Tapestry of Faith: Heeding the Call: A Program on Justicemaking for Junior High School Youth

Taking It Home: The Call for Awareness

Who thinks of justice unless he knows injustice?

— Diane Glancy, Cherokee poet

In Today's Workshop...

We heard a story about the importance of being aware, both with what we are experiencing firsthand and with the root causes of what we are experiencing. We also discovered a way to imagine how we influence each other. We received a Justicemakers Guide to assist us in justice making in our daily lives.

Here are some ways you can share today's topic:

Awareness

  • Watch an awareness YouTube clip from a London campaign to help prevent bicycle accidents. There are other tests of awareness on YouTube, too. On YouTube or in your web browser search for "Somebody Else's Problem." Review the results.
  • For fun, have every member of your family create their own individual Activist Alphabiography.

Increase your spheres of influence

  • Do you have a favorite book or story that has inspired you to do good in the world? Share it with a younger sibling or friend. Ask them if they have a favorite story to share. Invite them to share the story you told with others.
  • Want to act upon another sphere? Ask your school librarian to help you organize a Social Justice Read-A-Thon. The librarian and others (teachers, administrators, students) choose books that they find personally inspiring. The books are put out on a special display and students hold a read-in one afternoon to read and discuss the books.
  • How about taking this to yet another sphere? Hold a book fair of books with a social justice theme. Remember to include all reading levels. The proceeds from the book fair can go to Books For Africa or a local school. Set up a computer at the book fair and log into The Literacy Site, where every "click" sends free books to kids.

Justicemakers Guide

  • Remember to use the guide to note experiences you have this week with justice or injustice. What did you see? Were you able to help? If not this time, will you be able to help in the future? How will you enable yourself to be ready to help in the future? Do you need the help of others?
  • The Spheres of Influence can have a ripple effect: when you change yourself, it might affect change in your family or friends, who change their family and friends, and so on. Notice ripple effects happening around you. Are they intentional?