(Chelsea Update would like to thank Joanne Ladio for the information in this story.)
One World One Family is again sponsoring a community discussion to increase the overall level of social justice knowledge in our community.
This time, we are taking a broader view of the current events and looking to see where they have parallels in history or in other countries. This will give us some framework to approach the news and help shape our responses. These discussions will be in two parts, one in March and one in April.
Three recent articles will be discussed on Sunday, March 23 in the McKune Room of the Chelsea District Library from 2:30-4:30 pm. These articles are available at no charge on the OWOF website on the Community Discussion page: https://owofchelsea.org/resources/community-discussion/ We are hoping to make a zoom link available as well. Check the same web page.
We will discuss articles that will help us make sense of what is an unprecedented and disorienting time in a country we want to think is guided by liberal values of checked power, the dignity of individuals, and self-governance.
Questions we will raise include: What kind of political rule is autocracy? Is the US becoming autocratic? How have contemporary rulers such as Vladimir Putin of Russia and Viktor Orban of Hungary transformed their systems of government into autocracies? What differences exist in the US system that will inhibit and/or enhance the possibility of the US becoming autocratic?
The discussion will be co-facilitated by Dr. Renee Heberle and Jane Pacheco. Heberle is a professor of Political Science at the University of Toledo and Pacheco is the mayor of Chelsea.
Discussion of these articles in March will be followed by a discussion in April about how citizens have taken action to resist illiberal attacks on their systems of government.
Questions? Please contact One World One Family – [email protected]
