In the Secondary department, our students have the opportunity to join a club called the MUN or Model United Nations. The club allows the students to explore and have debates on current global issues with people from around the world. Our Grade 11 student, Melanie Dold, provides more details about what we do here at ISSH, including a new experience, QUARAMUN.
Why did you join the MUN club?
I heard about MUN through one of my friends who described the experience to me, so out of pure curiosity and my love for debate, I decided to give it a try.
What is an MUN conference like?
At an MUN conference(A gathering), students from different schools get together and individually represent a country in the given situation. It is a fantastic opportunity to meet others and form a better understanding of the world around us. At ISSH the MUN students have travelled as far as the Netherlands to partake in one of these conferences. The conferences usually take place over the weekend and accommodation will be included in the price. Of course due to how enriching this club can be, the prices per conference do range depending on how far you travel, however there are no mandatory conferences. Due to the corona situation there are currently no conferences taking place physically, however there are plenty of online conferences which can even be free.
Do you think MUN club supports your studies at school?
I think due to the needed skill of debating and keeping an open mind in discussions it definitely helps with any assigned tasks where you may need to argue for a point that you do not necessarily agree with. This is a skill that is not only needed for school but can help people better understand other people’s actions outside of school as well. Along with this MUN is a great way to gain confidence and therefore better your presentation skills for class.
Can you tell us more about QUARAMUN?
Recently we hosted ISSH’s first ever free Online conference. Although this may not have been the largest conference, given the circumstances, the outcome of this conference was successful. Many delegates reported back saying that they enjoyed the experience. We wanted to try to make our own online conference, as this was a one time opportunity to meet people all over Europe and unite to discuss the current virus. It also gave us a chance to do something new in our ISSH MUN club and therefore expand our experience.
Before embarking on this journey, we had an idea of what we wanted it to look like, but with the hard work and teamwork that we put into this conference we ended up having an informational website, a detailed sign up form and an automated email system. With time we began to see our idea turn into reality, awaiting the day of the conference. In the end we had 30 participants from all over Europe gathering together to debate the topics of today’s world.
Can you tell us more about the topics discussed at the conference?
Our conference had 3 different committees in which we debated a variety of topics. Since the overarching theme was Covid and the underlying effects of it (although there is much already portrayed in the news) it was interesting to learn about its individual effects in depth. The committee in which I chaired was The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), also known as the UN Refugee Agency, which is a global organisation dedicated to aid and protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people. Here we debated the refugee situation during Covid 19 and how it affected each present country. Overall the experience was very educational for both the delegates and chairs and I encourage all students interested in meeting new people and improving their presentation skills to join MUN.
