I recall writing a paper in graduate school referencing Thomas Jefferson’s philosophy on education and how it is supposed to be the underpinning of a functional democratic society. Jefferson posited that democracy demands an educated citizenry to inform its processes. Democracy not only provides a governance structure that is by the people and for the people but it also provides for the peaceful transition of power via the election process. At the time, this peaceful transfer of power was unique compared to how many others came into power. Some came into power via conquest or through their lineage. This is not necessary in a democracy, we do not need to wage war or for the king to die for an heir to take the throne.
Our society has been hung up on who is allowed to participate for as long as it has existed. Our government has excluded populations through legislation and through structural processes. As the country becomes more and more diverse, those who are in charge vie to retain as much control as possible and at the expense of those around them. One way to keep the outsiders from participating is by keeping them poorly educated. If they don’t know or understand the process then they cannot fully participate.
As a martial art teacher and educator I am keenly aware of the machinations of oppression and how many are bullied into less than ideal circumstances, sometimes for their entire lives. At Zhang Sah we practice martial arts as a form of physical education and self defense to save us from others if they become hostile or violent towards us. We do this as daily exercise. We have to be mindful that violence is not always direct or physical. At Zhang Sah we also align with Thomas Jefferson’s philosophy of educating citizenry. We have a weekly process in our early education and school age curriculum where students are given a voice in their lives at Zhang Sah. We call this “Youth Council”. Each class meets weekly and discusses student life issues and program desires or their concerns. They may speak freely and the teacher keeps notes so the staff can try to respond positively and keep the program relevant while supporting the relationships between and among students and staff.
The act of convening, voicing , and voting are components of the democratic process. Zhang Sah students do this weekly and throughout the year. There is weekly discourse about their wants and desires. With this, we hope that they will grow up to be able to engage in open discourse with fellow citizens. It is our hope that children that are used to being given a voice will seek to be heard as adults. It is our hope that children that experience that their vote counts on a weekly basis and they get to see and live out the results of their choices in their groups will feel compelled to vote when they are adults. Zhang Sah students are conditioned to be resilient and brave enough to fully participate in their world now while it is small and later when it is big.
