THE voices of hundreds of Catholic school students joined in unison in the fight against poverty at 13 simultaneous “Live 8” lunchtime concerts on March 17.
The synchronised concerts, instigated by a community action team at Clairvaux MacKillop College, Upper Mt Gravatt, helped raise awareness of the Make Poverty History campaign.
Clairvaux MacKillop students had been actively involved in the Make Poverty History campaign last year, celebrating white band days, selling fair trade coffee and chocolate and signing 500 petition postcards.
The college invited a number of schools to attend its first Live 8 concert last year. This year it asked them to join voices for the simultaneous concerts.
Carmel College, Cleveland; Chisholm College, Cornubia; Iona College, Lindum; Loreto College, Coorparoo; Our Lady’s College, Annerley; San Sisto College, Carina; St John’s College, Nambour, St John Fisher College, Bracken Ridge; St Michael’s College, Carrara; St Thomas More College, Sunnybank; Trinity College, Beenleigh; Xavier Catholic College, Hervey Bay; St Bernard’s Primary School, Upper Mt Gravatt and Mt Maria College, Mitchelton took part.
Caritas archdiocesan director Patricia Ryan, Caritas global education adviser Jennifer Byrne and Julie Sebire from Oxfam attended the Clairvaux MacKillop concert, opened by Brisbane State High band Majesty.
Clairvaux MacKillop campus minister Sandra Allen said while money to fight poverty was raised during the concerts the event was more about raising awareness.
Ms Allen said she hoped the concerts would help high school students understand that by providing more and better aid, by making fairer trade agreements and by releasing poor developing countries from their debt, justice was served.
