Leaders discuss our world issues
A GROUP of the city’s young leaders have had their say on global issues at this year’s World Vision Youth Conference.
Five Year 12 students from the Toowoomba Grammar School put their hands up to take part in this week’s one-day experience.
It is designed to empower emerging student leaders to become active global citizens and a voice for justice in the world.
Student Christian Wilson Smith is an aspiring doctor and hopes his future career can help make a difference.
“We collaborated on global issues such as the refugee crisis and we basically just talked about issues that we were passionate about and ways to find new solutions to difficult questions,” he said.
“I just thought it was really interesting to get a lot of different views and I found a different take on leadership.
“I thought initially leadership was something that only a select few could do but now, for me, it is something that everyone should take part in just to better the community.”
Fellow student Harry Schatz said he went to the conference to develop further leadership skills.
“I didn’t really know much about the refugee crisis actually before going... and then they kind of related it back to leadership and how we could apply leadership to our own school,” he said.
All five students will use their new leadership skills to help raise funds for World Vision through the 40 Hour Famine Backpack Challenge. The challenge runs from August 17 to 19 and participants commit to living out of a backpack, with just the essentials, for 40 hours.