Date:  1st to 3rd December 2017

Participants: Selected Geckos of Grades 8 & 9

Delegates: Jessica [grade 9] – UK; Shiva Dhanush [grade 9]: New Zealand; Shreya Jain: [grade 8] Portugal, Nethan Reddy [grade 8] – Japan, Aaarnav Kumar [grade 8] – Egypt.

Facilitators: Mrs. Deepthi Pulicheral and Mr. Kalyan Kumar.

Learning Objective:  MUN for India was an opportunity for our geckos to engage in dialogues with their peers, collaborate on decision making policies as in the UN, share and voice out their ideas, and develop their confidence and communication skills.

The MUN [Model United Nations] is an academic simulation of the United Nations for students, thus the name. Here, students participate as diplomats representing countries. The purpose is to give students an idea on the problems faced by different countries, to resolve issues peacefully through discussions and exchange ideas on global issues. The MUN for India was held at the Global Edge School co-hosted by the Worldview. The session started with a pre-conference training by an array of exceptional speakers in forums covering various agendas /organs of the United Nations. The Gaudium School delegates participated in Food and Agriculture Organization: with an agenda to Reduce Global Food Wastage; and World Health Organization: agenda Providing Clean Drinking Water & Sanitation for All”. Aarnav Kumar, a student of grade 8 was a part of the Food and Agriculture committee and represented Egypt he says that – “The venue gave him a direct glimpse into the biggest problem the world faces- hunger. He also says that this made him realize the serious consequences of food wastage and how it can be avoided”.  Calling it a productive and an interesting way to spend a weekend, Shreya Jain, another grade 8 delegate, said that “It not only helped her understand the workings of the UN but also made her see things from various perspectives and improved her communication skills.” This served as an opportunity for the students to understand the making of policies, importance of voting for the right mandate and troubles/ issues which cannot be resolved easily despite collective effort. The geckos also learnt various things from the speakers like the five C’s of educational leadership and the need to be truthful. Talking about the guest speakers, Jessica, a 9th grader says that “The speeches were the best part of the whole event.” According to her, MUN is not just about debating but also about interacting with fellow participants, presenting opinions, receiving suggestions, building confidence and finding alternate solutions to various issues. Apart from enhancing the speaking and presentation skills of the students the MUN also served a peek into a larger canvas.

Some pictures from the event: