Model UN Conference
On July 17th, Year 11 students Evonne, Selina, and Wendy participated in the 2021 German Language Online Model UN. We represented the standpoint of the Republic of Philippines in regards to the issue of world oceans, communicating with around forty-five delegates from 15+ other countries via Zoom. This opportunity left us feeling apprehensive and excited at the same time, because not only did we need to foster a solid understanding for the politics, national relations, and economic situations of each country involved, but we needed to learn to enunciate all our arguments in German!
The process of preparation was extensive. Having conducted research on the Philippines' overall stance towards the issue of ocean protection, we stepped into the shoes of our allocated country to thoroughly analyse the benefits and disadvantages each clause on the resolution could or could not incur, deciding which were to our favour and therefore worth supporting. We then filmed a "position statement", with Selina acting as our spokesperson to present our views to the other countries in fluent German. From these videos, delegates from each country were able to prepare rebuttals and create a 'Freund und Feind' list to establish their "allies'' and "enemies".
During the actual UN conference, we were able to put our accumulated knowledge and skills to the test, engaging with new ideas as well as expanding on our skills of diplomacy, debating, and German language fluency. We were challenged to think on our feet, practise pronunciation, and expand our vocabulary while challenging the arguments posed by other students. Our proposed amendment to the resolution, advocating for free technological transfer from larger to smaller states, also initiated heated debate, resulting in an astoundingly close result of 41% for and 41% against.
This was a truly fulfilling experience for all three of us and we couldn't have done it without Frau Hohmann, who supported us every step of the way. As the only participating Year 11 team, Frau Hohmann really ensured that we understood our country's covert and overt intentions so that we could fully engage in the discussions and make the most of this wonderful opportunity.
It was also incredibly inspiring to know that Ms. Karin Taeubner, the Generalsekretärin (General Secretary) of this Model UN, also happens to be a proud Mac.Rob alumni and Palladian members! Her expertise and sophisticated knowledge demonstrated throughout the event radiated Mac.Rob spirit and continues to remind us of the endless opportunities and benefits learning German can provide.
Evonne, Selina and Wendy (Year 11)