Context Then

2. Context Then • Mexico • CIASP – Conference on InterAmerican Student Projects • Illich - himself a European, intellectual, had spent upwards of 20 years in Mexico / South America when this speech was delivered • Chicago • Riots following assassination of MLK, later Robert Kennedy • "Poverty funds, the police force and preachers seem to be no more successful in their efforts to check the unwillingness of the black community to wait for graceful integration into the system" • Vietnam • According to Illich: Exporting our ideas abroad

3. Context Now • Vietnam has moved to Iraq/Afghanistan/Libya? • Perhaps some of the same "ends" are being accomplished without war? • What was happening in Chicago is now happening on a global level? • Are all countries being “gracefully integrated” into the “system”? • Are we CIASP?

4. Evaluate Illich • Does Illich have the right to speak for [all] Mexicans? • Graceful or not, is it not true that people seem to want overwhelmingly to be integrated into the system? • Is the "system" at large to fail?  • Are there failings in parts of the system? • Is America's goal "to make the rich ever richer, and the poor increasingly marginal?" • Within our borders? • Outside of our borders?

5. A Story from Mr. Bahlke / Point Illich "Suppose you went to a U.S. ghetto this summer and tried to help the poor there "help themselves." Very soon you would be either spit upon or laughed at. People offended by your pretentiousness would hit or spit. People who understand that your own bad consciences push you to this gesture would laugh condescendingly. Soon you would be made aware of your irrelevance among the poor, of your status as middle-class college students on a summer assignment.  You would be roundly rejected, no matter if your skin is white-as most of your faces here are-or brown or black, as a few exceptions who got in here somehow."

6. Not so fast... "I am here to challenge you to recognize your inability, your powerlessness and your incapacity to do the "good" which you intended to do."

7. Story from Mr. Bahlke / Point Illich "In fact, you cannot even meet the majority which you pretend to serve in Latin America - even if you could speak their language, which most of you cannot. You can only dialogue with those like you - Latin American imitations of the North American middle class. There is no way for you to really meet with the underprivileged, since there is no common ground whatsoever for you to meet on."

8. Not so fast? "Perhaps this is the moment to instead bring home to the people of the U.S. the knowledge that the way of life they have chosen simply is not alive enough to be shared." Is our way of life defined by consumption?  Democracy? Besides “our” way of life, what has happened (from a development perspective) in the last several decades? Hasn’t capitalism won? Or has it?

9. 2 Volunteers No Questions Asked

10. An Abysmal Lack of Intuitive Delicacy? Role 1:  TPS Student Role 2:  TPS Cleaning Crew Situation:  Needs Assessment for Cleaning Crew Day Role 1:  Your homework is to get 3 concrete ideas for what we can do to help the staff.  You are late for practice and your iPhone keeps ringing.  Also, this could be an awesome time to try out your Spanish. Role 2:  Amused that someone went out of their way to talk to you.   Hate that kids spit out their gum everywhere, want to ask some gum related questions.  This is my job - I don't want help.  Just go easy on the gum.

11. Class Feedback    • How did the person in Role 1 perform? • What was good?  Bad?  Could have been done differently? • How did the person in Role 2 perform?   • What was good?  Bad?  Could have been done differently? • How would you have felt after the conversation if you were the Student?  If you were the cleaning crew? • What does this have to do with Illich?