The Montessori Model United Nations (MMUN) programme hosted more than 500 student delegates, teachers and parents from 18 countries at its 5th annual MMUN Europe Conference held in Rome on 25th – 28th April 2017. Now in its 12th year, MMUN is the largest Model UN programme meeting the needs of young people from 9 to 16 years of age.
A delegation of 18 children from both Bayswater and Hampstead Elementary, as well as a few recent graduates, represented the Maria Montessori School at the Conference. The delegates worked in teams for representing 6 countries: Greece, Israel, Libya, Malaysia, Myanmar and New Zealand. As Ambassadors of their selected countries, the children studied the politics, culture, history and geography to learn the reasons behind their respective country’s position on a global problem currently on the UN agenda.
The delegates sat on both the upper elementary committees, Economical and Financial (ECOFIN) and Social, Humanitarian and Cultural (SOCHUM), focusing on topics such as Agriculture Development, Food Security and Nutrition, Implementation of the UN Convention of Combat Desertification in Countries Experiencing Serious Drought, Advancement of Women and Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Children.
Every delegate was able to give their speech to the committee they sat on and representatives presented the final resolutions to the whole conference. Final resolutions (available on the MMUN website) are also shared with the Ambassadors of the countries represented so that the children have a real voice in world affairs and the Ambassadors have a viewpoint they may not have considered.
The programme provided the children with a platform to start thinking about their role in changing the world for the better and they all left feeling encouraged and empowered that their generation can make a difference. Plans are already underway for MMUN 2018.
Visit the Montessori Model United Nations website for full information on the programme: