A delegation of College girls attended the University of York’s Model United Nations conference last weekend (8-10 February) where they learned from first-hand experience about political and legislative processes in the national and international arenas. Each girl was given a nation to represent and had to research in advance her country and its issues.
The MUN was structured in six committees, each with roughly fifty delegates. The other delegates included undergraduate and post-graduate students from the University of York and other universities.
Many of the Mount girls said that at first they were apprehensive and unsure whether they would be speaking. Through the course of the weekend, each girl took opportunities to speak in their respective committees, and they came away more confident than ever about speaking authoritatively in public to a room filled with strangers.
Bethanie (CI) who represented Somalia, was awarded ‘Best Delegate’ from the UN Habitat Committee. “This was my first-ever MUN and I am really, really happy that I was able to get from it every thing that I’d wanted. I got to speak, I got to debate; I had my motion passed; I got my amendment passed; I got my draft resolution passed; and I was named Best Delegate. You would not believe how happy it made my parents.”
Isla (CI) was honorably mentioned on her work for Finland on the UN Habitat Committee. Other participants said how much they enjoyed the weekend, and that they felt they learned many new and valuable skills.
“I would strongly recommend the MUN to any girls wanting to get involved,” said Bethanie. “It has not only given me a lot more confidence, but it has also showed me that I really, really want to study Politics at university.”
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