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Enjoying the local cuisine
Students' at European Conference in Paris
23rd March 2010
Hereford Sixth Form College students of Politics, Law and Languages have again taken part in the annual “Your Future in Europe” conference in Paris.
After a coach ride to London, students took the Euro star to Paris, where they enjoyed a weekend of current affairs and culture in one of Europe’s historic capitals.
The first evening started with a visit to the Montmartre district - the haunt of early 20th century artists - made famous by being the haunt of Picasso, Dali, Monet and Van Gogh. Students had time to admire the Sacré Coeur Church and take in the panoramic view overlooking the city. After a short ride on the metro, students had the opportunity to walk up the famous Champs Elysées before heading for the hotel for some well-earned sleep.
The day of the conference began with an early start, with students sampling fresh croissants, baguettes and coffee. The conference centre was very impressive with the largest auditorium that I have ever seen; it must have accommodated around a thousand students from all over Europe.
The conference itself boasted an impressive line-up of speakers from the worlds of business, political parties and pressure groups. In attendance were David Magliano, Director of Marketing for the England’s 2018 Olympics bid, Peter Luff, Chairman of the European Movement, Vince Cable MP and International Economist, Eric Pickles, Shadow Cabinet minister for Community and Local Government, Kate Hooey MP and Shami Chakrabarti, Director of the UK pressure group Liberty.
Vince Cable gave a excellent account of the banking collapse, making sense of in depth economic analysis, making it accessible to those with a limited grasp of economics.
Shami Chakrabarti gave a captivating talk on the need for vigilance about Civil Liberties under the climate of terror. She strongly emphasised that a democratic society should not “throw the baby out with the bathwater”. Kate Hooey gave a talk stressing the need and indeed obligation to vote in elections. Given the decline in turnout, it was refreshing to hear a positive message being given to youth; the emphasis on their future could not be mistaken.
The most entertaining part of the day was the “Question Time” panel at the end. Students had the chance to direct a question of their own choice to any member of the panel.
The conference left us with a greater understanding of how closely entwined the nations of Europe are. The overriding message was that our economies, environmental sustainability and security are interlinked. We certainly are such a “lucky generation” to enjoy peace and a high standard of material prosperity.
After such a long day, our students still had plenty of energy left. We headed straight for the River Seine where we had a boat trip. As darkness fell, students soaked up the romantic atmosphere of Paris by night.
Click the link below to see more photos from the trip.
http://www.review.hereford.ac.uk/albums/2010/03/23/european_conference_2010