At the end of Term 1, a handful of Year 11 boys took part in the annual WonTok Conference hosted by Abbotsleigh. Led by College Chaplain Rev David Williams, our boys sat alongside peers from five other schools to participate in an open and free discussion on issues relating to world poverty.

Participant Marco Stocca (11/LE) said that the name of the conference was taken from Papua New Guinean pidgin to mean “one talk” and “one world” was a good reminder of the reason they were there.

“There were many discussions and games, which helped us understand the problems [occurring as a result of world poverty].”

“We were also very fortunate to have special guests from the Philippines, to share their experiences,” said Nicholas Adgemis (11/JN).

Year 11 student Callum Lowe-Griffith (11/PR) said the question and answer sessions with people who had been directly affected by poverty were eye-opening and refreshing.

“I believe everyone had a great time talking about the harsh truths of poverty and getting to know how we can help people in need overseas.”

However, at the core of the WonTok Conference is the development of empathy for those who we don’t know and who live far away according to Jack Ryan (11/KL).

“A number of activities illustrated the everyday struggles of those in poverty which led us to the conclusion that solutions can be effective only through self-determination, not an imposition of values on a community,” he said.

Self-determination and access to agency became a greater topic of discussion as the groups moved out of defining and identifying poverty to trying to come up with solutions as to how it can be reduced.

“In short throwing money at a problem will do little to fix it” said Alex Barrat (11/JN). “Infrastructure and education planned in conjunction with the affected communities are the two keys to reducing global poverty. It’s the classic story of how giving a man a fish is not as worthwhile as teaching a mean how to fish.”

Having basic facilities such as clean toilets goes hand in hand with self-empowerment. “They are a key in the push to get more young girls through school and into meaningful positions in society,” continues Alex Barrat.

“The lack of toilets, although it may seem trivial, is a major reason for girls not attending school,” he said.

Overall, the day was both productive and challenging. Elliot Ulm (11/LE) said. “Learning about the different issues occurring around us everyday made myself, and others involved in the conference, more aware of how grateful we should be, as well as inspiring us to make a positive impact towards those who are in need.”

Jack Jacobs (11/FL) agreed and said, “this unique event delivered an inspiring and emotive insight into the Global Poverty issues that grip our world, and simultaneously encouraged Year 11 boys to take the initiative to realise their upcoming role in this issue.”