San Diego Diplomacy Council Summit
Upper Schoolers take part in a mock migration crisis simulation with other high schools, and LJCDS accepts an award.
On September 20, 15 LJCDS Upper Schoolers joined 45 local students for a diplomatic migration simulation at the 40th annual San Diego Diplomacy Council regional summit, Diplomacy Begins Here: Innovation in the Cali Baja Region and Beyond. The LJCDS Center for Excellence in Citizenship (CEC) also accepted the Charles H. Hostler Organization of the Year Award for its extensive commitment and contributions as a community partner.
Students attended panel discussions on binational government collaboration, the role of innovation in our binational region, and LGBT rights initiatives in San Diego and Mexico. The day concluded with a tour of the U.S.-Mexico Border at Friendship Park and the Cross Border Xpress.
"The opportunity for LJCDS students to participate in an international diplomacy simulation focusing on a refugee problem was extraordinary," shares Jonathan Shulman, director of CEC. "They were then able to see where the rubber hits the road during the U.S.-Mexico border tour. They saw how the border—a literal human-made imaginary line just miles from LJCDS—is both a place of life-and-death struggle and a place of daily international exchange. The contrast of these two ideas gave us much to think about.”
Two students reflected on their experience:
- Vaidehi Bhavaraju ’21: “Hearing these representatives from different countries share their stories about a lack of women’s education or a need for technological advancement was eye-opening because for once, we weren’t simply hearing about these worldly issues from the news. The words of struggle that came out of these officials’ hearts were genuine, and they made a strong impact on me.” Click here to read Vaidehi's entire reflection.
- Bruno Wilensky Ghonaim ’23: “Personally, I was expecting a much more ‘political’ analysis and conversation about the border problems. However, many of the topics talked about were not so much about politics but of technology and the effect on people on a more personal level.” Click here to read Bruno's entire reflection.
KPBS highlighted the event and interviewed one local student personally affected by the migration crisis.
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La Jolla, CA 92037
858-453-3440
© 2024 La Jolla Country Day School
Privacy Policy
COVID-19 Prevention Plan
