Seeds of Justice
From 15 to 16 May, six senior students and two staff members from our College attended the Seeds of Justice Student Conference at the Holy Cross Centre in Templestowe. The two-day event brought together students from Mercy schools across Victoria to explore the theme: Voices of the Displaced: Journeys of Hope and Justice.
The conference aimed to deepen students' understanding of the complex realities faced by refugees and stateless individuals. The conference featured an interactive presentation from Professor Michelle Foster, Dean of the Melbourne University Law School who helped students to understand the definition of a Refugee, the history of the Refugee Convention and Refugee Law and the challenges faced by so many millions of refugees today.
The second highlight of the Conference was the Panel Discussion about lived experience of refugees and their families. The panel was comprised of Maye, a refugee from Syria who lives in Melbourne and dedicates her life to helping newly arrived refugees, Nicholas, an English and RE Teacher who immigrated from Kenya and has spent many years working with Refugees in Africa and in Melbourne. Finally, the panel included three incredible students from St Aloysius whose families have experienced life as Refugees. Sara, Mary and Lila spoke from the heart with great wisdom and insight. Their stories of resilience and hope inspired students to reflect on their roles in promoting justice and compassion within their communities.
The conference not only educated attendees about global displacement issues but also encouraged them to become "pilgrims of hope," advocating for positive change and understanding. It was a transformative experience that underscored the importance of empathy, awareness, and action in addressing the plight of the displaced.
We travelled to the Holy Cross Centre in Templestowe to participate in the annual overnight Seeds of Justice Conference. The theme of discussion this year was “War, Displaced people, Refugees and Asylum Seekers”. Gathered with many Mercy Schools across Victoria, we were also privileged to hear from panel members and a keynote speaker, all of whom passionately shared different perspectives and experiences on refugeeism. Everything that was shared over the conference created new learning opportunities and points for reflection on how to foster refugee awareness within our own communities. Something I will never forget is the idea that refugees are not people to fix but people to journey with. And even though we were there for 2 days, I know we will always hold onto the friendships we made.
Tadala Nkhoma, Social Justice Prefect
Lauren Marquet
Mercy in Action Leader