In this article, the author argues that (higher) education for social justice is an
encounter, as it invokes both the capacities and cultural stock of individuals and groups.
Considering that social justice is inextricably connected to need, desert and equality, it
seems plausible to claim that (higher) education for social justice ought to be responsive
to the aforementioned demands. The author shows how (higher) education for social
justice seems to manifest in instances, such as sustainable development (SD), economic
development and equity (not at the expense of equality, but rather as a shift in focus
from striving towards equity in an equal manner). And, drawing on the seminal works
of Bell, Hooks and Hackman, cultivating equal participation (through deliberation,
self-reflexivity and openness), contesting dominance and privilege, and developing a
critical understanding and awareness to enact social change respectively seem to be the
ingredients for engendering an education for social justice in and beyond the university
classroom.