Our vision is to raise awareness of social justice issues and inspire people to take action.
Our goal is to promote films, and to provide a forum for discussion about social justice issues.

The White Rock Social Justice Film Festival was initiated in 2005 under the leadership of the First United Church. Working with the church group were representatives from the Council of Canadians, Kairos, Amnesty International and White Rock Arts Council. They began by presenting documentary films that focused on social justice and activism. The organizing committee was later joined by individuals from the community.

In 2010 the White Rock Social Justice Film Festival was granted status as a society. The current board members are Glenn Miles, President, Charles Marxer, Vice President, Eileen Spencer, Secretary and Herb Spencer, Treasurer, Jack McLachlan and Phil DeRosa.

Over the past eight years the White Rock Social Justice Film Society has screened over eighty thought-provoking documentary films on issues not regularly covered by the mainstream media or cinema. Film subjects range from the environment, global humanitarian issues and national sovereignty with respect to health care, food security, energy, water, and peace.

Films featured are about struggles for control over people, land and resources and address the impact on the daily lives of those involved. Other films are about remarkable unsung heroes and ordinary citizens who respond to challenging circumstances by motivating themselves and others into action.

In keeping with our vision, the WRSJFS offers you the opportunity to view the selected films and to discuss the issues raised with fellow audience members and knowledgeable resource people. By raising social awareness and consciousness we hope to inspire individuals to action.

Together we will create a better world.

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

What is Social Justice?

Most of us want to live in a just society. But, there are many ideologies pointing in many different directions, all trying to reach  the end result of social justice. Millions of words have been used, thousands of organizing principles have been applied,  just to describe the various ways to get to the same simple result: “You Cut, I pick”, or "I Cut, You pick". 

But most would probably agree that social justice is about having a level playing field. People understand intuitively from a very early age whether there is justice in the acts of others. But, the behaviours they perceive being practiced by those who have proclaimed they have legitimized power are usually the few, empowered over the lives of the many.

We here in Canada are very advantaged in all the material senses, but many do not always feel the distribution of these advantages are just. Hence, concerns about Social Justice emerge even from those among us, for whom the advantages have come more easily. 

So, how do we determine the difference between the cry of need for social justice, and the whining of the already over advantaged demanding grandiose entitlements that many feel should be earned rather than merely bestowed. Doesn’t history tell us that bestowing has a history of unequal distribution? How do we remedy that?

Additionally, considerable disillusionment nags at the conventional wisdom that says modern society is about quantity, above all else. They say that quality of life issues are only personally derived, and are not up to the impositions of our social institutions. 

“The White Rock Social Justice Film Festival” is aimed at increasing awareness in the community, and beyond, of a myriad of ideas, concepts, criticisms, narratives, and analysis. We attempt to examine the divisions between the status quo, and what many perceive to be more desired social outcomes for Canadian society. 

From our approach ideas are not good, or bad, because they come from one side of the political aisle or the other, or from one religion, one philosophy, or another. Our thinking is driven by the goal of achieving better social outcomes for members of our community. We believe that evolving a social philosophy based on the common good AND the individual good, and assuring energy towards resolving rather than polarizing the collective and the capitalist views of individual liberty are worthy of closer examination.

While trying to do this we endevour to exemplify the approach that assumes the cup to be half full, rather than half empty. We believe that any desired social outcome can be both fair, and humanly possible, and is achievable.

We are interested in the three main issue areas of our times. 

1. Politics (How we govern ourselves, and how we are governed), 
2. the Environment (How we steward the health of the planet),  
3. the Economy (How we steward our subsistence collaborations). 

Somewhere within the context of the short list above, the subject of every documentary film ever made could be placed.