Belouga’s Global Student Council is back for it’s second cohort during the 2017-18 school year. The Student Council is made up of a group student leaders from around the world that have excelled in global education and collaboration. Each month, these students write blog posts covering a range of topics related to global education. It is a great way to receive feedback and give a voice to the Belouga experience from a student’s point of view. We will be sharing these posts and hope you feel inspired to join in with questions and conversation!
This month’s topic is “Lessons for Positive Change.” Student Council members were tasked with identifying one thing that your own respected community and country can learn from another country around the world to improve the lives of their local citizens? Additionally, what is one thing other communities and countries can learn from their country? What problem would it solve? How would this help them?
Lessons for Positive Change: Investing In Our Society
by Dezirae, age 13 , from the United States
Denmark is known as the happiest nation, but have one of the highest taxes rates. Danes pay 45% of their annual income. They say “we are not paying taxes, we are investing in our society.” In the Danish community they do not have to pay for education, even at college level. A danish women says “This means that I won’t have to worry about how to finance my kid’s education. It will be their talents and dreams that shape the path of their careers, not the size of my wallet.” In my opinion, this is a value that Americans should have as well. Each year 83% of people say they can’t go to college because they can’t afford to go. And nearly 100,000 schools or institutions serve to 30.4 million students each day in america including: 20.1 million free lunches, 2.0 million reduced price ( pays $0.40), 8.2 million full priced, and 5 billion lunches served annually. If Americans had the system that Denmark has we would be able to have more people go to college. Just imagine how advanced our government and technology would be if everyone had that chance.
Citizens of the countries such as North Korea, Burma, Turkmenistan, Equatorial Guinea, Libya, Eritrea, Cuba,Uzbekistan, Syria, and Belarus do not have the the right of freedom of speech. In America we have this right and it is a very good one. It helps us let the government know when we do not agree with something. Not letting our government overpower us. We the people need a say in what is going to affect us. It is a fundamental human right. It reinforces all other human rights allowing society to develop and progress. The ability to express opinion and speak freely is essential to bring about change in society. Others do not have this right, such as in North Korea where the government is overpowering its citizens to where they do not have a say in what is happening to their country.
If these countries had this right it would solve so many of their problems such as rebellions and people going against the government. They would feel that they have a say in what is happening to them. And what will happen to the generation after them. It could even help people feel safer about what will happen to their children after they pass. That they can leave something behind that they can be proud of, and feel they made a difference.