I always thought one of the benefits of going to university was learning how to think critically and to challenge ideas. If universities can’t walk the talk, what hope is there for creating a generation of people willing to stand up for what’s right? Sitting on the fence isn’t neutrality, it's maintaining the status quo.
That said, I get it—speaking out comes with risks, especially in the age of social media. The fear of making a mistake and being publicly dragged through the mud is real.
For a masterclass in not being neutral Universities could learn from a New Zealand Māori Member of Parliament performing a haka in Parliament to protest a bill trying to revoke Indigenous rights. She wasn’t silent, she didn’t sit on the fence—she stood up, used her voice, her culture to say, “This isn’t right.”
As I watch people around the world stand up for what they believe in (and sometimes I don’t agree or I don’t know enough about it to have an opinion - which on reflection is probably a cop-out and allows me to go on with my daily life without feeling too bad) I ask myself “what would I fight for?”… it reminds me of the line in the musical Hamilton “If you stand for nothing, Burr, what'll you fall for?”
Where would we be if we didn’t have people like Rosa Parks, Kate Sheppard, Desmond Tutu, Carolyn Martin and hundreds of thousands of other just “normal, regular” people standing up for what they believe in?
I always thought one of the benefits of going to university was learning how to think critically and to challenge ideas. If universities can’t walk the talk, what hope is there for creating a generation of people willing to stand up for what’s right? Sitting on the fence isn’t neutrality, it's maintaining the status quo.
That said, I get it—speaking out comes with risks, especially in the age of social media. The fear of making a mistake and being publicly dragged through the mud is real.
For a masterclass in not being neutral Universities could learn from a New Zealand Māori Member of Parliament performing a haka in Parliament to protest a bill trying to revoke Indigenous rights. She wasn’t silent, she didn’t sit on the fence—she stood up, used her voice, her culture to say, “This isn’t right.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_836NQcW2TI
I loved that moment. And your vision of universities.
As I watch people around the world stand up for what they believe in (and sometimes I don’t agree or I don’t know enough about it to have an opinion - which on reflection is probably a cop-out and allows me to go on with my daily life without feeling too bad) I ask myself “what would I fight for?”… it reminds me of the line in the musical Hamilton “If you stand for nothing, Burr, what'll you fall for?”
Where would we be if we didn’t have people like Rosa Parks, Kate Sheppard, Desmond Tutu, Carolyn Martin and hundreds of thousands of other just “normal, regular” people standing up for what they believe in?
Great topic! Thank you!