Creator and Conductor of Just1 Hugh Gibbons says...

Very many thanks for your interest in Just1. 

You should find the activities planned for this year to be seriously useful, interesting, helpful, and enjoyable all round. Each fits with no fuss into the school curriculum.  And each has been prepared to be suitable for all schools in the United Kingdom.

You'll also see that these events are free, voluntary, simple to arrange and run, need no special resources, and designed to fit neatly into ordinary school timetables.  And they're not about fundraising - though I know some schools will use them as a peg.

And each is very newsworthy - to help you project your good image into your local community.

Their purpose is to raise awareness, and provide some extra opportunities for involvement. The Just1 provide a set of simple social justice activities that unite not only everyone in a particular school, but have them do so alongside hundreds or thousands of like-minded schools. 

Spring Up: Acclaim Campaigners
on 24 March or any day that week is a new Just1 companion piece to Stand Up Against Poverty. The idea is that schools should have a day each year when they can honour and applaud all those organisations, group and individuals worldwide who campaign for human rights, social and economic justice - and against poverty.

Any time during the day - or that week - schools are invited to find a few minutes in classroom or assembly to share a short and simple tribute to campaigners. The suggested wording allows you to acknowledge your own favourite campaigning organisations. Many schools may want to use the occasion for actions in support of campaigners - such as letters of encouragement.

Click here to find out more about Spring Up: Acclaim Campaigners

March 24 has been chosen as the date each year because it lets schools pay tribute to the life and legacy of Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador, the much-loved champion of human rights, assassinated during Mass on this day in 1980 - and all others working for social justice.

A message for all schools springing up
from Dr Lesley-Anne Knight
Director General of Caritas Internationalis

"Thanks for thinking of the campaigners
in all the agencies around the world. 
It's great to be appreciated.
Do join in on the day if you can. 
We'll be thinking of you too!"


The 162 national Caritas members make up the biggest network of Catholic charities in the world devoted to reducing poverty and campaigning for social justice. Mostly members have Caritas in their names, but not always - member identities reflect their different histories. CAFOD, SCIAF, and Trocaire are all Caritas -
and that’s only a start.

Stand Up Against Poverty & Inequality
on Friday 14 October 2011 is this year's version of the highly popular classroom rally.  Over 150,000 people in the UK are thought to have shared the Just1 Promises to the Poor.  This event is a contribution to the annual show of solidarity with the poor that attracts millions around the world - in fact, over 170 million in 2009.  It's ideal for faith schools and communities - but anyone can join in.

Stand Up just requires you to stand up in assembly or classroom and share some simple promises based on the UN Millennium Development Goals. Many schools also use it as an opportunity for further action - not least, writing to the Prime Minister!

Click here to find out more about Stand Up Against Poverty in 2010

For information on GCAP and The United Nations Millennium Campaign, which co-ordinate the worldwide stand up, click here.

due to lack of interest by all Westminster political parties except one (thanks Caroline Lucas!)
Watch this space in 2012.

Weigh Up Your MP
is an industrial-strength addition to PSHCE activities - ideal for Citizenship studies in KS3 & 4, and Years 4&5 in primary schools.  It'll have major benefits for schools, Members of Parliament, and the UK as a whole.

It's a sort of reverse Ofsted if you like (and gentler with it). And its fits nicely with ideas in the National Curriculum.

Schools invite their MP to volunteer to keep a simple record of his or her actions for worldwide social justice.  MPs publish this on their websites in September 2011.  During 10-21 October, pupils schools inspect and assess this record, and award the MP up to 5 stars.  This is sent to Just1 which publishes the collated data on this website, giving details of the average ratings by all schools, and the ranking of each MP.

Click here to find out more about Weigh Up Your MP

That We May Be One
An enjoyable and pacy self-running Powerpoint slideshow briefing on Just1 schools activities 2009-10 - with more than a few smiles.

It uses Powerpoint with automatic timing for each slide change. It takes just over 11 minutes, and has many examples and ideas for you to consider. That We May Be One is about 8MB.

If you want, you can go through the show manually at your own pace by switching off the Use Rehearsed Timings on the Slideshow menu.  In the Set Up Slideshow menu, you can select Loop - so that the programme runs continuously until you press Esc. This might be a good idea for busy staffrooms.

Click here to download