
G 9-Adult
Rory O'Connor
"Important truth - more than anything else, that is what Rights
and Wrongs is about."
- New York Daily News
- PBS
Rights and Wrongs in America features three programs that examine intolerance as a cause of violence, the impact of childhood poverty, and existing programs and potential solutions that promote greater tolerance and peaceful conflict resolution. The programs are part of the acclaimed Rights and Wrongs television series on human rights, broadcast on many PBS stations. Each program features three distinct segments on the subject.
Video 1
Building Tolerance, 26 min.
Intolerance is
a primary cause of racial violence, hate crimes and attacks
on civil rights. What are the roots of intolerance, how is
it manifested today, and what can be done to build greater tolerance?
- Segment One: This segment examines the rising tide of intolerance in America, the impact of recent campaigns opposing illegal immigrants and affirmative action, and profiles several community activists and programs that promote tolerance, including the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles.
- Segment Two: Daryll Williams was permanently paralyzed by a racist sniper's bullet at the height of Boston's busing crisis. Today, he is a powerful role model, promoting tolerance instead of hate, and peaceful conflict resolution instead of violence.
- Segment Three: Author and Harvard Professor Cornel West discusses the origins and meaning of today's intolerance.
Video 2
Combatting
Childhood Poverty, 26 min.
One
out of every four American children lives in poverty. How
can childhood poverty be reduced? What role, if any, should
the federal government play? This program examines two federally
funded programs that are making a real difference in the lives
of poor children in two very distinct communities, and talks
with America's leading advocate for children.
- Segment One: In one of New York City's poorest neighborhoods, the Rheedlen Center is working to combat the effects of youth poverty by providing quality preventive social services to children and their families.
- Segment Two: Amidst the poverty of Appalachia, the life of a self-described "skinhead" was turned around by his involvement in an innovative cultural organization called Appalshop.
- Segment Three: Marian Wright Edelman, the founder and director of the Children's Defense Fund, presents her views on investing in our nation's children.
Video 3
Creating Peace, 29 min.
How can
young people help prevent conflicts, both at the local and
global level? What lessons from international peace efforts
can be applied in our communities and schools?
- Segment One: A conference of young adults from five conflict zones, including America's inner cities, discusses with top international peace negotiators the key principles for resolving conflict, including dialogue and tolerance.
- Segment Two: Nobel Peace Prize winner and holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel talks about the lessons of international peacemaking, and how they apply to our own domestic conflicts. He encourages young people to fight despair by getting involved in finding solutions.
- Segment Three: At an elementary school in Brooklyn, students are learning how to resolve their conflicts as part of a broader program to prevent violence and promote tolerance. 11 year-old Jacqueline Gomez points out, "What goes on here in the playground and what happens between countries is similar."