Last week I attended a talk by Mike Bishop, director of Engaged Cornell, about civic engagement and the ways to connect with the community. I was really impressed by Bishop’s experiences in civic engagement, he seemed to have done work in almost every field possible. What really struck me about this talk was the sheer amount of ways there are to get involved with the community. It made me think about the fact that my engagement with the community can occur in many different ways. I do not have to settle on one path, but can jump among different ones as my own skill set changes.
Another key point I took away from the discussion was the idea of addressing root causes rather than the effects of systemic oppression. While helping victims is of course useful and appreciated, more will continue to suffer unless the root causes are addressed. Considering my own skillset, I hope that I can one day be a part of dismantling the systems that enable the continued oppression of minorities and low-income persons.
I thought that one of the most interesting parts of this talk was realizing the numerous opportunities available for us at Cornell to be involved with our surrounding community. I think it’s wild to realize that the density of nonprofits is higher in Ithaca than in San Francisco. I’m glad that Engaged Cornell exists to help students draw connections to the surrounding community and make an impact, but I wish I had also known about them earlier.
I also attended this Rose Cafe and agree with your point that community engagement can happen in many forms. The point about addressing root causes is also important to consider, and also that there are many issues that may not be obvious, but are still important to address.