Once they were familiar with the history, strengths, and current challenges facing their countries, the student delegates - representing Ireland, Argentina, Belgium, Norway, Djibouti, Germany, and Japan - voted on a debate topic, ultimately deciding on "Strengthening Prevention Measures and Criminal Justice Responses to Human Trafficking." The US State Department recently estimated that there are between 20-36 million slaves in the world today, with human trafficking generating $150 billion in illegal profits each year.
Students have been researching their country's position on this issue, which coincides with the current school-wide global citizenship theme of human rights, and they are currently preparing formal position papers and three-minute speeches that outline national policies for preventing human trafficking while providing possible solutions to this global challenge. The work is preparing students for their participation in a full Model UN simulation next quarter.