07 June, 2009

CMV students active in M U N

M U N?? Model United Nations (also Model UN or MUN) is an academic simulation of the United Nations that aims to educate participants about civics, effective communication, globalization and multilateral diplomacy, according to Wikipedia.
For 3 years we've organised a mini MUN for 3rd year CMV students and each time it was great fun and an interesting learning opportunity to get immersed in talks at a global level.
Having appointed delegates for 17 different countries the issue on the table was "the war about water", a topical issue but still quite open for debate within the appointed timespan of 3 and a half hours.
Although hesitant at first during the opening speeches most students adapted pretty quickly to the session and the jargon used at those sessions.
It was especially the honourable delegate from Zimbabwe, who stole the show, although he was the first to respond to the chair that "Zimbabwe is not known for stealing".
Within the last half hour it became clear how much overall progress all delegates had been making when all countries present had to respond to the crisis in Pakistan in their one-minute speeches.
Helping to prepare students to become global citizens can be seen as evidence of a growing tendency in higher education institutes to try and demonstrate a sense of (worldwide) social responsibility. Organising a MUN is a brilliant way of doing this.
Preparations are already underway to organise a university-wide MUN at Hogeschool Rotterdam( MUNRO ?) covering a few days and trying to tempt even more students into taking on roles as delegates, debating and developing solutions to worldwide problems.

1 comment:

Saskia said...

Oh díe Anja, dat weet ik nog wel hoor. Hoop dat je niet te kritisch naar het (populaire) Engels/Amerikaans op mijn blog hebt gekeken... ;-) Tot ziens in de blogwereld!