EASL Program Gears Up For a New Year

Dr. Edward Queen Welcomes the Group

The Ethics and Servant Leadership summer internship program is kicking off its thirteenth summer. The program provides thirty Emory students the opportunity to intern at non-profit organizations and governmental agencies around Atlanta. Students meet for weekly discussions, lectures, and presentations. They will also write reflections about their experiences. Fikrejesus Amahazion and Mariangela Jordan are this year’s graduate assistants. The program is led by Director Dr. Edward Queen and Assistant Director Carlton Mackey.

Sabrina Bernstein

This is Fikrejesus’s first year of involvement in the Ethics and Servant Leadership Program. He is amazed at the breadth of opportunities available to the students. He said, “if you have a passion to help others, you can in this program.” He also believes that this program is a vehicle for the student’s future. As a graduate student in Sociology with a focus on human rights, he plans to gain relevant experience and skills this summer that will relate directly to his plans for the future. 

Mariangela Jordan is an EASL veteran. She has participated in the EASL Forum and the EASL Summer Internship program and believes her work as a graduate assistant this summer will be a perfect culmination of her previous experiences. Her work with EASL brought her to the IRC (International Rescue Committee) and she continued working with the IRC after completing the EASL program. Jordan recently received the McMullan Award, which she credits to her involvement with the Center for Ethics. The award is given to a graduating senior who exhibits "outstanding citizenship, exceptional leadership and rare potential for service to his or her community, the nation and the world.” She has high hopes for this year’s interns. She said, “some of these students will find their passion and future jobs through this program.”

Carlton Mackey shared his thoughts about this year’s interns by describing the opening reception. “What struck me the most,” he said, “is that for every intern, there were ten other people who wanted that seat.” It was exciting for him to meet students for the first time who, during the selection process, were defined by their applications. As the Director of the Ethics & the Arts Initiative, Mackey finds it gratifying to see another round of interns participating in the arts internships. This year will certainly stand out. “I’m looking forward to the fact that every group is different and each one presents new opportunities,” Mackey said.

Dr. Edward Queen remarked on the fact that this year’s students are fascinating. “In a distinct way,” he said, “each group brings tremendous experiences and sets of interests.” This year also brings the addition of new options for internships. These new opportunities include internships with the High Museum, a new unit at the CDC, the Georgia Chapter of the National Wildlife Federation, and due to a grant from the Belk Foundation the YWCA and the Junior League. With the innovative contributions of this year’s interns and the organizational additions, Dr. Queen said he is, “looking forward to a very successful summer.” 

EASL Interns Meet and Greet

photos courtesy of Mariangela Jordan

This Week: Ethics in the News

Highlights from some of the week's top ethics news stories.

Sports - Anti-Corruption 
In an effort to restore its blemished image, FIFA (Federation International Football Association) has put anti-corruption as its highest priority this year. FIFA administrators are in the process of appointing outside advisors to create new ethics and audit committees. They turned to organizations like the United Nations for guidance. Another unprecedented move is the decision to hold a position on the executive committee for a woman.     
read more......CBS - FIFA Prepares to Pick Anti-Corruption Officials
read more.......Associated Press - FIFA Appoint First Woman to Executive Committee








International / Politics
President Obama and the leaders of NATO formally agreed this week to pull out their leading role in Afghanistan by next summer. The ten year war is in a final transition from NATO forces to the Afghan military and police forces. About $4.1 billion dollars will be allocated to the region to help with the transition process. This process will involve training and advisory from NATO personel to leaders in Afghanistan. The focus has now turned to geopolitically complex relationships with Pakistan. 
watch her victory speech....BBC News - NATO Endorses Afghanistan Withdrawal Timetable
read more..... NYT - NATO Agrees on Afghan Security Transition in 2013

Workers Rights
The Center for Public Integrity has recently released a report about safety conditions in the workplace, the responsibility of Osha, and workers deaths. In 2009, 4,551 people were killed on the job in America which is more than those killed in the nine-year Iraq War. A related story is that workers unions across the country are in the spotlight because of the approaching recall election of Wisconsin Government Scott Walker. Walker's self-proclaimed "divide and conquer" technique is focused on scaling down worker's rights and the power of unions.  
read more about worker deaths......Center for Public Integrity - In U.S. Steel Town, Fatal Gas Explosion Goes Unpunished by OSHA
read more about Wisconsin.....Huffington Post - Scott Walker: The "Divide and Conquer" Governor

Neuroethics
Advances in Neuroscience are giving the US military new ideas. The future could hold brain-controlled tanks, automated attack drones, and mind-reading interrogation techniques. Many scholars and researchers are wary of the implications of these new advances. The conflict lies in whether or not advances in neuroscience will be used to heal or to harm, and who decides how and when to use new technologies. 
read more......US News and World Report - Scientists Warn of Ethical Battle Concerning Military Mind Control

EASL Student Short Film Project Highlights Sex Trafficking

The Exit 

by: Minkyung Sung, Jennifer Goldberg, Anna Nelson-Daniel, Nathalie Angel, Won Chul Shin

Several students at the Center for Ethics worked to create a thought provoking short film for their Ethics and Servant Leadership Forum small groups project. The film "The Exit" was created as part of the 2011-2012 Ethics and Servant Leadership Forum and created in partnership with Wonderroot community arts center. In a previous article we told their story. The EASL Forum allowed social activism to take place among a group of students as they created a film that was an outlet for their anger and sadness.

The team entered the film into the online Reelshow competition and won their Student Film Competition.  

Click above to view the film.

Click here for more information about the Ethics and Servant Leadership Forum. 

This Week: Ethics in the News

Highlights from some of the week's top ethics news stories.

Same Sex Marriage
For the first time in his political career, President Obama recently expressed his support of same sex marriage. The seemingly unplanned remark was made in the wake of similar remarks by Vice President Joe Biden. Many believe that the comment was politically motivated and intended to positively influence Obama's presidential campaign.     
read more and watch his statement......ABC - Poll: Obama's Gay Marriage Stance Could Hurt Him
read more opinions.......NYT - Obama's Switch on Same-Sex Marriage Stirs Skepticism

International
Months after being released from house arrest Aung Sun Suu Kyi has been elected to parliament. Kyi is the leader of the country's opposition party, the National League for Democracy. If not for her activism, the NLD may never have formed after the 1988 bloody military crackdown. They now have forty-three legislative seats and have staged a protest against the nation's new constitution which they deem as unconstitutional. Kyi has beseeched the party to rescind their protests. 
watch her victory speech....Aung Sun Suu Kyi Victory Speech
read more..... NYT - The Party Without the Lady

Myanmar, Source: Merriam-Webster

Business
Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, has been backed into a corner. At the May 15th meeting with JPMorgan Chase shareholders he readily apologized for internal missteps that led to $2 billion in losses for the company. Although JPMorgan is owning up to their mistakes, Dimon continues to take a hard line against the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and the Consumer Protection Act.  
read more......CNN - Dimon to Face JPMorgan Shareholders
read more.....Business Week - The Hubris of Jamie Dimon

Health & Science
Zoo goers beware of the rock slinging chimp. Santino is the dominant male in his group at the Furuvik Zoo in Sweden. Over time, he has developed the skill of finding or creating ammunition to throw at passing tourists. Researchers believe these findings could shed light on the "higher mental functions" of chimpanzees. 
read more......The Week - The Chimp Who Learned to Trick Humans...And Pelt Them With Stones

read more......Live Science - Deceptive Chimp Hides Ammo

read more......ABC - Chimp Acts Like Jerk, Gets Praised by Scientists

"Santino"
Source: Live Science

Hands-On Activism: EASL Students Explore Social Justice in Atlanta

The Ethics and Servant Leadership Forum is a core component of the Ethics and Servant Leadership Program at the Emory University Center for Ethics. The Forum accepts fifteen undergraduate, graduate, and professional students at Emory. This group participates in a year-long collaborative learning experience that includes retreats, skill-building sessions, outside speakers, and student-developed projects. The Forum is broken down into smaller focus groups that examine the work of various non-profit organizations around Atlanta. Below are the stories of three students from the 2011-2012 EASL Forum whose unique life stories and personal understandings about ethics were inextricably linked to the work they did.

Minkyung Sung read a story that made her feel sick. The story, reported by CNN was about a twelve year old girl who was kidnapped and forced in to prostitution. The treatment was brutal but she somehow managed to escape. The tragedy is that at the age of twenty she became a pimp herself. The reason? She felt as if there were no other options. This story stuck in her mind for a year before she conceptualized a creative response.

Through the EASL forum, Sung found that Jennifer Goldberg, Anna Nelson-Daniel, Nathalie Angel, and Won Chul Shin were also concerned about the topic of sex trafficking. In a group of five, and in partnership with Wonderroot, they decided to make a film. Sung has a background in film-making and has worked on numerous film sets. She said, “I never thought of making this topic into a movie. But then I began thinking about how powerful a film can be when it comes to spreading the message.” The critical problem, she said, is that “sex work is a vicious cycle.”

Pulling together this unique project required extra time and effort from the entire group. Partially due to the size of the Atlanta airport, Atlanta is one of the most well known cities for sex trafficking. One of the challenges the group faced was when they were denied access to film in the parking lot of the Atlanta airport. After going back and forth with various airport administrators the main reason for the denial was because the topic was controversial. Sung was deeply upset by this, she said, “it is people’s ignorance that allows these horrible things to continue.”

Minkyung Sung, Anna Nelson-Daniel, Jennifer Goldberg
Nathalie Angel, Won Chul Shin

A result of making the film that exceeded Sung’s expectation was a thirty-second pause from the audience that proceeded a screening of the film. Members of the audience described their feelings of shock, depression, and sickness. Sung said, “When I first heard the story I felt that same sickness, I wanted to deliver that feeling that I experienced to the audience.”

Sung is a Philosophy major and believes that solutions are rooted in legal activism and education. "Until laws change, building awareness is the key. These girls can be your sister, daughter, or granddaughter. I don’t expect everyone to do something, but for the issue to not be ignored from now on is the best I can hope for.”

Sung said she will never forget the issues she has created films about and plans to make more films that expose ethical problems. The EASL Forum allowed social activism to take place among a group of students as they created a film that was an outlet for their anger and sadness. The film reveals a complex and deeply troubling story that needs to be told.

Ann Rochell Ermitanio’s parents emigrated to the Northern Mariana Islands. Throughout her life, she gained firsthand insights into the social, cultural, and economic barriers that immigrants and refugees face. Ann Rochell along with, Melia Haile, Uma Chidambaram, and Mia Michalak make up the EASL team that worked with the Georgia Refugee Health and Mental Health Organization.

Uma Chidambaram, Melia Haile, Ann Rochell Ermitanio,
Mia Michalak

 The group’s work was centered around the various initiatives of the organization. These initiatives included home visits, clinic navigation, health education, and medical literacy programs. The organization partners with universities, hospitals, and other health care providers to provide a broad-reaching, on the ground support system for refugees. Each week, the members of the small group would come together to discuss their work. Ermitanio said, “I was able to understand things that I wouldn’t have been able to see if the other group members hadn’t brought it up. It’s through discussions and debriefings that allowed me to really process what I just experienced.”

Throughout this experience, Ermitanio noticed a disconnect between health care systems and the individuals they are providing for, particularly if the individual comes from a unique background. Newly resettled refugees, she said, “are not always aware of how the American health care system works. Basic processes such as prescription refills may be a new concept for a lot of them.” She saw that each person from around the world has a different way of understanding their own health care. Unfortunately, for refugees, their medical needs can get lost in translation.

“It is important that our health care providers understand the cultures of different people and barriers they often face coming to America,” said Ermitanio. This is an area that she hopes to address throughout her career. She is majoring in Biology and Sociology in order to prepare herself to become a Physician Assistant.

There were times this year that she felt helpless with patients because she wasn’t a primary care provider. At the same time, she realized the importance of being there with them. She said, “I wish I could diagnose their treatment and find ways to treat them, but even though I can’t, I know that through this program, I am still able to help them. I’m providing information that allows them to access health care.” Ermitanio’s life experiences and challenges have led her to better relate to others. Her experiences through the EASL forum have given her perspectives on health care that are unique and invaluable to the future of our health care systems.

Cymone Gates chose to work with Forever Family because of her personal history with an incarcerated parent. Forever Family is a local and national non-profit organization that supports children who have one or more incarcerated parents. Children with incarcerated parents are seven times more likely to end up in prison themselves. Forever Family empowers children through after school programs, confidence building activities, dinners to teach etiquette, and bi-monthly prison visits. Gates and her fellow team members, Danielle Douez, Inna Polyakova, William Eye, and Digant Kapoor participated in various aspects of Forever Family’s initiatives.

Inna Polykova, Digant Kapoor, Beth Wettlin, Cymone Gates,
William Eye, Danielle Douez

  Gates woke up at 5am on a Saturday to meet the children and their care-givers. She accompanied the children on a bus that would charge them $1 to visit their parents. The group spent about twelve hours at the prison. Because of Forever Family, some of the prisons in Georgia have created children’s centers that offer a fun and enriching environment for the children during their visit. The day transpired with games, raffles, free meals, and play time for the children and their families. The environment was beneficial and exceptional. “When I was a kid visiting my father there was just a table and we couldn’t get up and hug. We could only sit and talk for a limited time, Gates said.”

  Throughout the day, Gates was encouraged to assist the children and interact with the families when she could. She described one boy that was upset and standing alone. She approached him and found out that he was mad at his mother and upset with the whole situation. At that point, his mother walked over to comfort him. Gates was overcome with emotion and stepped away from the group. “It broke my heart; it was so sad. You can’t blame him. That’s exactly how it feels. You’re upset at [the parent] for being there.”

  Gates expected to interact with the children through tutoring but is grateful to have been given the opportunity to visit the prison. She felt rewarded by both the fun moments and the more challenging moments as well. She said, “because of EASL I became involved with a lot of social justice or ethics type discussions for the first time. I actually saw social justice first hand because the Forever Family leaders showed me examples of how to make a difference.” She is now considering changing her career path from Biology to Public Health because, she said, “I am passionate about making a difference. EASL is the most rewarding experience of my life so far.” Although changing career directions has been a challenge, she said, “that’s a goal I have for myself now. How to enrich my life.”

The Ethics and Servant Leadership Forum has had a profound impact on the personal lives and professional aspirations of these students. Their work has benefited communities in Atlanta and given them new perspectives about ethics and social justice.

Thank you to the students who have shared their stories and to each student who participated in the Forum this year. We are also grateful to our community partners who diligently and compassionately work every day to create a better world.

The EASL Program is generously funded by an endowment from Mr. William B. Turner in memory of his father, D. Abbott Turner. The program is directed by Dr. Edward Queen. The academic year Forum is led by the program’s Assistant Director, Carlton Mackey. Applications for the Forum are due at the beginning of each academic year in September. For more information click here. 

Carlton Mackey and Edward Queen at the
            2011-2012 Forum Closing Banquet 

Creating Their Own Way: This Year’s Emory University/Center for Ethics Graduates

This year's seniors are seeing signs of improvement.

A recent film produced by Emory Communications reported that Emory has seen an 18% increase in job recruitment, a 3.5% hike in full-time job interviews, and a 10% expected increase in employment for graduates. Nationwide, unemployment rates for recent graduates holding a bachelor’s degree have dropped month after month for the past year, from 8.3 to 6.2 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor. Having entered Emory in 2008 at the height of the recession, this year’s seniors are seeing signs of improvement.

Below are the stories of some graduating seniors who have been involved with the Center for Ethics during their Emory years. Their accomplishments reflect their drive to succeed at Emory and a willingness to ask questions and confront the answers, even if the answers mean changing directions.  The students we interviewed are thinking beyond employment statistics and salaries. These graduates have learned that a job should be more than its description on paper. 

Hannah-Alise Rogers is graduating with a degree in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and heading to the UGA School of Law. 

            “Instead of wanting to be a ballerina or play a role stereotypical to little girls, I grew up wanting to be the Surgeon General,” reflected Hannah-Alise Rogers. Elective courses had a profound impact on Rogers in her first year at Emory’s Oxford campus. She described one sociology professor in particular, Dr. Mike McQuaide, as, “willing to go the extra mile for a student. He invested in me.” Investigating social issues and the practical application that she received through internships got Rogers interested in women’s issues and healthcare.

Hannah-Alise Rogers, Carlton Mackey, and Mariangela Jordan

Hannah-Alise credits her experience in Dr. McQuaide's “Social Problems” course and the 2010 Ethics and Servant Leadership program with deepening her academic and professional interests. Both of these experiences allowed her to see the complicated realities of health care and women’s rights through the lens of government programs. She said, “I’m interested in politics, administration, and educating people. I find that many people have such strong opinions but don’t know much about the issues beyond their own political parties.”

Her advice for future graduates is advice that she has certainly taken seriously in her own life. “I would say the thing that I learned the most academically and life learning in general is that you need to do exactly what you want to do.” Hannah-Alise capitalized on the resources at Emory to hone in on her interests and to understand how to apply her knowledge to contribute to the common good. 

Sabrina Bernstein is graduating with a major in Physics and minor in Sociology and is considering a career in architecture. 

During her years at Emory, Sabrina Bernstein discovered that she “likes to build things.” She decided to major in Physics because, she said, “it was the fastest route to graduation and left me with flexibility for the future.” Her sociology minor however came by chance.  After a few courses with Dr. Paul Root Wolpe, the Director of the Center for Ethics, Bernstein developed an interest in Bioethics. The topics in bioethics that connected science and sociology, she said, “played right into my curiosities.” Bernstein also co-leads The Emory Art Club. With a diverse array of interests, she has contemplated various possibilities for the future.

Last summer, she began to think about architecture as a career. “I looked into architecture more, how to get there, and whether it would be something I’d be good at. I received more and more fuel pushing me in that direction.” Through a connection with Dr. Arri Eisen, a faculty member at the Center for Ethics, she enrolled in an architecture program at Georgia Tech through Emory’s ARCHE Program. She has applied for a scholarship to study abroad at the University of Capetown’s architecture college. For Bernstein, difficult choices involved experiencing various options and taking time for thoughtful contemplation.

Danielle Willis is graduating with a degree in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and is working towards a career in sports marketing. 

Tanya Anderson and Danielle Willis

                Danielle Willis was attracted to Emory because she saw it as a “place that was rich in resources and opportunities for professional degrees.” Danielle, like Hannah-Alise, was deeply impacted by a few of her electives in the humanities. The direction that Willis has taken her interests is significantly different. She has paired her work in women’s studies with classes at the business school. She is hoping to connect knowledge she has attained about communications, sociology, and women’s rights to the practical skills of business and marketing. Her dream job is in sports marketing with a focus on women. To get there, she has already interned with Turner Sports in public relations, worked with the Emory Eagle Athletics department, and interned in marketing and public relations at the Center for Ethics.

She has no regrets on the marketability of her women’s studies major because “the difference with Emory is that it’s so reputable that they don’t look at your major, they just see your leadership and other activities. Most importantly, employers will notice skills outside of the classroom.” For students, her advice is to take advantage of the many resources at Emory to build capabilities such as leadership roles to improve public speaking skills, studying abroad to learn new languages, or computer analytics. Her advice in regards to selecting a major is “don’t lose site of other interests outside of your major.” Perhaps the most important resource at Emory is that a student’s interests, even within their major, can be diverse and interdisciplinary.

Michael Arenson is completing a master of arts in Bioethics and pursuing a career in education.

            Michael Arenson’s interests in bioethics began in high school when he wrote a report about stem cells. He was fascinated by topics that blended ethics and medicine because he wanted to become a doctor. After majoring in Biology at the University of Minnesota he wasn’t ready to commit to medical school and instead pursued a master of arts in bioethics.

Michael Arenson with his family and Toby Schonfeld

For the past two years, Arenson has been a student in the Master of Arts in Bioethics program and developed an interest in social and moral psychology. During this time, he also became less interested in medical school. Inspired by leaders in education like Ron Clark, Arenson has decided to pursue a career in education. This type of work, said Arenson, “gives me energy instead of sapping energy.” In making this decision, he recalled memories of working as a camp counselor and acting as a role model and teacher.

Arenson received advice from his academic advisor, Kathy Kinlaw. She advised that anyone contemplating a career should make sure it aligns with three main objectives: 1.) is there a need in the world 2.) does it align with your strengths 3.) is it something you want to do. For Arenson, it took a master’s degree and many other experiences to realize that education fulfills those three objectives. “I’m more passionate about it than anything else. To be a classroom teacher in our society takes an ego hit, but I’m okay with that.” Arenson talked about how his passion always ended up creeping into his decisions. “I didn’t go to medical school because I wasn’t truly passionate about it.” In the end, although he went back and forth in his decision making, it was important for Arenson to come to terms with and follow his real passion (teaching) and not what he had thought was his passion (medicine). 

Each individual facing the job market is unique. Not only have these students excelled academically and in extra-curricular activities, they are also innovators in the ways they have made life changing decisions. Their stories illustrate that this type of decision-making involves the whole person. Beyond the job description is an even more important quest to find opportunities that match one’s unique interests and values.

A special thanks to these graduates for sharing their stories and perspectives. We would also like to thank and congratulate all of the graduates who have contributed so much to the life of the Center for Ethics this year. 

Carlton Mackey, Hannah-Alise Rogers, Mariangela Jordan, and Edward Queen

Center for Ethics Congratulates the Class of 2012

Congratulations to Emory's Class of 2012. We are proud of all of our EASL graduates, Ethics & the Arts leaders, student assistants and our first Master of Arts in Bioethics student!!! Best wishes for a bright future and many years of continued success.

This Week: Ethics in the News

Highlights from some of the week's top ethics news stories.

International Conflict
Attacks by drones remain a controversial topic. Two Yemeni men were killed by a targeted drone because they were suspected terrorists. Washington is waging an "assassination campaign" on Yemeni's al Qaeda branch. Yemeni authorities call the attack an air strike while the U.S. does not identify drone strikes as acts of war. The ethics of drone warfare was covered in a previous Ethics in the News.    
read more about the Yemeni attack......Reuters - Suspected US Drone Kills Two Yemeni al Qaeda Men
read more about US presence in Pakistan.......Daily Times - US Refused Proposal of Joint Drone Attacks

Activism
Around the world, May Day saw the return of 'Occupy Wall Street' protests. The protesters embraced May Day, which honors the international labor movement, as "a day without the 99 percent." Thousands of protesters came out around in major cities around the U.S. including New York, Washington D.C., and Seattle. Protesters were also out in droves all over Europe recognizing the international labor movement.       
read more about Obama's stance....Washington Post - Occupy Movement Returns for Protests in New York, D.C., and Around the US
view the official Occupy Wall Street site

China Dissident
Self-trained Chinese lawyer escaped house arrest to the US Embassy only to be released by to China. Chen Guanchen, a blind human rights activist, has since been released by way of a U.S. brokered deal. The Chinese government claims that he will be able to reunite with his family and apply to study in the U.S. Although there are many skeptics, China has issued a few encouraging public statements. This and the recent Tibetan protests have put China on the spot about human rights issues. 
read more......ABC - Chinese Foreign Ministry Says Chinese Dissident Chen Guanchen Can Study Overseas
read more.....AlJazeera - Chinese Dissident Chen Seeks US Exile Deal

Source: BBC

Health & Science
Women's rights activists have targeted the State of Virginia Board of Health about abortion clinic regulations. The clinic regulations that the Virginia government is proposing may force certain women's clinics to shut down. The past few months have been marked by controversial state bills across the country to regulate abortion. 
read more......Washington Post - Opponents of Va's New Abortion Clinic Regulations Take Their Case to the Board of Health

read about the bill from last month......NYT - Shift in Virginia on Abortion Bill

Spotlight on Ethics: Dr. Toby Schonfeld Discusses Bioethics

Where do you stand on controversial topics such as advancements in biomedical technologies, abortion, and physician-assisted suicide?  Watch the next release of our Spotlight on Ethics films series. We interviewed Dr. Toby Schonfeld about her work in bioethics. She offers a comprehensive definition of bioethics and tells stories about the application of bioethical inquiry in research, public policy, and medical settings. Click here to learn more about the Master of Arts in Bioethics Program. 


Special thanks to Dr. Schonfeld for sharing your innovative ideas and fascinating stories with us.


Series Produced by Carlton Mackey
Edited by Catherine Powell

Focus: The Free Tibet Movement Gains Momentum

One news story brought into focus through a Q & A session with an expert at the Center for Ethics

Today's Focus is with Dr. Arri Eisen who talks about his work with Tibetans and the political and social challenges they face.

Following a military conflict in 1951, Tibet was incorporated into The People’s Republic of China and became the Tibet Autonomous Region. His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan people’s forerunner and spiritual leader, and thousands of other Tibetans have escaped Tibet since 1951. It is estimated that there are about 130,000 Tibetan refugees living all over the world. The facts about the original military conflict are contested. Many Tibetans and Tibet advocates believe the land was unfairly taken and continues to be occupied.

            Pressure has been mounting on the Chinese government to address social inequalities and the rights of minority groups. In the past few years, activists in the Free Tibet movement have staged global protests annually. Of late, there have been growing numbers of protestors who self-immolate. These stories were covered in a recent Ethics in the News post.

            Below is an excerpt from a conversation with Dr. Arri Eisen, a Professor of Pedagogy in Biology and the Institute for Liberal Arts, co-founder of the Emory-Tibet Science Initiative, and an affiliated faculty member of the Center for Ethics. This summer will be his fifth trip to Dharamsala with the Emory-Tibet Science Initiative. He has done extensive lecturing, writing, and science curriculum building with Tibetans in India and the U.S.  

What have been your impressions of Tibetan sentiments in relation to the ‘Free Tibet’ movement?

I haven’t been formally involved in anything related to the ‘Free Tibet’ movement. One thing I didn’t appreciate until I had direct involvement with Tibetan refugees is that they are a people without a country. Their situation is sad and I can see a deep sadness that hangs over many Tibetans all the time. It’s not hatred, especially with the monks, which seems unusual to me. There isn’t a hateful sentiment towards China, just a sadness of being away from their families. This sadness isn’t worn on the sleeves of the handful of Tibetans I’ve met. After I got to know them, it took a while before they would share their experiences and feelings. If a generalization can be made, Tibetans seem like engaged, good people who aren’t angry at the world.

Have there been any significant changes recently in the movement for Tibetan freedom?

There is a huge force of Tibetans online communicating with each other. They seem to be trying to address the ‘lostness’ in their situations. The Internet has provided a way for them to keep track of each other and to keep Tibetans in Tibet informed. Tibetans in Tibet generally haven’t had access to a lot of information.

Now, because of the Internet and youtube, more people can become informed. It’s unfortunate that no country has stepped in to do anything significant about it, but it’s difficult because it’s China. It’s complicated.

How can we best understand the relationship between China and Tibet?

There are a number of subtleties in the relationship. Most of the Chinese people, if they’re informed, aren’t happy about political and social inequalities. Many of them support the Dalai Lama and support Buddhism, as China was historically a Buddhist country.

On the other hand, China claims they’re modernizing Tibet. To a certain extent they did contribute a lot as far as infrastructure. Before the Chinese take-over Tibet wasn’t the ‘shangri-la’ that many people think it was. There have been improvements. Once I became interested in these issues and talked to individuals, I realized there’s a lot more to it and nothing is black and white.

What is significant about this recent spate of protests?

Since the protests in March of 2008 there have been annual protests around the world. In the last two or three months approximately thirty Tibetans have self-immolated, including monastics and even lay people. Who knows why people do these things. It’s not an angry or violent protest; it’s a singular type of protest. It’s more of a ‘Tibetan’ protest because they aren’t trying to harm anyone else.

Tibetans don’t have many options in terms of what they can do. Their culture is getting destroyed, Tibetans in Tibet can’t easily escape anymore, and they’re stuck. This is their way of trying to draw attention to the cause.

How does the Dalai Lama fit in to all of this?

China is nervous because the inequalities in their system are revealing weaknesses. They are using the Dalai Lama as a battering ram. If he were to return it might be the last straw that sparks nationwide revolt. There’s a sense that if he went back, it could bring down the whole system. The fear is there, and because of that fear, they’re trying to demonize the Dalai Lama.

The Dalai Lama is the closest thing to a saint I have ever had the honor of meeting.  In some ways, he can afford to do and say certain things because he doesn’t have any formal political power. Because of his wisdom and charisma the Free Tibet movement has gotten a lot of international attention. Dharamsala and the Tibetan community in exile is a little tiny village that is like a gnat in China’s eye that could blind them.

What can be done?

The U.S. government is at a stand still when it comes to China. We have too many interests in China and the Chinese know it. There are current economic gains at stake and potential gains that haven’t been tapped into. They own most of our debt from the Iraq war.

At Emory there’s a student club, and there are numerous Free Tibet activists around the world. Not to be cynical, but I don’t see any significant changes being made outside of the Chinese government itself. It seems that at some point their system is not going to work. Change must come from within.

This Week: Ethics in the News

Highlights from some of the week's top ethics news stories.

Environment
The first arrest has been made in relation to the 2010 BP oil spill. Kurt Mix of Katy, Texas is a former BP engineer who stands accused of obstruction of justice on two counts. He allegedly deleted numerous text messages and other electronic records between himself and a supervisor. The messages were related to the capping of the leak in October 2010. Mix was involved in a few unsuccessful attempts to cap the leak in 2010. The information he shared in text messages countered the positive messages that BP was sending out about progress in managing the disaster.  
read more......BBC News - BP Oil Spill: First Criminal Charges Filed in US
read more.......USA Today - Gulf Spill: Ex-BP Engineer Indicted on Obstruction Charges

Source: U.S. Coast Guard

World Politics
This week, thousands of Armenians around the world gathered for the annual remembrance of the WWI massacre of Armenians by Ottoman Turks. Armenians are urging other nations to recognize the massacre, which took nearly 1.5 million lives, as a genocide. Although Obama made the promise to fulfill the Armenian's wishes, he still hasn't done so. France, on the other hand, has banned Armenian genocide denial.     
read more about Obama's stance....ABC News - Obama Again Breaks Promise to Commemorate Armenian 'Genocide'
read more about French legislation......Guardian UK - Armenian Genocide Denial to be Banned in France

Justice
The Trayvon Martin case has been in the national and international spotlight since February. There are critical updates coming out every week. This week George Zimmerman, who is charged with second-degree murder, walked out on a $150,000 bail. The verdict continues to spark controversy across the country. One of the main issues that has come to the fore because of this case is gun control.  
read more......NYT - George Zimmerman Released After Posting Bail
read more about the gun control issue.....The Wall Street Journal - White House Efforts to Relax Gun Exports Face Resistance

Gun Crime Map of America, Source: Guardian UK

Health & Science
A new study substantiates the theory that people who have expressed sentiments of homophobia are in fact repressing homosexual urges. Study author Richard M. Ryan of the University of Rochester and fellow researchers conducted six studies on hundreds of university students. The experiment was composed of a series of questions that judged the attitude of the students towards homosexuality. They also tested whether or not the students had sub-conscious attractions to people of the same sex. They found that students who came from the most rigid homes, where anti-gay sentiments were encouraged, were the most likely to reveal homosexual repression. 
read more......The New York Times - Homophobic? Maybe You're Gay

read the article......American Psychological Association