Christian Aid was established 80 years ago to help refugees in the aftermath of World War II. Today we work in 26 countries responding to humanitarian emergencies, working for economic justice, gender justice, peace and helping communities respond to the climate crisis.

We are a global movement of people, Churches and local organisations, rooted in Christian faith, working to create a world free from poverty and injustice and we would love for you to get involved.

Young people have always been a part of our movement, and at the heart of our work with children and young people is the concept of courageous advocacy – the idea that young people can and should be encouraged to engage with decision makers (who could be community leaders, as well as business and political leaders) to speak out on issues of injustice which are important to them. 

In following this idea we are guided by the following principles:

• Children and young people have agency.
• Adults need to listen to and amplify the voice of children and young people on issues of justice that matter to them.
• Intergenerational work is powerful and beneficial to all involved; children and young people are crucial to making lasting positive change.
• Work in partnership whenever possible e.g. invite your local Church to join you in campaigns/international links/fundraising and vice versa.

We have recently worked with The Boys’ Brigade on creating programme resources to celebrate our 80th anniversary which you may have used.

We also have a wide range of reflective and learning activities to build understanding of key global issues and offer a variety of ways to take action, giving young people the opportunity to take action and speak out against injustice.

Learning

Climate Feelings brings emotional and psychological support into climate learning, to increase the resilience and capacity of children and young people to face a very difficult subject. We have collaborated with Ian Long from blobtree.com and Jo McAndrews from the Climate Psychology Alliance to produce this resource which offers a compelling and accessible way to have conversations about climate emotions. Useful for all age groups and various settings. So do use this with children and young people when you are discussing climate change and climate justice. 

Big Justice Story Sack  is a discipleship resource for younger children which would work well to support learning over a number of meetings. The sack contains 15 sessions that tell the ‘Big Story of the Bible’ and highlight the justice thread throughout, helping children to understand and root their faith in the biblical call to act justly, treat others well and celebrate the God-given dignity of all people.

Drink From the Well is a series designed to support the spiritual development of the young people, providing them with creative and engaging ways to reflect and respond.

Games:  We have a number of games and simulation games that would work very well as a one-off session for learning about a specific issue, or as part of a bigger programme: The Chocolate Trade Game; Fumes or Futures; Safe Place Ludo; Disaster Zone; Forest Foods Forever; The Paper Bag Game.

Taking action

Beyond the Bake Sale is a practical tool with prompts and tips for courageous advocacy and fundraising with children and young people.  

Creative for Climate Justice supports children and young people to learn about climate justice and to use their amazing creativity and send a loud and clear climate justice message to MPs and Government Ministers. 

Sing Up for Justice is a collection of three songs by Fischy Music plus an exciting resource to unpack those songs and support spiritual, moral and social development. This would be a creative way for you to help young people engage with ideas of justice either within your group or perhaps at a local church service.

There are also many more resources on a range of topics to support your programme and developing young people as courageous advocates for justice.