SOCIAL JUSTICE REPORT

Elena Turunen Social Justice & Sponsorship Secretary 2019

Jiyoon Lee Social Justice Representative 2019

It is difficult to describe the sense of community at Sancta because it is something unique that can only be felt once you are immersed in it and living amongst it. The College is full of brilliant and compassionate people and 2019 was an inspiring example of how we were able to make a meaningful impact, not only within our own community, but for greater society.

The first Social Justice event of 2019 was ‘Sancta Under the Stars’ which was hosted in the Quadrangle and involved a screening of Disney’s Inside Out; the event’s focus was on mental health awareness. All proceeds from the event went to our local Headspace centre in Camperdown, and ambassadors from the centre joined in to help build our mental health literacy, reduce stigma, and discuss ways we can all find help and support.

We also continued our support of Bear Cottage, a palliative care home for children at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead. Over Easter in 2019, we delivered toys, books and chocolates to the children to help brighten up their day, and we also supported ‘A Bear Affair’ – the annual gala ball to raise funds to support the incredible paediatric palliative care programs at Bear Cottage.

In May 2019 we held ‘Graze to Raise’ on the Rooftop Terrace to raise funds for the ‘Buy a Bale’ initiative that provides aid to thousands of rural Australian families, including families from Sancta, suffering through drought, bushfire and other natural disasters. Sancta Alumna, Gabbi Vella, provided live musical entertainment, and a delicious grazing table was kindly donated by a local supermarket.

Wisdom Forums are key events on the annual College calendar, and in 2019 we were thrilled to host two engaging discussions that featured panels of prominent Australians at the forefront of debate. Our first Wisdom Forum grappled with the topic of medical ethics and the importance of respect and institutional conscience. Insight was offered by panellists Dr Bernadette Tobin and Dr Steve Matthews of the Plunkett Centre for Ethics.

‘Women in Politics: Empowerment and Equality’ was the topic of our second Wisdom Forum which discussed the real and perceived barriers for women considering a career in politics and how they can be overcome. Joining this lively discussion was Fiona Davies (CEO of the Australian Medical Association (NSW)), Senator Hollie Hughes, Jenny Leong MP and Hon Tanya Plibersek MP. We look forward to more engaging debates in 2020 with topics including sustainability and careers in social justice – see page 49 for Wisdom Forum dates.

Our final initiative for 2019 was organising care bags for homeless women and children for Christmas, which were filled with essential daily products including deodorant, soap, feminine hygiene products and toothpaste. This was extremely successful, and we are incredibly grateful to the community for donating products to support Sydney’s homeless people during the festive season.

These are just a few of many social justice endeavours that were upheld or initiated this year, and each one of them illustrate the value of service and the strong sense of community that we share at Sancta. The College brings together a diverse group of students who have come from all walks of life with different passions and interests and it has been wonderful to see the community collectively make strides towards creating a better society.