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Recently I've been thinking about becoming a civil rights/peace activist. Even though I know that in some cases you wouldn't need a degree for this, but I still want a college degree no matter what. Anyone know any good majors for this?

By Daffodil22 (Daffodil22) on Saturday, September 25, 2004 - 04:55 pm: Edit

Political science, sociology, anthropology, and psychology would all prepare you for being a peace activist.

Some schools offer minors in peace studies and/or confilict resolution.

By Hoo_29 (Hoo_29) on Saturday, September 25, 2004 - 04:57 pm: Edit

GW has an international affairs school with lots of options. Check out the school, and I think that they have an IA degree with a concentration that you are looking for. Maybe some colleges have Peace Studies or maybe delve into politics with a political science major.

By Taffy (Taffy) on Saturday, September 25, 2004 - 06:24 pm: Edit

International Relations
History
Legal Studies

By Digmedia (Digmedia) on Saturday, September 25, 2004 - 06:26 pm: Edit

(grad school) - Various law specializations: constitutional, civil rights, international.

So - whatever undergrad takes you in that direction.

By Thinkingoutloud (Thinkingoutloud) on Saturday, September 25, 2004 - 11:27 pm: Edit

A number of colleges have majors or minors in Peace Studies. Tufts has an excellent undergrad program. Cornell has an excellent graduate minor program. Some colleges also have programs in conflict resolution.

Peace activist is a very broad career description and my suggestion may not hit the mark in your case; but here goes. There is a difference between those who talk about peace and those to create circumstances that actually foster peace. For example, if you were to travel to a third world country with a lot of unemployment and two groups who disliked each other immenseley and tried to tell them that they should get along, your success may be limited. On the other hand, if you were to help them create jobs that focused their attention on work, I suspect you may be more successful. From the prospective of an impoverished country, I suspect people living in the country would prefer to have someone come to teach them new job skills to someone come to preach to them about getting along with their neighbors. I would recommend that if you wish to pursue a peace studies program, that you also develope an expertise in some field of study that you can pass on to others and immediately benefit them.

By Newnudad (Newnudad) on Monday, September 27, 2004 - 03:59 pm: Edit

Best language for Peace Activest used to be Russian, but that's no good anymore... maybe Chinese or Farsi?

I understand that the smart Carthoginian peace activests all learned Latin...

Mea Culpa, Couldn't resist this one!

By Testertest (Testertest) on Friday, October 08, 2004 - 12:25 am: Edit

Join the military. Understand that politians start wars and the military ends them. Military people understand the limitations of war and the ultimate futility of destruction. Our current political situation is an example. Further more the Generals also know that this "war" is not an about armies fighting together but a war of religion, sovereignty, and oil. Its not even a war of the "cold" war which was an economic war.

Become a general and may be you can prevent a war and if necessary end one.

By Testertest (Testertest) on Friday, October 08, 2004 - 12:28 am: Edit

Join the military. Understand that politians start wars and the military ends them. Military people understand the limitations of war and the ultimate futility of destruction. Our current political situation is an example. Further more the Generals also know that this "war" is not an about armies fighting together but a war of religion, sovereignty, and oil. Its not even a war of the "cold" war which was an economic war.

Become a general and may be you can prevent a war and if necessary end one.

By Philvid2 (Philvid2) on Friday, October 08, 2004 - 09:14 pm: Edit

Colgate offers a peace studies major.