Members of Limavady Youth Council have hosted a Political Awareness Conference aimed at encouraging political education and engagement amongst young people in their local area.
Members of Limavady Youth Council with Catriona Coyle, WELB youth worker, Ursula Coll, WELB youth support worker, and Councillors Peter Lavery, Alliance Party, Aaron Callum UUP, Mayor of Limavady Gerry Mullan, SDLP, Boyd Douglas, TUV, Tony McCaul Sinn Fein, Alan Robinson, DUP, James McCorkell, DUP and Michael Coyle, SDLP.
Year 10 and 11 students from schools across the Limavady Borough Council area took part in an open debate to learn about the views and policies of the main political parties operating in Northern Ireland.
Prior to learning about the different political parties’ views, each participant was handed a replica voting card and asked to cast their vote during the event held in the Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre in the town
A voting and political awareness quiz followed to asses specifically the knowledge students had already acquired on the political system and their local representatives.
This was followed by two political parties, chosen at random, who openly debated on the following topics: recycling; streaming in schools; youth participation; underage drinking; flags; youth punishment and more.
A series of heated debates took place replicating those in Stormont, which provided an opportunity for students to gain further knowledge on the different political parties’ view and political representatives an opportunity to influence the audience on their future voting decisions.
The programme for the day also include “Speed Dating,” which involved representatives from the local parties moving from table to table, answering quick fire political questions posed to them from the students.
After engaging in discussions and taking into account their learning throughout the day, students cast their vote again to determine if their views had changed.M
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