MORE than 100 teenagers stood up for justice, equality and freedom on February 8 at Marist College, Ashgrove when they committed to Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion.
Mt St Michael’s College seniors Laura Gartry, Sophie Tighe and myself, along with Marist College’s Josh Conroy were the students behind the launch, spurred on by a life-changing experience last year at Caritas Australia’s Festival of Global Concern in Sydney.
Students from other Catholic schools including Lourdes Hill College and Brigidine College joined the crowd for an evening of justice-filled entertainment.
The crowd was moved to groove by the Peace Mongers (a trio led by former teacher Ann Morgan), singing and dancing our way into what will be a heart-felt 2008 campaign.
In two hours students were transported to Vanuatu, East Timor, the Solomon Islands and Cambodia by powerful personal stories and reflections that reminded us just of how lucky we are.
“The great challenge for us is to change the cause of poverty by taking less ourselves. We are incredibly fortunate to be able to make a choice … to live more simply,” Ms Morgan said.
Student Josh Conroy reinforced that thought, saying: “We receive unimaginable good from giving from the heart.”
While the Mt St Michael’s girls expressed the need to surpass Caritas Australia’s set goal for the nation of $9.7million, the Marist boys talked about MAPS (Marist Asia Pacific Solidarity) and the need to continue the support to our brothers and sisters in the Pacific.
COURTENAY GRANT-WAKEFIELD
social justice prefect, Mt St Michael’s College, Ashgrove
