By Bridie Byrne
SEVEN Karen youths never had a say in their having to flee their homeland to find refuge – until last Tuesday.
Draped in traditional garments, the students joined more than 140 schools from across Victoria for a model United Nations Conference.
Textbooks were swapped for the global debate at Werribee Secondary College on the rights and risks of refugees.
The conference followed UN protocols and procedures, with each country allocated a vote.
Pupil Three-Rose Coke used her platform to ask nation states to open their borders to the Karen community.
She was born in a Thai-Burma refugee camp and fled to Australia three years ago.
“We asked countries to take our refugees, to receive an education,” she said.
The Australian Youth Representative to the UN Chris Varney said he would take some of the ideas back to its headquarters in New York later this year.
Chris said there were concerns about violence against women and drug and alcohol abuse.
“There are some very aspiring things happening in Werribee and across the wider community to tackles these issues,” he said.
“It’s another example of young people showing leadership today and being part of the here and now in the community.”
