By Anthony Barich
PERTH students are being encouraged to attend a Canberra conference that will equip them with knowledge and skills to help tackle global poverty.
Caritas Australia and Young Christian Students are facilitating part of a unique conference in Canberra in September that will help youth consider how global poverty might be drastically reduced.
The two social justice organisations will facilitate the Youth Stream – which commenced in 2007 – for up to 60 youth from across the country aged between 15 to 17, as part of the 17-20 September Voices for Justice conference in Hughes and Parliament House.
The conference has been organised by the Micah Challenge, a global coalition of Christians including churches, Christian aid agencies and individuals speaking out against poverty and injustice and encouraging Australia’s leaders to halve global poverty by 2015.
Micah Challenge is offering a group of students, including some from WA, the chance to participate in its annual Voices for Justice programme that seeks to enhance students’ awareness and empower them to take action around the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the Australian political context.
Students will need to fund themselves, or fundraise through their school to attend the conference.
The conference includes campaign training to acquire skills and confidence in taking action against global poverty. Participants then meet various politicians in Parliament House to campaign on issues surrounding the MDGs.
The MDGs, adopted by world leaders in 2000, focus on eradicating extreme poverty and hunger; achieve universal primary education; promote gender equality; reduce child mortality; improve maternal health; combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases; ensure environmental sustainability; and develop a global partnership for development.
The 12,000 names on the scroll were handwritten by a group of around 30 volunteers over a 1 month period The scroll was presented to the Prime Minister Rudd on 22 June 2010 at a key public event of Voices for Justice. The 12,000 names on the scroll were of people who have signed the Micah Call – a statement of faith in support of the aims of Micah Challenge (to Make Poverty History). Over time more than 113 000 Australians have signed the Micah Call.
Last year, 320 youth held over 140 appointments with MPs and Senators while 67 politicians signed the campaign’s 40m scroll including then-Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, who also addressed the Signature Event.
For more info go to
www.micahchallenge.org.au.