Year 8 Civics and Citizenship CAT 2023

Potential topics

Students may choose another campaign, however, it must relate directly to the violation or lack of
access to a human right.

- Norway women’s beach handball shorts

- Team protested after receiving a fine for wearing shorts. Dress regulation stated
maximum size of bikini bottoms to be worn.
- Campaign - Let them wear shorts
- Petition: https://www.collectiveshout.org/media_release_let_them_wear_shorts_win
- Change.org https://www.change.org/p/handball-heads-drop-the-fine-and-let-them-
wear-shorts
Article: Norway’s women’s beach handball team fined over ‘ridiculous’ uniform rule
imposing bikini bottoms on players
Accessed: 2 March 2023

- School Strike for Climate

Started by Greta Thunberg, this student led campaign is asking for a radical reduction in
greenhouse gas emissions. It has spread to over 260 countries including Australia, where is known
as School Strike 4 Climate
Campaign website: https://www.schoolstrike4climate.com/
- Actions
- Resources
Article:
Action in Australia
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/may/21/school-strike-for-climate-
thousands-take-to-streets-around-australia
Why students are still striking
https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2022/03/25/school-strike-for-climate-
why-are-students-still-striking-expert.html
Accessed: 2 March 2023

- Afghanistan education (Malala fund, Global Campaign for Education)

Malala Fund
- Website: https://malala.org
- Aims of the organisation
- Programmes and methods of bringing about change
- News of achievements and Case Studies of educational experiences
- Website: Link to United Nations organisation and human rights
https://en.unesco.org/themes/education-and-gender-equality/malala-fund
- Website: Basic introduction on Malala’s background and
https://www.ducksters.com/biography/women_leaders/malalayousafzai.php

- OneLove campaign
- Established in the Netherlands, this campaign moved to other countries to promote
diversity and inclusivity in football (soccer).
 - Website: https://www.knvb.com/news/extra/diversity/1372/ten-countries-embrace-
dutch-onelove-campaign
- https://www.knvb.com/news/extra/diversity/1225/onelove-football-brings-people-
together-not-apart

- The campaign was also a feature of the 2022 World Cup. The reasons why this was
considered controversial are quite complex and very interesting to explore.
- Article:
- The 'One Love' LGBTQ Rights Armband Is Causing a Stir at the Qatar World Cup
Time - Syed, A (2022) Accessed: 2 March 2023

- Change the date

- Campaign website: Survival day
- Outline of Australia Day’s history
Chang, C. (2023) Why Australia Day is really held on 26 January, SBS News.
Available at: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/why-australia-day-is-really-held-
on-26-january/1bkbb2gyv (Accessed: February 20, 2023).
- Article about the rallies this year
Doherty, B. (2023) Thousands attend invasion day rallies on Australia's national
holiday as colonisation debate rages, The Guardian. Guardian News and Media.
Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jan/26/thousands-
attend-invasion-day-rallies-on-australias-national-holiday-as-colonisation-debates-
rages (Accessed: February 20, 2023).

- Remove the Barriers

- Dylan Alcott Foundation campaign. Purpose: to reduce unemployment among people
with disabilities.
- Video about the campaign: Dylan Alcott Foundation https://vimeo.com/348963499
(Accessed: 20 February 2023)
- Article about the campaign: Afshariyan, N. Dylan Alcott kicks off new campaign to
help people with disabilities find work (Accessed: 20 February 2023)
- Article about the campaign: Hunter, B. (no date). Dylan Alcott Remove The Barrier
Interview. Available at (Accessed: 20 February 2023)

- Rainbow laces
- A UK campaign for LGBTQ+ inclusion in sport.
- Campaign website: Rainbow Laces
- Article about Rainbow Laces campaign: Boulton, G. (2022). ALL YOU NEED TO
KNOW What is Rainbow Laces campaign, do all Premier League players have to
wear them and where can I buy them?
Accessed: 20 February 2023
- Adidas global week of action, #payyourworkers
- Article: Summary of the planned action - Russell, A.M. (no date) Global: Pay your
workers campaign launches global week of action calling on adidas to sign binding
agreement to ensure remediation for wage theft & respect for workers' rights,
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre. Available at: https://www.business-
humanrights.org/en/latest-news/global-pay-your-workers-campaign-launches-global-
week-of-action-calling-on-adidas-to-sign-binding-agreement-to-ensure-remediation-
for-wage-theft-respect-for-workers-rights/ (Accessed: February 14, 2023).
- Website: Clean Clothes Campaign https://cleanclothes.org/
- Aims of the organisation
- How people can get involved in the civic action
- News of actions to be taken and achievements
- Campaigns that are currently underway

- Halo Collective (UK)

- The Halo Collective was founded by a group of young black activists. They are
campaigning to eliminate discrimination based on hair style or texture.
- Campaign website: https://halocollective.co.uk/
- Article about the campaign: Young, S. (2020) UK sees first black ‘hair code’ to
protect employees against discrimination (Accessed: 20 February 2023).

- Blank paper - China, freedom of expression/speech

- Chinese population protesting over covid lockdowns holding up blank sheets of paper
to show their lack of free speech during protests against the communist government.
- Articles:
- China Covid: Protests continue in major cities across the country Wong, T and
Williams, N. (2022)
- How blank sheets of paper became a symbol of defiance for China's anti-lockdown
protesters Source: Reuters (2022)
- People are holding up blank white sheets of paper in China to protest COVID
lockdowns. It's become a symbol of defiance against the Communist Party. Insider
Teh, C (2022)

Accessed: 2 March 2023

- Iran - women cutting off their hair
- Women across the world joined in protest with Iranian women protesting the death of
22-year-old Mahsa Amini. She died in hospital after being arrested by morality police
and taken to a “re-education centre” for lessons in modesty.

Articles:
Grief, protest and power: Why Iranian women are cutting their hair CNN Alkhaldi, C
and Ebrahim N, (2022)
Iran’s morality police have terrorized women for decades. Who are they? CNN
Ebrahim N, (2022)
Iranian women burn their hijabs as hundreds protest death of Mahsa Amini CNN
Yeung, J Ramin Mostaghim, R Karadsheh, J, Salem,M and Deaton, J (2022)
World response:
Iranian women at home and abroad cut their hair to protest Mahsa Amini’s death Los
Angeles Times Parvini, S (2022)
Iran protests: Why is cutting hair an act of rebellion? Euronews Mouriquand, D
(2022)
Accessed 2 March 2023

- Raise the age

- In Australia, children as young as 10 can be arrested by police, charged with an
offence, brought before a court and locked away in a prison.
- Campaign website: https://raisetheage.org.au/
- Includes FAQ section
- A video descriptor
- Methods of participation
- Australian Human Rights Commision recommendations:
https://humanrights.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-10/australias_minimum_age_of_cr
iminal_responsibility_-_australias_third_upr_2021.pdf
- Outlines reasons for the recommendation to increase the age of criminal
liability.
- Article about progress of the campaign as of 1 year ago: Allam, L. (2021) Australia
moves towards raising age of criminal responsibility but advocates say 12 still too
young, The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Available at:
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/nov/16/australia-moves-towards-
raising-age-of-criminal-responsibility-but-advocates-say-12-still-too-young
(Accessed: February 20, 2023).

- Campaign to free the Aboriginal flag

- Campaign website: Free the Flag
- Link to change.org petition
- Article about the outcome of the campaign: Silva, N. (2022). Australian Government
'frees' Aboriginal Flag for public use (Accessed: 20 February 2023) CCV
- Using legal action to protect human rights: Stopping a coal mine
- A First Nations-led group of young people took legal action to prevent a new coal
mine in Queensland being built, on the basis that it would erode human rights. This
was the first time human rights arguments were used in a climate change case in
Australia.
- Website: - Youth Verdict
- https://www.youthverdict.org.au/
- Article about the success of the claim. Bell-James, J. (2022) ‘This case has made
legal history’: young Australians just won a human rights case against an enormous
coal mine
- Article providing additional background. Environmental Defenders Office. Young
Australians take on Clive Palmer coal mine over human rights

- Using legal action to protect human rights: United Nations committee says that
Australia violated the human rights of Torres Strait Islanders
- A group of Torres Strait Islanders lodged a complaint with the United Nations in
2019, saying climate change was damaging their way of life. They successfully
argued that Australia had breached their human rights by failing to adequately
respond to the climate change crisis.
- Articles about the success of the claim.
- Lyons, K. (2022) Australia violated the rights of Torres Strait Islanders by
failing to act on climate change, the UN says. Here’s what that means
- Morton, A & Karp, P. (2022) Australia should compensate Torres Strait
Islanders for climate crisis failure, UN says
Who
- Amazon union busting
- Article: Greenhouse, S. (2022) 'People feel intimidated': The battle to Unionize
Second US Amazon Warehouse, The Guardian. Guardian News & Media. Available
at: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/sep/29/amazon-us-workers-battle-
unionize-second-warehouse (Accessed: February 14, 2023).
- Article: Palmer, A. (2020) How Amazon keeps a close eye on employee activism to
head off Unions, CNBC. CNBC. Available at:
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/24/how-amazon-prevents-unions-by-surveilling-
employee-activism.html (Accessed: February 14, 2023).
- Article: CBS News (2022) The resurgence of unions and the fight against Amazon,
CBS News. CBS Interactive. Available at: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-
resurgence-of-unions-amazon-and-jfk8/
- Article: Streitfeld, D. (2021) How Amazon crushes unions, The New York Times. The
New York Times. Available at:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/16/technology/amazon-unions-virginia.html
- Article: Sherman, N. and Fleury, M. (2023) Amazon Union fight continues despite
workers' win, BBC News. BBC. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-
64340884 (Accessed: February 14, 2023).
- The union’s website: https://www.amazonlaborunion.org/
- Includes information on current priorities