The Seychelles hosted the TSL 2018 International Schools Debates with more than 90 international delegates (students and teachers) from all over the world.
The competition theme was Oceans (SDG #14), and the debates were hosted by the Seychelles government on Mahe Island in July 2018. We (students) were welcomed by the Seychelles’ ministers of education, environment, and tourism.
The opening ceremony followed the launch of the book ‘Voices of the Future’ with the UNESCO’s Voices of Future Generations initiative and Bloomsbury Books.
Primary Schools Debate was in collaboration and teamwork of students (ages 7-11) set about developing a shared plan for conserving the world’s oceans, seas and marine resources. I gave an individual speech on the topic ‘My plan to protect and manage our oceans, seas and marine resources.’
We (students) were assigned to one of four groups, where we discussed and debated with the help of facilitators. We worked together with the aim of achieving a commonly shared plan to save the world’s ocean, seas and marine resources by 2030. We prepared arguments either pro or con, on the motion, ‘This House believes that the targets of UN Sustainable Development Goal #14 are achievable’
The exciting, five-day program included a Children’s Ocean Conference, where children from around the world worked with local Seychellois youth organizations and marine conservationists to protect the seas of the Small Island Developing States, and teachers attended a special workshop on improving educational resources on oceans, seas, and marine resources.
The field trip program included visits to a marine park, a fishery, a maritime academy, and a marine discovery station, and the program closed with a Cultural Evening.
UNESCO VoFG Child Author Jona David’s school in the UK, along with the ‘Voices of our Future’ Bloomsbury book, and are presented to Headmistress Mrs Yvette Day and TSL Teacher Champion Mrs Helen Barker, along with Eco-Society lead teacher Mr Angus Gent, and (me) Nico Roman, UN Child Ambassador for the SDGs. —
Nico's Natural World 