A collection of Hampstead school students visited King Alfred's school last week to attend a debate on globalisation where the panel discussed the future for a world built on money.

The debate was organised by the 'Green Goblins' an environmental group of 6th form students supported by 'Envision'. Envision has also helped to establish an environmental group ('Entwine') at Hampstead 6th form college that has been responsible for taking the essential first steps to saving the world.

Step one involved campaigning against the school canteen. Entwine has also been responsible for reopening the 6th form garden and recently received a grant of £750 to continue their good work. Entwine members met the Green Goblins as Envision creates lateral links between schools.

Hampstead students were easily spotted in the 'Globalisation Forum' as they stared open mouthed at tennis courts, adventure playgrounds and the outdoor amphitheatre where the debate was to be held in the evening sunshine.

The panel in included a member of Baby-milk Action, a prominent socialist, a journalist from the financial times and a member of the institute of directors. The debate was extremely heated and focussed around questions from the audience.

Hampstead school students who have been brought up in a multicultural environment challenged the panel when asylum seekers were described as a 'burden' by stating that the EU will need 1.6 million migrants a year to keep the dependency ratio at the current level. The member of the institute of directors responded with the skill worthy of the most talented politician: changing the subject.

Many subjects were discussed in the two-hour debate, from the environment to world poverty, from fish farming in the North Sea to fossil fuels in the USA. Hampstead school students were eager to discuss the privatisation of education in the modern world but thought that the location of the debate may have made this subject a little too controversial.

After the debate free fair trade cookies, tea, coffee, pastries and fruit was served and Entwine members found they had a lot in common with the Green Goblins and were invited to the pub to continue the debates. The Green Goblins managed to raise over £300 from the debate which will go towards establishing solar panels on the school roof providing sustainable energy for the students. It is clear that both Hampstead school students and King Alfred's students are becoming the change they wish to see.

Rowenna Davis (17) Geography A-Level student

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