A great global citizenship experience
ABOVE: THE SCOTCH TEAM AT THE NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL MODEL UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE.
The National High School Model United Nations in New York provides a multilevel experience in global citizenship. Students from many nations come together to represent countries different from their own within the full gamut of UN committees. In 2017 the 15-strong Scotch delegation became Thai diplomats and one an independent judge.
One of the highlights was the diplomacy visit to the Mission to the UN where together they discussed each of their UN committee’ s topics and Thailand’ s position on these. The depth and range of the boys’ knowledge was significant and impressive, as was their ease in answering questions posed to them by the minister.
These experiences develop a key awareness and appreciation of cultures, with a view to living in peace and diversity. The UN committees open up understanding regarding the power balance, the complexity of policy and the interrelationship, the need for diplomacy, and an understanding of how it works.
The Model UN trip is also fun, as the group started its tour in Washington for a few days, where they saw many sights including the monuments, they navigated triumphantly from an escape room, explored the Simthsonian Institution and took in the Newseum. For some, the exciting aspect of just being in the US was a highlight, as Hugh McLeish( Year 10) relates:
‘ The New York Model United Nations trip was an unforgettable one. We began the trip in Washington, and when ordering a coffee in the airport I had no idea what the cashier was saying because of her thick American accent.
‘ Washington is a fantastic place to visit, as it is remarkable to see what you see on TV in real life, and to be in the vicinity of where some of the most important decisions of our world are made. Capitol Hill is a fine example of this, and being so close to history, seeing the artwork and where American democracy is based is unforgettable. Visiting the Smithsonian, too, was fascinating, and a great way of seeing many important historical artefacts. A night tour of Washington capped off a brilliant three days in the city.
‘ Coming out of the subway into the streets of New York is something that I will never forget, as I was in awe of the large buildings surrounding us. Before the Model UN started in New York we saw Times Square, Central Park and the business district, including Ground Zero. One morning we got a fantastic surprise when we woke up to see the streets completely white after a blizzard had come through overnight. Being in New York in the snow is something very special.
‘ The Model UN, the purpose of our trip, was a unique experience and a very good way to improve teamwork and problem-solving skills. Talking to delegates from other countries to try to solve a problem was not only fantastic fun but a great challenge, and something definitely out of my comfort zone. The trip ended with a visit to the UN headquarters, and one of the highlights of the trip was to sit in the same hall as many world leaders have sat over the years’. MICHELE LINOSSIER – EXTENSION STUDIES COORDINATOR
www. scotch. vic. edu. au Great Scot 31