Students voice human rights concerns

The Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission has concluded the first phase of its "Our Say" competition, an initiative designed to empower young people to voice their perspectives on human rights issues. The pilot program brought together Year 11 students from five secondary schools in the Central Division.

Students submitted 11 essay and multimedia entries, with Vunimono High School ultimately taking home the title of inaugural Human Rights Champion School for their presentation titled “Every Student Has the Right to Education.” Yat Sen Secondary School secured second place with “United Voices,” and Assemblies of God High School placed third for “More Than My Grades: Academic Pressure as a Human Rights Issue.”

Commission Director Loukinikini Lewaravu highlighted the initiative's aim to recognize children as valuable contributors capable of inspiring societal change. The program also focuses on building leadership and critical thinking skills among participants. The commission plans to collaborate with Vunimono High School to trial their proposed solutions. Following this, they will evaluate the program's effectiveness and consider expanding it to the Northern, Western, and Eastern Divisions.

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The initiative recognizes children as thoughtful contributors whose unique perspectives can inspire societal change, while building leadership and critical thinking skills.