German Language Model United Nations 2022
“Sustainable Cities and Communities: Towards a Resilient Future.”
“Nachhaltige Städte und Gemeinden: Auf dem Weg in eine resiliente Zukunft.”
Over 20 countries and 10 schools united by one language: German.
On Monday, 18th of July, six students from the combined VCE German class participated in the German Language Model United Nations, which took place in North Melbourne. We were able to interact and debate with schools from all over Victoria in order to work toward the common goal of passing a new UN Resolution. The theme of this year's German Model United Nations was Sustainable Cities and Communities (Number 11 of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals), which provided a foundation for all of our discourse regarding what we, as a unified world, could and should do to address the pressing issues of climate change, equity, and poverty. The aim of this event was to accurately represent our assigned countries, Argentina (Selina Chen, Evonne Lu, Vyomikaa Mahendran) and Luxembourg (Praneetha Madineedi, Sarah Bi, Alphonsa Benjamin), while also honing in on our diplomatic skills and negotiating with representatives from a wide variety of countries, each possessing their own opinions and needs. Additionally, it was an excellent event in terms of developing our fluency and confidence in German, offering an encouraging environment for us to practise the language.
A highlight of the day was being able to interact with our fellow peers across the state, who are also studying VCE German, and engage in meaningful discussion about world issues that are faced by our global community, such as the feasibility of plant-based diets for the sake of the environment and the implementation of catastrophe management policies. This event empowered us to recognise the significance of bilingualism in shaping our world view, diplomacy, problem-solving and global interconnectivity.
We were also excited to have Mac.Rob’s very own Frau Karin Taeubner preside over the event as the United Nations Secretary-General. Frau Taeubner was incredible on the day, ensuring that everyone was aware of the procedures and encouraging us towards a collaborative and successful outcome for everyone involved.
Overall, the whole-day event was extremely enjoyable, rewarding, and a truly unique experience - it is an extraordinary opportunity for those who will be taking VCE German, and we all highly recommend it!
Selina C, Evonne L, Vyomikaa M, Praneetha M, Sarah B and Alphonsa B