Danielle, Paul, Emily, Gabriel, April and Jade from our Vision Group volunteered their time to help with the stall. It was a great success with over a hundred brochures handed out. Next year it will be bigger and better with a MASSIVE Fair Trade Logo being organised I hear. Here are some pictures and as you can see the Fair Trade products were sizzling hot!

Have your say on what YOU think the Australian government should do about climate change. Because the truth of the matter is climate change is affecting the poorest countries the worst.

From September the 14th to the 18th anyone between the ages of 12-29 can vote online. We will be opening up G5 for Senior School students at lunchtime. For Middle School this will be integrated into English or humanities classes.

Get voting!

http://youthdecide.com.au/

Taking action: Glen Waverley Secondary College students Lakshan, Daniel and Caitlin gave up things they enjoyed for the 40 Hour Famine. Picture: Lucy Di Paolo

In his attempt to give a voice to the plight of a billion hungry people in the world, Glen Waverley Secondary College student DANIEL CHRISTIANSZ gave up talking during World Vision’s 40 Hour Famine.

BEING voiceless for 40 hours was a physical, psychological and emotional challenge. Perhaps I have taken for granted my ability and right, in Australia, to voice my opinion without fear. To forego something this important and imperative to my social and school life, even for 40 hours, was a challenge.

Attempting to rehearse with a band, debate with parents and explain to people why I had tape on my mouth proved an arduous task.

Studying for a legal studies test on criminal trial procedure without being able to ask questions was truly tedious. It became difficult to think straight and to be able to solve problems. However, at times it did work in my favour as I was not compelled to respond to some questions people posed.

Although it was a struggle, the connection I felt towards the poor and oppressed became irreversible. I can never again say that I am disconnected to the point of inaction, or that I don’t know what is happening in the wider community.

I am privileged to form part of the Monash Young Persons’ Reference Group, which ensures the voices of Monash youth are heard. Unfortunately, many people in our wider community remain voiceless for their entire life.

The global financial crisis has negatively impacted the lives of countless people across Australia.

Those responsible for this financial crisis have been bailed out and have in some cases received enormous payouts while the true victims, the poor and oppressed, have been forced into poverty.

In the past year the global food crisis, the lesser known GFC, has pushed another 100 million people into poverty. According to the United Nations there are now a billion hungry people in our world. We must never forget that behind every statistic is a face.

What has been described as a ‘triple crisis’ by the United Nations will hurt the poor more than ever. The effects of soaring food prices, climate change and economic instability in Third World and developing countries cannot simply be swept under the carpet.

In Australia, rising food prices may influence us to eat out less but if you are one of the billion hungry people across the world it may mean you do not eat at all.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore that we live in a globalised world. Actions that do and do not take place in Monash will affect people in other countries who we may never meet.

The Monash Fair Trade Steering Committee, which promotes the use of Fair Trade products, is a prime example of how change is being created from a local level.

Although the 40 Hour Famine was a struggle, I strongly believe it was a worthwhile challenge that allowed me to stand in solidarity with the poor, raise awareness for an issue that will define my generation and raise money that will bail the poor out of a financial crisis they did not create.

I encourage you to take action. Choose two ways that you can make a difference within the next week. Visit www.worldvision.com.au to find out different ways that you can be involved.

http://www.monashjournal.com.au/news/local/news/general/vision-for-better-future-given-voice/1610117.aspx

Remeber to return all monies to Ms. Alway by September 30th.

That’s right. This Wednesday will be exactly ONE year since Gab Wong began our vision group through his first post on our blog. And we want to celebrate with youl!

Wednesday, August 19 in P5 @ 12:45 (During period 6!) bring some extremely non-spillable food and celebrate a successful year of campaigning. Joining us will be none other than AMY SHAND, the STATE DIRECTOR of Vision Generation Victoria (our mentor) and CHRIS VARNEY, the AUSTRALIAN YOUTH REPRESENTATIVE TO THE UNITED NATIONS.

Calculate (and remember!) how much you have raised for the famine so we can tally how we are going. We’re going to discuss how we can reach our target of $15,000. Remember, the famine is only a week away! I also implore you to sign up here so we can track our progress together on this website, 40hf.com.

We’re also going to have a chat about YOUTH DECIDE. Amy Shand will brief us about climate change and what our roles and responsibilities are as young people to ensure a sustainable future for our planet.

Chris Varney will be there as a representative of the UNITED NATIONS to hear about the issues that YOU care about and to consult YOU on what action YOU want governments and representative bodies like the UN to take.

Human Rights, FTW!!

There will be an Information evening on Tuesday July 21st at CityLife Church Knox – 1248 High Street Road, Wantirna South (Melway Ref 72 E2 ). The meeting will be in the Visitors Lounge from 7:30pm to 9pm. Please RSVP toEverydayJustice@CityLifeChurch.com to make sure there is enough space and fair trade coffee for everyone. See you there!

http://www.citylifechurch.com/EverydayJustice/

1. “Calling Fifty Frenzy” – call up 2-3 supermarkets 50 times! (if we get a group together it won’t be hard). Tell them you want more ethical products on the shelves.

“You’ve been checked out” – go check out 5 supermarkets and tally up what Fair Trade products they stock. Make it a fun day with friends (plus you can probably fit some shopping in that day too!!)

2. Meet with our local MP/Council - Daniel has more details and info if you’d like to do that

Meet with our principal – Voice your opinion: Make this school Fair Trade (probably happen after the staff afternoon tea break)

3. Help out with our Staff Fair Trade Coffee Break (Monday 11th 3:30 – 5:30) – still to be approved, will keep you up to date.

This challenge gives us an opportunity to get a GOLD MEDAL!! (how exciting) if we can do something from all 3 groups… so who’s up for it!

It’ll be fun if you can get a group together and for the afternoon, or over the next 2 weeks tackle what challenge you choose to do

Anyway, email us back with what you want to do, and we can get some groups together gwsc@vgroups.vgen.org

Danielle & Dan

World Vision is currently involving young people in the “Don’t Trade Lives” campaign, which seeks to raise awareness as to how First World retail choices can make a difference to Third World child labour trafficking.

Tim Costello

GWSC students, leaders with the Vision Generation movement, arranged for Tim Costello, Chris Varney, and Charlotte Baines to present their knowledge and personal insights into the global crisis of human trafficking to a group of around one hundred students, representatives of nine secondary schools.

Chris Varney, former Vision Generation National Co-Director and recently appointed Australian Youth Representative to the United Nations, gave moving personal stories of children he himself has met overseas, children living in slavery brought on by the effects of poverty. He emphasised that the rescue of these children from their circumstances was possible, but that it was a gradual process, with a focus on changing the culture that enables children to be traded into slavery, as well as the often unwitting support of the slave economy by consumers in nations such as Australia.

The campaign is not about boycotting, or about naming and shaming, Mr Varney pointed out, but about seeking to bring about long term change. As part of that long term change, students at the forum were encouraged to base their purchasing decisions on the answer they get when they ask retailers: Does this product come from child labour?

Charlotte Baines, from Monash Council, proudly stated that Monash is one of only three municipalities in Australia to have embraced the Fair Trade movement. Fair Trade seeks to ensure that Third World workers are granted humane working conditions, appropriate pay, and – of course – freedom from child slavery.

Not only are products such as coffee and tea used by the Council Fair Trade, but also the Council is setting up a Monash Fair Trade Steering Committee, to begin a dialogue on how the Council can better meet the needs of residents in supporting a fairer world for all. Ms Baines made the point that councils are traditionally about the three Rs: Roads, Rubbish, and Rates. With the adoption of Fair Trade certification, Monash Council is aiming to introduce a fourth R: Relationships. Ms Baines said that a major Relationships initiative for the council is to respond to resident concerns about Third World poverty.

She encouraged students to become involved in the Steering Committee, to ensure that they have a voice in community decisions on this matter.

Tim Costello, Chief Executive of World Vision Australia, informed the audience of students that “the blow against poverty begins with guys and girls like you.” He related the story of British politician William Wilberforce, who, in the Eighteenth Century, began a movement against slavery by raising awareness that the sugar everyone had in their tea came from slave labour. Having sugar in one’s tea, Wilberforce proclaimed, was having blood on your teeth.

In today’s world, Mr Costello revealed, chocolate is still largely the result of child slave labour, with children being trafficked to the major cocoa producing nations of Ivory Coast and Ghana, to work in the cocoa plantations there. He suggested that, with Easter coming up, students in Australia should be more aware of where their chocolate is coming from, and to support Fair Trade sourced chocolate, rather than chocolate sourced from child labour.

Mr Costello went on to say that each generation has to ask itself two questions: What’s acceptable in my world? What do I do about those things which are not acceptable?

Furthermore, the question each individual in that generation has to ask him- or herself, Mr Costello said, was: Do I matter?

One way to matter, he proposed, was to stand up to injustice, such as the child slavery that the forum had been discussing. In question time, Mr Costello said that he drew his motivation to go on with often seemingly hopeless campaigns from being “chained to hope”. He said that he believed that one day, perhaps in the time of the audience’s generation, child slavery and world poverty would, indeed, become things that only existed in history.

Following the presentations and question time, students broke into groups to discuss ideas as to how they might personally address the issues that they had been hearing about.

- By Mr Schlosser

Invisible Children merchandise sold well

While watching the film, I admit I had laughed at these filmmakers as they were funny and nerdy right at the beginning but as soon the film rolled in, it made sense as to why millions of viewers wanted to help these kids and why these three boys transformed into three young noble men who were passionate to create an inspiring documentary and movement. As a viewer, you would learn that this neglected war affecting the children of North Uganda has been running for 23 odd years; a war where children live in fear of abduction by rebel soldiers and subsequently being forced and brainwashed to fight as part of a violent army. Boys and girls as young as five have guns strapped to their chest and look too alienated to be even considered a child. Abuse such as brutal and slaughtering attacks are affected by many victims – adults, other innocent children and even their best friends. Crying is also degraded within these territorial areas as it can be measured as a sin and a sign of weakness. Children who do cry may even be killed as punishment. The film can be considered similar to ‘Blood Diamond’, but this is the harsh reality that is affecting dozens everyday.

Being a teen human rights activist, I’ve been blabbering to others a particular scene in the film that was mesmerising and literally broke my heart to even watch. One of the young boys seen in the film was Jacob, previously a child soldier. He mentions that his older brother had been killed in the ever-lasting war. It was pretty much interpreted that his older brother was his protection and guardian and Jacob further mentions that “If he was here, I would say I love you and miss you and I hope we’ll see each other in heaven one day.” As he realised what he had said, he broke down and cried. There was that immediate interpersonal connection that you received from this young boy – the burden of the war, the missing of his older brother, the everyday fear of being abducted, the loneliness of growing up without a mother or father, and the feeling of having no future, since he cannot afford to go to school. During this scene, Jacob admits that he would rather be dead than alive.

This scene has been fixed in my mind for a while now and it has come to my discovery that if these children are taught that crying is a negative reaction, then how many kids hold in their fear of simply shedding a tear? I’d imagine if we were to put all of the affected children into a room and allowed them to expose how they really feel, the way Jacob did, the crying would be as loud as a symphony orchestra – powerful and moving at the same time.

I was lucky enough to see a screening of the film and to watch the progress Invisible Children have made since the breakthrough in 2003. I will tell you that I have been “forever changed”. Thank you to the exceptional Melody, Jamie, Colin and Christina, the official Invisible Children down-under ‘roadies’ who devoted their time to show and discuss the film and even come back on Friday March 13th to sell IC sweatshop-free merchandise. Over $1000 was raised for the cause in just over half an hour! The money raised will go towards health and safety resources, the need for quality education, mentorships, the redevelopment of schools, resettlement from the camps, and financial stability in North Uganda.

Get involved! Email gwsc@vgroups.vgen.org

- Melissa Him, Year 12

Don’t Trade Lives | GWSC Student Forum

Join passionate high school students from across Monash for an inspiring and empowering student-led forum discussing how YOU can act against modern-day slavery!

It is estimated that today there are 27 million people trafficked into slave-like conditions, many of them children forced to work in exploitative labour, the sex industry and cocoa farming.

At the student forum on April 1, hear how YOU can campaign against children being bought and sold by leading Vision Generation (VGen), World Vision’s national youth movement and supporting its anti-trafficking campaign, Don’t Trade Lives.

The Forum will be hosted by the Vision Generation Group at Glen Waverley Secondary College.

Read more about the DTL Campaign

At the Forum YOU will:

• HEAR from inspiring speakers Tim Costello, World Vision CEO, Chris Varney, Vision Generation National Co-Director and Charlotte Baines, Deputy Mayor City of Monash
• LEARN about the causes of human trafficking and slavery, and solutions like ethical consumerism
• DEVELOP your school’s plan of action against slavery and for Fairtrade Fortnight (2nd-16th May)
• ACT by joining the local Vision Generation Schools Network and support local consumer campaigns to make Monash a Fairtrade City!

Students will have the opportunity to take up leadership of Don’t Trade Lives by starting a VGen Group or resourcing an existing Social Justice Group.

Forum Event Details

Date: Wednesday 1st April Time: 12.30pm (registration) until 3.10pm
Venue: Glen Waverley Secondary College, 21 O’Sullivan Road, Glen Waverley
(right next to Glen Waverley Train Station)
Registration Details: Up to 5 students from each school can attend.
Please send a list of student names and contact details to gwsc@vgroups.vgen.org by Monday 23rd March (schools must organise their own student permission forms and transport)

Contact: For queries, contact Forum Organiser
Daniel Christiansz at gwsc@vgroups.vgen.org or on 0434 858 892
Note: Students will need to bring their own paper, pens and snacks for afternoon tea (light refreshments will also be served) All Forum details can be found athttp://www.vgen.org/vicevents

Read more about Vision Generation and what we do!

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