A powerful tool I have managed to realize from this program is the realization of the intersectionality of the world problems, one cannot engage most of the injustices that are currently playing out worldwide without looking at various aspects such as inequality, the role of privilege people’s resistance. Looking at how advocating and standing up for social justice isn’t an easy road, the path to conquering this can always come through persistence and dedication, all which is achievable. This Masters Human Rights and Social Justice program has been instrumental unraveling a lot of issues through its interdisciplinary nature for instance at one point exploring global capitalism in one course and body rights in another, these intersections making it easy for us to understand the nature of the world we live in. Through all this one can easily grasp what we must deal with in the real world and how to counter the different elements that exist in our societies.
Courses like Indigenous Ways of Knowing, Food, Art and community engagement and Body Rights have played a significant part in my understanding the importance of putting first the voices of those that have significantly been impacted by injustices. For example, studying the Emergence of Global Capitalism and Indigenous land-based pedagogies highlighted the urgent need to reclaim traditional practices and resistance to colonial systems that have been crippling a whole lot of societies. I do believe that these approaches are centered on social justice not being a matter of imposing solutions, but in essence social justice is about involvement of marginalized communities.
One of the books that comes to mind that has been so relevant in amplifying the need to better ourselves in the area of social justice is by Seth Holmes titled Fresh Fruit, Broken Bodies (2013). The book dwells into the inequalities and suffering by migrant farm workers in the United States, this book opened up a whole new look for me into the intersection of race, classism and xenophobia when looking into matters of social justice. Holmes emphasizes the role of political and economic systems that continuously aid inequality, especially the various policies within countries that contribute to the displacement of indigenous communities forcing migration and a constant cycle pf poverty. This outline drives the need to fight for justice as these policies have continuously demonstrated how policy in one country can affect vulnerable populations across borders. In a nutshell put across valid points of the interconnectedness of global capitalism, structural violence and social justice. His work is very instrumental in how we have to look at marginalized communities with a empathetic lens if anyone is committed to social justice advocacy.
The program itself has challenged me to critically look at myself and the position I hold in society, especially in this system of privilege and oppression. I do believe that if one is able to reflect on their positionality in society both in a personal and societal context you can be able to engage fairly and ethically in social justice work as one needs to be really grounded in humility, solidarity and accountability.
This program has not only given me insight into what I must do in the fight and advocacy for social justice it also has shown me that social justice doesn’t need to be an academic concept to me, it is a lived practice that needs lifetime commitment.
Holmes, S. M. (2013). Fresh fruit, broken bodies. University of California Press.