Torture on trial
Torture on Trial was our first major project of the year. It focused on the following three essential questions;
We started the project by taking a field trip to the Instruments of Torture exhibit at the Museum of Man. We then delved into research, looking at time periods and specific events and instruments of torture within them. An inquest into torture and it's justification throughout history. With that knowledge, we put together and conducted mock trials based on real historical issues that centered around torture. To prepare for our trial we learned about court etiquette and took a trip to the San Diego Superior Courthouse.
- Are humans the real instruments of torture? Is torture ever justified?
- How can we practice resilience, reclaim strength, and celebrate vitality in the face of oppression?
- What does it mean to be a 'survivor'?
We started the project by taking a field trip to the Instruments of Torture exhibit at the Museum of Man. We then delved into research, looking at time periods and specific events and instruments of torture within them. An inquest into torture and it's justification throughout history. With that knowledge, we put together and conducted mock trials based on real historical issues that centered around torture. To prepare for our trial we learned about court etiquette and took a trip to the San Diego Superior Courthouse.
Family of survivors
Family of Survivors is a sub-project of Torture on Trial. We interviewed a family member about an event where they showed resilience. Based on that interview we each wrote a short, historical-fiction, narrative, answering the third of our essential questions; "How can we practice resilience, reclaim strength, and celebrate vitality in the face of oppression?". During this project I learned about my grandparents experience as parents, and about my process as a writer.
Through the course of this project my cohort found answers to the first two essential questions. "Are humans the real instruments of torture? Is torture ever justified?" Yes, humans are the real instruments of torture. We're the ones who create the rules and enforce them, we're the ones who pull the trigger. We're the ones who make the gun. "How can we practice resilience, reclaim strength, and celebrate vitality in the face of oppression?" We press on, we fight back. Don't give up and don't believe that you can't make a difference because one voice and another will eventually add up to a million. We celebrate the fact that the people who are here, are still here. And we celebrate the happiness when we have it.