Ba college degree

A new whetstone for social justice--a boot camp for 21ST century activism can now be found on campus.

Under the auspices of faculty and administration, King's College, in London, Ont., initiated a four-year BA program in social justice and peace in September 2002. The innovative, cross-disciplinary program draws from existing courses in sociology, politics, economics, history, social work, and religious studies. It encourages critical reflection on structural injustices, locally and globally, and calls for social transformation of the world in the "interests of equity and the pursuit of peace." While the degree can be pursued independently, students are invited to combine their social justice and peace BA with others in social science, arts or science.

The first comprehensive BA of its kind in Canada, it evolved very naturally within King's College's, a Catholic co-educational liberal arts school affiliated with the University of Western Ontario. Whether their chosen path is teaching, law, social work, civil service, business or even the arts, students are engaged and prepped for work in the trenches of grassroot NGOs. In mandatory second year internships, students are expected to commit themselves to groups treating homelessness and child poverty in the London area.

"My intention is to surround myself with a cadre of excellent teachers who are interested in social justice and peace education and who will be able to maintain the course in the coming years," says Dr. Bernard Hammond PhD, one of the program's founders.

When Hammond arrived at King's College in 1975, he says there was very little being done in social justice on the part of faculty. He began teaching introductory courses in sociology and health care, as well as inviting guest speakers to address issues of poverty, environment, women's liberation and aboriginal rights. In 1982, he created the college's Centre for Social Concern, which served as a springboard for the instruction of local and international social justice.

"This education prompts better political analysis. With it, students can better grasp the complexity of the global society in which they live, and are able to put their skills to use to make the world a better place."

It's high time for peace-loving Canadians to take a second look at the bigger picture, without the ideological blinders on, says Hammond. The expansion of young people's global consciousness has never been more vital--a challenge to today's social science educators. In order to break the chain of events leading to the kind of "insanity" seen during the U.S.-led war on Iraq, a closer examination of political structures is sorely needed, he says.

King's College is situated in the placid, park-like surroundings of "Old North" London, along the Thames River. Southern Ontario is no hotbed for counter-culture activity, but not necessarily devoid of a social justice sense. Even in this middle-class milieu, students are seen demonstrating a "renewed sense" of cause. The proof is the "shocking" enrollment in the introductory course, capped at 100 students and closed earlier than any other program offered by the college. "We were hoping to have 15 to 20 students register in the program, but we were surprised when people began to flock into it," says Hammond.

The historic inertia on campus was misleading. The so-called malaise generation, those born between 1965 and 1980, are often written off as' slackers--likely by-products of a consumer culture. During the 1990s, the Canadian campus was not the traditional radical landscape, according to Hammond. In the aftermath of the Vietnam War, and upon the fall of the Berlin Wall, non-committal, 'lefty' undergraduates dozed off, waiting for the revolution to be televised. Students seemed more concerned about fishing out vintage Polos from thrift shop bargain bins.

Hammond, himself a product of 1960s activism, once took a break from graduate school worked to truck furniture to Chilean political refugees. "People often wonder what happened to the activism of 30 years ago," he says.

However, the Age of Aquarius is not six feet under. A major revival in young people's social consciousness was spotted during the recent NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) protests in Seattle and Quebec. Thanks to the anti-globalization movement, bolstered by the Internet, a number of activist groups addressing a gamut of issues, are budding on campus again. Hammond says it gives him hope.

The blueprint for the social justice and peace program was the school's scholar's elective program, which allows progressive students to construct their own BA under faculty supervision. Pascal Murphy, a third year undergraduate, was the first to pursue a degree in development and peace at the college. The 25-year-old from Stratford, Ont. wanted to familiarize himself with the victims of war, famine and disease.

"I'm tremendously excited about it; it will provide an opportunity for students to engage in positive social change, in an intellectual and practical environment," says Murphy

"It came alive so quickly--a sign that people do care enough, but require an avenue."

Thinking 'outside of the box' has always been higher learning. However, social justice and peace studies are now staples in at least one Canadian university. By fall semester, enrollment in King's College's program is expected to double.

"People are truly excited about the content of this course," says Hammond. "We want to encourage the power of one."