Great Scot December 2017 GreatScot_152_Dec_Online | Page 36

News
DIPLOMATICALLY, A GLIMPSE OF GERMAN CULTURE
Four Year 11 students, accompanied by
Dr Reifarth, attended a Model United Nations
conference in Melbourne on 23 June, to debate
and achieve consensus on the very pressing
issue of climate change.
However, this was a conference unlike
any other we’d been to before – it was entirely
conducted in German! Not only were we pushed
out of our comfort zones, communicating in
a foreign language, but also our team was
allocated to represent Germany – a major foreign
power among about 20 other delegations.
Armed with only a few notes about Germany
and its climate change policies, one opening
‘position speech’ and our own combined wit, we
tried to establish a strong stance that combating
climate change required even more funding and
attention from the major powers of the world. In
addition, we suggested that wealthy countries
such as Germany should fund the development
of renewables in developing countries –
something that quickly became popular among
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the delegates from smaller island nations such as
Fiji and Kiribati.
After presenting our opening speeches,
we entered a moderated caucus, in which we
defended our progressive stance from the
scepticism of some other countries, and began
to build alliances and negotiate with the other
delegates. It was a time for open-mindedness
and collaboration.
As in the real UN General Assembly,
nations rarely got their way with everything,
and compromises had to be made. Speeches
were quick, and contrary to the well-rehearsed
exams and orals at school, we had to think on
our feet, often formulating an entire argument on
the spot. Despite facing passionate opposition
from the delegates of the USA, who valiantly
defended their national sovereignty and right to
do absolutely nothing at all, we passed several
amendments to the resolution.
Of course, aside from being thrown into
the deep end of international relations, we also
boosted our German-speaking skills. There were
lots of words to learn, especially fancy diplomatic
jargon, and where our vocabulary wasn’t quite
up to scratch, we had to find a simpler way of
expressing ourselves. The overall atmosphere
was quite relaxed – we soon learned to stop
worrying about each mistake and just focus on
the flow of conversation and fluency.
In a world where we devote so much time
to the furtherance of our own desires, and often
obstinately defend our own opinions without
listening to the voices of others, this Model
United Nations experience was an enlightening
opportunity for us all. Although we didn’t have to
travel further than the Melbourne CBD, it felt as
if we caught a glimpse of German culture as well
as the process of international diplomacy that is
so vital to the peaceful coexistence of mankind
today.
CHRISTOPHER CHAMBERLAIN – YEAR 11
Great Scot Number 152 – December 2017