Pupils at two Scottish secondary schools include South Ayrshire Council's Girvan Academy will set off on a six-day trip to Colombia to experience first-hand the social and environmental devastation and destruction caused by cocaine production in the country.
Three S6 pupils from Girvan Academy in South Ayrshire and two S5 pupils from Portobello High School in Edinburgh, accompanied by their head teachers, will be involved in a programme of activity in Colombia from 7-12 June after receiving an official invitation from Colombian Vice President Francisco Santos. The Vice President extended the invitation in response to the work the schools have been doing in support of the Shared Responsibility project, in partnership with the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SCDEA).
Shared Responsibility is the Colombian Government's flagship campaign aimed at reducing the demand for cocaine by highlighting the social and environmental devastation caused by cocaine production in the country. The SCDEA has been working in partnership with Girvan Academy since 2008, and more recently with Portobello High School to support the messages of the campaign in Scotland.
The pupils and teachers will be accompanied by Detective Inspector Stevie Innes from the SCDEA, as well as representatives of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the Colombian Embassy in the UK and the British Embassy in Bogota.
During the trip, they will visit various places to learn more about cocaine production in Colombia and its impact on people, communities and nature and wildlife through ongoing violence, kidnap, corruption, deforestation and pollution. Some of the activities they will be involved in include:
- A meeting at the UNODC in Colombia, where they will meet UNODC representatives, as well as a victim of drug trafficking;
- A flight over the Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta, where cocaine cultivation takes place, and a visit to an anti-narcotics base to understand how cocaine is produced;
- A visit to Honey Crops – an alternative crops programme;
- A visit to Nueva Granada School in Bogota to exchange information and experiences with students about drugs misuse;
- A meeting with young artists at The Sha House - a programme aimed at preventing cocaine consumption;
- A reception at the British Embassy in Bogota;
- A meeting with Vice President Francisco Santos.
Detective Inspector Stevie Innes at the SCDEA said: "This is an excellent opportunity for these young people to see for themselves the true impact that illegal drugs has on communities in a producer country.
"Both schools have been extremely enthusiastic about supporting and developing this project. The pupils have demonstrated a real understanding of the issues involved with drugs misuse and serious organised crime by taking those issues and interpreting them in ways which other young people can easily engage with.
"This trip will allow them to develop that understanding with real life experience, which they will be able to share with their fellow pupils on return and further develop this project as part of the school curriculum.
"Reducing the demand for illegal drugs is a key priority for the SCDEA, and education and working with schools is a key aspect of our approach to achieving that goal. The commitment the pupils have demonstrated to the project truly underlines the difference that young people can make to these important issues."
Allan Rattray, Head Teacher at Girvan Academy said: "I am very proud of what these pupils have achieved within our school, the wider community, nationally and internationally.
"The passion and commitment that they have shown to the project is outstanding. They are a great example of the way in which many of our young people approach problems in an innovative, enthusiastic and methodical way.
"I know their experiences will help them to develop as individuals and enable them to educate and assist many other people."
City Education Leader at Edinburgh City Council Cllr Marilyne MacLaren said: "It's important that young people learn about the many ways that drugs affect our own communities and the countries from where substances originate. This is a key part of the curriculum and this visit is a unique opportunity for pupils from Edinburgh to experience first hand the human and environmental costs of the illegal drugs trade. We'll be taking the opportunity to learn as much as we can from the group when they return."