President's Dream Colloquium on Obedience and Disobedience

Taking Action on Climate Change

Course Description

In this President’s Dream Colloquium we will host five dynamic speakers and a youth panel on the topic of civil disobedience in an era of climate change and crisis.

Through these lectures as well as readings, discussion, research, and writing we will explore the ethical, legal, social and cultural issues that surround the decision to participate in acts of civil disobedience, the sometimes complex relation civil disobedience has to the idea of democracy and established political process, as well as the altered political landscape created by the climate crisis.

On the weeks a speaker is not in class, readings and discussion will be used to prepare for the speaker’s visit and develop refined discussion questions specific to the upcoming talk.

Speakers in the series are: Kimberley Brownlee (University of Warwick), Kathryn Harrison (UBC), Chris Hedges (Journalist), Harsha Walia (Vancouver-based activist), John Borrows (University of Minnesota), and a concluding panel of young activists led by Brigette DePape (Council of Canadians) and Tamo Campos (Beyond Boarding).

All classes will take place on the Burnaby campus on Thursday mornings, 9:30 am–12:30 pm, so that all students can also choose to attend lectures for both Spring 2015 colloquia. There will also be a class dinner with the speaker after each public lecture.

Assignments + Grading

• Preparing weekly discussion questions: 20%
• Leading one classroom discussion: 20%
• Final case-study project on a climate change campaign: 60%

The final grade in the colloquium course will be a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory.  A "Satisfactory" grade will have no effect on your cumulative GPA.