Social Justice Issue Team

Social Justice Issue Team Organizers:

Robby Quarles & Kim Stephens

 

The Social Justice Issue Team with Invisible Children Roadies!  Robby Quarles, top row (center); Kim Stephens, bottom right.

In addition to the projects and events below, the Social Justice Team works with the CCE staff to maintain partnerships with the following organizations:

  • Invisible Children
  • Oxfam America
  • Upshur Cooperative Parish House
  • Habitat for Humanity
  • TOMS Shoes

 

Invisible Children Face-to-Face Tour

September 14, 2010

The non-profit organization Invisible Children (IC) visited Wesleyan’s campus last fall. Representatives from the organization joined with recent IC scholarship recipients and their mentors to travel across the United States, raising awareness and consciousness about the conflict in Uganda and support for the organization’s efforts. The IC representatives showed films about students’ lives in Uganda. Afterwards, a Ugandan IC scholarship recipient, Sunday Douglas, told his story about growing up and living in a region overwhelmed by conflict. He received support from his mentor, Lawrence, who will help him while he’s on the scholarship. Over 125 Wesleyan faculty, staff, and students listened to their stories in amazement. The IC team enjoyed lunch in the Center for Community Engagement with students involved in social justice issues on campus. The event was coordinated by Robby Quarles and Kim Stephens, student leaders of the WE LEAD Social Justice issue-based team, as well as other members of the social justice issue team.

 

WE LEAD Social Justice Team Sells TOMS Shoes for Wesleyan’s First “Style Your Sole” Event

The Social Justice team partnered with TOMS shoes, a socially-minded company founded in 2006, for a "Style Your Sole" event. The concept is simple: for every pair of TOMS shoes someone purchases, the company gives a pair to a child in a developing country. One for One. The TOMS Shoes website states, “Many children in developing countries grow up barefoot. Whether at play, doing chores or going to school, these children are at risk because a leading cause of disease in developing countries is soil-transmitted diseases, which can penetrate the skin through bare feet. Wearing shoes can help prevent these diseases, and the long-term physical and cognitive harm they cause. Wearing shoes also prevents feet from getting cuts and sores. Not only are these injuries painful, they also are dangerous when wounds become infected. Many times children can't attend school barefoot because shoes are a required part of their uniform. If they don't have shoes, they don't go to school. If they don't receive an education, they don't have the opportunity to realize their potential.”

Participants who purchased shoes were able to 'style' their shoes during OxJam 2011. The Social Justice Team hopes to offer this event again next year.

 

Social Justice Awareness Week

March 28-April 1, 2011

 

WE LEAD Social Justice Issue Team Shows Invisible Children Movie: The Rescue 

March 28, 2011

CCE

Social Justice Awareness Week kicked off with a viewing and discussion of the Invisible Children movie, The Rescue. Twelve students watched the film in the Center for Community Engagement and learned about the ongoing war in Uganda and the Congo. The film was an update from the original Invisible Children movie with news about peace talks with Joseph Kony and the history of the war. Students who watched the movie are very excited to welcome the Invisible Children roadies back to campus on April 18th, 2011.

 

Social Change Discussion and Homeless Staff Member Fundraiser 

On Thursday, March 31, 2011, the WE LEAD Social Justice team hosted two events. The first event was a discussion about how to build change within a community and how to work in a career field or path to affect change. The discussion, led by Dr. Heller and his wife, Dr. Cavalieri, was held in partnership with Café Libros. The eleven students who attended felt informed about post-graduate options for working for social change, including the Peace Corps and law school options.

In addition to the social change discussion, Thursday was also the culmination of the Homeless Staff Member fundraising competition. The willing staff members included John Waltz, Director of Admissions; Jackie Murphy, Women’s Volleyball Head Coach; and Mary Ham, Coordinator of Student Programs and Summer Camps and Conferences. The two people raising the most money in three days did not have to sleep outside. Even though Mary Ham came in third place as the ‘loser,’ she was a good sport to sleep outside on Friday, April 1, 2011. Altogether, Mary, Jackie, and John raised over $500 for Habitat for Humanity, making the people who receive a “decent, safe, and affordable place to live” through Habitat’s work the real winners of this fundraising competition.

 

 

OXJAM 2011 

The WE LEAD Social Justice team held OXJAM 2011 on Friday, April 1st at 7:00 p.m. in Kresge Auditorium. As a result of their networking skills, student organizers Robby Quarles and Kim Stephens welcomed four bands and the Wesleyan Dance Team to the stage at the event. The bands included local groups “Dog and Gun” and “Two Mans and Some Strings” as well as out-of-town acts, “Sick Bob and the Symptoms” and “Redefined in Red.” In addition to the concert, those who purchased white canvas TOMS shoes in February were invited to ‘style their soles’ at the event by using fabric paint to decorate their new shoes. Representatives from Compassion International also spoke to interested students about sponsoring a child overseas through their program. Participants brought in canned goods and 85 dollars for the Upshur Cooperative Parish House and Oxfam America.

 

Invisible Children Roadies Return to Campus for Congo Tour  

April 18, 2011

On April 14, 2011, representatives from the international nonprofit organization, Invisible Children, returned to campus. The representatives, known as “roadies,” were hosted by members of the WE LEAD Social Justice Issue Team. Over 150 Wesleyan students, faculty, and staff attended the event and learned about Invisible Children’s work to rehabilitate Uganda following the end of the civil war there. They are also working to improve communication systems between communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, and Sudan so that they may be ready to defend themselves in the event of an attack from Joseph Kony’s rebel group comprised of child soldiers, the Lord’s Resistance Army. Wesleyan students supported their efforts by purchasing merchandise which supports IC’s programs and sustains the Ugandan communities that make the apparel. Invisible Children’s mission statement is as follows: “Invisible Children uses film, creativity and social action to end the use of child soldiers in Joseph Kony’s rebel war and restore LRA-affected communities in central Africa to peace and prosperity.”