1. What was your biggest take away from the film?

My biggest takeaways from the film were how influential The Interrupters are, as
well as the influence that Ameena had in the community. The film captured what a
positive influence these leaders have on their communities and why it is necessary to
have inspiring leaders. The Interrupters were so effective in their conflict resolution
because of the relatability and trust they have built within their communities. They know
this community and know who they are dealing with, where an outside source educating
members of the community on conflict resolution may not have been able to handle the
situation. I also admired the power that women played in the film and Ameena’s
experiences specifically that made her such an influential leader. Relating to the question
from the Module 5 reading, women do not have special powers to mediate conflict,
however, I do believe they provide a safe place for conflict mediation by being
empathetic. Not all women in the documentary were focused on solving conflict like
Ameena was, however, there was a call to end the violence by the mothers whose sons
were affected by the violence in the community. I thought they would have been out for
revenge but wanted nothing more than to end to this conflict and peace in the community.

2. How can we find ways to encourage student’s civic participation, activism,

enlightenment, and inspiration to speak out against social injustices?

There are many ways in the world of technology to advertise to students and educate
them on the importance of getting involved with civic participation, activism, and inspiration
to speak out against social injustices. If students are given the resources and education on
how to start these programs if none exist already on their campus, they can start to help kids
see the way they can succeed and stay focused on themselves and school. Instances of abuse
like in Ameena’s case of course, require a different approach such as therapy with a licensed
psychologist. These same cases as Ameena’s can be turned into inspiring stories and shared
by students who relate to those in impoverished areas to help offer tools for young people on
how to reach out about abuse and who can help them. I think if we invested more time in
helping build communities up and providing resources to them like student sponsored
groups, we can change the course of repeated violence in any community. At a local level,
where crucial decisions regarding community services are made, students can propose to start
volunteer groups for more than just a campus level club. Students also can be inspired to
develop youth diversion programs, create safe recreational activities, and other programs to
discourage gang involvement. In terms of social injustices, the best way to get students
involved is to get them informed and spread the news by forms of technology so they are
more likely to see it. Social media platforms or a section in the newsletter are great ways to
inform students. Posting flyers with small phrases and a QR code to a website by the
elevators are also a great way to create awareness.

3. Are you willing to become involved with programs that raise your awareness of social
injustices?
 I would love to become involved with programs that raise my awareness of social injustices.
To be a relatable, inspiring, and innovative leader in the community, making a difference in
some way, would be an honor and an easy path for me to take. I have already acted as an
interrupter in my community by giving advice and guidance to my friends and co-workers to
help them better their lives for work or personal reasons but would love to make the jump to
working with an organization like Unity. I found one organization that I would love to support
called The Child Foundation. They are in Afghanistan, Iran, Cambodia, Nepal, Indonesia, and
Tajikistan. I may not be able to help on location, but I can certainly participate in other ways.
Their mission is to support underprivileged children succeed in education and achieve safe,
healthy, and fulfilling lives. The foundation has provided necessities to children living in poverty
or hardship, enhancing the quality of life for these children as well as their respective families.
Being a part of this organization would be amazing as it increases access to education for
children who would not be able to have an education. To help keep children from dropping out
of school into early matrimony, detrimental child labor, and other dangers would be an incredible
experience. UNICEF USA is another amazing organization that focuses on child protection.
Their mission is huge: To ensure every child is healthy, educated, protected, and respected. I
specifically like this organization because of their specialty in Child trafficking, disabilities,
education, equity for girls, and mental health of children. A program they have launched initially
is the Child Friendly Cities Initiative where government officials and community leaders,
including children and youth are conducting a situation analysis of child well-being in each city
or county in the City of Houston to test this theory. Based on these findings and guidance from
UNICEF, the communities will implement an action plan that prioritizes the best interests of
children and youth within their local policies. It would be amazing to be involved in a project
like this and do some good for the community.