大象传媒

Like printing out signs for the students to remind them of a few things while we are on air. Such as the names of the other students we have lined up in other cities around the world to talk to them.
In Ramallah, Semma and Mazen, in Mexico, Abigail, Rosa-Angela and Yesul, and in Ghana, Yehoda and William.

I switched on the television in my hotel room this morning, and it was impossible to avoid news on Iraq. Rob Watson will be in the London studio ready to answer any questions the students have about Iraq and the findings of the Baker Report.

Following yesterday's workshop, abortion and immigration came out as the hottest topics, so you can hear what our 17 and 18 year olds from around the globe think of these issues.

I'm going to be busy holding microphones, so over to Karnie who will be live blogging the programme.

Wednesday Night Live!

The programme's just started...with Ros and team broadcasting live from Chicago

Post a comment on our website at bbcnews.com/worldhaveyoursay

Florence, Giraldo and Cynthia kick of programme. They鈥檙e keen to talk about the James Baker report out today. They鈥檙e also keen to chat about immigration and abortion.
They're being supported by presenters Ross and Jerome.

Flo would like to respond to a comment from Mark who basically says he doesn't think these children are responsible enough to make decisions.

She says she's responsible enough to have an opinion and she's being supported by students in Ramallah and has a big back-up team in the US!

Rob Watson is in our 大象传媒 studio in London. He?s explaining what the Baker report has set out today.

Jerome's asked if the US government will take the report seriously and respond to it. And Rob's reply is:"That's the big questions, we'll have to wait and see."

Yehoda in Ghana says people in Ghana don't like what the Americans are doing in Iraq.

Kia asks: Who wrote the report?

Rob Watson says: 10 main people most notably:f James Baker and Lee Hamilton the other people including the Chief of staff to Pres. Clinton.

Questions from Mexico ? Abigail would like to know: "Why is the US in Iraq"?

Rob Watson: "The US believed that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction but they also wanted a more Democratic Iraq".

We have Lubna in Baghdad: She says it's hard for people to attend to colleges, Universities or schools because of the war.

The students in the US feel for Lubna and Flo says: "I would like to apologise to the students in Iraq, I don't know what it must be like not to go to school. I would like to apologise on behalf of the Americans."

The students move onto Immigration:

The Mexican students say it's very hard to get a job in Mexico and moving to the US is an easier option.

Brenda in the US says: "Borders should not be closed. The US benefits from immigrants."

30 mins into the programme鈥�

Back to Ramallah where they are keen to talk about the wall that separates the Palestinians from families, friends. The students say they are really affected by this and it is very deeming to them to have it there. They also say it is very hard for students to go to school because of the wall because soldiers will not let them pass and education is taken away from them. Semma in Ramallah says: 鈥淲e feel like animals who are caged in without any rights.鈥�

And now onto the subject of abortion鈥�

Students in the US would like to know what do students in Ramallah think about abortion.
Semma is against abortion unless the child has a mental disability.

Yehoda in Ghana says: 鈥淎bortion in Ghana is unacceptable.鈥�

Students in Mexico says: 鈥淎bortion is acceptable here especially where sexual abuse is concerned.鈥�

Mazen in Ramallah says if a woman falls pregnant whatever her age is she should be responsible enough to look after the child.

The subject of abortion is getting quite heated and fiery with agreements and disagreements. 大象传媒 presenter Ros says he's never seen people get off their seats during a programme before! (The students in Chicago have charged forward keen to get their comments in!)

We have a flurry of comments:
Yes you can have an abortion and NO you can鈥檛.

Amongst the comments:

鈥淏ringing a baby into the world that is going to be unloved in not fair.鈥�

鈥淚f it is your mistake than why punish the child for your mistake?鈥�

鈥淵ou should fix your mistake by loving the baby鈥t鈥檚 not the baby鈥檚 fault.鈥�

鈥淚f you feel you can鈥檛 take care of the child then you should abort the child!鈥�

"Many people don't know what life means.."

"You can't force love on somebody, if you can't love a child, then you should have an abortion."

"Take a baby as a gift from God and don't have an abortion."

And that's the end of today's programme...with a huge round of applause from the students in Chicago! Thanks for joining us!