Summer Reflection 5 | Higher Education

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Summer Reflection
Summer Reflection II
Summer Reflection III
Summer Reflection 4 | The Stages Within

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As I close my eyes and drift away to a land where there is love, health, peace, and blessings. I wanted to take the time to think and reflect.

     The truth is that when pursuing my graduate studies, I came to the realization that political belief, opinion, and views do affect how one is perceived and received. While a person absolutely has the right hold any political view that is chosen; from the perspective of higher education, social innovation, and progression I think that we cannot limit the self to a specific political view. One can say that we have to remain in a state of limitless, when we navigate spaces where there are diverse opinions, political view. We can also relate these ideas to that of the human cause, or that of a humanitarian. An example to illustrate my thoughts would be that of the U.S. / Mexico border crisis. Asylum seekers and refugees escape violence, domestic abuse, gangs, also with a fear of death. Only to once again face extreme hardship, and circumstance at ports of entry, or the border. It is well known why asylum seekers are escaping. Not only to America, but also to neighbouring countries as well. They are desperate. Fleeing their lives. Waiting for circumstance within their own country to change is probably out of the question. When in a state of desperation, where there is danger, or  life is at stake, you really are forced to flee. 

     It is the same when we talk about academic freedom, or having one's voice silenced. While the damage might not be visible at the physical level, the invisible impact leaves unimaginable scars. These are tended to everyday. The silencing of voices within academic environments also question the very idea of academic freedom. Is there really such a thing? Or do we have this freedom, up to a point, where everyone agrees with what we have to say? But this cannot be the case. We have to poke and prod thought. The thoughts that we read, analyze, are other people's ideas / thoughts. It is not truth. Nor are thoughts written in stone, so that there is no right to question them. One should possess the right to question, as well as the right to a political ideal. But these rights are abused when we force these upon others. It is another form of extremism or control. We must challenge the self to move through spaces of discomfort, sometimes to put aside the political, to focus at the level of the humanitarian. 

     It is appalling that we have the situation at the border, not only at the level of the current, but historically as well. Nothing has been done to put effective policy in place for the vulnerable. Everyone is so concerned about their political view, that they have forgotten the essential human values of: Sympathy, empathy, respect for human dignity, and life. Greed, jealousy, envy have taken the place of these. Where humans are even afraid just to help 1 other person, because they don't want to loose their piece of the pie. 

     For spaces of higher education to work, both at the academic and administrative level, we must think above and beyond political belief. Everyone deserves as equal chance regardless of political preference. 

My thoughts to share with love & kindness! :) 

Notes: These thoughts were originally hand-written on August 6th, 2018.
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