In this paper, I am going to discuss an oratorical child leader whose name is Severn Cullis-Suzuki (BC BookWorld, n.d.; Cullis-Suzuki, 1994; speedybo's island, 1992). In 1992, she delivered her speech in the United Nations Earth Summit’s Plenary Session, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The theme of her oration is a call to end environmental abuse, wastage, and destruction. The focus of her speech is for conference delegates (e.g., governments, private corporate leaders, businesspersons, politicians, legislators, reporters, et al.) to assign a priority for children – during Suzuki’s and all other children’s time until future generations. In this specific course requirement, I will demonstrate how a child leader’s oratory is a potent communication tool to channel properly her thoughts for a call to action through the economical yet straightforward use of fitting words. Nevertheless, for a systematic treatment of the essay questions, I have provided hereunder compelling answers to each of them.
First: Why did I select Severn Suzuki as my particular speaker?
I selected Severn-Cullis Suzuki as my speaker because she was just 12 years old when she delivered her speech in a world organization (i.e., United Nations). Likewise, when I read the content of her oration, I was moved by the innocence yet truthfulness of her statements about caring for the environment – not only in her hometown but also to the world. Further, only a few great speaker/leader has such a great empathy for children of her age, now or in the future. I realized how staggering her compassion for all, not only for children, was when it comes to protecting Mother Nature.
Some speakers have great oratorical skills honed by their expertise, skills, and lifetime experience in various field; however, as I read her speech or listened to it and found it without any form of hypocrisy is luckily worth my time. I arduously felt the need to be a likeminded child and related with her who has love for everyone – not only with children her age – but also with all the other species on earth, not including the abiotic components of the world. Hence, I strongly believe that my choice of speaker Suzuki is invaluable such that her speech is still as relevant even when nearly two decades have passed.
Furthermore, I have opted to write about Suzuki because the very title of her speech, “An appeal to future generations,” is still the theme of many environmental advocacy groups and organizations. I even like to repeatedly read or listen to Suzuki’s expressive style and rendering of how young individuals like her can make a lasting contribution to humanity and its posterity. I understood more that her speech that it will always be a constant reminder for us all not to abuse the earth so that it will keep on sustaining lives. Without our living planet, there is no other place we can go to live life through. So far, human and other lives are only dependent here on earth.
Second: Which is the ingroup and what are the unifying values (ascribed status) that offers it solidarity? Provide some specific examples and explanations.
The in-group are children, biotic and abiotic components of the earth, as well as, future species and the mother earth itself. The unifying values or ascribed status that provides solidarity is children’s right to be taken care of by their stewards (such as, their parents, friends, co-community members, leaders, etc.). For instance, I mentioned children in which Suzuki and her three friends were a part. It was Suzuki and her friends who founded ECO in fifth grade in Canada as a small group to help protect the environment. Specifically, the unifying value is to save mother earth in order for them and future generations to have a healthy environment.
In terms of Suzuki and his group’s ascribed status of their solidarity is among young generations who have but innocent and unheard of voices unless they speak for their rights to bring the pressing matter to the presence of these world delegates. Their status speaks for themselves that the older generations (i.e., adults), whether in the past or at present (not to mention future ones), are responsible and hence, those who are still alive have to take the necessary steps to right their wrongs in harming their surroundings that resulted to pollutions and endangerment of various species and mother earth herself.
In reiteration, the implication of the ingroup’s unifying values that provided solidarity is the concern of all organisms, specifically, young and adult human beings alike, to safeguard humanity from the perilous environmental activities. Much of what the ECO friends (i.e., Suzuki and his friends) mentioned about environmental degradation and misuse are not only factual and pertinent information, but also carry with them caveats of various sorts. For instance, unless we care for all human species and non-human things, all our efforts will just come to waste. As evident from the causes and effects of utilizing resources from the mother earth, everything is related to everything else.
Third: What stereotype (i.e., prejudice, subordination, or discrimination) is the ingroup challenging? Provide some specific examples and explanations.
Suzuki and his ingroup are challenging the stereotypes of simply using the environment for their own selfish motives and activities. She mentioned how many people are greedy for all types of things that they forget to give mutual care for things they just obtain from their surroundings. For example, when it comes to prejudice or partiality that prevents objective considerations of an environmental issue, such as global warming, people around the world experience its effect, however, they simply attribute it to natural causes and not because of human irresponsible intervention. Additionally, they may argue that it is all up to various governments across the globe to take all the necessary actions without having in mind that it all starts with each of the individual adult members of society.
In view of adult supervision, Suzuki and her group believed that adults or older societal members are not taking the lead to a better world (for instance, in protecting the environment). Suzuki pointed out that is really the case even when adults care for their loved one but not the whole of humanity in their own little ways. Just think of the myriad examples and adverse effects adult populations have caused to the environment such that the air, water, and soil are polluted beyond recognition (hyperbole) and repair. Hence, she called for a deep reflection and for an action among adults to change their ways of managing the environment. She reiterated in her speech how she would like to transcend all sorts of stereotype to right things while there is still time.
Part of Suzuki’s first-hand observation and indirect experiences on discrimination is the unfair treatment of individuals, groups, or nations based on human services distribution. She mentioned about starving children worldwide whose plights are not immediately given redress. Additionally, she gave as a gross example of dying animals across the globe whose conditions What Suzuki and her ECO group want are for them to have a voice in their stake of taking their share in saving mother earth.
Fourth: In my view, did the members of the ingroup conspire to subordinate the outgroup, or was the ingroup merely operating within the social structure of its time?
In my view, I believe that the members of the in-group did not conspire to subordinate the outgroup because it was a matter of chain reactive consequences that resulted to countless environmental problems and issues that humanity has experienced in modern times due to industrialization, overpopulation, inter alia. Most, if not all, people are simply living in the moment that they usually fail to reflect over the long-term consequences of their decisions and actions. However, that does not make them unaccountable for their actions because it has caused great unfavorable repercussions to the whole planet. Nevertheless, given that adults, especially parents, only wish and act for the best of their children, it is totally unwholesome to blame it all on them. Despite of that, what is needed during Suzuki’s speech until this present moment is to find appropriate actions than keep pointing our fingers to one another.
Moreover, I also do that not subscribe to the idea that the ingroup merely were operating within the social structure of their time. All people have their time here on earth. Some individuals simply have the courage, foresight, vision, dreams, etc. for a better future. They do not see things from a myopic view. When they see something in them worth contributing to society and future generations, they act with decisiveness and strength of character to overcome any hurdles present in their ways and to those they come by. Nevertheless, granting without accepting that the ingroup was merely operating within the social structure of its time, they have their own minds, free will, time, inter alia to do what they believe in to be the right thing to do. Even when former adults who left the world were to be blamed for causing much of the environmental maladies, Suzuki addressed those who can partake in taking the much-needed initiatives to change for the better in managing all the resources left in our disposal.
Fifth: How have my attitudes toward stereotype been influenced by the agents of socialization (e.g., family, peer groups, schools, and media?)
Socialization processes influenced my attitudes towards stereotypes (discrimination, subordination, prejudice). I am both a product of nature and nurture. My parents brought me out in this world. As I grow up, I learned from them and other family members the things that would mold and reshape me into the kind of person I would be. Even when I have my own predisposition, understanding, talents, and so forth, my family members’ and communities’ beliefs, norms, standards, and attitudes affected me directly or indirectly. Even the media helped me see fantasy shows and the reality of life. It seems that children often like to imagine things for good. However, the harsh realities of Suzuki’s observations and knowledge of the world of facts made her to deliver a speech that will give voice to children of her age and to future generations about taking care of them and their surroundings.
Unsurprisingly, the attitudes that I grew up with, especially, during my foundational years have impressed in me a few sorts of stereotypes. I believe that they can be corrected. The cliché to act locally and think globally can be used either way in this age of the Internet. I can make a lasting change myself about how to better care for our environment. I think it is time to leave unproductive thinking to higher level of critical thoughts while taking positive actions to mend things. I might as well internalize in me Suzuki’s appeal to me and future generations to be constantly on guard to share what I have to others to at least minimize or obliterate pollutions, starvation, environmental mistreatments, and so on in my own special ways. For instance, I can donate to reputable non-profit organizations that care for malnourished children in some parts of the globe. These days, all it takes is a tender loving care with an extended hand and finger by pressing on a touch screen.
References
BC BookWorld. (n.d.). Cullis-Suzuki, Severn. Retrieved from abcbookworld.com: www.abcbookworld.com/view-author.php?id-2910
Cullis-Suzuki, S. (1994). An appeal to future generations. Earth Island Journal, 9(2), 41.
speedybo's island. (1992). Severn Suzuki speaking at UN Earth Summit 1992. Retrieved from Youtube.com: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uZsDlixzyAY
