Manira Hassan and I decided to start a debate club surrounding social inequalities such as racism, sexism, homophobia, mental health and so on, as we felt students don't receive the deserved, and much needed, education surrounding these topics as some might view them as ‘uncomfortable’. Our main goal was to create an environment where everyone felt safe and comfortable to share their opinions, and perhaps own experiences, without being judged. We want to encourage students to use their voices to make a positive difference.
We have a wide range of topics that we plan on covering in our sessions. We have already covered the impact of COVID-19 on students as well as Islamophobia. We plan on covering mental health, the Black Lives Matter Movement, homelessness, the migrant crisis, history of slavery and colonization, homophobia, feminisim, climate change, and so much more in the coming future.
Whilst we have only had two debates, our most recent one on Islamophobia was particularly interesting. Manira curated a powerpoint, as well discussion points, that not only educated us, but also gave us a new found perspective when it comes to Muslim communities and Islam. She taught us a lot about the Chinese concentration camps, the Burqa Ban, the New Zealan Masjid attack, as well as the impact of 9/11 on Muslim communities and how it still affects them to this day. She also touched on the representation of Islam and Muslim commuities through the media and how they are often portrayed in a different light in comparison to their white counterparts, for instance.
We hope that our debate club will help students understand the social injustices that are taking place on a daily basis around the world and how we have the ability to make a change, no matter how small. Education is our biggest advantage and we want to use it for good.
- Alexandra Nieuwoudt, Year 13