Our school was the only school in England invited to Strasbourg by the European Parliament. We were able to take part in the Sakharov Youth Seminar. The aim of the seminar was to learn more about the Sakharov Prize. This award is given to individuals and groups committed to defending human rights and freedom of thought.

This year’s winners are Belarusian journalist Andrzej Poczobut, currently imprisoned as a political prisoner, and Georgian journalist Mzia Amaglobeli, also imprisoned in her country.

The day began with a panel discussion in which representatives of the award winners spoke about their role and how they want to change their country through their journalistic work.
Afterwards, the awards ceremony took place in the plenary hall, where we listened to two inspiring speeches from the representatives.

After the lunch break, we divided into student and teacher groups and we students took part in a seminar by Carlota Pombar Rodríguez. The seminar informed us how you can be part of the EU and what importance the EU has for your future life outside of the EPAS (European Parliament ambassador school) program.

At the end of the seminar, Vice-President of the European Parliament Sophie Wilmés explained to us her view on how important the Sakharov Prize is. It is not just a recognition by the European Union. The prize also draws the world’s attention to conflicts and human rights violations and not just in Europe.

For us, the day ended with a discussion with two German MEPs who shared with us their experiences in the European Parliament and their commitment to shaping a better Europe.