“The inherent dignity and … the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world…”

The peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women.”
United Nations, Declaration of Human Rights

We’re human. That means that our lives take place within a story line. We’re born into the story, grow up in it, and on a very basic level it becomes the only truth we know, the world according to me. This running narrative is molded and shaped by the culture in which we live, including what we call history. And right now, much of the narrative begets and condones social injustice.

Human rights are threatened across the globe as civil communications between nations, political parties, and special interests grow ever more elusive. Underlying this is an ingrained cultural mindset that makes abuses of human rights seem natural, even preordained. It’s backed by economic theories that rationalize exploitation, and social and religious principles that codify, legitimize, and ritualize social injustice.

In order to make sense of social injustice, we first have to recognize and expose the story that breeds it. On a personal level it means examining our beliefs, biases, and reasoning. On a cultural level it means recognizing the cultural myths and reasoning that shape ourthinking and keep social injustice in place.

Being human embeds us in culture, identifying when they perpetuate prejudice and harm is the first step to creating universal social justice.

What we’ll explore together:

• Social shifts called “super myths”, that developed, established and institutionalized domination and oppression.
• Thinking patterns that reinforce and perpetuate fallible systems of thought.
• Ways to transform these thought patterns to re-balance our human social systems and promote dignity and respect for everyone.