Assalamu Alaikum (peace be unto you) everyone, my name is Ahmed Shareef. I am a rising sophomore majoring in Political Science and Sociology with plans to apply for the PPE (Philosophy, Politics, and Economics) major. I hope to attend law school after my time in LSA, so I can help people navigate the legal system and be comfortable with the laws of the country. Throughout my time in DCERP I will be working with the Southwest Detroit Community Justice Center, an organization that helps people recover from misdemeanors and other offenses without having to spend time in prison. As I sit here at my desk at 4:12 a.m. brainstorming what community means to me, I think of a group of people with a commitment to supporting each other. A “we are all in this together” type of group, one that does not act on individual interests but instead acts on the collective interests of its members. Consequently, whenever a group of people no longer feels connected, it is no longer a community. After only three days of working at the Southwest Detroit Community Justice Center, I am grateful for my ability to communicate with individuals in a down-to-earth manner. The way I see it, if you do not feel comfortable talking with others in an honest manner, then you are not able to learn from or benefit anyone. I would like to get familiar with the city and justice system of Detroit this summer. It is always interesting to me how people feel about the justice system and how the actions of such a system affect the day-to-day lives of its constituents. The more I spend time with my organization the more I realize how important the work they are doing is, therefore, nothing would make me prouder than leaving a positive impact on my organization by the end of this program. I am excited for the upcoming weeks of this program and look forward to keeping everyone updated through this blog.
As the Arabic proverb goes, “البحصة بتسند خابية” (a pebble can support a barrel).
Walaikum Assalam (and upon you be peace),
Ahmed
Hi Ahmed! Everyone makes mistakes and I’m glad that your organization is there to make sure that those mistakes do not determine the rest of a persons life. I would love to hear more about how your time at the site goes and what you accomplish. In the meantime, I hope that you have a great day and wish you luck for the rest of the summer!
Thank you for sharing, Ahmed! I liked reading your thoughts on community. I think it will be interesting to look for places and situations where a more collectivist approach is popular at our sites and other activities this summer, and I wonder how these definitions of community may develop by the end of the program.