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Overview of the course "Our Interdependent World"

  • "Our Interdependent World" -- how are we interdependent? Aren't we just individuals, looking out for ourselves and our families? In what ways are we connected to people around the world? If we are connected, so what? What does that matter? Like good journalists and media communicators, we are going to look into these questions and see what we come up with.
  • In September we are going to look at "our stuff"--the stuff we brought to college like our computers, phones, and other electronics. Who made them? What are their lives like, compared to ours?
  • In October we are going to look at our food and clothes. Where did they come from? What are the lives of the people who produce them like, compared to ours?
  • In November, as Communication majors we are going to spread the word about what we've found out, practicing the skills of journalists and media communicators.

September: Where does our electronic "stuff" come from?

Week of Aug. 28 - 30 Where do our food, clothes, and "stuff" come from?
  • Aug. 28: Intro to course. Answer question: "Where do our food, clothes, and "stuff" come from?"
  • for Aug. 30. Report on your world map of where your "stuff" comes from. What's "The Common Good" mean?
Week of Sept. 4 - 6
  • for Sept. 4: We will meet in the library to learn about iWebfolio
Week of Sept. 11 - 13
  • for Sept. 11: Written reflection on "Blood in the Mobile." Question on Blood in the Mobile for Tuesday. 2 pages. Email it to me as an attachment before class time. If you have something about the movie you would prefer to write about, that's great. Just let me know first. Otherwise here's a question I formulated.

  • The movie, especially the last third, showed various people committed to the common good. Most were involved in communication in some way. Frank, obviously, but also John Prendergast and Rep. McDermott and others. What are some of their traits of character that impressed you? On the other hand, what can you say about some of the employees of Nokia? Most of them likewise were involved in communication. What was different about the Nokia communicators from Frank, Prendergast, and others?

  • What does "The Dignity of the Human Person mean"? What does "The Dignity of Work" mean? Begin work as journalists, investigating our electronics.
  • for Sept. 13: In class we will prepare for the evening talk.
  • Thursday, 7 p.m. – Grace Hall Atrium
We are honored to have the author of this year’s Summer Book Reading, Sonia Nazario, talk with us about her book, Enrique’s Journey, and to discuss the important ways that we might respond to stories such as Enrique’s. Ms. Nazario will frame her talk around the power of determination -- in her own life and in terms of what she saw among immigrants. Taking us through a photographic journey of her research, she will discuss the narrative highs and lows of the book and how her own three-month journey on top of freight trains through Mexico changed her view of migrants on a local, national, and international level. In doing so, she will explain the limitations of current immigration proposals from a variety of political lenses. Most importantly, she will discuss how students can get more involved on this issue.

  • Friday, Sept. 14: 11:05 a.m. in Grace Hall Atrium - Justice for Immigrants: A Conversation with Cardinal Mahony
We are pleased to welcome Cardinal Roger Mahony to Cabrini College to discuss the important issues of immigration policy reform in the United States. Cardinal Mahony has dedicated his life toward assisting the Catholic Church toward true authenticity in relationships with those less-privileged and marginalized by dominant U.S. society. In his retirement, he is devoting most of his time and effort to Catholic colleges and universities to elevate the plight of millions of immigrants in our country who do not have proper legal status. He is visiting as many campuses as possible in order to inform and motivate the leadership among students, faculty and staff to seek more humane immigration policies.
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Week of Sept. 18 - 20 Global Solidarity Network: Natural Resource Extraction: Fueling Conflict
    for Sept. 18:
    • Read "Extractives and Equity: An Introductory Overview and Case Studies from Peru, Angola and Nigeria." Download the PDF. Download the e-book for most e-readers (EPUB). Download the Kindle edition (MOBI). Read online.
    • 1.) Extractives and Equity, Introductory Essay, pp. 1-25. This essay introduces students to the extractive industries and the challenges posed by this work – including changes in a region's economy, potential for increased violent conflict, and environmental and health risks. Emphasis is placed on the importance of quality governance and regulation, as well as the necessity of involving all stakeholders in planning and decision making, from communities to corporations. The final part of the essay gives a sense of CRS’s approach to programming and partnership, recounts the history of the Catholic Church’s views on the use of natural resources, and briefly introduces the publication’s case studies.
      for Sept. 20:
      Week of Sept. 25 - 27 Global Solidarity Network: Natural Resource Extraction: Fueling Conflict
        for Sept. 25: What can we do?

        Sept. 27: What we need to know. What we can do? Our final class until November on Conflict Minerals

        • List products you can purchase. Giving Loving Gifts, by Rees Warne, Former CRS’ Strategic Issues Advisor on Extractives. This is a two-page primer on being a better US-based consumer of diamonds, phones, chocolates and other commodities sourced from developing countries. http://www.crsfairtrade.org/2009/01/giving-loving-gifts/

        October: Who grows our food? A look at the lives of migrants.

        Week of Oct. 2 - 4 Lives of Migrants - Enrique's Journey and Introduction to Food Justice
        • Oct. 2: Read Enrique's Journey Prologue to 100. Why do migrants come? View film Which Way Home. It's on Netflix Instant
        • Oct. 4: In class, we will host visitors from CATA, a migrant workers' support organization.
        • Oct. 4: Read Enrique's Journey 100-196 What do they experience?
        Week of Oct. 9 - 11 Lives of Migrants in US - What does Solidarity mean?
        Week of Oct. 16 - 18 - Food Justice
        Week of Oct. 23- 25 Tracking the College's food supply chain, both fair trade and regular purchases
        • Oct. 23: Reporting on Cabrini's Food Supply Chain
        • Oct. 25: Reporting on Cabrini's Food Supply Chain
        Week of Oct. 30 - Nov. 1
        • Oct. 30: Reporting on Cabrini's Food Supply Chain
        • Nov. 1: The Price of Sugar. Who profits from the sugar industry? Who benefits? How is Father Christopher addressing root causes? What is the meaning of Solidarity? What parallels do you see between the Haitian-Dominican situation and the controversy over immigration in the US?. http://bit.ly/priceofsugar

        November: What YOU Can Do -- as a Journalist/Communicator and as a Person

        Week of Nov. 6 - 8 How Can YOU Respond -- as a Journalist and Communicator, and as a person?
        • Nov. 8: Reporting on Cabrini's Food Supply Chain
        Week of Nov. 13 - 15 Cabrini Day
        • Nov. 13: Cabrini Day
        • Nov. 15: Your Reporting
        • Nov. 18: Sunday afternoon trip to New Jersey farms to speak with migrant workers.
        Week of Nov. 20 - 22 What would a Just Thanksgiving and Christmas look like?
        • Nov. 20: Your Reporting
        • Nov. 22: Thanksgiving.
        Week of Nov. 27 - 29
        • Nov. 27: Your Reporting
        • Nov. 29:. Your Reporting
        Week of Dec. 4 - 6
        • Dec. 4: Your Reporting
        • Dec. 6: Prepare for final paper.
        Week of Dec. 11
        • final paper due Tuesday, Dec. 11, 10 a.m.