Central Okanagan international students have stepped forward to apply their critical thinking skills to finding resolutions to global issues.
A group of 21 high school students were prepared to attend the B.C. United Model United Nations conference in Vancouver last month but it was cancelled.
To recognize their efforts and give them an opportunity to express their viewpoints, the school district International Education Program organized a public event at Mary Irwin Theater in the Rotary Centre of the Arts on Monday (Dec. 11) for the students to present their position papers to friends, host families, educators and members of the community.
Wynter Oakes, the district vice-principal of International Education for Central Okanagan Public Schools, said the students prepared for the conference on their own time, with the support of their teachers and homestay parents.
Each was to present their position papers at the workshops held over the two-day Model UN conference covering issues such as child labour, climate change, nuclear disarmament, the civil war in Myanmar, the Israel-Gaza War and protection of human rights.
Oakes said the intent is to give students an opportunity to participate in a decision-making context on issues that confront the actual United Nations based in New York.
She cited how these students are from another country, going to school in Canada and researching issues that face other countries in the world, and their presentations are given in English.
“We have students from Spain who are attending school in Canada and presenting positions paper on, for instance, child labour issues in Somalia, Chile and Guatemala,” she said.
Oakes said it’s an exercise in critical thinking where students are applying empathy and knowledge of the plight of others not as fortunate in their choices in life as the students, and looking for how to make their situations better.
Oakes said the genesis of the idea to participate in the B.C. Model United Nations conference came early on when school reconvened in September among a group of four students at Okanagan Mission Secondary.
Lynn Simpson, an International Education resource staff member at the school, said the group approached her, with one of the students familiar with event having attended a similar conference in the past.
“We took the idea to the International Education people and found that other students in the program were also interested in participating in this,” recalled Simpson.
She called the initiative ‘student driven’ from developing their position paper ideas to promoting the idea of participating in the conference among their fellow International Education students.
Those making presentations at Monday’s event included Jette Barnstedt (KSS), Angela Cuesta (KSS) Lucia Alonso (RSS), Aitana Delicado (RSS), Florentina Hofer (OKM), Mateo Porter (OKM), Maxence Leclercq (MBS), Mio Okada (MBS), Jaime Granda (KSS), Janis Eglauf (RSS), Ina Kone (RSS), Laly Micheneau (RSS), Jakub Polak (MBS), Emma White (MBS), Sofia Marcondes (OKM), Adrain Rainer (OKM), Laura Schouteten (RSS) and Katharina Sina (RSS).
They represent many different countries including Spain, Mexico, France, Japan and the Czech Republic.