Students tackle refugee dilemma

By Bridget Cook
LOCAL students, from Cranbourne Secondary College, attended a state-wide conference addressing global issues.
Six selected students participated in the special state-wide United Nations Model Conference, at the City of Casey council chambers, on Friday 8 May.
About 125 students from government, independent and Catholic secondary schools met in a mock sitting of the United Nations to discuss a key current issue, the growing contemporary world issue of refugees and asylum seekers, and formulate resolutions.
Each school team of three students represented a specific country that has representation within the actual United Nations.
Year 11 students Sieni Elia, Candice Hinde and Paulo Tangga represented Nicaragua, and Year 10 students Tori Durling, Cassandra Phillips and Jake Pringle were the representatives for Germany.
The organising teacher and senior school leader Ross Huggard said students were required to spend many hours researching their own designated countries, as well as determining the stance that country might reasonably take on accepting refugees.
“All the students were obliged to consider this very real issue, to hear expert speakers on our response to refugees and were addressed by Afghani refugees who had travelled from Shepparton to speak at the event,” he said.