The Seeds of Justice conference held on Thursday 19 May was an online event that gave our students the opportunity to connect with other Mercy schools all around Australia and to look at key social justice issues that we face in our society today. The 2022 theme for this day was ‘Together in Mercy: Welcoming the Stranger’.
This year, there was a focus placed on refugees and the difficulty of seeking asylum and settling in Australia. Hearing the first-hand experience of two women from Afghanistan was a real eye opener for us, as they retold some of the hardships and horrific experiences they had experienced. Our students also had the opportunity to work with other schools as they participated in various seminars such as: Advocacy and Action for Individuals, Practical Ways we can help our Schools and Social Justice in the Wider World.
Overall, the conference reinforced to us all just how truly blessed we are. Thank you to the students and Deputy Principal — Mission Ms Elizabeth Keogh and Barak Campus Director Mr Kamahl Russell who participated in the day.
Below are some student reflections of the conference:
“It made me really think about those that have been through so much suffering and how unfair some of the laws and stereotypes are against asylum seekers and refugees.”
— Daniel Macfarlane (Year 11 Jade)
“I gained a sense of awareness about the issues that refugees face. I feel motivated and ready to help out, by participating in charities and events that go towards helping to aid refugees.”
— Jena Schaak (Year 10 White)
“I realised that not everyone gets given the same opportunity as others. Some people get offered more things in a year than someone else might get offered in their lifetime. Having understanding of where you are and where your family is is such an important part of life. Your family are your stabilisers. Not everything that gets said is what really happens, lies can seem so intriguing. They can seem like everything can change your life around, when really they can make it worse. The main thing that I took from the Seeds of Justice conference is not to take anything that you have for granted.”
— Olivia Vandenberg (Year 11 Green)
