The UN is coming to Victoria BC! Well, sort of…the University of Victoria Model UN Club will be hosting a conference Oct21-23 featuring high school and university students acting as international leaders to debate real global issues. These may well be our future leaders, and the conference is an opportunity for young people to engage in discussions around real-world issues.
Climate Change and the Environment is the topic of this years’ conference. Students who participate will be assigned to represent one of the 192 member states of the UN and each will prepare a position paper outlining the policies of their country pertaining to specific topics they’re appointed to address. During the conference, students will take on the role of diplomat for their assigned country and debate, negotiate and develop solutions to the issues.
This year’s keynote speakers at the conference include Michael M’Gonigle, law professor and founding member of Greenpeace and Robert Gifford, an expert in environmental psychology.
Another facet of the exercise is a mock press conference and media scrum with students playing the roles of journalists for international news sources such as the BBC, CNN, Al-Jazeera and FOX.
Perhaps these sharp young minds can solve some of the world’s climate change and environmental problems at VICMUN 2011. At least it’s a great opportunity for youth to develop their debating and diplomacy skills and who knows; maybe a student who’s living in Victoria will unearth solutions that will impact our world for the better.
