Detailed Instructions for the Commitment Statement Paper

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Commitment Statement ASSIGNMENT                                            

Your final Assignment will help you gather up your thoughts about all we have explored in Dimensions. Your commitment statement is your unique response as to your LIFE at this moment in light of our “Dimensions Journey together“.

This 4-6 page PAPER has three parts.

The key questions are:  What do you care about and what concrete commitment(s) can you make to manifest that commitment in your life?

1.     Start by identifying something that matters to you, particularly some area of life that needs healing and help. This can be an internal personal issue (self-improvement) OR it can an issue in the larger society that is crying out for your help.

 

Examples of the former (Self-Improvement) might be:

·       Giving attention to healing a past or current trauma or loss that you need to address because it is holding you back.

·       Making changes in your lifestyle to better reflect your values (ex. reduce or eliminate substance use, address unhealthy relationship patterns, live in a more ecological fashion, become more politically engaged, etc.)

·       Develop strategies for improved health/mental health, etc.

 

Examples of Societal issues might be:

§  Climate Change

§  The Environment (clean drinking water, pollution, plastics in the ocean, etc.)

§  Protecting Voting rights

§  Homelessness

§  Making Health Care more accessible

§  Immigration issues

§  Women’s rights

§  Native American Rights

§  Human Trafficking

§  Education for all

§  Dismantling racism

§  Student loan debt

§  Wilderness Preservation

§  Prison & Sentencing Reform

§  Human Rights Violations

§  Endangered species (bees, wolves, elephants, animal protection, etc.)

§  Black Lives Matter

§  Discrimination against AAPI

§  Literacy

§  Veteran’s concerns

§  Child soldiers

§  Hunger  (worldwide/local)

§  World Health Issues (HIV, access to maternal & prenatal care, vaccines, etc.)

§  _________________________ fill in the blank – whatever speaks to you!

 

2.     Next, identify some resources/organizations that can help to ameliorate some of these problems. Make a list of these resources and then choose three (3) to research. Keep track of your research information & sources. You will need to include this information in your paper. If your resources are actual organizations, find out if they have local “chapters”. If possible, contact at least one (two is better) by phone and find out ways you could potentially get involved as a volunteer to help.

 

3.     Think about what you realistically can commit to doing.. Everybody can do something to make themselves or this world a better place.  What is one thing you will commit to doing? Identify the personal risks you might have to take to come out of your own “cave” by doing so.

Speak to these four KEY questions:

1. Which of the issues we’ve explored in Dimensions matter most to you and why?

2. Describe how you can connect more to the larger issues and concerns of the world we have explored in this course? 

3. What specific commitment will you make now as a result? 

4. And most critical of all what will you DO (i.e. how will you live your commitment)?

 

 

 

  1. The PAPER (FORMAT: Three parts - Total length -4-6 pages)  – 3 drafts required.

Final Draft Due April 29 – no late papers accepted.

 

☼ REQUIRED - Submit your Statement to Tutor.com for help editing each part with multiple drafts. Due to the volume of work Tutor.com has have the last two weeks of class, submit your drafts very early.

 

When you submit your final paper, include ALL three versions including feedback from tutors.  

 

PART ONE – OPENING  (1-2 paragraphs up to 1 page)

 Introduce your Commitment and the thesis of this paper. In this portion also, make sure you tell enough history about yourself so that readers have a context for your Commitment and why it is important to you.

 

PART TWO –Body of your Paper. (2-4 pages)

 In this part, comb through your LOGS and the Forums and identify how your Commitment connects you with the writers, concepts, themes and human experiences we’ve studied in Dimensions. Be very specific about the passages and writers whose work spoke to you or inspired you.

  • YOU MUST include a minimum of 6 key quotes and passages from the readings that resonated for you that you wrote about in your logs and in the forums. Include page # and authors for all quotes.

 Discuss the important new insights you experienced from our class explorations and why are these important to you at this point in your life journey.

 

PART THREE: CONCLUSION (2-3 paragraphs up to 1 page)

 

 Address the questions that are on the page 1 of this handout, including specifics about your Commitment. Tell us about your research on organizations and specifically how you will commit to making a contribution. 

 

 Summarize and explain how this process of self-reflection has been personally meaningful for you.