Mock debate has Geraldton students fired up

While many Year 9s were watching TV, playing sport or thinking about the beach, Thea Volkerts and Aleesya Amirozal spent Saturday, August 31, in Perth representing Indonesia at a mock UN debate.

The two Champion Bay Senior High School students were guests of the Murdoch University Debaters Club.

Thea said they debated piracy regulations.

“You have to make decisions as if you were Indonesian,” she said.

“We are given conditions and rules and agree to them as a country.”

Thea said they had researched Indonesian politics and foreign policy to prepare for the debate.

“It turns out we are part of ReCAAP (The Regional Co-operation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against ships in Asia),” she said.

“Everyone in that region tells everyone about what has been happening so it’s like an information group.”

They said their Indonesian teacher Bree Clarke had helped them to prepare.

They also said it had been a great experience, although they were up against much more experienced teams.

Aleesya said they learned a lot and were both keen to take part again next year.

“I would like to case the politics of the other countries as well,” she said.

“It was really interesting because our politics work a lot with South Africa and China, and it was good to see how that works when we model with the UN.

“With South Africa we signed the IORA treaty, a marine policy to protect the waters around Asia and Africa.”

Aleesya said they were both learning Indonesian at school, which had helped.

“It is a really good language to learn because we are so close to Indonesia and it’s building a bond between the two countries,” she said.

Thea said they came away with a lot of new friends from the other debating schools.