On Friday, December 7, 2013 two representatives of the Burnaby School District travelled to New York, USA to participate in the United Nations Student Conference on Human Rights (UNSCHR) called, “The Future We Want: Making a Better World Through Human Rights”. With hundreds of other students from France, Mexico, and the United States, live and by videoconference, presentations and plans were made to come to grips with human rights standards and enforcement around the world.

Sunny Chen, one selected representative, gave a cultural performance to the student assembly in the United Nations on a traditional Chinese instrument. Aishwi Roshan, the second representative, danced a traditional dance at the UN International School (UNIS). They stayed in homestays with real New York families and toured around the big city and in the United Nations buildings. Both returned with great stories and a sense of accomplishment.

Other Burnaby students, met at 6:30am at Byrne Creek Secondary School in Burnaby, to enjoy UNSCHR performances, presentations, collaboration and the question/answer sessions via videoconference. The group here presented their own plans to make the world a better place in the areas of human rights and multiculturalism, democracy and sustainable development. The goal is to put the plan into action by June 2013 in addition to their other goals of participating in Model United Nations conferences and raising awareness about global issues.