Latin III students are making a documentary about the similarities between the Roman genocide against the Carthaginians, the Holocaust, and the Rwandan genocide. As part of their video they need input on certain issues. If you have a moment, they would appreciate it if you could click on the comment section and give your answers to the following questions:

1. Should high schools continue to teach the history and literature of the Holocaust and genocides, such as The Diary of Anne Frank or the Rwandan genocide?

2. Does the U.S. have a moral obligation to stop genocides from occurring in other countries?



Thank you for your time. I will let you know the outcome of the informal survey.