‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.’
The Edmund Rice Justice Meet is an online platform that was initiated last year by St. Columba’s School with an objective to showcase the global principles of Social Justice as exemplified and embodied in the work of the Edmund Rice Family across the world.
This year, however, a new element was added to this annual meet by the introduction of a two-day inter-school workshop titled, The Edmund Rice Just Together Workshop, which was held on the 17th and 18th of July and preceded the mega-event. The workshop was attended by 75 students and 12 social justice animators from 10 Edmund Rice schools in India.
The topic for the two-day Workshop (and the ER JUSTICE MEET) was ‘BUILDING INCLUSIVE & RESILIENT COMMUNITIES IN THE COVID ERA’.
The participants of the workshop discussed the theme in small groups and listened to inputs by various experts on topics including - resilience, inclusive communities and effects of the pandemic on the vulnerable. The student leaders also got a chance to learn how to design campaigns and action projects to help their local communities.
The Meet this year was held on the 1st of September with more than 300 participants comprising school students, principals, social justice animators, Brothers, members of other congregations, NGO partners, and other guests from across India and the world.
The programme concluded with a short input by the director, Bro. Ralph Sequeira on the theme of The Way Forward which outlined how schools can take the work of embedding social justice in curriculum further.
It was a really enlightening event for all the delegates.
The panellists this year were:
Ms. Joyita Ambett (Co-Founder, Mudita Foundation, New Delhi),
Ms. Jessica Dewhurst (Founder – The Justice Desk, South Africa)
Dr. Amit Sen (Mental Health Professional and Co-Founder – Children First India)
Bro. E. V. Miranda (Principal, St. Columba’s School, New Delhi).
The moderator of the panel was Ms. Neha Pradhan Arora (Educator and Development-Sector Professional).
