Year 10 Social Justice Program

Last week, during Social Justice week, Year 10 had the privilege of attending a number of talks and activities, ranging from hearing the stories of survivors to helping hands on in community organisations. Every activity was eye opening and engaging, and it was wholly an inspiring immersion into social justice in our community.

There were several talks from survivors, including from Uncle Roger, a Gumbaynggirr man who lived through the Stolen Generation, and Amedee and Lidis, who survived the genocide in Rwanda. Dr Ari Lander, in conversation with Uncle Roger, led an extremely engaging discussion linking the similarities between different genocides, including the Stolen Generation, Rwandan genocide, and the Holocaust. Listening to Uncle Roger’s stories of his time in Kinchela Boy’s Home, and his loss of culture and identity through the government policy was a huge insight into the impact that assimilation policies had on First Nation’s Australians, and his personal retelling gave me more awareness on the topic than any history lesson ever could. Uncle Roger’s explanation of how he overcame the trauma inflicted on his childhood through forgiveness and how his reuniting with the “Kinchela Boys” has gotten him through the rest of his life was truly inspiring. Amadee and Ladis both told their differing perspectives of the genocide in Rwanda, and while hearing their life stories was confronting and saddening, their lives now in Australia with their wives and children kindled a sense of hope for a better future after genocide.

Ms Salakas’ talk on refugees was equally riveting, and I especially enjoyed her hypothetical explanation of becoming a refugee, which made her talk all the more engaging and brought a sense of reality.

There were several hands-on activities where we got to physically create or do things for organisations such as Our Big Kitchen, Days for Girls, and Thread Together. It was really exciting to be able to hear about how these enterprises help people in our community and around the world who are struggling due to poverty and inequality, and then be able to physically help them make a difference. For example, with Days for Girls, everyone had a different role in creating reusable period products to send to developing countries, where girls are missing school and life opportunities due to not having access to personal hygiene products. My personal favourite activity was at Thread Together, where we sorted through thousands of clothing items that would’ve otherwise gone to landfill, as a part of Thread Together’s initiative to provide clothes to those in need.

The finale of Social Justice week was a traditional smoking ceremony with Locky and Fleur, who led a cathartic ceremony, where we learnt about the significance of smoking ceremonies in First Nations Peoples’ culture for healing and strengthening.

Social Justice week was one of the most enjoyable and inspiring weeks all year, and it was such a privilege to be handed to opportunity to help in the community.

Emily Taylor
Year 10