By Georgia Westgarth
IN A society scattered with new Australians, it seemed fitting for Hampton Park Secondary College students to debate a topic so close to home; refugees.
Students from five different schools across the state took up the Model UN debating challenge on Friday 26 August.
Eighty students from Year 7 to 12 made up teams, as small as two people, to represent all the countries of the world.
The teams then debated the global issue of: ‘Refugees: A Humanitarian Crisis’ from the stance of the country they represented.
Some students said they learnt more about politics than they had bargained for.
Hampton Park Secondary College, Year 10 student Allison MacCuaig said the debate was a great insight into politics, a subject her school was yet to offer.
“There was a lot of different perspectives that you must take on from different countries – it was interesting to look at it from Syria’s point of view,” Alison said.
The students discussed economics, population, infrastructure and political reasoning as to why certain countries couldn’t take on more refugees and why that wouldn’t be sustainable.
Students then debated other ways countries could provide help, such as financial aid.
Some students even formed a newfound sympathy for world leaders.
Hampton Park Secondary College teacher, Anna Carrig, a former UN youth volunteer said the event developed more than just cleaner debating skills.
“It allowed students to learn and to develop an authentic and deep understanding of why in the current global climate a forum for collaboration between nations is so crucial,” Ms Carrig said.
“In a closing speech on the day the acting Secretary-General, the UNAA Victorian division’s Vice-President Ian Howie, spoke to the students about the significance of the purposes of the UN – to bring countries together to discuss and combat the most urgent global issues facing the world today.”
