The rights of child refugees were put in sharp focus for students from nine colleges across the Bay who came together to participate in the Bay of Plenty Junior Model United Nations Assembly over the weekend.
Otumoetai College hosted the event held in the school's performing arts centre on Saturday, which was awash with colour and passionate debate as the nine teams all dressed in colorful national costumes of the countries they chose to represent argued two key global issues from that country's perspective.
The issues debated were the rights of child refugees, and the use of sport as a vehicle for promoting peace. Teams from Otumoetai College, Aquinas College, Mount Maunganui College, Tauranga Girls' College and four colleges from Rotorua and Eastern Bay of Plenty debated the topics during the assembly which was run by the Tauranga branch of the United Nations Association of New Zealand.
The Tauranga branch's president, Gray Southon, said Model UN events had been run in Tauranga since 2004 to give students the experience of the complexities of discussing global issues among a diverse range of nations and to show them the importance of forming political alliances to reach agreements on resolutions.
The guest speaker at the event was Burundi-born Jean-Paul Bizoza, who shared his harrowing childhood experiences of living in refugee camps.
Mr Bizoza, a specialist officer for the humanitarian affairs unit of the United Nations Association of New Zealand, has lived in this country for five years after being among granted a kiwi visa under.
Mr Bizoza urged the students to join the youth arm of the UN and to add their voices to the fight for the rights of child refugees.
"As young people you can become positive advocates to ensure the rights of children are respected and protected which includes their right to access the basic human needs we enjoy, such as water, food, sanitation, and the right to be protected from being harmed or even killed."
News from : Bay of plenty Times, New Zealand
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