Students tackle the challenges of global peace in annual Rotary debate

Students from seven secondary schools met in the States Chamber for the annual Rotary Club of Jersey Colin Powell Student Peace Debate.

The event was presided over by the Deputy Bailiff, Robert MacRae and began with a keynote speech from His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor Vice Admiral Jerry Kyd CBE. Members of the public watched the debate from the public gallery as well as live online.

The schools were given the task of debating the Roman maxim: ‘If you seek peace, prepare for war’ or ‘Si vis pacem, para bellum.’ Each school took their own stance on the balance and relationship between peace and war, giving a five-minute presentation on their points, before facing questions from their peers for another five minutes.

At the end of the debate, the Deputy Bailiff proposed a motion relating to the theme for the students to vote on. The motion, ‘The election of the new President of the United States makes peace in Europe more likely’, was defeated with 7 votes for, 26 votes against and 1 abstention.

The Colin Powell Trophy for the best presentation in the debate was awarded to Hautlieu School by the judging panel which included the President of the Rotary Club of Jersey, Madeleine De La Cour, and His Excellency, Vice Admiral Kyd.

Rotarian Tony Allchurch, who organised the debate, said: 'It is always inspiring to hear young people share their views on such important topics and this year, they have tackled a particularly profound and topical issue with confidence, giving very high quality and sophisticated presentations which were varied and engaging. The act of considering the Deputy Bailiff’s motion and recording their votes is an important experience for the voters of the future, and I hope the experience will inspire them to continue to engage in local politics.’

Students from Years 10-13 from the following schools took part in the debate and presented the following topics:

• Victoria College: “Global Peace is dependent upon mutually assured destruction.”
• Jersey College for Girls: “To what extent should we prepare for war.”
• Hautlieu School: “International Peace through collaboration: A delicate balance.”
• De La Salle College: “Modern and Historical examples in support of preparedness for conflict.”
• Beaulieu Secondary Convent School: “Sometimes forms of conflict are necessary to facilitate peace.”
• Les Quennevais School: “Ukraine: Is the US involvement for peace or economic gain?”
• Grainville School: “War…..what is it good for?”

The Student Peace Debate is dedicated to the memory of Rotarian Colin Powell, a man of peace and a great humanitarian. He was instrumental in establishing the event as an important contribution to the Rotary Peace Programme, which recognised Jersey as a Rotary Peace Community in 2015. 

The debate took place on Friday 8 November in the States Chamber.