“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” — Nelson Mandela
In 2009, I founded the Justice Conference along with several like-minded friends in Bend, Ore., and in collaboration with World Relief. The vision of the conference was to reach tens of thousands of people over the next decade through an annual gathering that educates, inspires and connects a generation to a shared concern for the vulnerable and oppressed.
The conference and the vision have always been driven by three ideals: Justice is a necessary thing (not just a good thing); important and necessary things should be studied (not just casually discussed); and the best way to leverage change and creativity is in community and collaboration (not just individually or in isolation).
At the heart of these three beliefs is education.
Education on the necessity of justice.
Education on the nature of justice.
Education on the means, methods and metrics of doing justice.
Education, however, can be a boring term. We associate it with systems, mechanization, assignments, tests and passivity. What we don’t think of is discovery, knowledge, wisdom, exploration, adventure, service and sacrifice. We don’t associate education with human flourishing, spiritual growth or the just life.
This hasn’t always been the case.
The British scholar, C.S. Lewis, had a different view of education. He wrote, “The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles, but to irrigate deserts.” For him, education was a powerful tool for nurturing latent potential. As opposed to lackluster pruning, Lewis was passionate about the unbounded possibility of growth and change from inspired education.
Plutarch said much the same thing as Lewis with regard to education. He wrote, “The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.”
Plutarch and the ancient Greeks tied education to the idea of “the flourishing soul.” Their aim was the change of the person rather than simply the acquisition of a skill.
The focus of education shouldn’t be to build schools or fill classes, but to irrigate deserts. It shouldn’t be to simply provide vocational training, but to help souls flourish. It shouldn’t be to multiply buildings and students, but to enlarge hearts and minds and compel action.
Action is what justice demands.
A just world cannot exist, vulnerable people cannot be helped, and oppression cannot be countered without action.
If action is fundamental to justice, then, it seems, education is fundamental to action. As Herbert Spencer once said, “The great aim of education is not knowledge, but action.”
The relationship between justice and education is significant. Our knowledge and learning govern our ability to see and understand the many facets and complexities of justice and injustice in the world. Likewise, education empowers and enables us to act wisely, decisively and effectively within our context.
As Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
In a culture where justice and doing are sexy, let’s also go beyond and realize the value of education in promoting justice, healthy development and long-term sustainable change.
In short, let’s learn to change the world.
