ACT FOR PEACE RATION CHALLENGE

As the term comes to an end, so does the Act for Peace Ration Challenge. As a school we decided to participate again in the Challenge as it aligns so well with our school values and also with Catholic Social Teachings. It allows students to recognise the level of privilege they have compared to others and the responsibility to their neighbour. This year we had four staff and sixteen students take part in the Challenge over the last two weeks.

The Act for Peace Ration Challenge raises awareness of the injustices experienced by refugees. Catholic Social Teaching holds that any person who is forced to move to preserve their lives or human dignity has a moral claim on the hospitality of others. Pope John XXIII wrote “Every human being has the right to freedom of movement and of residence within the confines of (their) own country; and, when there are just reasons for it, the right to emigrate to other countries and take up residence there. The fact that one is a citizen of a particular state does not detract in any way from (their) membership in the human family as a whole, nor from his citizenship in the world community.” Because every human person, regardless of one’s legal status or geographic location, has a transcendent dignity that must always be respected, people on the move should enjoy the full range of human rights and others (we) have a duty to see that they are respected, protected and fulfilled. In undertaking the Challenge our students and staff were sort to recognise the rights of refugees.

A huge congratulations to those that took part this year and a big thank you to those who donated. At this point we have raised over $4000 dollars for refugees.

There is still time to donate so if you would still like to you can go to the following link- https://schools.rationchallenge.org.au/st-mary-mac-killop-college-swan-hill