YOUNG faces peering through the wire of off-shore detention centres, Third World hunger and poor health in indigenous communities in Australia – no human rights topic was too big for Wyndham’s most passionate students to broach.
Challenging ideas and divisive arguments came in thick and fast at a youth convention last week where teens from Hoppers Crossing Secondary, Westbourne Grammar, Galvin Park, Tarneit Senior Secondary and Werribee Secondary sunk their teeth into issues facing young people across the globe.
Hoppers Crossing Secondary’s Amee Mott said the day allowed students to express their ideas on whether the human rights of young people were adequately protected.
Subjects stretched from bullying and harassment at school to child mortality in developing countries.
“We broke up into nine different groups with the schools all mixed up … we came back and groups individually made a speech about their topics and there was discussion from all other groups,” Amee said.
“After that we went off to a workshop to discuss solutions and we later voted on them.”
Co-captain Coral Woodcock said the topic that struck the strongest chord was the asylum seeker debate, but discussion about child soldiers was the most thought-provoking.
“One student presented on child soldiers and people stepped back to think if these kids have a choice, then is being against it restricting their choice? There were some really controversial topics and when the discussions were all over people were saying: ‘No, no, no, we want to talk about it more.”‘
