A new chapter in human rights advocacy begins at Toowoomba Anglican School
Local
After drawing inspiration from their attendance at the Amnesty International Brisbane Schools Conference in mid-May, Toowoomba Anglican School students have created their own Amnesty International group at the school to drive action and engage in human rights advocacy
Toowoomba Anglican School (TAS) students with a passion for social justice advocacy will have a new extracurricular club to join with the establishment of the school’s first Amnesty International Group.
The new group was the direct result of TAS student and staff attendance at the recent Brisbane Amnesty International Schools Conference at Brisbane Boys’ College where a special focus on refugee rights drew hundreds of students from Brisbane schools to hear from guest speakers and participate in interactive workshops.
It was an inspiring day for those in attendance and TAS students left the conference knowing they had to take further action to push for human rights protections around the globe. It wasn’t long before the idea for the school’s first Amnesty International Group was born.
Created in 1961 as a non-governmental organisation advocating for people facing torture, execution or incarceration based on their socio-political or religious beliefs, Amnesty International has since blossomed into a global movement of over 10 million people dedicated to advocating for, and protecting, human rights around the world.
For TAS Year 11 student Amalia, hearing the profound tales of struggle and resilience shared by refugees at the conference demonstrated to her the urgent need for action by students through the creation of a school Amnesty International Group.
“This conference was a wakeup call for our school and we’ve realised the privilege that we have and that we haven’t used it to our advantage to aid our community,” Amalia said.
“In response to that we’d like to put together our own Amnesty International Group focusing on issues close to our community.”
Similarly, TAS Year 11 student Hugo found the conference’s activities a deeply educational experience on the many challenges refugees and people seeking asylum face fleeing persecution and war.
“It was an enlightening experience that deepened our understanding of human rights and the importance of advocacy,” Hugo said.
“During the conference, we mainly listened to guest speakers who shared powerful, personal stories especially about what it was like fleeing their home countries and seeking safety in Australia.
“Hearing these real-life experiences helped us better understand the challenges that refugees and people seeking asylum face.
We also did a small workshop where we reflected on what we learned in the day and talked about how we, as young people, can be more aware of human rights issues in our everyday lives.”
Joining the students at the conference was TAS secondary teacher David Parrington who found inspiration in seeing so many young people energised by human rights advocacy.
“Students play a vital role in driving change by raising awareness, standing up for those without a voice, and inspiring others to take action on important human rights issues,” Mr Parrington said.
“My biggest takeaway from the conference was realising the real impact young people can have in promoting justice and human rights, both locally and globally, through collective action.”
With a range of meaningful initiatives and activities slated for the newly formed Amnesty International Group, Mr Parrington is encouraging students keen to make their mark on human rights work to get involved.
“Students who join the TAS Amnesty Group can expect engaging discussions, awareness campaigns, and hands-on projects like letter-writing, fundraising and advocacy events aimed at making a difference in our community and beyond,” he said.
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