Schools’ Conference

Themed: ‘Our Common Voice for Justice’, this year’s annual Schools’ Conference was deemed by more than one Headteacher as “the most inspiring yet.” Our Heads, Chairs and staff, as well as Network colleagues, gathered at the Hayes Conference Centre in early October to focus on how justice and human rights education can be best implemented in our schools. We were so fortunate to have experts from our global network from Africa and India to lead this conference. Day one was facilitated by our visitors from Justice Desk Africa, CEO Jessica Dewhurst and young human rights defenders Mieshane Roberts and Talisha Mpoyiya and day two was led by Steve Rocha, National Director and Souran Mishra, young child rights activist from Pratyek/ NineisMine India.

Starter activities from JDA helped us learn about human rights and injustices in an interactive and inspiring way, and really set the tone of the conference. School leaders soon concluded that more can be done in terms of social justice and advocacy work in their schools, and that charity, whilst important, tends to settle things down, whereas what we are called to do, as Edmund Rice people is ‘stir things up’ with advocacy and human rights defence work.  It is essential, as leaders of the ethos and mission in schools, that Headteachers and Governors facilitate opportunities for engagement amongst students and staff in advocacy work. A gathering such as this, which really focussed on being the change we want to see in the world, really opened our eyes to the need to highlight rights, equality, justice and peace in our school communities – and that, as the privileged top 20% globally, by being born where we are and with the access to education that we have, it our job to speak and act for and with those who are not able to enjoy these comforts, rights and entitlements.  #EducationforJustice