Introduction to Idealism and Diverse Perspectives

Weary and jet-lagged, the fellows of the HIA American program gathered in the top-floor room of the Packer Institute for the program introduction early Monday morning to begin the 2008 NYC session. The day started off with a general presentation of HIA goals and values by founder Judith Goldstein. One of the more helpful things she stressed in her presentation was to keep in mind the importance of praise alongside criticism over the course of the program.

Next on the agenda for the day was a screening of American Idealist, a documentary film about of the life of R. Sargent Shriver, the first director of the Peace Corps, brother-in-law of JFK, and director of Lyndon B Johnson's Office of Economic Opportunity. Later Shriver helped institute programs begun under Johnson’s War on Poverty program such as VISTA, Headstart, and Upward Bound among others. After a lunch break, we met with historian Scott Stossel, Shriver’s biographer, who provided more of a unique glimpse into Shriver’s life and the political and social context of the foundations of these programs.

The remaining part of the day featured the first country presentations, France and Poland. The French panel discussed laïcité, also called French Secularism, and ended specifically with a discussion on the recent ban on headscarves in the French public schools. The Polish fellows presented on the role of religion in Poland and the historical circumstances that led to Poland being a predominantly Catholic country. Both presentations made us realize the importance of letting go of our own cultural values in order to understand how the same subjects are historically and culturally-situated differently in other countries.

Debate increased during the discussion when some fellows stated they thought the oppression was coming more from the state than the public display of a religious symbol. On the other hand, the French tried to explain how for the French system banning the headscarf was a fundamental expression of liberty and their secularist policy.

Overall, the events and discussions of the day provided a positive outlook for the rest of the program. As Judith added in her presentation, we are looking forward to further pursuing the main goals of the program: “thinking critically about thinking not too critically”, and making room for praise, understanding, and idealism in the context of our discussions and attempts at inter-cultural comprehension.

-Chloe and Maron