28 June 2018

The Cage

Article by Alexander Henry

The Cage


The Cage is a Social Justice activity to raise awareness and show support for refugees who are fleeing their home country. During the day on Thursday and overnight until Friday morning approximately 25 students and 3 staff members spent time inside ‘The Cage’ to show support for, and raise awareness about, the plight of refugees.

The Cage is a temporary fence structure which was erected near the school canteen and we were inside it for the duration of the activity, including sleeping in The Cage outside overnight. Throughout the day we had many classes visit to learn more about the adversity these refugees face in their day to day lives and facts regarding Australian government policies.

Several of the students and staff participating in the Cage activity were also involved in the JRS Ration Challenge, raising money for Jesuit Refugee Services. All participants of the Cage ate the Ration Challenge meals whilst in the Cage. These meals consisted of rice, chickpeas and lentils.

In the evening we watched a documentary titled ‘Human Flow’ by Ai Weiwei, which explores the journey of refugees in over 23 countries over the course of a year and depicts the extent of the human impact of this crisis.

Overall, the experience was very rewarding and offered insight into the challenges and struggles that refugees face in their everyday lives.

Alexander Henry Social Justice Captain

Feature

Events