Throughout our unit trips we visit village communities who have been struggling to retain their culture and their rights. We have repeatedly heard stories where injustices are committed against the people. In the land unit I learned about the government arresting villagers for trespassing or global warming when villagers thought they were simply farming on land they have farmed for generations. In this past water unit, we learned how the government built large-scale dams for development. These dams took away the livelihoods and culture of the people who survived by the river resources. The government never provided adequate compensation.
We have exchanged with some government offices to understand their perspective. Frequently their explanation shows the stark disconnect between the government and the villagers. Policies either don’t make sense or they are not carried out to actually protect or help the people. They are often motivated by money gains.
Learning about these cases has helped me come to a better definition of what is injustice. I think injustices are cases that cannot be rationalized nor logically explained. Here, I have learned about many injustices; situations where the government acts against the people causing harmful effects that make little sense. When I cannot rationally understand why a government is acting the way it is, it makes me empathize more with the people or cause. By understanding what is unjust, I can recognize what issues I believe are important.
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