This document outlines activities and discussions from a Bonner Congress workshop on taking a social justice approach to community service. It begins with icebreakers to introduce participants. It then discusses definitions of volunteerism and social justice, highlighting the importance of addressing structural disadvantages and inequalities. The workshop contrasts charity and social justice approaches and discusses how redistribution of goods/resources and recognition in policies are two approaches to social justice that should not be separate. Participants work in groups to develop a nonprofit addressing a social issue using a social justice lens. Reflection questions consider dismantling power structures and restructuring language to empower communities. The document aims to help participants apply social justice lessons from the workshop.

1. Social Justice Approach
to Community Service
By: Joyce Malanda
Bonner Congress 2018

2. Icebreaker:
-Name
-Year & Institution
-What is something you
would try to do if you
knew that you couldn’t
fail?

3. Follow-up Questions
•How did this activity make you feel and why?
•What parallels can be drawn between this activity
and our work as Bonners?
•What greater meaning can we take away from this
activity?

4. What does ‘volunteerism’ mean to you?
Volunteerism: an altruistic activity in which an individual
works alongside an organization to promote the well-being
of their community.

5. What does Social Justice mean to you?
“Achieving social justice is about
identifying and attempting to address
structural disadvantage, discrimination
and inequality.”
- From Chapter One of Working for Change: The Irish Journal of
Community Work (2013) by Dr. Sinead Gormally

6. Charity Social-Justice

7. Charity Social-Justice

8. Two main approaches to Social Justice
1. Redistribution of goods and resources
2. Recognition in policies
(Fraser, 2009)
Should these two "approaches” to social justice be
separate?
No

9. Scenarios of Non-Profits
•Pick a societal issue of your choice and work
together with group members to figure out ways
to create a non-profit organization that works
towards addressing the issue with a social-justice
approach.

10. Prompting Questions
• What would be the mission statement/goal of the organization?
• Who has the power to make final decisions concerning the
functioning of the organization?
• What community will you be working in?
• How will you work towards achieving this goal?
• What training/skills sets will be required for
volunteers/interns/employees?

11. Follow-up Questions
• How did this activity make you feel and why?
• What are some things you realized during and/or after completing
this activity?
• What were some things you found difficult during this activity?
• What are the tensions that arise between our service-oriented
work Bonners and the goal of social justice?

12. “We are so worried about making those
who do us wrong uncomfortable, but the
reason they’re wrong is because they’ve
kept everyone else uncomfortable.”
– Fakira

13. • Why is language important to
our everyday lives and in our
experience as Bonners?
• What words evoke negative
emotions? Positive emotions?
• How can our language influence
the way we view others?
Quote by Lilia Watson

14. Reflection Time:
-How can I actively participate in dismantling the power
structures that exist in the communities that we work with?
-How has my definition of community service evolved throughout
my Bonner experience?
-How can I restructure my language in a way that does not
disempower others?
-How will you apply what you’ve learned at Bonner Congress at
your campus, partner site, and Bonner community?

15. Helpful Resources
• Social Justice Approach to Community Development
• Social Justice Phrase Guide
• Community Service & Orientation Portfolio
• Skill-building workshops
“"Nothing about us, without us is for us.” – James Charlton