In early June the Presentation Sisters of the North East Province were presented with their Eco-Congregation Award. Sr. Catherine Brennan of Eco-Congregation Ireland was effusive in her praise and encouragement of the ongoing work by the Presentation Sisters within their communities and throughout their schools. She remarked on the long history and example that the Sisters have shown when it comes to honouring and caring for the rights of our earth.
The adjudication panel, who met nearly 18 months ago, were particularly impressed by their Challenge to Change Schools programme that encourages all in the school community to engage with aspects of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Schools are encouraged to form committees early in the school year that would involve a mixture of staff and students and others who would take on specific roles of responsibility relative to their project plan before embarking on the work entailed.
As the project nears completion it must be organised, written up, drawn, presented and be available for scrutiny by others in the school prior to being presented and shown at a regional gathering of Challenge to Change Projects. The overriding theme is participation. This is not a competition, though the standards are extremely high. This is about creating a practical awareness of the possible impact of the SDGs at home and abroad where the Presentation Sisters are also at work.
In many cases, both in the Primary and Secondary Schools the students who engage with the Challenge to Change Programme find that this is their first foray into “Justice” work, encouraging a lasting engaged empathy with those whom the SDGs describe as the furthest behind. The plaques have been given pride of place for all to see, students and Sisters alike, as an encouragement to work for those who are furthest behind first, a guiding principle of the SDGs.
