By Reece M. Krantz ’16
THE ROUNDUP
Each year a new social issue takes center stage on campus.
From topics like income inequality to where your food is actually coming from, this discussion serves the community by raising awareness.
The title of this year’s Summit on Human Dignity is “Safe and Sound: a Case for Restorative Justice.” It will focus on the United States criminal justice system and the tribulations it has been facing.
The Summit will run from March 2-13.
Service Director and this year’s Co-director of the Summit, Mr. Ryan Hubbell, said the focus is in two parts.
“One part is the critical examination of the criminal justice system and the second part is looking at making the criminal system more fair and equitable,” he said.
The past few months have been a struggle in terms of social justice, with events like Ferguson and Staten Island still fresh in the minds of many.
“I think this is an important issue to talk about,” said Ben Gburek ’16. “Especially considering what has happened in Ferguson.”
“For me the summit this year is an important one,” said Sebastian Wawerski ’16. “Its a relevant issue that I think becomes more severe every year.”
The current criminal justice system has been more focused on punishment rather than restoration, something Mr. Hubbell hopes to advocate for with this Summit.
“It is important to look towards justice that is restorative rather than impunitive,” Mr. Hubbell said. “Restorative justice is very keeping with the ideals of Jesuits along with capital punishment and immigration. It is an important issue that we still need to address.”
The Jesuit perspective is a main proponent of the Summit and the way it has been interpreted. This Summit is a way to get the Brophy community engaged in a very important topic that aligns with the school teachings.
“This Summit is a unique and special way to look at issues and rally around a social justice issue that affects the world,” Mr. Hubbell said. “Its an issue that all Jesuit Catholics are invested in, its also very timely when considering the recent events in Ferguson and Staten Island. People are changing the way they view the justice system.”
Issues of criminal and social justice have been extremely relevant here in the greater Phoenix area, especially with laws like SB1070.