Six students attended the Seeds of Justice camp from Thursday 14 to Friday 15 August. The Seeds of Justice Conference is an overnight event at Araluen Camp in Anglesea. The camp allows a greater sense of connection between students from a variety of Mercy Schools around Victoria, with the aims of the camp being:

• To form students and staff in the Mercy charism
• To raise awareness of contemporary issues in social justice
• To facilitate new links between students and staff of Mercy schools, both city and regional

The students - Ava Howie, Nevaeh Huynh, Rachael James, Amelia Naylor, Matilda Norman and Imani Sagnol - gained a lot from their time at the camp. Ava and Rachael provided the following reflection:

In August we attended the Seeds of Justice Camp in Anglesea. We were given the wonderful opportunity to spend two days connecting with other Mercy schools from across Victoria. We spent this time discussing and collaborating about eco-justice initiatives.

We had two guest speakers come and share their experiences around both eco-justice initiatives and First Nations awareness. Juliet Talarico, from Terra Leaders, shared her powerful message about recognising the environment and how we can not only live sustainably but immerse ourselves into a regenerative lifestyle. Lisa Moloney, from the Opening The Doors Foundation, educated us on the importance of national reconciliation and the definition of FIRE carriers.

We discussed where Sacred Heart has succeeded in our First Nations efforts/campaigns and where we can continue to foster our connection in the season of creation.

A highlight for this camp was walking down to Anglesea beach and practicing Dadirri, a meditation practice that involves connecting with the earth. We spent time just getting to know students from other Mercy schools and sharing meaningful connections.

Upon our return, we utilised what we had learnt to further our initiatives around Season of Creation.

 - Ava Howie Year 10 and Rachael James Year 9