Pictured above is one of my former student ambassadors addressing the General Assembly in Rome around nuclear disarmament. At the time of the photo, he was 10 years old.
And while he is from France 🇫🇷, he was representing the UK 🇬🇧.
He’s reading out a resolution to subvert nuclear proliferation signed by his peers from around the world, representing multiple nationalities with multiple perspectives.
This is the power of ‘Model United Nations.’ And this is power our youth have when we give them the chance to speak.
As the invasion of 🇺🇦 Ukraine intensifies, how might we use the same process in our classrooms to empower our students as global citizens, critical thinkers and problem-solvers?
Yesterday, I had the great privilege of chatting with Robert Gold, the Model United Nations Coordinator at the International School of Kuala Lumpur on how to start the discussion in our classrooms. Through the interview we learn how to:
- Help students understand the complexities of the conflict
- Seamlessly weave together history, geography, and language topics found in our curriculum
- Help students differentiate between ‘real’ and ‘fake’ news
- Organize our own Model United Nations conference with little to no experience
- Motivate students to give up entire weekends to the process of diplomacy
Thank you for your commitment and courage in addressing this threat to our global security with kids.