HEEDING THE CALL
A Tapestry of Faith Program for Youth
WORKSHOP 12: THE CALL FOR RESPONSIBLE LEADERSHIP
2010
BY NICOLE BOWMER AND JODI THARAN
© Copyright 2010 Unitarian Universalist Association.
Published to the Web on 9/29/2014 7:37:31 PM PST.
This program and additional resources are available on the UUA.org web site at
www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/tapestryfaith.
WORKSHOP OVERVIEW
INTRODUCTION
When you take on some leadership responsibility in the world, you must accept the fact that you will change lives. You will change the status quo by representing justice or compassion or love. And changes spread from you will be easier to happen again in others because of you. — Doris "Granny D" Haddock, political activist who, at the age of 88, walked across the country to raise awareness and gain support for campaign finance reform.
This workshop offers lessons from the Gulf Coast on the meaning of responsible leadership. Youth explore the importance of individuals working together to create justice. The workshop also provides an opportunity for reflection on people who have joined in past struggles for justice. In Activity 3, youth commemorate their ongoing efforts in creating justice and facilitators have an opportunity to thank to the youth for their contributions to the program.
GOALS
This workshop will:
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Participants will:
WORKSHOP-AT-A-GLANCE
Activity | Minutes |
Opening | 5 |
Activity 1: Juggling Our Strengths | 15 |
Activity 2: Story — It's Up to Us | 15 |
Activity 3: Presente Litany | 20 |
Faith in Action: The Long Haul | |
Faith in Action: Allies, Phase 8 | |
Closing | 5 |
Alternate Activity 1: UUs in New Orleans | 15 |
Alternate Activity 2: Youth Leadership | 15 |
SPIRITUAL PREPARATION
As you prepare for the end of the program, you may have a wide range of thoughts and feelings. Can you create a simple ritual to mark this passage for yourself as a religious educator? One idea is to sit by a body of water and gently toss flower petals into the water while naming what you are letting go of. You could also collect flowers to represent what you would like to keep. Put them in a vase to enjoy for a few days or press them in a book or your Justicemakers Guide. Think about how you have embodied responsibility and leadership during this time as a learning community. As you offer youth permission to bring their whole selves to social justice work do you give yourself the same permission? As you integrate what you have learned and shared as a facilitator, remember that the sweetest fruit needs time to ripen.
WORKSHOP PLAN
OPENING (5 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Gather youth in a circle. Welcome first-time participants. Invite everyone to reflect on the word "responsibility." If there are new people present, ask youth to go around the circle, say their names and one responsibility they have. Ask if anyone would like to share anything noted in their Justicemakers Guide since the last meeting. Light the chalice, or invite a participant to do so, and recruit a volunteer to read the chalice lighting words:
As we light this chalice, we take a moment to reflect on our first time gathered together, around a similar flame. Our time together has not always been easy or always fun. Yet, it is ours. Let us claim it and claim also the important and useful experiences we have shared.
Ask the group to be silent for a moment as they reflect on the words. End the silence with "So be it," or other appropriate words.
Tell the group that today's theme is responsible leadership. Ask for volunteers to share what they think this theme have to do with justice.
ACTIVITY 1: JUGGLING OUR STRENGTHS (15 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Description of Activity
Youth explore the complexities of juggling numerous responsibilities.
Ask for a volunteer scribe. Invite youth to share things they believe are strengths for themselves. These need to be short and concise. For example, instead of saying, "I'm Brian and I'm good at baking cookies," Brian would say "I'm Brian, and I'm a baker." Or a builder. Or a writer. Or a comedian. Or a runner.
Once a list has been created, gather youth and leaders in a circle for a juggling activity. Explain that only underhand tossing of the beanbags is allowed. To keep the game safe, no one is allowed to toss a beanbag until they have called out the intended catcher's name, made eye contact, and made sure that person's hands are empty. Demonstrate an appropriate arc and speed by tossing one beanbag to someone on the other side of the circle.
To begin the group juggle, ask participants to hold up one hand. The leader with the basket of beanbags should have a youth next to them start the toss by calling out someone's name and tossing the beanbag to them. Let the participants know that this first round will involve tossing the beanbag to someone who has not received it (they will put their hand down when they've received the beanbag), and the leader with the basket of beanbags should receive it last. Ask participants to remember to whom they tossed the beanbag and who tossed the beanbag to them because that will be important to know for the next round. When a participant has the beanbag in their hands, they say the name of the person they are about to toss it to before completing the toss and so on until it ends up with the leader who has the basket of beanbags.
Once the beanbag makes it around the group, have them repeat the tossing in reverse order so the youth who started the group juggle receives it last.
For the next round, have the youth toss the beanbag in the original forward order, but this time they say the strength of the person as well as their name. So "Brian the baker" instead of just "Brian." Allow a few moments for youth to get reminders about strengths from those they're tossing to and receiving from.
Explain that there will be beanbags continually added throughout this round so they need to be constantly ready to receive and toss a beanbag. The leader should add a second, third, fourth (and so on) beanbag by handing a beanbag to the starting youth at appropriate intervals. The leader decides if and when more beanbags need to be added. (You might be able to have as many beanbags going as there are youth in the circle.) The beanbags will eventually come back to the leader. There will be a web of beanbags going back and forth and that complexity creates the lessons in the debrief. After the beanbags have gone around a few times, the leader should begin to drop them in the container instead of handing them to the starting youth. Depending on time and the energy of the group, you may want to do another round either in forward or reverse order.
Following the activity, invite the youth to discuss the activity:
Including All Participants
If a youth is unable to use their hands for throwing, ask her/him to hold a basket to catch the beanbags. Another youth can stand beside them and toss beanbags caught in the basket for them.
ACTIVITY 2: STORY — IT'S UP TO US (15 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Youth hear a story that explores the importance of individuals working together to survive.
Follow the story with a discussion.
ACTIVITY 3: PRESENTE LITANY (20 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Youth explore the importance of appreciating the work of those who have joined in past struggles for justice and participate in a ritual that recognizes their own continuing contributions.
Begin playing the CD and gather participants in a circle around the lit chalice. Say that one way that leaders lead is by example. Distribute the names from Leader Resource 2, Names for Presente Litany. If you have more names than participants, leaders can read the extra names. Tell participants that these are the names of people whose stories have been told in the workshops. They are all social justice leaders.
Explain that the group will participate in a Presente Litany. Explain that "presente" means "present" in Spanish, and the Presente Litany has been used in Latin America for centuries as a way to commemorate the lives and contributions of people, especially those who have been killed by acts of political repression. A Presente Litany honors social justice activists by acknowledging that they are with you in spirit as you continue to work for justice. A Presente Litany can also be an opportunity to honor those who are alive and working for justice.
Explain to the group that the ceremony will open with a reading. Then leaders will read the name on their slip of paper and ask youth to go around the circle, starting to the left, and read the names on their slips of paper. After each name is read, the group responds with "Presente."
Read Leader Resource 1, Presente Litany Opening, and read the first name. Proceed until all names have been read. After everyone has shared, say:
During our time together, we have heard stories about people committing to actions—big and small—that have helped make the world a better, more just place. You have also committed to actions—in the workshops and in the Justicemakers Guide—that oppose oppression and work for justice. We hope you will continue that work. Please take a moment and think of one action you can take to show responsible leadership. It does not have to be big. Perhaps you plan to sit at the lunch table with new people at school or kids who do not speak English. Perhaps you plan to continue your ally work. Perhaps you are going to join a club at your school that does good work. Maybe you plan to become a doctor and help sick people in impoverished countries or a social worker who helps foster children.
I will sound a chime to open the time for silent reflection. When I sound the chime the second time, I invite you to share your commitment with the group. After you share, we will all say your name and "presente." If you do not wish to share, that is okay, too. Just raise your hand and we will say your name and "presente."
When all have shared, it is an appropriate time for the facilitators to give a personal thanks to the group for all their contributions. This would also be a good time to wrap up the work participants have done in their Justicemakers Guide by inviting them to write messages to one another on the last page of the guide, much as they would with a yearbook, if you are using hardcopy guides. If you are using electronic guides, invite youth to send messages of appreciation to one another.
CLOSING (5 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Description of Activity
Distribute Taking It Home. Invite youth to stand in a circle. Thank first-time guests for their contributions to the group. End the workshop with these words:
Together we have risked, learned and grown. May we leave here ready to embrace the wonder and complexity of living lives of justice.
FAITH IN ACTION: THE LONG HAUL
Description of Activity
Has your congregation participated in the restoration efforts in the Gulf Coast region? Research Unitarian Universalist congregations who have done so. Place a map of the United States on a bulletin board in your congregation's fellowship hall and mark the congregations with thumbtacks and yarn connecting them to the Gulf Coast. If your congregation has not participated, challenge them to get involved. If they have participated, challenge them to stay involved. The JustWorks program within the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee has ongoing opportunities.
LEADER REFLECTION AND PLANNING
This is an opportunity to reflect not only on this workshop, but also on the program as a whole. How have you grown and changed as a leader and a religious educator by being involved in this learning community? Has your connection to Unitarian Universalism been strengthened?
What did you learn from the youth about leadership and what it means to keep showing up for social justice work for the long haul?
TAKING IT HOME
When you take on some leadership responsibility in the world, you must accept the fact that you will change lives. You will change the status quo by representing justice or compassion or love. And changes spread from you will be easier to happen again in others because of you. — Doris "Granny D" Haddock, political activist who, at the age of 88, walked across the country to raise awareness and gain support for campaign finance reform.
In Today's Workshop...
We explored lessons of being leaders by learning about restoration efforts in the Gulf Coast. We also participated in a commemoration ceremony in which we reflected on those who have joined in past struggles for justice while acknowledging our own continuing contributions.
Juggling
Jason Garfield has filmed a short video available on Google Videos that teaches how to juggle three balls (at video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6366713757585864298). Amaze your friends!
Get a group juggling activity going with family and friends. What if you juggled cookies and took a nibble each time before you tossed?
Leadership
Hurricane Katrina
ALTERNATE ACTIVITY 1: UUS IN NEW ORLEANS (15 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Youth watch a video that explores the importance of acting when a person believes he/she has a responsibility to do so.
Before beginning the video, encourage youth to think of issues about which they feel passionate. Could they imagine taking on a similar project for their own issue? Watch the video.
Following the video, discussion questions could include:
ALTERNATE ACTIVITY 2: YOUTH LEADERSHIP (15 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Description of Activity
Youth explore what it means to be a youth leader.
Divide participants into small groups and distribute Handout 1, A Youth Leader Is... . Explain that they will create a declaration wall. They need to choose key words or phrases that jump out at them and write those words in imaginative forms on their larger sheets of paper. (Invite them to think of a graffiti wall.) Tell them that when they are finished, they will present their piece of the wall to the group. All the papers will be posted, side-by-side, to form a declaration wall. Following the presentations, ask:
HEEDING THE CALL: WORKSHOP 12:
STORY: IT'S UP TO US
Adapted from "The Real Heroes and Sheroes of New Orleans" by Lorrie Beth Slonsky and Larry Bradshaw. Original story appeared in the Socialist Worker.
The sixth strongest Atlantic hurricane ever recorded, Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast region in August, 2005. In the city of New Orleans alone, the failure of the levee system caused 80 percent of the city to flood. Families were trapped in attics and on roofs in sweltering heat for over one week in some places. The injustices of poverty, racism and political corruption were well documented in the region before Katrina hit. There were also concerns about environmental injustice given that the coastal wetlands and bayous which provided a buffer against surges brought on by hurricanes had been carved up to create shipping canals for the many industries in the region, especially the oil refineries. These canals destroyed the natural protection the people in the region once had. While the news focused on the people stranded on rooftops and the slow response of government agencies, there was another story to the disaster that most cameras did not show: the story of people coming together and working together. Lorrie Beth Slonsky and Larry Bradshaw were two medical workers trapped in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. This is what they witnessed:
"What you did not see on television were the real heroes and sheroes of the hurricane relief effort: the working class of New Orleans. The maintenance workers who used a forklift to carry the sick and disabled. The engineers who rigged, nurtured and kept the generators running. The electricians who improvised thick extension cords stretching over blocks to share the little electricity we had in order to free cars stuck on rooftop parking lots. Nurses who took over for mechanical ventilators and spent many hours on end manually forcing air into the lungs of unconscious patients to keep them alive. Doormen who rescued folks stuck in elevators. Refinery workers who broke into boat yards, 'stealing' boats to rescue their neighbors clinging to their roofs in flood waters. Mechanics who helped hotwire any car that could be found to ferry people out of the city. And the food service workers who scoured the commercial kitchens, improvising communal meals for hundreds of those stranded."
Lorrie Beth and Larry helped organize a group of several hundred stranded survivors. Their first camp was broken up by police at gunpoint. Then they were told that busses were waiting in the neighboring town of Gretna to transport survivors to safety. When they tried to cross the bridge to Gretna, the Gretna police blocked their way at gunpoint and forced them to walk in the sweltering heat back into the ruins of New Orleans. So they found an area beneath an overpass and began building yet another camp.
"Our little encampment began to blossom. Someone 'stole' a water delivery truck and brought it up to us. An Army truck lost a couple of pallets of C-rations on a tight turn and we ferried the food back to our camp in shopping carts.
Now—secure with these two necessities, food and water—cooperation, community and imagination flowered. We organized a clean-up and hung garbage bags from the rebar poles. We made beds from wood pallets and cardboard. We designated a storm drain as the bathroom, and the kids built an elaborate enclosure for privacy out of plastic, broken umbrellas and other scraps. We even organized a food-recycling system where individuals could swap parts of C-rations (applesauce for babies and candies for kids).
This was something we saw repeatedly in the aftermath of Katrina. When individuals had to fight to find food or water, it meant looking out for yourself. You had to do whatever it took to find water for your kids or food for your parents. But when these basic needs were met, people began to look out for each other, working together and constructing a community."
The devastation and injustice of Hurricane Katrina showed us many things. Including what we are capable of when we rely on our strengths and look out for one another.
HEEDING THE CALL: WORKSHOP 12:
HANDOUT 1: A YOUTH LEADER IS...
This list was created by the youth and adult trainers at the Unitarian Universalist Youth Leadership Development Conference Training in 2004.
HEEDING THE CALL: WORKSHOP 12:
LEADER RESOURCE 1: PRESENTE LITANY OPENING
Feelings of uncertainty and hopelessness are understandable in a world with so much injustice. Yet the root causes of injustice did not come into being automatically. They were created by people, and they can be transformed by people, too. That's where you come in.
It is important to create space in your life for compassion and understanding and community because justice does not come into being automatically either. We create justice by being present. By educating ourselves on injustice and becoming allies to those who are working for justice. By being present in situations that expand our abilities to be compassionate and act on that compassion. And to be empathetic and act on that empathy. And we create justice by working together. Because we need one another. We need to listen to one another and learn from one another.
No matter one's age, these will be the days that we'll look back on when we're older and ask, "What did we do? Did we listen and learn? Did we share our ideas? If we were too scared to speak up or act in a particular situation, did we have the courage next time? Did we act on behalf of justice with our local and global communities?"
As Unitarian Universalists, we believe there is much to learn from those who came before us working for justice. And we believe it is our responsibility to learn from those lessons and work together as we create our own contributions to justice in the world. So the question is, "Are you present?"
HEEDING THE CALL: WORKSHOP 12:
LEADER RESOURCE 2: NAMES FOR PRESENTE LITANY
Cut apart each name on individual slips of paper. Distribute before the Presente Litany.
Frances Ellen Watkins Harper
Raziq Brown
Hunter Jackson and the volunteers with No More Deaths
Juliette Hampton Morgan
Father Bruno Hussar and the residents of Neve Shalom
Ranin Boulos
Noam Shuster
Juan Elias
Angelica
Wilfrido
Farliz Calle
Mayerly and the members of the Colombian Children's Movement for Peace
Sara Foster and the members of Clowns Without Borders
Reverend Emily Brault
Jeremy and all those working toward Restorative Justice
Lorrie Beth Slonsky, Larry Bradshaw and everyone who is helping to rebuild the Gulf Coast
FIND OUT MORE
Leadership
There are many books on developing youth leadership. One of them is Youth Leadership: A Guide to Understanding Leadership Development in Adolescents by Josephine A. van Linden and Carl I. Fertman (New York: Jossey Bass Publishing, 1998)
Read more about Doris "Granny D" Haddock (at www.democracynow.org/2010/3/11/dorris_granny_d_haddock_1910_2010). She was 88-years old when she began her cross-country walk in Pasadena, California, and 14 months later at the age of 90, she finished it in Washington, D.C. She went on to run for office and became the subject of a documentary. "Granny D" passed away in early 2010.
Gulf Coast/Hurricane Katrina Resources
EdGate (at www.edgateteam.net/Lessons/katrina.htm) has classroom resources about Hurricane Katrina.
Zeitoun (McSweeney’s: July, 2009) by Dave Eggers
Music for Inspiration
Tale of God's Will (a requiem for katrina) by Terence Blanchard
"Alligator Pie" by the Dave Matthews Band
"Mercy Mercy Me" by Marvin Gaye
"Louisiana 1927" by Randy Newman
Movies for Inspiration
When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts (2006, directed by Spike Lee)
Trouble the Water (2008, directed by Tia Lessen and Carl Deal)