Leadership and Civil Society

Over the Spring Break, I traveled to the birthplace of democracy and dramatic theatre, Athens. The "white city" buzzes with activity in the midst of the financial afflictions facing the country of Greece. Tangerine trees line the streets, and the hills surrounding the city loom in the background. White buildings, white houses, and white trees comfortably compliment each other in the foreground-- these sites were an endless supple of breathtaking pictures. Then there is the graffiti. Graffiti on offices, shops, churches, retired olympic stadiums, and any traffic sign you could see on the roads. After the financial breakdown, the adolescents took to the streets and began a massive campaign to invigorate the economy, a noble goal, but they didn't apply the principles of civil disobedience and civil participation to fix what they perceived to be an insurmountable problem.

In our classrooms we discuss leadership: how to engage each other through decision making, communication, and participation in our communities. I would like to shift our focus for a second to the situation on the ground in Athens. We see graffiti, we see everyday citizens stealing for stores, and evading taxes. In Greece, the average doctor and lawyer declare to make less money than a public school teacher-- an indication that these professionals are lying on their tax forms. We see a general decline of civil society in Athens in the wake of financial insolvency and a negation of leadership from numerous people. As we teach and learn, I believe it is important to remember the implications of leadership. Ideally, we all can relay the troops and begin a wave towards a peaceful world. While this goal is worth the effort, realistically, it would suffice to have involved citizens who lead on a daily basis. By teaching students how to communicate and how to become personal leaders, we provide a great service to the civil society in the United States. We foster leadership, and by extension, we empower students to immerse themselves in the active change of society; we try to demonstrate to students that they have the ability, and the obligation, to correct any harm they may see in society.

Using the principles of leadership I believe our curriculum provides, students can better understand why it may not always be justified to take to the streets before looking into what they can do now. While I like to see a little rioting every now and then, I love to see everyday leaders placing the burden of civic engagement on their shoulders. I love seeing a group of kids with sponges and water buckets cleaning off the graffiti and beautifying their city. I hope to see everyone lead their own way through the difficult times we face; I hope to see us never forget that a democracy depends on involved citizen leaders.

-Social Outreach

[post by Frank Maldonado