We are delighted to confirm The Mount will return this year to participate in the Bath International School’s Model United Nations (MUN) from 4 – 6 March. This will be the 30th in-person conference after last year’s, held during lockdown, was held virtually.
The girls taking part will prepare by researching issues relating to their respective delegations and the relevant committees to which they are assigned. They can look forward to an exciting weekend interacting with their peers from schools around the country and abroad. Mr Dawson and Mrs Gibbs will accompany and mentor the girls for this adventure.
Mount girls who’ve taken part in past Bath MUNs have thoroughly recommended the experience. The girls in 2020 said: “We got to meet new people. That’s another good aspect. It was nice to have time together going for meals in the evening and exploring Bath. It felt like we had the freedom to do that because they trusted us. Definitely a worthwhile experience. I would recommend it to everyone. I enjoyed it and I hope we get to go again!”
The MUN is not only an excellent experience, but challenges them to address real-world issues that are relevant to their generation. MUN also provides girls with exceptional content for when they complete their UCAS applications for university places, and is often mentioned by College Leavers as a highlight of their time at The Mount.
From our Archives
The following report, from our Archives, is from the delegation which took part in 2014:
Girls from S10 to College I took part in the annual Bath International Schools’ Model United Nations Conference in March.
“It was unbelievably amazing,” said Georgina Ellis (College I), who was a Commended Speaker on the Health Committee. “There were so many like-minded people debating globally important issues. But also having a lot of fun, socially, while we were doing it. The participants are all keen on public speaking, and come from all over the country, as well as internationally, with students coming from Germany, Czech Republic and Poland.”
Georgina remarked, “There was a proposed rap battle between Russia and the Ukraine. You had to think about serious issues and what we have to do to tackle them, but it was approached in a fun way. You are speaking in front of 120 strangers. You have to really know what point you are putting across, and right from the first evening, you have to work on forming alliances and lobbying allies.”
“You are debating topics you would be interested in from outside of school, but seeing it from the perspective of people other than yourself, such as the team for Afghanistan, who had to argue the position of ‘Why would we give rights to women?’” said Mary Fulford, who was Best Speaker for Human Rights Committee, which was the largest group with over 100 participants of the total field of 650 students taking part in the weekend event.
Georgina said, “We were arguing against HIV and Aids relief, which is not something you would ever do in real life, but you have to find convincing arguments for both sides. Given that coronary heart disease is a bigger issue in the UK than HIV, we argued that more money should be spent there.”
“In Human Rights, we were not debating logistics. For instance, with child labour, somebody suggested ‘Let’s ban child workers’. But if you do that, you end up with illegal child workers, who have even fewer human rights. The aim as a group is to decide where you can find the best solution to what is an impossible problem,” said Mary.
The girls thanked their teachers for arranging for their participation in this unforgettable weekend.
