QE’s first-ever in-house Model United Nations (MUN) Conference sparked powerful and passionate debate among the 48 delegates from Years 9 and 10.
Topics during the three-day, pupil-run event ranged from nuclear disarmament to the global economy, and from the conflict in Kashmir to the rights and wellbeing of indigenous communities.
The prestigious Best Delegation title went to the four boys representing India: Aahan Shah, Yashwant Sunkara, Abhinav Sandeep and Tunishq Mitra, all from Broughton’s Year 9 form.
The conference was planned and organised by Year 11 members of the School’s MUN Society – 12 volunteers, including Uday Dash, Koustuv Bhowmick, Saim Khan, Zaki Mustafa and Chanakya Seetharam acting as Secretaries-General.
Uday reports that the debates were “fiery, heated and fiercely contested”, fully showcasing the boys’ “thorough research, impeccable resolve, and eloquent arguments. It was an immensely enjoyable and thought-provoking three days, with lots of passionate debating, fruitful discussion and powerful speeches all around.”
Teams of four were drawn from the 12 forms in Years 9 and 10, with each allocated a powerful country to represent.
Two of the organisers, Uday and Saim Khan, opened the ceremony with introductory speeches.
Two days of contested arguments and resolutions followed, with each committee featuring its own battles. For example, Uday reported this about the proceedings of SOCHUM, the Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Issues Committee: “From the delegate of Iran directly calling out the US for its own poor track record on indigenous rights, to the delegate of Australia decrying the alleged insurmountable financial burden it would place on nations to install separate healthcare systems for their indigenous communities, every delegate contributed to fiery, passionate debate.”
A resolution from SOCHUM relating to how the rights, cultures and wellbeing of indigenous people could be preserved was passed, earning the Indian delegation their title.
On the final day, the conference’s General Assembly was held in the Main Hall.
Some impromptu closing speeches from Uday and fellow Secretary-General Koustuv concluded what Uday called an “incredibly invigorating and successful conference”, before Physics Teacher & Academic Enrichment Tutor Gillian Deakin, who is QE’s MUN Coordinator, gave the final word to wrap up the event.