Ralph Nader has organized an event to inspire young people who have hopes of making an impact on the country in a positive way through those who have already done so.
Hood College students have been invited to attend the Breaking Through Power event in Washington D.C. This event will feature several speakers who have inflicted change throughout the country.
Nader himself will host a variety of talks on matters including: “The Underutilization of Tort Law,” “Overcoming Civic Apathy,” “The Winning Strategy—and Proclamation,” and others. Hood students have been invited to attend the convention’s opening day, on Monday, Sep. 26.
On Monday, the line of sessions include: “Power for the People—What Our Energy Policy Should Be” with S. David Freeman, “Teaching Taxes—Politics and Practice” with John Fox, “How Congress Really Works” with Joan Claybrook, “A Citizen’s Guide to Freeing the Press” with Janine Jackson, “Small Claims Courts—the People’s Courts—Why Not Use Them?” with Oliver Hall, “Public Sentiment and Social Change—What it Takes” with Peter Dreier, “Overcoming Civic Apathy” with Ralph Nader, “Building A Movement” with Karen Hobert Flynn, and many more.
Other events throughout the week include “The Underutilization of Tort Law” which includes information regarding Tort Law and how people can use it properly. This specific law is for people who are wrongfully injured due to hospital malpractices.
According to a Johns Hopkins study, this happens to about 250 thousand people every year and only 3 percent of next of kin will bring a lawsuit against a hospital. This session will explore why people do not use the law and how they can benefit from it instead.
According to Nader, this will open up an opportunity for college students to see what the current generations have done and what they can continue to do in order to provoke change.
Although students may feel that the event is above their educational level, Nader feels that events like these are key to learning.
Nader said, “If you have low expectations of young people they will oblige you. If you have high expectations of young people they will surprise you.”
Nader considers himself to be an example of what one individual can do to promote change. He believes that one of his biggest accomplishments is the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act in 1966.
This bill has saved approximately 3.5 million premature deaths, not including injuries and other related incidents. This is due to Nader’s knowledge and desire to promote change in the world after losing several friends in car accidents.
This event as a whole will demonstrate to students that it is easier to make change than they might believe. It will be hosted by leading experts in a variety of fields, and Nader hopes that this convention will teach civics to people from the perspective of those who have actively participated in it.
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