St. Catherine students debate proposals
It was hardly what you’d call a scientific sampling of the public’s opinion on the proposals to end the Guatemala claim…but as an academic exercise, the debate that took place this morning at St. Catherine Academy was a good test of student skills. News 5’s Marion Ali has the story.
Marion Ali, Reporting
While they may be too young to vote in the upcoming referendum on the peace proposals, today another set of youths shared their thoughts on the issue. A team of presenters from Saint Catherine Academy challenged their peers to delve deeper into the whole issue of “should we” or shouldn’t we?”
Student Arguing For Proposals
“Through these proposals Guatemala will be granted access corridor between the waters of Belize and Honduras. Both Belize and Honduras will allow one thousand square nautical miles each for Guatemala’s use. You might be saying why are we giving up sea to Guatemala? Well in fact, we are simply allowing use of the water by Guatemala, and it’s no major difference because Guatemala is already using our waters and there’s no active law restricting them from that use.”
The opposing team commanded the attention of their peers from the onset, opening their presentation to the popular tune, “Not a Blade of Grass”.
Student Arguing Against Proposals
“Not only do these squatters have the choice to remain in Santa Rosa for the rest of their natural lives, but they get the opportunity to get free land in Belize. Now ladies and gentlemen, free land in Belize? When we Belizean want land, weh we have to do? We have to apply, we have to wait fi the application go through, we pay hundreds of thousands of dollars…”
(audience cheers)
Having heard the pros and cons, the students were off to cast their vote on the basis of either preconceived notions or the gentle persuasion of their peers.
Marissa Longsworth explains why her opposing team took issue with the squatters at Santa Rosa.
Marissa Longsworth, Argued Against Proposals
“The Santa Rosa immigrants who are illegally in our forest reserve will be getting free land, that not even we Belizeans get. And they have a choice to continue residing in this forest reserve, which by law nobody is allowed to live in. And we are trying to preserve our trees and they’re going to be cutting it down, and I think that is a big disadvantage to Belize.”
Kelly Bouloy was on the team that supported the proposals.
Kelly Bouloy, Argued For Proposals
“Basically, it will end this conflict once and for all and through this a better relationship will hopefully be built between Belize and Guatemala. So both countries will therefore benefit.”
Meanwhile, Sister Rose Rivero, who was one of the organizers, believes that events such as today’s can help to influence Belizeans when they take to the polls in the actual referendum.
Sr. Rose Rivero, Debate Organiser
“We will take a summary of the ballots and we are going to present it to the Prime Minister, so he’s aware of this segment of society. And this is his electoral division, so I think it should make an impact on how people think, and perhaps maybe in the future they might lower the voting age.”
As for the results of the voting, the students overwhelmingly rejected the proposals with over seventy-five percent of the school’s enrolment voting “no”. Marion Ali for News 5.
The students were asked to vote based on the relative strengths of the two presentations and not necessarily on their own opinion of the proposals.
