IBDP update – International Mindedness

On 2 March the Year 12 IB Global Politics and the Year 12 HSC Legal Studies classes attended a series of talks at Rosary Lodge entitled The Effects of logging on the environment and people living in rural Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. 

The first presenter – Br Christopher John – a member of Franciscan International, explained the UN procedures surrounding the Universal Periodic Review conducted by the United Nations Human Rights Council. This unique process reviews the human rights records of all UN Member States and provides an opportunity for each State to declare what actions they have taken to improve the human rights situations in their countries and to fulfil their human rights obligations. The ultimate aim is to improve the human rights situation in all countries and address human rights violations wherever they occur. Currently, no other universal mechanism of this kind exists.

The second two presenters were Dominican Sisters – Rose Mary Kinne and Marie – who explained the environmental and human rights impacts that both logging and more recently mining are having on the rural communities and villages in the Solomon Islands.

In both Global Politics and Legal Studies the students have to evaluate the work of the UN in relation to peacekeeping and human rights. It was a wonderful opportunity for them to listen to the work that Civil Society Organisations do with the UN in making countries accountable for improving their human rights through this process of consultation and review. Given current events such as the conflicts in Syria and Ukraine we tend to dismiss the UN as less than effective and as such it was enlightening to see the extent to which it is still an invaluable body with a key role in protecting and promoting human rights and in giving smaller nations a much needed voice in International Affairs.

Julie Harris
Dean of IB and Global Politics Teacher