As Tufts students we understand that it is possible to feel overwhelmed with the sense of obligation to actively support social justice issues and how difficult it can be to find an issue which truly resonates with you. Whether you believe there are too many causes to choose from or not enough that align with your values, it can be difficult to find ways to meaningfully dedicate your time to a cause you truly care about. Although we don't purport to have the ability to solve this problem entirely, the Tufts Social Justice Arts Initiative (SJAI) is actively seeking a solution through Issue as Muse, an event designed to bring local and international issues to the awareness of Tufts students through the performing arts.
Even if there is a social justice issue you are passionate about, it can be difficult to connect with others who are successfully working to support the issue. Issue as Muse is a unique event in that it combines performances with a nonprofit fair, providing students the opportunity to network with a variety of organizations representing the spectrum of social justice issues. Nonprofit organizations will address local and global social issues, such as worker's rights and education for at−risk girls, as well as environmental issues such as the creation of sustainable communities.
We hope that bringing these nonprofits to Tufts will foster dialogue about a variety of social justice issues and provide students with the opportunity to connect to others who are working successfully to achieve social justice. We selected these nonprofit organizations because they represent both local and international issues and focus on both people and the environment.
Sometimes it is possible to feel as if we live in the "Tufts bubble," isolated from any of the issues addressed by social justice movements. However, such organizations as Groundwork Somerville, which addresses environmental issues through community−based youth programs, and Not For Sale, which works to prevent human trafficking, work in and around Boston, demonstrating our ability to make a difference in our own community. With the presence of so many nonprofit organizations nearby, it would seem relatively simple to become involved with any number of social justice causes. However, we at SJAI realize that there needs to be a deeper connection to social justice that humanizes the issues and allows us to relate to them on a deeper level. The arts provide an excellent platform to establish that deeper connection to social justice issues.
The performances at Issue as Muse will use various types of performing arts — song, dance and spoken word — to highlight social justice issues that don't always receive a lot of media attention. Although we might not be as personally familiar with certain issues, such as worker's rights or HIV/AIDS, nonprofits like Jobs for Justice and the AIDS Action Committee will be there to provide information about their own particular specialties, and we hope performers will create an emotional connection to these lesser−known issues. Many of these nonprofits in Boston have a huge impact both globally and locally, even though these subjects are not frequently discussed by the media.
We often hear about larger, better−known organizations and one−time disasters that need immediate aid. However, there are many long−term causes that need our attention as well. We hope that that the organizations and performers at Issue as Muse will help raise awareness about these equally important matters of social justice.
Part of the problem with the way we address many social justice issues is that many have been normalized and rationalized in our society. For example, the nonprofit organization Not For Sale works to stop children from being forced into sex slavery. This traumatic experience is often far more severe than any punishment an adult may face for soliciting sex from these young victims. Although the legal system's punishments for these crimes can reflect a calculated ignorance toward these issues, it is also a problem that society turns a blind eye to these social injustices — many of which occur in its very own communities.
We realize it can be difficult to discuss issues such as urban violence, sex trafficking and alcohol and drug abuse, but it is possible through performance art to change the conversation and look at these difficult issues through a new perspective. We hope that all of our performers will act as role models, demonstrating the possibility of using one's artistic or other talents to raise awareness about any number of social justice issues.
We realize that not every issue represented will appeal to everyone who attends the event, but we do encourage you to come and learn about the variety of social justice issues that will be represented and to look at these topics through an artistic lens you may not have considered in the past.
As Albert Einstein once said, "We cannot solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." So let this event be one that opens the doors for better communication, better collaboration and better exploration, such that we can continue to work for a better world.
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