Dauntsey's pupils travel to The Hague for Model United Nations conference

A group of pupils from Dauntsey's has recently returned from a Model United Nations conference in The Hague. During the conference, they represented either Mali or Turkey on various committees - including human rights and disarmament - tasked with combating some of the most pressing global issues.

Julian Holland, Head of Religious Studies at Dauntsey’s and organiser of the trip, said: “This was a great opportunity for the pupils to debate international politics and discuss solutions to world issues, whilst improving their public speaking skills. At times the debates became quite heated, some verging on declarations of war, giving everyone a real insight into how difficult it can be to find common ground between different nations with different agendas.”

Model United Nations, also known as MUN, is an educational simulation and/or academic competition in which students can learn about diplomacy, international relations, and the United Nations. MUN involves and teaches researching, public speaking, debating, and writing skills, in addition to critical thinking, teamwork, and leadership abilities.

Participants in Model United Nations conferences, known as delegates, are placed in committees and assigned countries, or occasionally other organizations or political figures, where they represent members of that body. They are presented with their assignments in advance, along with a topic or topics that their committee will discuss. Delegates conduct research before conferences and formulate positions that they will then debate with their fellow delegates in the committee, staying true to the actual position of the member they represent.

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