A taste of the big time: The assembly hall does a good job imitating the "real" UN.
Dealing with challenges like the financial crisis, piracy, climate change and conflicts in Afghanistan, Darfur and Iran probably would seem a staggering assignment to most of us.
Nonetheless, these are among the points on the agenda as Espergærde High School this week host Model United Nations (MUN) for the eighth time.
MUN is officially backed by the UN and gives young people from all over the world the opportunity to develop skills needed to address important international issues and get to know different cultures.
The MUN spirit
Working together in a peaceful spirit despite differences is very much the great idea of the UN. And thus, also the spirit of MUN.
“With the challenges we are facing today such as climate change and international conflicts, there is more than ever a need for a MUN spirit,” Minister for Education Bertel Haarder in his opening speech.
Becoming one with your role
He went on to brace the young students for the complexities involved in dealing with situations such as those they will be imitating during the conference:
“During the conference you will become one with your role. You will disregard your own views and defend the point of view of another country. You will develop the ability to listen, to understand other countries, to negotiate, to form alliances and to forge compromises the best possible way. These are skills you can use later on in the business world – and also in international organizations”, said Bertel Haarder.
Decision makers of tomorrow
The principal at Espergærde High School, Jens-Per Nielsen, expressed high hopes for a conference, which will provide great stimulation for the students involved:
“The students get to show everything they can do. They arrange, do publicity work, speak in English for days and successfully manage to invite the Minister for Education. This shows their potential, we see the talents and we experience their prowess. Therefore we can say we are developing the decision makers of tomorrow,” says Jens-Per Nielsen.
The EGMUN conference runs from 25-29 November at Espergærde High School in North East Zealand.