SOCIAL JUSTICE AND CHANGE

An introduction to Social Movements

What is Social Justice?

A concept born out of fairness and equity Recognizing that opportunities, resources

and wealth were and are distributed unequally throughout the world It is what it is--- some people create their

circumstance and some have no control Blame?

Social Justice aims to level the playing field for all people

What is Social Justice?

It literally means “people fairness”

More specifically, the term 'social justice' implies fairness and mutual obligation in society: that we are responsible for one another, and that we should ensure that all have equal chances to succeed in life.

The most influential thinker on social justice has been John Rawls (1971): Rawls argues “for a balance between social equality

and individual freedom. However, social equality and individual freedom are frequently seen as in tension, and debate continues as to how, and to what extent, they can be balanced.”

Action Research Centre, 2008

In societies wherein life chances are not distributed equally, this implies redistribution of opportunities, although the shape that such redistribution should take remains contested.

What’s the justice issue?

Answer: Poverty

Resources, money and food are available in the world

A small group have access to ALL of these while a large group goes without

We could help each other, but we don’t Why?

Video: Slum Cities Note taking instructions are on the blog

What is the Justice issue?

Answer: Fair work for fair pay (Equality)

Western society creates the demand for products, as long as we continue to “want” we create the “demand”

The demand creates the need to make the most profit by owners of companies

They choose to outsource labour at cheaper rates to maximize profits While we have Worker’s unions and laws that protect

us here in Canada, it is not the same everywhere else Do we just be grateful that we “happened” to be born

or allowed to immigrate and dismiss those that live with the reality of factory slave like conditions?

Let’s have a truth moment…

Humans have always struggled in social settings, we continue to find adjusting to new situations quite challenging We have a tendency to look out for ourselves

and our immediate family/friend groupResult: It is easier to not be affected by the

realities of others around the world-We just are happy it’s them and not us…

TRUTH?(What do you think?) Discussion

Misconceptions/Concerns

We are only 1 person, we cannot create change It is too big of a job and we can’t do it alone It doesn’t affect me, I don’t want to get involved

This revolves around your privilege in life We all have some sort of privilege that we take for

granted– we may have earned it but in most cases it just happens out of our circumstance, truth of the matter It could have been you---

Then maybe your interest would be different

How do we do it?

LET’S PUT IT INTO PERSPECTIVE“THE STORY OF CHANGE”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIQdYXCKUv0

Things to Consider:

•When we demand products, the resources are extracted from the 3rd world using a labour force with very little options• Poverty = less choice for survival options• They take what they can get

•We use the products that have to disposed, some is kept here, and MOST is sent to dumps in India, Malaysia and Taiwan •We create harmful environmental conditions for people of the third world• E.g. Electronics in Guyu, China

• Electronic waste is shipped here and ACID is used to release metals and break down elements, no protective wear is required- CANCER RATES have skyrocketed

Debrief with a Social Justice lens

-We create the demand

-We use more than our share

-We dictate the importance of people according to the resources that they have to offer

We enable the devaluing of people by our consumer choices We don’t object to cheaper

prices of products even though we know there is a “story” of exploitation behind it

There are MANY environmental and social effects to our choices that affect other people, but “out of sight, out of mind” Global Warming + Poor Soil quality

ACTIVELY DEMAND CHANGE!-Get involved and try to make a TRUE difference

“Make change rather than a signature on a reference letter, leave a mark on the world for the people by the people”

What can we do?