2022 | Issue 10 | SJC Newsletter

In the last week of Term 2 the College celebrated World Refugee week.

The theme for Refugee week this year was healing.

About this year’s Refugee Week theme: As a result of the global pandemic, Australia and the rest of the world have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hit the reset button on how we behave towards one another. The importance of human connections has been underscored by the pandemic and such lessons can help us in so many ways.  Mainstream and refugee communities alike can draw upon shared hardship to heal wounds, to learn from each other and to move forward. Healing can occur through storytelling, through community and also through realisation of our intrinsic interconnectedness as individuals.  The common theme is a reminder of our role as individuals and as a wider St Joseph’s community to engage with acts of healing and storytelling in an attempt to work towards rejuvenation. 2022 cannot just ‘be another year’. Let it be a year which allows us to heal together and emerge as a more fulfilled and connected society.

It reminds us that during these last few years of the pandemic, we all might have felt lonely and isolated at times, and we know how difficult it can be. As a community during Refugee week, we sought to learn and understand how these feelings of isolation has been amplified from a refugee’s perspective. In order to heal, we know the power of inclusion vs. exclusion, integration rather than segregation and more importantly, feel empowered to help someone feel less alone. It means recognising and valuing how much refugees can contribute to our community.

This ties into this year’s Catholic theme where ‘Anything is possible with God’ (Luke 18:27)

Matthew 19:26
“Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’” Our faith tradition calls us to people of hope and faith. Just as Edmund Rice drew of his faith during the many trials and challenges of his life, it wasn’t until he turned 40 did he open his first school. Many refugees and asylum seekers of various faith traditions share the common belief of the Golden Rule that we should ‘treat one another as we’d like to be treated.’ They wait in faith and hope that for the possibility that they will be welcomed and find a new safe haven for their families to heal and begin a new life.

As a College, students and staff participated in events and learning activities inside and outside of classrooms to recognise the enormous positive contribution people with refugee backgrounds and people seeking asylum contribute to our society.

After delaying it for a year, we were finally able to host a film night in partnership with CRAG – Combined Refugee Action Group of Geelong. It was a great turn out from our community with many staff, students, families and friends of our SJC community attending a screening of ‘Scattered People’. All ticket sales, raffle tickets and merchandise sold on the evening went directly to CRAG and the total amount raised on the night was $1,752.05. CRAG advocates for refugee policies in Australia that are informed by the UN Refugee Convention and Protocol, and that are developed in partnership with our regional neighbours, to ensure the safety of vulnerable people seeking asylum. For more information please visit - http://craggeelong.com/

Another event which took place was the Circle of Solidarity in the Quad. Here we stood together to publicly recognise and show our support for people seeking asylum and express hope for a united future. Many thanks to the many staff and students who joined in during the lunchtime event recognising that indeed, Refugees are welcome here.