In April 2008, members of the ISSA Network came together in Istanbul to participate in a training of trainers in the Education for Social Justice Program (ESJ). As part of the training, Edgar Lampkin, a trainer in ISSA's ESJ program, together with an OSI representative, presented OSI's European Union Monitoring and Advocacy Program (EUMAP), comparing and contrasting it with the Education for Social Justice Program, and discussing ways that the programs can complement one another. ISSA talks more with Edgar Lampkin about the challenges inherent in EUMAP and making schools more democratic places for all.
EUMAP, a program of the Open Society Institute, monitors the development of human rights and rule of law standards and policies in both the European Union and in its candidate and potential candidate countries. EUMAP has published monitoring reports highlighting specific areas in which state performance conforms to, or falls short of, broadly accepted international standards. EUMAP approaches monitoring as a crucial tool to encourage a continuous review of policies, and to contribute to improving standards and policies where needed.
EUMAP's advocacy activities are a direct outcome of their monitoring reports and aim to raise awareness about outstanding human rights and rule of law issues in Europe, contribute to the identification, adoption, and implementation of concrete solutions to these problems, and to highlight the importance of independent monitoring as a key element for the continual refinement and improvement of public policy.
In Istanbul, Edgar Lampkin spoke about the methodology of EUMAP's monitoring and advocacy activities and how they concretely relate to documenting oppression, racism, and social justice in societies. Here he talks more with ISSA about these issues.
ISSA: Both the Education for Social Justice and EUMAP methodologies follow the steps of 'naming,' 'voicing,' and 'building allies.' What do you find the most challenging for the majority of people in each of these steps?
EL: NAMING: Because we do not normally or naturally engage in dialogue about many of these forms of oppression, the most challenging aspect is engaging in an authentic dialogue that leads us towards naming the problem(s). It is extremely difficult, because we do not use the language or try to make sense of the various forms of oppression. When we do engage and begin to develop a critical consciousness, we begin to enter another realm that is also challenging, VOICING.
VOICING: In Voicing, the challenge is for the "Oppressed" or the "Target" person to "speak out." Because of the pains, hurts and mistreatments that we internalize, our ability to "speak out" and give voice to the injustices becomes an even more difficult task. Taking the risk to tell your story and share how you have faced forms of social injustice in front of others makes you feel vulnerable because you don't know how others will react, how well they will "constructively listen," and, most importantly, how you will re-stimulate (react) to the situation. Ironically, it is re-evaluation counselling research that tells us that by telling your story and working through a safe-environment where you can voice your pains, hurts, and mistreatments, you can begin to heal them!
BUILDING ALLIES: This is the biggest challenge of all. It has to do with sharing power and being physically and psychologically able to build allies. There are many skills that one must develop and master in the process of building allies. It is the most neglected component and the most challenging to work towards, because many times the tools to gain Allies or be an Authentic Ally are yet to be mastered. It is easy to slip into the oppressor role out of fear, insecurity, and uncomfortable feelings experienced in the ally building process. Authentic dialogue and building of critical consciousness that leads towards action in deconstructing forms of oppression are yet to be realized in their entirety.
ISSA: EUMAP lays out a very simple process for naming, voicing, and taking action that includes gathering data, reporting on the data, using the data to advocate for changes or monitoring, and then using that information to create further change. How is the work at the personal level more complicated than this? What else needs to be added to working at the monitoring level to make it even more effective?
EL: As you say, the gathering and reporting of data is a depersonalized process. However, when it comes to action, the challenge is that it must hit the emotional chord of both the oppressor and the oppressed in order to work through the healing and peeling of the hurts, mistreatment scars, and psychological damage to the point where the raw humanness of both reaches the sensitive point of being more human at the spiritual level.
When working at the monitoring level, there needs to be willingness to be sensitive and work towards deconstructing power and systems that has one group up and another down, so that there is a collaborative approach towards the sharing of human equality of treatment and making this become modus operandi, rather than the ideal.
ISSA: What would it take to make schools more equitable and democratic places?
EL: What it will take is to do the work that is being done through ESJ - professional development for teachers, administrators, government officials, university staff and other educators. All of these professionals need to develop an understanding of how to name the problem, problematize by developing a critical consciousness of the various forms of oppression and how they manifest themselves, and what we can do to work toward being allies in situations when we are oppressors or being oppressed. This knowledge will be the key in working towards and achieving more democratic and socially just societies. The investment in making this happen is critical as we look at social justice as a human right and a condition that is an outcome and by product of sharing of power and establishment of a more just and socially equitable society. It all starts one pebble into the pond at a time....causing a ripple effect that compounds from education to other social institutions, like law enforcement, government, medicine, etc.
ISSA: Are there other groups doing work similar to what EUMAP and ISSA's Education for Social Justice Program are doing?
EL: There is a strong movement towards understanding
and valuing diversity and breaking down the barriers of oppression in
racism through education in the United States and in other parts of the
world. Some US groups which may be of interest are:
http://www.american-pictures.com/english/racism/index.html
http://www.publiceye.org/equality/equality.html
http://www.soaw.org/article.php?id=530
http://www.academon.com/lib/paper/59295.html
http://www.adl.org/education/edu_awod/default_awod.asp
http://www.teachingforchange.org/early_childhood_equity/anti-bias_education.html
Edgar Lampkin received his Ed.D. in International Multicultural Education from the University of San Francisco in California, U.S.A. He is currently Director of Student Services/English Learner Services at Yolo County Office of Education, in Woodland, CA.