World Human Rights Day was celebrated at Bermuda High School for Girls yesterday with a special presentation by first-year International Baccalaureate students to an assembly of the senior school.

Speaking, ironically, as the world watched a memorial service for freedom fighter, and the first black leader of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, 16-year-olds Kathleen McBeath and Reem Bushara, were praised for their presentation on five of the 30 human rights identified by Youth For Human Rights.org and found to be of most interest to their peers.

BHS’ Global Politics course has been credited with changing the young women and men in the IB programme’s understanding of the world in which they live.

Several of the course and school’s graduates are now pursuing education and careers around the world.

BHS is the only Bermuda member of Round Square — a global organisation that challenges students and encourages their personal growth through the embodiment of the IDEALS: Internationalism, Democracy, Environment, Adventure, Leadership and Service.

There are leadership positions available for each IDEAL and pillar leader positions were available to Year 11. Kathleen and Reem are Pillar Leaders, and

The celebration of World Human Rights Day met the IDEAL of “Leadership” but touched on other aspects.

BHS’ academic and extra-curricular programmes often focus on internationalism

The school’s success with the programme has seen it be rewarded the opportunity to be one of the few pilot schools in the world to introduce the new component of World Politics to its curriculum.

Just 18 schools out of 1870 schools that offer the International Baccalaureate worldwide are part of the programme, including the prestigious United World College Wales and the United Nations School in New York City.

Gretta O’Kelly-Lynch, BHS College Counsellor, Global Politics said: “This is such an amazing opportunity for this school and our pupils.

“It’s such a privilege for Bermuda, for this school and this programme to have this. We get to be one of the test schools for something that will be implemented around the world.

“The children are loving it! We’re finding that more and more of our students are getting into it and it’s certainly an opportunity for learning.

“It’s huge! We were selected has been because we’ve long had the “Peace and Conflict” (course).

The course is centred around case studies to focus the conversations in the classroom about topical issues, including conflict resolution, the rules of war, realism, terrorism, power, sovereignty and liberty.

Mrs O’Kelly-Lynch, who, as coordinator has been a part of it’s implementation around the world, added: “I feel so fortunate that BHS was included in this pilot programme. We’ve had discussions with teachers from Saudi Arabia, teachers from New York, It gives you a global political lens.”

Ms Bushara, Reem a deputy head student, said: “The whole premise is that we know we have human rights. Nobody knew how many there were — 30.”

Kathleen McBeath explained that the five rights, covered yesterday including, that all people are born free and equal, have a right against being enslaved, a right against torture and a right to life.

Aleisha Hollils, Alex Cash and Sabina Stan, all 16, have participated in overseas tours recently and were effusive in their praise of BSH’s preparations and said the school’s Peace and Conflicts, and Global Politics, components prepared them well for public speaking, research and respecting other cultures and points of view at Model UN conferences, both in The Hague, Netherlands and in Atlanta, Georgia.

“It was a dynamic experience,” Ms Stan said. “I used to get People magazine in the stores, but now I get The Economist.

“Now, when I have debates with my parents, it’s more about ‘soft power’ and hard power and realpolitik when evaluating something. You learn to see things from different perspectives.”