Students plan news ways to ‘work for justice’

“If you want peace, work for justice” – Behind this well-known quote by Pope Paul VI lies a beguilingly difficult challenge. 

Of course, we all want ‘peace’, but do we even know what it means to ‘work for justice’? 

How equipped do we feel to act when confronted with an injustice, how compelled do we feel to act, how confident do we feel that we can make a difference to anyone – let alone everyone? 

In response to these questions, over recent years the ’Young Justice Leaders forum’ has provided some of the basic ideas and strategies for young people to begin to trial the ‘work for justice’ paradigm/exemplar. 

With too many of us, despite the best of intentions, feeling frozen or unsure where to start when we become aware of an injustice around us, the Young Justice Leaders forum (YJLF) aims to empower people to feel they do have options. 

When asked about nature of the Forum, Deputy Principal Ministry at Corpus Christi College Gemma Wooltorton, said “It is common for staff and students to respond to an injustice with a generous heart, we roll up our sleeves and raise funds, run the sausage sizzle or tree planting drive or whatever is required.  This responding to needs after they have arisen is important work.  Our Christian identity and Catholic schools have a proud and rich tradition in this regard, we are really good at this.”

“This program is about attending to the ‘upstream’ causes in these scenarios.  This is a shift from feeling powerless to affect change to the status quo, to beginning to understand how to transform attitudes, behaviours and policies that cause injustices,” Ms Wooltorton added.

The ‘Young Justice Leaders forums’ have previously been conducted in the style of a ‘leadership camp’ with elements of a formation retreat lasting up to three days, however, in 2021 the program has been remodelled. 

This year the YJL forum was a collaboration between four staff: Aquinas College Director of Justice, Advocacy and Formation Richard Mavros, Ms Wooltorton, Santa Maria College Dean of Students Rosa Speranza and Iona Presentation College Dean of Mission and Catholic Identity Gemma Thomson. Together these staff provided some preparatory sessions to be conducted within schools during June and staged two forum days across July and September.

While Day One, held at Iona Presentation College in July, focused on matters such as ‘How to plan a project or a campaign’ and ‘how this work is grounded in the Gospel’ – Day Two provided the opportunity for delegates to regather to share learnings gained from efforts made between the two days to implement a justice/advocacy project. Day two of the forum took place at Corpus Christi College on Tuesday, 28 September.

Around 100 delegates from secondary schools across the Archdiocese participated in a full day forum, giving up a day of their school holidays to do so.  Ms Speranza explains that the YJL forum fulfills a unique role, “each of us is not only obliged to notice injustices in the world and lend a hand to those in need – furthermore we are duty bound to identify the kind of world we believe we are intended to live in – a more just, kind, inclusive, sustainable and harmonious society.”

“Additionally, we must then learn the crucial skills and strategies for how, when and to whom we can propose this alternative to. It is only one part of the puzzle to imagine and hope for the ideal destination – it is another challenge to advocate for its adoption in ways that bring about real change, bringing us closer to the goal,” she added.

The students were provided with justice, peace, and advocacy formation and training grounded in the Gospel.  While networking with like-minded students, the delegates had time to practice and develop their own leadership capacity, their public speaking competencies, and even tested their project planning skills over a short timeline.  The Forum encouraged student delegates to return to their own school communities to plan their own Advocacy or Activism project or campaign.  Eleven secondary schools from across the Archdiocese have attempted to ‘…work for justice’ in new ways over the last two months.

Throughout the day student delegates gave presentations to each other about their fledgling campaigns and projects over the last few months.  Some campaigns were multifaceted and reached out to hundreds of students, other projects were more narrowly targeted in their scope, while some have completed the planning phase are on the verge of being launched.  Delegates shared highlights, challenges, and learnings.  Amidst the significant discussions and deliberations, there was also plenty of time for delegates to share a laugh as they found joy in their collective actions and the spirit with which they were embarking on these efforts.

One thing that was unanimous, was that they all feel more confident and competent for their next endeavours than they did before – in essence, this is the work of the YJL forum.  In discussing the purpose of the forum in 2021, Aquinas College Director of Justice, Advocacy and Formation Richard Mavros cited that one of the things we’re trying to do is give the young people in our care an opportunity to dig beneath the surface of the immediate needs facing so many in our society, to ask those “why” questions.

“Why is this injustice the way it is?  What is an alternative that we would prefer?  Then we must ask and discover who in our community has the opportunity, the authority and the capacity to make the changes that we seek?” Mr Mavros said.

Delegates are made aware that these questions can be difficult at least and even controversial, “After all, the status quo has become the status quo because it suits or even benefits a large section of the community…. Will they want to change….!?  Are we able to propose an alternative in such a way as to bring them to their senses… will the decision makers be willing to change…?”

Mr Mavros added that while the forum seeks to clearly distinguish the work for justice from the work of charity, this differentiation is not in any way a critique.  Instead, he is clear that one is grounded in and finds its purpose from the other. 

“When we put ourselves in relationships with those that life has disempowered or marginalised in some way, our innate empathy and compassion is awakened.  Empathy is a powerful gateway value, a motivator,” he explained.

“Only once we have put ourselves in the position whereby our heart can be moved, perhaps even broken, by the plight of another can we find the resolve to do the messy and complex work of seeking a more just world.”

“For those of us involved in Catholic Schools across the Archdiocese, our faith, the examples of Jesus and our founders compel us to not only respond to immediate needs, we must also actively work towards the liberation of others from whatever it is that diminishes their ability to live life to the full,” he affirmed.

Mr Mavros is hopeful that these kinds of programs provide “Education and formation in the areas of justice and peace to prepare people for action and advocacy. 

“This is not just a school life activity – it is intended to be something that the delegates can take with them when they begin their lives outside of school, it is intended to be part of how people, in this context students at Catholic Schools, orient themselves in the world.”

“This is one of the many ways we want to encourage the young people in our care to follow the Lord in their lives and to do so with the confidence and strategies to make a difference in the world around them.”  Ms Wooltorton concluded.