Eighty senior secondary students and teachers from twelve Catholic High schools attended the annual Sandhurst ‘Justice Matters Camp’ in Beechworth from 8-10 May.

The camp aims to provide a foundation for participants to develop a personal commitment to social justice. Participants heard from expert presenters about a range of social justice issues. Including: Sustainability; Climate Change; Justice for Aboriginal Australians; Poverty; Modern Slavery and Refugee issues.

‘Just Together” was a fitting theme for this year’s Justice Matters Camp which fosters working together with others towards a just world. Students enjoyed learning alongside fellow students from other Sandhurst schools, engaging in important discussions and sharing ideas as they grew in knowledge and developed better skills to be ready to make a difference.
The Opening night on Wednesday, featured A Climate Action Game, a simulation game for young people to introduce the connection between climate and the lives of venerable people around the world. “A very noisy, passionate experience!” commented a participant.

A variety of workshops followed over the course of the camp. Friday, the last day of the camp, was an Action Planning Day, which spurred the young participants on to put their newfound knowledge and passion for justice into action in their own communities.
Many of the participants will be working with their schools’ social justice teams to implement strategies they have learned. No doubt, they will continue to share ideas and actions with new friends they made at the Social Justice Camp – working together and taking steps towards a more just world.