Youth Spend a Friday Night Thinking About Others

04 Sep 2012

One in five New Zealand children live in poverty, over one hundred teenagers turned up to take part in a childhood poverty game run by the Social Justice Unit recently one Friday night.

Social Justice Enabler Rev Jolyon White says, “The story often told in our society is that it is your own fault if you are poor. The game was to show we are all in this together and inequality can be just as much due to the way society is structured.” The evening was to highlight the problem of poverty in New Zealand and to think about the definition of a successful economy for the country.

Participants who wished to investigate the issue further could take part in the cardboard house building competition the Social Justice Unit is helping to run later in the year. The competition is open to all New Zealand schools. Already several schools have signed up to take part in the competition to support, Northland high school student, Jazmine Heka’s, call for a rental housing warrant of fitness. “One of our main concerns this year is housing and childhood poverty.” Rev White says. Many of people, who took part in the game were keen to help to get involved in the cardboard house building competition.

A video about the competition can be view on YouTube here