This article was written by Fariah from Godolphin Junior Academy who was inspired to make their voice heard about a recent VotesforSchools lesson on the World Cup being held in Qatar.

If you're an individual under 18 years of age and are interested in getting involved, head over to our Young Writers page to learn more.

Was it a mistake to hold the world cup in Qatar?

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Fariah writes, "In my opinion, I voted no because it is the first Asian country to hold the world cup and they have already made a lot of preparations in order for everything to work well. Also, it’s really nice weather there; a warm climate would be perfect to play football in and enjoy your win."

Why does Fariah think it wasn't a mistake?

^.

"However, some people had an opinion that it was unfair that the builders who were building the stadiums were treated unfairly or that they were still working in harsh conditions. Another point that raised eyebrows was the fact that you could not be gay and this made some people unsure whether this would be fair to people who would perhaps like to go and watch the match but were gay so they might be discriminated against. However, on the other hand, some people thought that since they are still a developing country it is not right to judge them on their rules. Also, it’s their country so they can make up their rules but also the fact that it’s not about what country it’s held in as the CEO of Fifa said “Can we please just focus on the football” which is the main event."

What did other young people think?

Taking the topic out of the classroom...

Fariah lastly spoke about how taking part in VotesforSchools lessons has helped them outside of school. They wrote "[VotesforSchools] has helped me personally as I feel more aware of what’s going on in the world around me; the important topics that are happening and how I can help with certain situations and issues. Additionally, I quite enjoy this lesson and always look forward to it on Fridays."