Our Club supported two teams (four students) from Newhaven College to attend and participate in the Rotary Model United Nations Assembly (MUNA) on the 23-24th May.
These students represented Cuba and Nigeria. This required them to fully understand the country’s positions on the topics to be debated and act as representatives, fully clothed in costumes made by Dianne Barlow, Vicki Dingley and Pauline Brewster.
How would you go if you were to accept the challenge that these talented and courageous students did? Here are the issues that were debated:
- Protection of Children in Armed Conflict
- Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism
- Moratorium on the Use of the Death Penalty
- Protection of Global Climate for Present & Future Generations of Humankind
- Permanent Sovereignty of the Palestinian People in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the Arab Population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their Natural Resources
- Security Council Resolution on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons
- The Situation in the South China Sea
No trivial matters!
The format for the Assembly mirrors exactly that of the United Nations and each country represented is expected to present and debate for and against each of the topics under the Rules of the UN.
While “our students” did not get selected to continue this experience on to Canberra, they represented well. We sincerely congratulate them for the dedication and research that was required for this event and for giving it a good go! We look forward to their presentation of their experience to our Club in a few weeks.