JOURNALISM AT
THE G20 SIMULATION
On November 25th , 2017 , the CLE hosted EdUHK ’ s first simulation of the G20 Summit . The event brought EdUHK students from a variety of programmes together for a full day of debate on different international issues , including terrorism , the refugee crisis , carbon emissions , and international educational standards . Our keynote speakers were Dr . Mark Michaelson and Professor Christine Halse .
A group of students acted as journalists representing different international news outlets . Their real-time “ tweets ” during the conference can still be seen @ G20EdUHK . In this edition of the newsletter , we are publishing two of their articles : one from the “ United Nations News Centre ,” the other from “ Fox News .”
Will the dream of global collaboration finally come true ?
Discrepancies related to “ global collaboration ” on the refugee crisis were a cause for concern at the G20 summit . Janice Ng reporting from the summit .
On the 25th of November 2017 , leaders from around the world came together with the same goal – to solve world crises . Witnessing all the heated debates turn into peaceful agreements , one cannot help but to stop and contemplate the unity of our world . As a representative from the UN News Centre , I was inspired by the diverse perspectives on this headline-worthy issue , the refugee crisis .
The refugee crisis has long been a global conundrum . With the flood of asylum seekers , countries are struggling with the resettlement of refugees . At the G20 summit , during the sector meetings , the representative of the European Union stated that European countries need help to relieve the pressure on Europe for the placement of refugees . Other nations are now offering a helping hand . Countries including the U . S used the word ‘ collaboration ’ multiple times throughout the meeting , giving opaque statements on the measures they will take in near future . However , Russia and the U . S strongly asserted the need to differentiate between refugees according to religious backgrounds , as reported from the G20 meetings .
When asked why this was such an important factor , the U . S Minister of Foreign Affairs repeatedly stressed that the U . S is suffering immense pressure from the influx of refugees . He mentioned , “ It would be reasonable for us to prioritize Christian refugees as the U . S has more Christians than Muslims .” Refugees of different religions leave their homelands because of equally horrendous living conditions , so is religious bias by the U . S , a country that promotes cultural diversity , an act of discrimination ?
Additionally , there has been controversy caused by differing stances on the repatriation of displaced people . The U . S Minister of Foreign Affairs proclaimed , “ We have military grounds around their countries . Retaliation will be considered if countries are uncooperative about accepting their citizens back .” Is this a threat to other countries ? If the U . S proposes military intervention in war-torn countries , will it trigger more terrorist attacks ? The United States ’ impulsive comment may create an embolden countries such as Russia to join in this type of intervention .
The Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs , Sandy Ho , during debate . She later won Best Delegate .
9 DECEMBER 2017