St Joseph's Nudgee College

July 6, 2010

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Four St Joseph’s Nudgee College students were among more than 300 high school students who attended the Social Justice Youth Forum recently.

The forum was held at Australian Catholic University's (ACU) Brisbane Campus and discussed social responsibility and the moral and ethical dimensions of life. 

The 2010 keynote speaker was businesswoman and psychologist Ms Therese Rein.

In 1989, Ms Rein founded a business to assist people with disabilities to return to or enter the workforce. She is also a member of the Honorary Board of the International Paralympic Committee and the National Association for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect, as well as various others.

During her address, Ms Rein asked the students to think about what is unjust in society.

"I ask you to ... get in touch with what disturbs you, to identify what you think is unacceptable or unjust," she said.

"And then, having listened, I encourage you to turn that outrage into action. I urge you to find a way to do something effective about it."

The My Story guest speaker was ACU student and social justice advocate, Zach Woodward. Zach has worked with organisations such as St Vincent de Paul and the Passionists social justice group, and has recently returned from a pilot outreach program in remote Indigenous communities.

Zach said he hoped his involvement in the Social Justice Youth Forum would motivate others to get involved.

"It was great to be involved and I hope what I said proved to the students that they can get involved in social justice activities in their everyday lives," Zach said.

Professor Gabrielle McMullen, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at ACU, said the forum gave students “the chance to actively participate in a range of lectures and workshops conducted by social justice concern groups such as Caritas, and ACU staff and students”.

"We hope that by holding a social justice forum these young students have been inspired with a sense of social responsibility and concern for the dignity of all human beings," she said.