Amnesty International Thailand, a global group that campaigns for human rights, visited D-PREP International School to share their knowledge with the students last September 14. The group conducted activities where students learned about current news and events in Thailand.
The event opened with an activity about current global news. Amnesty International talked about Rohingya, a stateless Indo-Aryan ethnic group that has faced discrimination and repression under successive Myanmar governments.
The eye-opening activity taught students about the concept of refugees and how displaced people often do not have good living conditions and proper healthcare. Another activity was held where the students took what they learned and listed down the things a person needs to live a life with dignity. They listed necessities like a safe home, healthy food, healthcare, and education.
After sharing their work, the students came up with projects to help support children from refugee communities in Bangkok. They came up with unique fundraising ideas such as selling Pad Thai, grilled pork (Moo Ping), and even making passports for identification.
When asked about their mission, Taj, an Amnesty International Thailand representative, shared that teaching young students about difficult real-life situations was challenging but fulfilling.
“I want them [students] to realize the basic concept of human rights, that it is something you are entitled to. These kids are from an international school, and they live quite a happy life compared to the rest of society. I want them to understand that there are marginalized groups that need help and you can help them even as a student. You don’t have to be a politician. As a normal citizen, you can help change society for the better,” Taj said.
The event ended with an activity where the students wrote about what they had learned. It was heartwarming to see them use their knowledge to come up with ways to help those in need. We look forward to more enriching activities that will mold the D-PREP students into responsible and socially aware citizens.
