Human Rights Forum

Deepening our understanding of human rights

The Human Rights Forum hosted at Melbourne Grammar School by Monash University was a very enlightening experience and helped me to understand a little more about how the government are looking at human rights in both Australia and the world, as well as being able to interact with students from different schools. At first though as we arrived I had slight nerves as we entered Melbourne Grammar and seeing the facilities, we didn’t have the blazers and ties that the other students there had so already we were feeling out of place, at the least personally I was, but we didn’t let it stop us from walking in and enjoying the free tea, coffee and snacks that was provided. After a little time, we were invited to enter the lecture room where we would begin the forum and discuss the topic of human rights, taking seats in our school groups at the start as Dr Erin Leif (The guest speaker for Monash) introduced herself before passing onto the headmaster of Melbourne Grammar, Phillip Grutzner, who would then introduce our final two guests; Human Rights Commissioner Lorraine Finley as well as the human rights author and Director of The Brainary, Hugh Kingsley. 

Over the next hour we participated in a game where students discussed different topics about human rights ranging from generalised bullying to the topic of refugees coming to live in our own neighbourhoods, each answer from all the students there were always unique and opened up more to allow discussion. In the end the entire event was an experience that I would be more than happy to participate in, if it was set up again. The opportunity to interact with students from other schools and discuss these topics, is something that I feel is needed develop our understanding of human rights, as we try and bring this current generation into the future.  

~Tea Powell, Year 11