OVER THE MOON FOR MUN

Want to learn how to be a diplomat? Do your research, listen and think hard before you speak, and take everybody's well-being into account! How is that possible? You can ask our Year 8 and Bright High pupils!

This was a year of fantastic opportunities for our Year 8 pupils, as well as our secondary school ones! They attended two MUN conferences, learning the art of diplomacy, social awareness and accountability! They also prepared a great platform for all those daring to follow in their footsteps, growing into responsible decision-makers, motivators and generally - people who make good things happen all around the world!

In case you didn't know, MUN means model UN, which means our pupils were learning how world countries discuss relevant global issues and work together towards a common goal, building compromises for the benefit of everybody.

Our school counsellor, Ms Đurić, was in charge of coordinating the event with the organisers and our school, and she also had the honour and task to accompany our pupils to these conferences (along with our school founder and principal, Ms Prodanić Tišma and our high school coordinator, Ms McCowell). Naturally, we asked Ms Đurić to tell us all about it.

Why do you think experiences like this matter for our young people nowadays?

I think MUN conferences are absolutely amazing. I think there are so many skills that the children learn there. And I'll just mention a few. So first of all, socializing. These events are quite large, so approximately, I would say, 100 plus children attend these events. So, the children get a chance to really make new connections. And these are international connections. You're traveling to other countries. Children from various countries are coming to the same location, so they get to really make some new friendships, and you really never know what can come from a friendship, maybe even a business deal in the future. Then you also have presentation skills. So of course, you have to be able to speak and say a few things about the topic that you are presenting. You have to have critical thinking, so you have to be able to stand for the position and stand up for what the country believes and what your stand as a country is on a certain topic. I just think that overall, the MUN conferences are such a delight, and I think the kids learn so much from these experiences.

How did you feel while accompanying our Year 8 pupils to the conference? How did they manage the situation? What surprised you pleasantly about their behaviour and academic approach?

It's always really stressful taking children on a trip, let alone a trip that is to another country. And also, it's not the smallest group, so we had about 20 kids taking part in these MUN conferences. I felt stressed, but on the other side, I also felt really privileged because the Year 8 pupils were really such a great group to take to these events. I think they managed the situation amazingly. They were very, very well behaved, they were very motivated, they were excited, nervous at the same time, but open to the whole experience and once we went to our first MUN, the second MUN was even more exciting for them and I think that those who enjoyed the first MUN conference were just even more excited for the second one. For the second one, they knew what to expect, they knew what the protocol was, they know how everything functions, so I feel like their confidence was even bigger for the second one. This is definitely something I plan on continuing to organize for the school, but really the Year 8s were just such a delight and they were so mature and so responsible for their age and I truly feel they should be proud of themselves because I definitely know that we at the school definitely are.

Do you think adults could learn something from our Year 8 pupils? What and why?

Oh, I'm a very big and firm believer that all adults can learn from kids, not just from the Year 8s, but from lower years as well. I think as we grow and get older, we lose that spark in us when it comes to being creative and just spontaneous. One thing I definitely feel that adults can learn from the Year 8s is to not be afraid of something that is unnatural to you. So, for example, I know that some of the children that attended the MUN conferences were not really the best at presenting or very big public speakers. However, they definitely faced this fear while they were at the MUN conference and they did an amazing job. I believe that we as adults put these barriers up for ourselves so we don't have time or we don't know enough about it or whatever it may be, so we never expose ourselves to these things. However, I don't see that with kids as much. They definitely put themselves out there more and just take a risk and take a chance, and 99% of the time it ends up being super successful. And this is where then their confidence grows, this is where they feel more comfortable with themselves, and this then definitely also has an impact on their identities. We all need to live life more like children do.

What would be your message for any of the younger pupils (and their parents) thinking about going there next year?

You are more than welcome to join. And even if you don't know everything, it's okay, because at most of these conferences anyways, there are many, many, many beginners attending these events. The activities that take place actually at the conference are also organized in categories, so beginners, advanced, intermediates. So, it's not like they're just putting you in a group where you can't match according to your skills and knowledge. Also, we take time here at school to prepare our kids for these events and to really get them informed and feeling comfortable before we go. So I think it's definitely an opportunity that needs to be taken advantage of. And if any parent or child wants more information, they're more than welcome to let me know and I will have a one-on-one to explain things in more detail.

We also interviewed some of our Year 8 pupils about their MUN experience. Some of them attended both the UK and Polish one. They prepared by researching the topic and the political views of the country they were representing. They expected a lot of debating and formal rules, but they also expected it to be stressful to speak in front of so many people. In the end, it was intense but fun and a great learning experience. These are some of the reasons why they would recommend it to others:

• learn how to express yourself more freely,

• learn how to listen to and respond to other people’s opinions on a topic,

• see how successful you feel when you manage to pass a resolution you had worked so hard on,

• nurture your interest in diplomacy and politics,

• benefit from lots of learning opportunities about the challenges the world is facing right now,

• meet some amazing people you will be on a committee with,

• share your ideas with confidence in formal surroundings,

• step out of your comfort zone - it's worth it...