Tapestry of Faith: What We Choose: An Adult Program on Ethics for Unitarian Universalists

Activity 3: An Ethic of Risk

Part of What We Choose

Activity time: 25 minutes

Materials for Activity

Preparation for Activity

  • Read Handout 1, Sharon Welch and an Ethic of Risk. Copy it for all participants.
  • Write on newsprint, and post (or create a handout with these questions):
    • What have you done in your life to work toward justice? What grounds your work?
    • Have you become discouraged or cynical about the results of justice work? What were/are the circumstances? How do you gauge your current capacity to work toward justice in the world?
    • Welch defines responsible action as that which creates conditions and possibility for further action in resisting structures of oppression. She states that creating possibility for further action can sustain communities in defeat. How do you respond to her definition? Do we risk losing our ability to create a better world if we give up on resisting structures of oppression?
    • What response do you have to Welch's assertion that "a single actor cannot be moral" due to their limited and partial understanding of a given situation?
    • How does an ethic of risk compare to other ethical frameworks explored in this workshop series?

Description of Activity

Distribute Handout 1, Sharon Welch and an Ethic of Risk. Allow a few minutes for participants to read it silently. Lead a discussion of an ethic of risk using some or all of the questions you have posted on newsprint.

Including All Participants

Create a large-print handout that includes the discussion questions to assist those who are visually impaired.