CHENNAI: Over 500 students from 27 schools in Chennai became delegates for the model United Nations conducted by Sishya School, Adyar.
Dressed in their formal best, comparing notes with each other and doling out random figures on the carbon footprint of the country, the students got ready to be involved in heated discussions on topics of international interest for the next couple of days at United Nations at SISHMUN 2014.
The two-day programme for students, to get them aware of international issues of importance, will involve moderated and immoderate discussions among those representing the nations. The student delegates representing the member nations of UN, split into various committees such as the International Court of Justice and the Security Council will present issues from their country’s perspective, a consensus will be arrived at and a resolution passed. The secretary general of SISHMUN Vivek Jajoo added that emergency situations would be declared and the delegates from each council would deliberate and arrive at a solution.
The inauguration was presided over by Masanori Nakano, consul general of Japan, and PVS Giridhar, senior advocate, who addressed the student delegates. Masanori informed them about discussions in the United Nations General Assembly and urged the students to deliberate on international issues, especially those in Iraq and Syria. Giridhar, on the other hand, spoke about the need for disarmament. He welcomed the initiative of conducting a model United Nations in schools. “When children leave school and get exposed to the real world, they need to be informed about what’s happening. This goes a long way to help them,” he said.
Student delegates are benefited as well, feels Malavika Nambiar, who has been participating for four years. “This not only keeps us informed of the international affairs but lets us think from their perspective. Being delegates of various countries, we put ourselves in their shoes thereby enabling us to dish out better solutions,” she concluded.