Student Reference Book PDF

Unity in Diversity Freedom Employability Academy Table of Contents Introduction Unit 1: The Nature of a Human Being Unit 2: Unity in Our Community Unit 3: Unity in Society 2 Introduction All of us wish to live in a just and peaceful society. To build that kind of society, we need to learn how to build unity in our homes and in our communities. Building unity is not easy, however. It is something we have to learn about. It requires constant effort and practice. The lessons in this booklet will help you learn about how you can build greater unity in your family, community, and society. The lessons are not meant to only be studied alone. Rather, you will study them with your classmates, sometimes in pairs and small groups, and sometimes all together. Your facilitator will guide you and your classmates through the lessons. In the lessons, you will be asked to read, discuss, and experience new ideas together. You will often be asked to write down the answers to specific questions and exercises in a notebook. Sometimes you will have chances to share your understanding through arts and skits. There will be chances to perform acts of service outside of class and then reflect on your experiences with your classmates. During this entire process, we are confident that you will joyfully learn from and support each other. After all, what greater joy can there be than to be a cause of peace, happiness, and well-being to those around us? 3 Unit 1 The Nature of a Human Being 4 Purpose 1. To reflect on the nature of a human being. 2. To understand how we might best see and treat people according to their inward intellectual, moral, and spiritual characteristics rather than their outward physical and material characteristics. 5 Lesson 1: What is a human being? Who am I? 1. Do you think of yourself as a good person? Please write down and explain your answer. ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Do you think people in society are good or not? Please reflect on this question and discuss your answer with the class. Write some key ideas from your discussion in the space below. ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Please read and discuss the following statement about human nature with a partner. "Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom." Exercise #1: Now, please discuss the following questions with your class. 1. What is your understanding, from the first sentence, about the nature of a human being? ________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. What are some of the gems you have in your heart? ________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. According to the second sentence, what can help a person’s heart reveal its treasures? ________________________________________________________________________________________ 6 Exercise #2: Please draw your understanding of the statement about human nature in the space below. Share your drawing with the class and explain how it relates to the statement. "Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom." 7 Lesson 2: What is a human being? The view of biology Please read the following passage from the National Museum of Natural History at the world-famous Smithsonian Institution: The billions of human beings living today all belong to one species: Homo sapiens. As in all species, there is variation among individual human beings, from size and shape to skin tone and eye color. But we are much more alike than we are different. We are, in fact, remarkably similar. The DNA of all human beings living today is 99.9% alike. We all have roots extending back 300,000 years to the emergence of the first modern humans in Africa, and back more than 6 million years to the evolution of the earliest human species in Africa. This amazing story of adaptation and survival is written in the language of our genes, in every cell of our bodies—as well as in fossil and behavioral evidence. This ancient heritage is yours. Now, please watch the following short 4-minute video: https://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/genetics/one-species-living-worldwide 8 Exercise: Please answer the following questions. 1. According to the video, how different are human beings from each other biologically? __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ 2. What are some of the many ways in which human beings are similar to one another? __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ 3. How might the awareness that we are all one human species affect our relationships with those around us? Please discuss this question with the class and write insights below. __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ 9 Lesson 3: What is a human being? The view of spirituality Please watch the following Cherokee story about “The Legend of the Two Wolves”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x95_BTeanI8 After watching the story, please write down your responses to the following questions: 1. Describe the two wolves in your own words. Which one of them represents the true or higher nature of a human being? ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. What does the grandfather mean when he says the wolf you feed will win? ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ 10 Now read and reflect upon the following sentences: Many spiritual and religious traditions say that human beings reflect intellectual, moral, and spiritual qualities that come from a Divine Source. For example: In the Old Testament, we read: “Let us make man in Our image, after Our likeness.” In the Gita, we read: “Wherever you find strength, or beauty, or spiritual power, you may be sure that these have sprung from a spark of My essence.” In a Hadith, we read: “Man is My mystery, and I am his mystery.” The above quotations imply that the core identity of humans is not physical or material. Rather, the core identity of human beings is intellectual, moral, and spiritual. In other words, human beings have the ability to reflect special qualities. These include intellectual qualities such as knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. These also include moral and spiritual qualities such as kindness, love, justice, and patience. Realizing that we are intellectual, moral, and spiritual beings first and physical, natural, and material beings second, we can reject all forms of prejudice. 11 Exercises: 1. Based on the sentences above, circle the qualities you think reflect the true nature of a human being: kindness thoughtfulness generosity jealousy greed thankfulness helpfulness outer beauty competition inner beauty service to others physical strength anger spiritual strength justice hate unity fear patience sadness hopelessness intelligence caring scientific thinking envy striving for excellence 2. Based on what we have read and discussed thus far, how do you think we can best overcome all kinds of prejudice? ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ 12 Lesson 4: What is dehumanization? We “de-human-ize” other people when we see and treat them according to their outward, physical and material characteristics. When we dehumanize other people, we do not treat them as real human beings. Unfortunately, it is easy to dehumanize others. For example, we may give too much importance to a person’s good looks, material wealth, or job title. Rather than emphasizing these outward characteristics, we can instead put greater emphasis on a person’s consciousness, reason, intellectual powers, moral qualities, and spiritual qualities. Exercise: Please read and respond to the questions below. Then share your responses with the rest of the class. Feel free to write down insights you hear from your classmates. 1. What does it mean to dehumanize someone? ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. How do you feel when someone puts too much importance on your physical and material characteristics rather than your intellectual, moral, and spiritual characteristics? ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Give examples of dehumanization in human history or in current society. ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ 13 Lesson 5: A human being is more than a physical being—the story of the sphinx An ancient symbol of Egyptian culture, the sphinx, helps us think about the definition of a human being. The sphinx has the body of an animal and the face of a human being. The human face means that the human being historically emerged from (came out of) nature. The human face also means that, compared to the rest of nature, a human being has consciousness, reason, and spirit. In other words, the most important aspects of a human being are universal qualities such as intelligence, kindness, generosity, patience, truthfulness, caring, and friendship – all of which come from the mind and heart of a person. Unfortunately, we often dehumanize one another rather than treating each other as beings with this beautiful “human face.” Exercises: 1. Based on the passage above, how would you describe the two aspects of the sphinx? ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. What, in your mind, are some of the universal qualities that characterize a human being? ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ 14 Lesson 6: Group identity affects how we treat others A famous sociologist, Emile Durkheim, pointed out that human beings identify themselves by their group. They create a boundary around their own group and act differently towards those who are inside their group compared to those who are outside their group. People outside the boundary become strangers, objects, and even enemies. People of one group may even believe that excluding, fighting, and dominating people in another group is a heroic thing to do. Questions: 1. What problems might arise when we see people as being part of other groups? Can you give some examples? ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Do you think our behavior and morality should be different towards people of the same caste as ourselves? The same ethnicity? The same social class? ________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Do you think it is possible to extend the boundaries we have created between groups to include others? If we limit our boundaries, what might that say about how we view others and ourselves? ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ Practice: After class, have a conversation with someone who is of a different social class, caste, or religious group. The person could be from work, a fellow classmate, or someone else. After your conversation, write down what you spoke about and how you felt. ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ 15 Lesson 7: Dehumanization, oppression, and prejudice Human history is full of dehumanization, oppression, and prejudice, each of which occurs when we mainly think of human beings as physical, material, and biological objects. For example, the caste system reduces humans to the level of their natural and biological characteristics. A human being’s rights, value, and opportunities are defined according to which family they were born into. What is missing in the caste system is the realization that a human being is an intellectual and moral being. Racism is another form of dehumanization. Racism reduces the value, identity, and social rights of a human being to the color of that person’s skin. Racism can occur when a human being is viewed only in terms of their biological and physical attributes. Patriarchy, a system in which men dominate women, is another form of dehumanization. In patriarchy, the value, worth, and the rights of human beings are determined by their gender. Patriarchy does not recognize humans as having spirit and consciousness. An extreme form of dehumanization is slavery. Slavery is reducing a human being to the level of an object. The human being is treated as someone else’s object without his or her agreement. Please fill out the following sentences based on the paragraphs above: 1. In the caste system, human rights, values, and opportunities are defined according to _________________________________________________________________________. 2. Racism reduces the value, identity, and social rights of a human being to _________________________________________________________________________. 3. In the culture of patriarchy, the value, worth, and rights of human beings are determined by _________________________________________________________________________. 4. In slavery, a human being is treated as ________________________________________. 16 Lesson 8: What dehumanization means for our lives Let us summarize what we have read and discussed so far. We have read that history and society have had many instances of dehumanization. The reason for this is that we have identified ourselves and others by our outward characteristics and not by our inward characteristics. Based on outward characteristics such as caste, race, and gender, we have sometimes formed social groups that actively exclude others. Before we move on, we might wish to reflect on the following two questions. 1. How might you limit yourself by defining yourself by your outward traits such as beauty, weight, height, race, caste, social class, or job title? ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. How might we limit our healthy relationships with others when we define them according to their outward characteristics? ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ 17 Personal Reflection: Please further reflect and write about the following: a) What is a healthy relationship you have had with a classmate or co-worker? What has made your relationship with that person healthy and why have you held that person close to you? ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ b) Why do you think it is important to build relationships with people based on inward characteristics such as kindness, friendship, truthfulness, and patience? ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ 18 Lesson 9: Unity and diversity Consider the flowers of a garden. Though they are different in color, form and shape, they are refreshed by the same rain and empowered from the same sun. The diversity of the flowers increases their charm and adds to their beauty. It would be boring if all the flowers, plants, and trees of that garden were all of the same shape and color! Differences in color, form and shape beautify the garden and enrich its effect. In the same way, when different thoughts, personalities, and characters are brought together in unity, the beauty and glory of human perfection can show itself. Exercises: Discuss the following three questions with the person next to you. 1. Is unity the same thing as uniformity (where everything is the same)? Why or why not? ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. How would you feel if everyone was exactly the same as you? ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Can you think of one or two other examples of unity in diversity in nature or society? How does unity depend on diversity and vice versa? ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ 19 4. Discuss your feelings about the following short passage with the class: “Diversity makes India distinctive from other places in the world. A land without diversity would be like a house without people, boring and predictable.” 5. Read and discuss the meaning of the following statement with the class: To create an environment of unity, we need to learn how to bring together different talents, opinions, styles, and perspectives. Where there is disagreement, we must find complementarity. When there is opposition at one level, we must find cooperation at a higher level. 20 Unit 2 Unity in Our Community 21 Purpose 1. To explore which qualities, attitudes, behaviors, and skills help a community build unity. 2. To explore which qualities, attitudes, and behaviors prevent a community from building unity. 3. To continually develop the wide range of qualities, attitudes, and behaviors, as well as practice the skills, that contribute to unity in the community. 22 Lesson 1: Unity of Purpose, Vision, and Action Your facilitator will ask you to take turns reading the following text out loud in class. You will then be asked to discuss the questions as a group. We are fortunate to be part of several communities: At FEA, we have a diverse community of classmates and facilitators. In our personal lives, we interact with friends, family and neighbors. At school or in our work, we collaborate with classmates, colleagues, and clients. To build and maintain a thriving community, its members must become more and more united in their purpose, vision and action. Let’s discuss three aspects of unity: a. Unity of purpose: When the goals of individuals are in alignment with the goals of the whole community. b. Unity of vision: When the members of the community have a common idea of how to work for the betterment of the community. c. Unity of action: When individuals, who have both unity of purpose and vision, actually work together for the betterment of the community. 23 We will explore the idea of unity in our community in much greater depth in the lessons below. Before we turn to those lessons, however, please discuss the following questions with your facilitator. In discussing the questions, remember what we learned before: that unity does not mean uniformity but rather unity based on diversity. 1. What does unity of purpose look like for our FEA community? Can you give an example? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 2. What does unity of vision look like for our FEA community? Can you give an example? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 3. What does unity of action look like for our FEA community? Can you give an example? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 24 Class Activity: To live and work together with others effectively, we will need to create and harmonize unity of purpose, vision, and action. In this activity, we will look at two examples of members of a group trying to achieve unity. Example 1 (Family): Members of a family are trying to decide how to divide up responsibilities for household chores. 1) Before they talk to each other, what are some different goals that each family member might have in this situation? [Your facilitator will list them on the board. Possible examples: a mother who feels an orderly home is important to the family’s well-being, a father who feels he is already busy with his work, a 15-year-old daughter who is preparing for exams, and a 13-year-old son who wants more time to play with friends.] ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 2) How might the different goals of each family member conflict or disagree? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 3) How might the family members address differences in goals and achieve unity of purpose? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 25 Example 2 (Work): Coworkers in a company are trying to decide how to allocate time on a project together. 1) Before they talk to each other, what are some different goals that each coworker might have in this situation? [Your facilitator will list them on the board. Possible examples: coworker #1 feels overworked; coworker #2 is energetic and excited about working on a new project; coworker #3 is new to the company and needs help; coworker #4 plans to go on maternity leave.] ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 2) How might the different goals of each coworker conflict or disagree? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 3) How might the coworkers address differences in goals and achieve unity of purpose? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 26 Lesson 2: Kindness, love, and respect Your facilitator will ask you to take turns reading the following text out loud in class. You will then be asked to discuss the questions as a group. Ideally, we should love and be kind to everyone in our community. Our love and kindness for the members of our community should not be temporary and superficial feelings, but rather reflections of a more permanent, deeper love for the special, noble qualities that we see in each other. Let us explore the ideas of kindness, love, and respect for each other further below. First, please read the following quotation about Kindness and Love: “Do not be content with showing friendship in words alone. Let your heart burn with loving kindness for all who may cross your path.” Discuss: A candle shines light in all directions. A fire gives heat in all directions. With that in mind, what condition does our heart need to have to show love and kindness to every single person that we meet? Next, read the following passage about Respect from the Native American Code of Ethics: Respect means “To feel or show honor or esteem for someone or something; to consider the well-being of, or to treat someone or something with deference or courtesy.” Showing respect is a basic law of life. Respect the privacy of every person, never intrude on a person’s quiet moment or personal space. Show deep respect for the beliefs and religion of others. Treat the earth and all of her aspects as your mother. Show deep respect for the mineral world, the plant world, and the animal world. Do nothing to pollute our Mother, rise up with wisdom to defend her. Listen with courtesy to what others say, even if you feel that what they are saying is worthless. Listen with your heart. 27 Discuss: Is respect just about our words and gestures? What else is required to show real respect to each other? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ Now, please watch and reflect on the video called “Fresh Eyes” (the lyrics are below): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bgemCaaQkU I got these fresh eyes, never seen you before like this It's human nature to miss what's under your nose My God, you're beautiful 'Til you, 'til you remind a fool It's like the first time when we opened the door Before we got used to usual Maybe all of this is simple My heart's unconditional, yeah It might seem superficial You dress up just a little and I'm like, "Oh, damn" Stereotypical, man You dress up just a little and I'm like, "Oh, damn" [Repeat Chorus] [Chorus]: So suddenly, I'm in love with a stranger If I could bottle this up, bottle, bottle this up, I would I can't believe that she's mine I would bottle this up, bottle, bottle this up, I would Now all I see is you with fresh eyes, fresh eyes 'Cause you're gorgeous in this moment If I could bottle this up, I would Appreciation, well, it comes and it goes But I, I'll ride that wave with you [Repeat Chorus] 28 Exercise: What does the video have to do with love, kindness, and respect? Why is it inspirational? Write a few sentences to express your thoughts and share them with the group. ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ Act of Service: We are learning that it is important to try and show kindness, love, and respect in all our interactions and with everyone. It is not enough to just know that these qualities are important. Rather, we also need to practice them so that they more and more become part of who we are and how we behave. To help each other practice kindness, love, and respect, let’s engage in the following service activity: Choose one act of kindness that you would like to practice and complete it before the next class. Some examples of acts of kindness include: Picking up trash in your neighborhood Listening to and empathizing with someone who is experiencing challenges. Helping a classmate or coworker finish a task Helping your family members with chores Anything else that you feel moved to do Please share your experience practicing the act of kindness with the class the next time we meet. You can share what act of kindness you picked, why you chose it, and what effect it had on you and those around you. 29 Lesson 170 A Practice Time Work in pairs. Together, draw the following spreadsheet on an excel sheet. 30 Lesson 170 B Following Instructions Well Part A: Your ability to follow instructions will affect your success in studies, workplace and life. Following instructions in school enables you to learn effectively, do well on tests and achieve higher marks/grades. In the workplace, understanding and taking instructions is essential for being an effective worker and taking on more workplace responsibilities. Following medical instructions is important for your health, and in emergency situations, instructions can be a matter of life or death. 1. Write down a list of situations where following instructions will help you succeed. Part B: Following instructions well is much more than carefully reading or listening to verbal instructions. 2. What are some of the steps involved when you are trying to follow instructions? Write them down in your notebook. Based on the above discussion, remember that following instructions well is something that you need to learn. Part C: You can strengthen your ability to understand and follow instructions. In this lesson, we will discuss three aspects of this ability. Active Listening In other lessons we have learned the skill of active listening. Active listening is different from just hearing. Activity: Simon Says Your facilitator will lead the class in a game of Simon Says. As you saw from the activity, when you actively listen, you better understand what you need to do. It may help to pretend that there will be an exam after the conversation. You can visualize the steps that are being described, repeat them in your head, or visualize yourself doing the tasks. Remembering and recording Sometimes you will receive written instructions, but often instructions will be given verbally. Whenever possible you should take notes. What differentiates successful people is taking good written notes; it shows that you are prepared, organized and want to do the job correctly. Activity: Learn a recipe Divide into pairs. Your partner will describe how to make his or her favorite dish. You should listen carefully to the steps and write them down in your notebook. If you like, you can try making the recipe at home. Then switch roles. 31 Checking your understanding To make sure you understand the instructions, you can repeat them back to the speaker. You can say: “I’d like to make sure I am understanding the instructions correctly. I will do X, and then Y, and finally Z.” Don’t be afraid to ask questions if you did not understand something. Make sure to ask detailed questions about what you need to do before you start. If you start the task and questions arise, it is always better to ask someone for clarification rather than completing the task incorrectly. When you finish, check your notes of the instructions, or the written instructions to make sure you did not miss anything. Activity: Origami folding Your facilitator will lead the class in an origami folding activity. This will give you a chance to practice clarifying instructions and checking your work. Part D: Here is a list of steps you can use to help you follow instructions well. 1. Look at the person who is talking. 2. Actively listen: Try to listen intently, not just hear. You can pretend that there is going to be a quiz after the conversation. Visualize what is being said, repeat it in your head, or visualize yourself getting the task done. 3. Take notes: Instead of trying to remember everything, write it down. 4. If appropriate, you can repeat the instructions back to the speaker, to make sure you understood them fully. 5. Show that you understand. (Say, "I understand," "Okay," or "I'll do it.") Make sure you wait until the person is done talking before you do what is asked. It is usually best to answer, but sometimes nodding your head will be enough to show the person that you understand. 6. Ask questions: If you are even slightly unsure of what you are being asked to do, don’t be afraid to question. Make sure the other person allows you the chance to find out all the needed details to move forward. 7. Before starting the task, make a checklist: Whenever there is a job that requires multiple steps, try organizing a to-do list. Check things off as you go to make sure you don’t miss anything. 8. Then when you’re done, be sure to review your work. 9. Check back with the person to let him or her know you have finished. This increases the chances that you will get credit for doing a job well. It also means that somebody else won't have time to mess it up before you check back. Read and discuss the above list with your classmates. You can also copy the steps in your notebook. Activity: Role Play In front of the class, two students role play being the manager and employee. The manager should give the employee instructions to do around the classroom (for 32 example, move three chairs to the front of the room, clean the whiteboard, jump five times, and then collect all the books.) The employee should follow the steps on the above list. The rest of the class can make sure the employee is following the steps and provide feedback and encouragement. Part E: Below are three scenarios. With a partner, read each scenario and analyze it. What should be done differently in each scenario? Scenario 1 : Sunita is nervous about an upcoming examination and this occupies her mind. As a result, when the teacher gives verbal instructions for an upcoming assignment, Sunita cannot hold all the instructions in her mind. For this reason, Sunita is not able to refer to the instructions later when completing the task. What should Sunita do differently in this situation to better follow instructions? Scenario 2: Rahul reads the instructions for an assignment and then immediately begins to write the assignment, without planning out his work. As a result, he does not receive adequate marks on the assignment. What should Rahul do differently in this situation to better follow instructions? Parvati wrote down instructions for an assignment, but after completing the assignment, she did not review the instructions to ensure she followed them correctly before turning it in. What should Parvati do in this situation to better follow instructions? 33 Lesson 3: Unity: Avoiding and Dealing with Conflict (Part 1) Your facilitator will ask you to take turns reading the following text out loud in class. You will then be asked to discuss the questions as a group. For communities to become truly united, we must avoid conflict. Conflict between community members leads to pain and separation. Conflict can take many forms. Examples include: Strife: angrily disagreeing with others over fundamental issues Hostility: being actively unfriendly towards or opposing others Estrangement: no longer being friendly to others Apathy: not caring about others Avoiding conflict does not mean that we cannot have different ideas and opinions. We can have different ideas and opinions, learn from each other, and come to a greater common understanding. Avoiding conflict means avoiding personal conflict or conflict between hearts. Discuss the following questions together: 1. What happens to a community when two or more members have a personal conflict? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 34 2. Why are estrangement and apathy especially harmful? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ Now, please read the following two verses: “Thoughts of war bring destruction to all harmony, well-being, restfulness, and content.” “Thoughts of love are constructive of brotherhood, peace, friendship, and happiness.” 3. What are some examples of “thoughts of war”? What about “thoughts of love”? [Your facilitator will write the ideas of the class on the board] ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 35 Small group activity (3-4 persons): Please take turns reading the following passage about a conflict between leaders and members of a community about where to build a new market. In the city of Rajkot, two community leaders, Poorvi and Nikhil, are having a discussion with five volunteers about where to build a new healthy foods market. The current plan is to build the market near the southeastern outskirts of Rajkot. The community leaders planned on this location because it was closer to the homes of the most regular and high paying customers. The increase in sales could provide substantial economic benefits to Rajkot. During the discussion, the five volunteers have expressed that this plan makes it very difficult for the majority of residents to access the market because it is very far away from where they live and there are no nearby bus stops. In the city, few people have the means to travel long distances on a regular basis for healthy food and many rely on public transportation like buses to go from place to place. They suggested that the new market instead be built near the middle of the city where it could be reached by walking or bus. As the conversation continues, the community leaders and volunteers begin to get frustrated with one another and begin to look down on the suggestions others are offering. Tensions begin to rise and it is unclear whether they can come to agreement about where to build the market. Hostility begins to take over the conversation. 36 How would you and your group answer the below questions? 1. What is the main issue that the community members are discussing? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 2. Who are the people involved in the story? ___________________________________________________________________________ 3. Where do the community leaders want to build the market and what is their reasoning? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 4. Where do the volunteers want to build the market and what is their reasoning? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 5. Can you give examples of how kindness, love, and respect might be brought into the conversation by one or more of the community members? Could these qualities change the course of the conversation? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 6. Now perform a role play with 3-4 classmates. In the role play, act out the discussion about where to build the market, but this time have one or two actors show positive qualities that might help the group come to a harmonious decision. 37 Lesson 4: Unity: Avoiding and Dealing with Conflict (Part 2) 1. Please discuss this question with a partner: How do you typically deal with conflict? (please think of some concrete actions and write them down) ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 2. Reflect on the following quotations together with your class: “…concentrate all the thoughts of your heart on love and unity. When a thought of war comes, oppose it by a stronger thought of peace. A thought of hatred must be destroyed by a more powerful thought of love.” “If with a pure mind a person speaks or acts, happiness follows him like his never-departing shadow.” “Backbiting quench(es) the light of the heart and extinguish(es) the life of the soul.” Discuss with the class: How do the above three quotations help us to avoid conflict and disunity? Write insights from your discussion below. ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 38 3. Small group activity (3-4 persons): The following conversation is about two individuals having a disagreement at work. Please take turns reading the conversation in a small group. Priti and Ahmed work at a local technology company in Bengaluru. They have been asked by their supervisor to create a presentation and share it in two weeks. In their first meeting, it quickly becomes clear that Priti and Ahmed have different approaches for creating presentations. Priti starts by saying: “I think it is very important for the presentation to provide detailed information. We should speak to the audience for at least 30 minutes.” Ahmed fires back in a harsh tone, “That is a bad idea! We should only share a few major details and present many images instead. The presentation should only last 10 minutes. Otherwise the audience will quickly become bored, and we will hurt our reputation.” Neither Priti nor Ahmed are willing to change their opinions. After going back and forth for nearly one hour, they both leave the first meeting feeling frustrated. Later that day, Ahmed tells a close colleague how much he dislikes Priti’s ideas and how he wishes his supervisor would let Ahmed do the presentation on his own. Priti also talks to a friendly coworker, saying that Ahmed is being unreasonable. Priti and Ahmed continue to meet several times during the week but are still unable to make good progress on their presentation. Outside of the meetings, they each continue to complain about the other. The more they complain, the more they feel reluctant to meet each other and the more the work on the presentation suffers. By the end of the week, Priti and Ahmed notice that some of their more friendly colleagues start avoiding them. 39 Now discuss and answer the following four questions in your small group: 1. Is either Priti or Ahmed necessarily right about how to create the presentation? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 2. How could Priti and Ahmed have acted differently in their first meeting? After the meeting? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 3. How could the coworkers have avoided engaging in backbiting about Priti and Ahmed? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 4. Priti and Ahmed still have one week to resolve their differences. What can they do to build unity and make sure they get their presentation done on time? What can they do to restore their coworkers’ trust in them? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 40 Lesson 5: Unity: Avoiding and Dealing with Conflict (Part 3) 1. Please read and reflect on the following quotations with your class: “Whenever you recognize the fault of another, think of yourself! What are my imperfections? -- and try to remove them. Do this whenever you are tried through the words or deeds of others. Thus you will grow, become more perfect. You will overcome self, you will not even have time to think of the faults of others....” “Easily seen is the fault of others, but one's own fault is difficult to see.” Please discuss the below questions with a partner. Then share your observations with the class. 1. The above quotations suggest that it is not helpful to focus on other people’s faults. What might we look at instead if we want to build unity with others? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 2. What are some types of conflict that you face when you are interacting with family and friends? What might you be able to do to deal with these types of conflicts? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 3. What are some types of conflict that you may face in the workplace? What might you be able to do to deal with these conflicts? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 41 4. Matching Activity (do this with one other classmate): Conflict occurs in our daily lives. Please read the list of conflicts in the first column below. For each conflict, find an appropriate resolution in the second column. Conflicts Resolutions My friends are arguing with one another Instead of staying upset with the family and I am stuck in the middle hearing them member, you approach them after dinner backbite about one another. and tell them how the comment made you feel. You forgive them because you know their intention was not harmful and because you value your family's unity. Your boss has accidently made a mistake When you arrive at work, you decide to with your monthly paycheck. You get approach your colleague with kindness and angry because you are not sure they will ask if everything is alright. Then you ask if pay you what they owe you. they would like to ride the bus together on another day. Your brother agreed to wash the dishes Ask your friends to come together to have a after family dinner but after the meal discussion about what they are disagreeing walked away without helping. You become on and brainstorm ways to heal, apologize very unhappy with him. and forgive. At dinner one evening, your family is After dinner as your brother is walking having a discussion and someone makes a away, you kindly remind him that he comment that you find personally hurtful. promised he would do the dishes. Out of You become very hurt and decide to ignore love, you offer a helping hand too. that person for the rest of the evening. You ask one of your co-workers if they You meet with your boss to have a want to ride the bus with you on the way to conversation about the error. With kindness work tomorrow. The next morning, your and respect you ask about the mistake and co-worker does not show up. You ride the how it could be fixed. bus alone to work and become upset. 42 Lesson 6: The Relationship between Unity and Truth Please read the following text out loud as a class and discuss the questions below. To achieve unity, we have to be full of truth. Truthfulness in our thoughts, words, actions, and relationships is essential for the unity of our communities. To see why truthfulness is important, read the following words from Mahatma Gandhi: “…for me, truth is the sovereign principle, which includes numerous other principles. This truth is not only truthfulness in word, but truthfulness in thought also, and not only the relative truth of our conception, but the Absolute Truth... …The seeker after truth should be humbler than the dust...the seeker after truth should so humble himself that even the dust could crush him. Only then, and not till then, will he have a glimpse of truth.” In the above passage, Gandhi says that he is searching for the Truth but does not fully understand it. In a later passage, he says that any person who is seeking Truth must be humbler than dust. Exercises: 1. In everyday situations, do we ever completely know the truth? Why or why not? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 2. What kind of qualities should a seeker of truth possess? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 43 Now, please read the below passage about unity and truth from a book called Arising to Serve: We must be lovers of light no matter from what lamp it appears. We must be lovers of the rose no matter in what garden it blooms. We must be seekers of truth no matter from what source it comes. Attachment to one lamp can prevent us from appreciating the light when it shines in another… We must abandon prejudice and outmoded traditions if we are to succeed in finding the truth. There is a difference between dogma, superstition, and prejudice on the one hand and truth on the other. In seeking the truth, we must free ourselves of all our opinions and preconceived ideas. We must give up our prejudices and trivial notions. An open receptive mind is needed. If our cup is full of self, there is no room in it for the water of life. The fact that we think we are right and everyone else wrong is the greatest obstacle in the path to unity. And unity is necessary if we are to reach the truth, for truth is one. Exercises: 1. Can you describe the above image of the lamp and the light in your own words? What does the image have to do with seeking truth? What does it have to do with prejudice and superstition? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 44 2. According to the above passage, what do we need to do when seeking the truth? Can you give some examples? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 3. What is the relationship between truth and unity? How does each lead to the other? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 45 Lesson 7: Unity is a Cause of Strength Please read the following story from Aesop on your own: A certain Father had a family of Sons, who were forever arguing among themselves. No words he could say did the least good, so he looked for an example that would make them see that conflict would lead them to misfortune. One day when the arguing had been much more violent than usual, he asked one of them to bring him a bundle of sticks. Then handing the bundle to each of his Sons in turn he told them to try to break it. But although each one tried his best, none was able to do so. The Father then separated the bundle and gave the sticks to his Sons to break one by one. This they did very easily. “My Sons,” said the Father, “do you not see how certain it is that if you agree with each other and help each other, it will be impossible for your enemies to injure you? But if you are divided among yourselves, you will be no stronger than a single stick in that bundle.” Exercises: Discuss the following three questions with a partner. 1. What is the main lesson of the story? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 2. Please share an example of where unity led to greater strength in your family. ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 3. What would society be like if it were united? Would it benefit the individual? Please explain your thoughts. ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 46 The previous story and discussion can give us added confidence that individuals can achieve much more when they work shoulder to shoulder with others. To build better communities and societies then, it seems we need to learn to work together. Class Discussion: What would you say to someone that said the following statement: “Our community will never overcome its obstacles. There are too many problems.” *** We can also realize that we do not “achieve” unity once-and-for-all. Rather, we have to constantly strive to work together to reach higher and higher levels of unity, especially as circumstances change. Class Discussion: What would you say to someone that said this: “If only we could get everyone to agree on the right way to do things once-and-for-all, we could make great progress.” *** 47 Now, read the following verse from Baha’u’llah about the purpose of a human being: “That one indeed is a man who, today, dedicate(s) himself to the service of the entire human race.” Please complete the exercises below with a partner and discuss your answers with the class. 1. Which of the below statements do you think best describe a true human being? (yes or no) Someone who focuses primarily on their own needs first before helping others_____ Someone who thinks of others’ needs before their own_____ Someone who is kind and patient when other people act poorly_____ Someone who waits for others to be kind before he will be kind to them_____ Someone who does service occasionally when he or she has time_____ Someone who integrates service for others into their daily life, study, and work_____ 2. Would you label the following statements true or false? An enlightened human being wants to control others. _______ Caring about everyone, no matter who they are, is what makes us human. _______ Human society should be a place where service to all human beings is more important than competition. _______ 48 Lesson 8: Consultation Read the below text together as a class. Then discuss the questions together. In order to build unity in our communities, we must learn the art of consultation. Consultation is an approach for group decision-making. Through consultation, a group not only makes collective decisions but also establishes a way forward for collective action. If done well, consultation can lead to increased awakening, awareness, and understanding. It is a lamp of guidance that lights the way for the group to move forward. Consultation ultimately increases the well-being and welfare of the group. Discussion questions: 1. How does the above text describe “consultation”? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 2. According to the above text, what are some of the benefits of consultation? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ The above statements mention that the act of consultation can benefit a community and its members. But what does effective consultation look like? What are its main steps? When we consult, we can: turn our hearts towards the truth and search for it express our views with courtesy, dignity, care and moderation allow others to express their views, with freedom weigh all views and opinions with calm and composure carefully consider other people’s views before expressing our own accept another view if it is more worthy than our own vote if differences arise – and submit to the decision of the majority create an atmosphere of fellowship, unity, and love 49 Discussion Questions: 1. According to the above points, how might we express our views during consultation? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 2. According to the above points, how might we treat others’ views during consultation? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 3. What can we do to help others who feel shy or anxious about expressing themselves in group consultation spaces? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 4. If a group consults harmoniously, will it always be necessary to vote on a decision? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 50 It seems that certain kinds of behaviors would best be avoided during consultation. We might avoid: insisting on our own opinions belittling (“looking down on”) the ideas of others manipulating others dominating conversations feeling superior to others criticizing decisions that were made by the group, inside or outside of meetings Discussion Questions: 1. Why do you think we sometimes insist on our own opinions? ___________________________________________________________________________ 2. Why do you think we sometimes belittle (put down) the ideas of others? ___________________________________________________________________________ 3. How would the consultation be affected if we insist on opinions or belittle the ideas of others? ___________________________________________________________________________ 4. Say there is a group of five members. The group consults and makes a decision together. If two of the members later openly criticize the decision, why might that be harmful? ___________________________________________________________________________ 5. If a group finds out that a decision was wrong, can it consult again and make another decision? Discuss what the second consultation might look like if the group maintained its unity instead of getting upset by the first decision. ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 51 Consultation is not just a set of rules and procedures. Rather, the kinds of qualities that we bring to a consultation can be critical. Here is a list of important qualities that we can show during consultation: love and a desire to promote unity pure intentions humility patience a mindset of service being open-minded having a sense of justice detachment (avoiding being negatively affected by others’ opinions or wanting a certain outcome too much). Exercises 1. Based on the above passage, please fill in the sentences below about the kinds of qualities we need for effective consultation: a. A desire to promote unity is important because __________________________________ b. Pure intentions are important because _________________________________________ c. Humility is important because _______________________________________________ d. Patience is important because ________________________________________________ e. A mindset of service is important because ______________________________________ f. Being open-minded is important because _______________________________________ g. Having a sense of justice is important because ___________________________________ h. Detachment is important because _____________________________________________ 52 2. Please read and discuss the main ideas of the following passage with your class. It is important to remember that the authority to make decisions is not always equally shared in every situation. At work, for example, a supervisor has the authority to make decisions. Nonetheless, it is very important to show the qualities of consultation in such situations. That is, it is important to listen to ideas respectfully, share our thoughts with tact, patience, and humility, and not expect or insist on a particular outcome. *** 3. Now, act out the following two scenarios in a small group (3-4 classmates): Scenario A: Create a scenario that shows what consultation would look like if each of you thought that your view was the only way forward, did not listen to others, and openly criticized others. Scenario B: Make up a scenario that shows what consultation would look like if you each had different opinions but were all also committed to maintaining friendship and unity. 53 Unit 3 Unity in Society 54 Purpose 1. To recognize that individuals and the community are affected by social forces. 2. To develop a vision of society in which unity and justice, and not competition and conflict, are our focus. 3. To reconsider the concept of power and understand how we might each have access to nearly limitless power. 4. To understand that there are both constructive and negative forces in society, and that we can be full of hope in aligning ourselves with the constructive ones. 55 Lesson 1: The Individual, the Community, and Society Please read and reflect on the following two paragraphs with the help of your facilitator: So far, we have learned about two major dimensions associated with the promotion of unity. The first is recognizing the true nature of a human being and treating individuals according to their inward characteristics. The second is developing qualities, attitudes, and behaviors, as well as practicing skills, that contribute to unity in our communities. In this third and final unit, we turn our attention to the idea of unity in society. The idea of unity in society may seem far removed from what is happening in our daily lives. However, it is not difficult to see that individuals and communities are affected everyday by what is happening in the larger society. And although it may at first seem hard to believe, individuals and communities can play important roles in contributing to the transformation of society. To help us further reflect on the above ideas, read the quotation below. Answer the questions that follow with a partner. “We cannot segregate the human heart from the environment outside us and say that once one of these is reformed everything will be improved. Man is organic with the world. His inner life moulds the environment and is itself also deeply affected by it. The one acts upon the other and every abiding change in the life of man is the result of these mutual reactions.” 56 Discuss: 1. What happens to the mood of a happy person walking into a room of sad people? What happens to the mood of the sad people? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 2. What happens to the mood of a sad person walking into a room of happy people? What happens to the mood of the happy people? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 3. Would the problem of poverty be solved if rich people became more generous? What else might be needed? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ Now go deeper into the meaning of the quotation with the class. You and the class may wish to consider the following aspects of the quotation: (a) the meaning of the phrase “man is organic with the world” (b) why things do not improve if we just change the individual heart (c) why things do not improve if we just change the community environment Of course, feel free to share other meaningful insights you come up with as well. 57 Lesson 2: A Vision for Society Please read and reflect on the following passage with the help of your facilitator: Every culture anticipates a day in which humanity will have unity and peace. For example, more than two thousand years ago, philosophers in China predicted a “world of grand unity” (Datong Shijie). Great thinkers in India looked forward to the day in which we could realize “the world is one family” (Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam). And the great prophets of Israel foresaw a day in which “nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore (Isaiah 2:4).” Even though all people hope for peace and unity, various aspects of everyday life in our society do not seem to accord with these aspirations. To take a few examples: We face excessive competition in our educational and career paths We observe deep and persistent inequalities in wealth and economic opportunity We often see that women are not treated fairly compared to men We frequently see that the rich and beautiful are given preferential treatment in society at large 1. Can you list some other examples that you see in your daily life? a._________________________________________________________________________ b._________________________________________________________________________ c._________________________________________________________________________ In all of the above examples, conflict and competition are common, and society is like a jungle in which survival of the fittest is the operating principle. Yet conflict and competition in these forms are not compatible with the ideas of unity and oneness that we say we believe in. This brings our attention to a paralyzing contradiction in human life. On the one hand, we all believe in unity and want to have peace with each other. On the other hand, we tend to passively accept conflict and competition as being natural and unavoidable aspects of life. 58 2. Before proceeding, let us reflect on the following questions together. Does society have to be organized around the idea of conflict and competition? Are conflict and competition necessary for people to survive and advance? Can society instead be organized around other concepts such as cooperation, mutual support, reciprocity and the pursuit of excellence? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ A natural tendency is for us to push back against the negative forces of conflict and competition whenever and wherever they occur. However, pushing back against various instances of conflict, one by one, can be exhausting. And rather than contributing to unity and peace, pushing back often creates further conflict. How then can we avoid pushing back against conflict and instead work towards unity? A first helpful step towards a harmonious world is to find a more positive vision of society—a vision that we can all agree on and work towards together. Instead of seeing society as a jungle in which survival of the fittest determines who succeeds and who fails, we might instead think of society like a human body. To help envision how we might think of society as a human body, read the below passage: Ideally, human society would be organized like the human body. As long as the different parts of the body—its cells, tissues, and organs—are coordinated and cooperating in harmony, it is healthy in the fullest degree. When the different parts of the body lack coordination and harmony, it experiences disease and death. Similarly, when the relationships among individuals, communities, and institutions in human society have coordination and harmony, society thrives. Lacking coordination and harmony, society starts to come apart and fail. 59 3. Reflecting on the parallels between the human body and human society, please answer the questions below: a. Does each cell of the body have its own capabilities and powers? What about each individual in society? ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ b. When does a cell live and thrive the most – when it is part of the body or separate from it? Is the relationship similar for the individual and society? Why? ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ c. How can the uniqueness and diversity of individuals contribute to the well-being of society as a whole? ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ d. Please discuss in your class how holding the vision of society as a human body can help us, as individuals, avoid and overcome conflict. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ 60 Matching Activity: Different body structures have different functions. In the following image of a person dancing, match the various body structures to their corresponding functions. Structures A. Heart B. Lungs C. Brain D. Bones E. Stomach F. Spinal Cord Functions a. Allow for the intake of oxygen and release of carbon dioxide during the dance. b. Coordinate movements, keep balance, and process music during the dance. c. Pump blood throughout the body, bringing oxygen and nutrients to the cells during the dance. d. Digest food, making nutrients and energy available for cells during the dance. e. While moving, support the body structurally and protect vital organs. f. Send information from the brain to the muscles, allowing dance moves to be executed. 61 Lesson 3: Unity and Justice Justice is necessary to create unity in society. The following lesson will help us explore the relationship between justice and unity in more depth. Justice and the Individual: Each of us possess the quality of justice. Justice helps us see with our own eyes and not through the eyes of others. It helps us see what is real without having to depend on the opinions of others. With justice, we are fair-minded in our judgments and treat others with equity. Practicing justice—that is, taking individual responsibility for seeing and understanding reality—requires constant effort. Discuss the following questions: 1. Based on the above passage, what does justice mean for the individual? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 2. Do you think we should believe whatever we see in the media? Why or why not? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 3. Do you think we should trust news shared on social media from friends and family? Why or why not? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 62 Justice and the Collective: Justice not only works at the individual level but also at the group or collective level. When justice exists in a community or in a society, everyone has fair opportunities to progress and prosper, and everyone trusts that they will be protected by fair rules and standards. Justice also helps us think about how the interests of the individual and group are connected. It encourages us to create an environment in which everyone can share their thoughts and make appropriate decisions together harmoniously. In this way, justice can help us achieve unity in thought and in action. By justice, we do not mean being overly strict or severe towards others. Rather the purpose of justice is to build and maintain unity. As such, justice is only effective when we combine it with other qualities such as understanding, forgiveness, and patience. Discuss the following questions: 1. How do you think justice operates at the group level? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 2. What does the above text say is the purpose of justice? Do you think the purpose of justice is to punish others or is it something more? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 3. Why might justice be more effective when it is combined with other qualities such as understanding and forgiveness? Can you give an example of this from your own life? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 63 Justice and Relationships: When greater justice characterizes the relationships in a society that society can become more harmonious and prosperous. Many different types of relationships in society appear to require justice. Here are a few examples: The relationship between individual friends or acquaintances The relationship between family members The relationship between an individual and their community The relationship between an individual and their government institutions The relationship between a community and its institutions The relationship between an individual and their natural environment You may wish to discuss the following question with a partner and share your thoughts with the class: 1. What do just relationships in a family look like? You may wish to think about the roles of, and relationships between, the mother, father, husband, wife, son, daughter, grandparents, and so on. ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 64 Please go over the below exercise with a partner and share your work with the class: 2. Draw a map of the different kinds of relationships that exist in a workplace (for example, between employees, managers, clients, subordinates, owners). Discuss what just and fair relationships might look like between these different people in the workplace. 65 Lesson 4: The Role of Power in Building Unity In our efforts to use justice to build stronger relationships and greater unity, we have to rethink the idea of power. In society, power is typically believed to operate in one of three ways: A person with more authority or wealth forces someone with less authority and wealth to do something. A person with more authority or wealth takes away the choices of someone with less authority or wealth. Those with authority and wealth use the media or other aspects of culture to manipulate how others think and behave. Exercise #1: Please write down an example of each of the three types of power in the space below: [Share your examples with the class.] 1. _____________________________________________________________________ 2. _____________________________________________________________________ 3. _____________________________________________________________________ The above three types of power frequently involve conflict and domination with accompanying ideas of contention, division, and superiority. However, power does not have to be based on conflict and domination. There are powers of the human spirit that each of us have and that we can use in our daily lives. The powers of the human spirit include the powers of pure deeds, friendship, love, kindness, humility, honesty, and many others. If we think about it for a while, we see that some of the greatest heroes of history—Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa, Malala, Nelson Mandela, and others—used these kinds of power to build unity even when they met tremendous difficulties. 66 Exercise #2: Which of the following actions would you associate positively with power? Which of the actions would you associate negatively with power? Write a P (positive) or N (negative) next to the power-related action words below: ____To transform ____To manipulate ____To dominate ____To release ____To encourage ____To discourage ____To channel ____To block ____To force ____To guide ____To oppress ____To enable ____To unify ____To divide Exercise #3: Reflect on the positive and negative action words above. In general, which types of actions do you think are limited in their power? Which are unlimited? Please explain your thinking. ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ Exercise #4: Explain why some of the above actions empower others (and empower you)? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ Exercise #5: You may find it helpful to act out a scene in which you are at work (or at school) and your manager (or teacher) gets upset with you for doing a task poorly. In the scene, show you can use power in a positive way to overcome conflict and improve your relationship. Exercise #6: Now, act out a scene in which your family gets upset with you because they think you are going out too much. In the scene, use your powers in a positive way to bring unity to the situation. 67 Lesson 5: The Equality of Women and Men Read the below passage on your own. If we are to make progress towards unity, it may be helpful to reflect on the central role that the equality of women and men plays in our collective prosperity. One place to start may be to realize that: women and men are, and have always been, equal. Although historically women have lagged behind men, this is because men have had greater opportunities to progress and succeed than women. If we look carefully, we see that social, economic, and political systems and structures have been imbalanced in favor of men over women. Even today, we see many examples of how women do not have equal chances to progress and succeed. Women do not have equal access to education. Women face unequal relationships in the family. There are harmful practices towards women in the workplace. As we have discussed before, all humans – all of us – are rational, intellectual, moral, and spiritual beings. No one person is better than another. As such, we have to address and overcome negative social expressions towards women in society. The habits that govern our relationships with the world are largely formed within the family. The tendencies to be unjust or just, to act violently or with kindness, to be dishonest or trustworthy, are usually developed at home. These habits are then taken into every instance of social interaction, becoming either obstacles or stepping stones to progress, tearing apart or weaving together the very fabric of society. For example, if brothers are allowed to dominate their sisters, a habit is formed that will be carried from the living room to the classroom, the workplace and finally, the international arena. By contrast, when daughters are included in decision-making processes, when sons are encouraged to care for the household, positive habits are developed. Children learn that the intellectual powers of both boys and girls are vital and that the nurturing qualities for which women are known are equally praiseworthy when demonstrated by men. 68 Exercises: 1. You may find it helpful to read and memorize the following quotation with a partner: “The world of humanity has two wings—one is women and the other men… Not until both wings are equally developed can the bird fly. Should one wing remain weak, flight is impossible.” 2. Please use the above quotation to create an artistic representation of the bird of humanity with its two wings, women and men. Share your art and reflections with the class. 3. Please discuss the following (a through d) with two other classmates: a. Please give some examples of gender inequality in our society. ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ b. How does discrimination against women limit the ability of all of us to develop to our full potential? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ c. How can men support the achievement of gender equality? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ d. How is the equality of men and women connected to human happiness? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 4. At the end of class, go to the computer and watch this video from the UN Secretary-General António Guterres on gender equality: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vz22dfw9NsE 69 Lesson 6: Unity and Hope If we look from the perspective of history, humanity has steadily achieved greater levels of unity: unity in the family, the tribe, the clan, the city-state, and the nation. Each stage of unity has released new capacities in human beings and in society. Still, it may seem difficult to achieve unity in our diverse, complex world today. In this regard, it may help to us to remember that humanity has made great progress in many areas in the last two hundred years. Increasing levels of equality between people of different backgrounds and monumental advances in science are just two examples. If we can end slavery and go to the moon, are unity and peace really impossible to achieve? Class Exercise #1: Can you think of examples from history in which the actions of a relatively small group of individuals changed society? Please list examples below: ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ***** *** 70 While striving to build unity in today’s complex world, we also have to be aware of the constant influence of negative (destructive) and positive (constructive) social forces. Destructive forces such as pandemics and climate change are tragic and hard to bear but also remove obstacles to unity. Constructive forces, on the other hand, actively help us to achieve greater unity. One of the most constructive forces that we should keep in mind is that for the first time in history, people from different nations and backgrounds are beginning to see humanity as one race and the earth as one common home. Class Exercise #2: Please list and discuss destructive and constructive forces you see in society today: Destructive Constructive ________________________________ _______________________________ ________________________________ _______________________________ ________________________________ _______________________________ ________________________________ _______________________________ ________________________________ _______________________________ ________________________________ _______________________________ ________________________________ _______________________________ ________________________________ _______________________________ 71 ***** We can be confident that, as more of us work for unity, society changes. The power of pure deeds, kind words and actions, and sincere friendship changes the world around us. Class Exercise #3: As a last exercise, it may be helpful to reflect with the class on how an individual’s pure and goodly deeds, no matter how small, can make society better. ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ You may wish to end these lessons on unity by memorizing the following quotation. We hope that by remembering it, you will find the necessary joy, strength, and perseverance to build greater unity in your life, community, and society. “If you desire with all your heart, friendship with every race on earth, your thought, spiritual and positive, will spread; it will become the desire of others, growing stronger and stronger, until it reaches the minds of all men.” 72 References 1 Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh. 2 Ibid. 3 https://humanorigins.si.edu/multimedia/videos/one-species-living-worldwide. Downloaded 8.22.2021 at 3:47pm. 4 The Holy Bible (King James Version), Genesis 26. 5 The Bhagavad-Gita translated by Eknath Easwaran (2007). 6 Hadith Qudsi 7 Adapted from Saiedi, N. (2011). The Birth of the Human Being: Beyond Religious Traditionalism and Materialist Modernity. 8 Ibid. 9 Ibid. 10 Ibid. 11 Based on (adapted from) a quotation from Selections of the Writings of Abdu’l-Baha. 12 From “Unity in Diversity in India” by Rucha. 13 Adapted from Chapter 14 of “Education” by FUNDAEC. 14 Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks. 15 Original version printed in 1982 in the book, "The Sacred Tree" by the Four Worlds Development Project. Adapted and reprinted in the "Inter-Tribal Times" October 1994. 16 Paris Talks. 17 Ibid. 18 Ibid. 19 "Yamakavagga: Pairs" (Dhp I), translated from the Pali by Acharya Buddharakkhita. Access to Insight (BCBS Edition), 30 November 2013, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/dhp/dhp.01.budd.html. 20 Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh. 21 Star of the West', Volume 8, No. 10, p 138. 22 "Malavagga: Impurity" (Dhp XVIII), translated from the Pali by Acharya Buddharakkhita. Access to Insight (BCBS Edition), 30 November 2013, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/dhp/dhp.18.budd.html. 23 From the Autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi, Introduction. 24 Arising to Serve, available at www.ruhi.org. 25 Aesop’s Fables, available at http://read.gov/aesop/040.html. 26 Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh. 27 This Lesson draws on ideas from Chapter 2 of Building Vibrant Communities from the Ruhi Institute. 28 Letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, 17 February 1933, Compilation on Social and Economic Development, p. 4. 29 Adapted from: https://www.bic.org/sites/default/files/pdf/csw_61statement_2017.pdf 30 Ibid. 31 Abdu’l-Baha, Foundations of World Unity, pp. 29-30. 32 Paris Talks. 73 Notes and Reflections 74 Notes and Reflections 75 76 Table of Contents Lesson 186..............................................................................................................................3 Google Maps.................

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