DPS-MIS Model United Nations (MUN) Club attended the Global Classrooms International Model United Nations (GCIMUN) in New York recently. UNAUSA (organizing body of the GCIMUN) is the largest MUN body in the United States, and it gives opportunities to young delegates to hone their talents, skills and aptitudes as ambassadors of UN member-states. The aim of Model United Nations is to imbibe in the participants, progressive skills in research, writing, speaking and consensus building as they step into the role of representing their countries in the form of young ambassadors. They become attuned to the problems that the world faces, and after having undergone the MUN experience, emerge as conscientious global citizens.

10 delegates of DPS MIS were accompanied by the Director of the school’s Model United Nations Club Mr. Arani Baksi to participate in the conference in New York. DPS MIS was represented by Savinay Nangalia and Abhilasha Saini (General Assembly Regional Committee), Syeda Eman Zabi and Aditya Kohli (United Nations Forum for Forests), Yuvraj Singh and Chahak Bhalla (World Health Organization), Aditya Chaturvedi and Deeksha Singh (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development) and Dhruv Relwani and Dindukurthi Apoorva (General Assembly III).

The opening as well as the closing ceremony was held in the General Assembly Hall of the UN Head Quarters in New York. The conferences and committee discussions were held in the Grand Hyatt hotel in Manhattan, where the delegates were also put up.

The opening ceremony saw the Secretary General of the United Nations Mr. Ban Ki Moon address all delegates emphasizing their role as the next generation in understanding difficulties of the world in the United Nations General Assembly Hall. In his key note speech, he included a video of the working of the actual United Nations, and mentioned that he was overwhelmed by the fact that so many young minds filled the hall with youthful energy and verve. In conclusion, he threw in a word of caution for the future citizens, with the quote “the future has a way of arriving sooner than expected”.

The students of DPS-MIS attracted attention in all committees they represented for their in-depth knowledge of the issue at hand, their speaking skills as well their clarity of procedural rules.

Overall, the school has done very well in its first GCIMUN conference. 8 delegates out of a team of 10 were specially recognized by the chairs. In percentage analysis, it is one of the best performances for an individual school in a pool of more than 2400 student delegates participating from more than 28 different countries.

Savinay, Abhilasha, Eman and Aditya K. were honored for their best position paper in their respective committees, indicating the excellent research work done by them prior to the conference. Deeksha, Aditya C, D. Apoorva and Dhruv were awarded honorable mentions in committee sessions demonstrating their acerbic debating skills and in-depth knowledge of their committee. Ms. Kelly Siegal, Coordinator of the 2011 GCIMUN conference sent a note of thank you to the Director of the MUN club Mr. Arani Baksi for bringing such wonderful children to the conference, and for the time, energy and commitment shown by him in preparing and bringing the young delegates half across the globe. The acting Principal of the school Ms. Asna Nafees congratulated the students for this outstanding feat.

It is noteworthy that the school has previously attended and won awards at various Model United Nations conferences, such as Dubai International Academy Model United Nations Conference, Qatar Academy Model United Nations Conference and The George Town University Model United Nations Conference. Next in the MUN calendar of the school is Doha College Model United Nations Conference and The Hague International Model United Nations Conference Qatar Chapter, in October and November respectively, later this year.