The Bermuda Youth Harvesting Conference was held at XL Capital on November 13 and 14. The annual conference is organised by Global Arts Productions in conjunction with the United Nations International School (Unis).

The objective of the two-day conference is for students to learn the power of activism among their generation. The conference provides an opportunity for students to hone their skills at home and then have an option to participate at the annual Unis Conference held at the headquarters in New York. This year 65 students from public and private schools were designated by their school to participate in the conference.

Over the past 12 years, Global Arts in partnership with XL, the Ministry of Education, local companies and Unis have formed a global peace template. This youth conference template was based on a unique formula that is set to become a staple for enhancing the global peace process.

Over the years, all of Bermuda’s high schools have attended the conference, which is based on a format that consists of six teams. Each team has representatives from all of the participating schools. The objective is for students to learn that, even in diverse groupings, they have to work together toward a common objective. The end result is that no matter which team wins, every school wins.

This process has continually created incredible results for the conference and our society. It is the hope that the UN will use this formula for countries. Unis is in the process of officially inviting Bermuda youth to join Unis youth to present this template to the relevant UN officials. The template has many applications. It is successfully being used in “sports and health” via the locally televised national high school challenge.

Leah Scott, the Junior Minister for Education, attended the conference to offer support to the students and the organisers of this annual conference. “I commend the organisers for developing this partnership with Unis that has provided our students with the opportunity to be able to attend and participate in the annual UN conference, the world’s most distinguished international stage,” Ms Scott said.

Andrew Phillips, the conference organiser, said: “From the beginning we have been closely linked to Unis. We set our conference objectives and deliverables based on the criteria set by Unis. The conference objective this year has three parts: create a diplomatic presentation in a specified format to the United Nation Heads in March 2015; create or revise the national sports template; or develop a campaign that will feed needy and elderly families.

Mr Phillips added: “These objectives were achieved by utilising a total of six teams with two teams each working on one of the three tasks.”