More and more Harrodians are engaging with the big issues that face the World by joining our Model United Nations Club. Mr Hooke applauds their determination to get involved and have their say
As the size of the delegation sent by Harrodian to last November’s London conference attests, the Model United Nations Club at Harrodian is enjoying an unprecedented surge in popularity. No fewer than 23 pupils drawn from the 13s, 14s,15s and the Sixth Form took part in the London International Model United Nations conference (LIMUN) at King’s College last year, a figure which, remarkably, accounts for more than 10 per cent of the total of all 200 delegates at LIMUN.
‘I think Harrodian students are engaging with MUN both because they want to understand the system behind the policies and because they’re desperate to get involved and have their say.’
Ms Charlotte Arnold, Harrodian Head of Politics
Ms Charlotte Arnold, Head of Politics (who runs the Model United Nations Club with Mr Sam Wardell, Head of Philosophy and Mathematics teacher, Ms Melissa Perera) suspects this MUN mini-boom may be partly an unforeseen by-product of Covid. She points, for example, to the emergence of activist movements in the heart of the cultural mainstream in recent years, from Extinction Rebellion to Black Lives Matter. ‘Lockdown has given young people direct experience of how Government impacts their lives. Yet they have been stuck at home unable to do anything,’ she says. ‘I think Harrodian students are engaging with MUN both because they want to understand the system behind the policies and because they’re desperate to get involved and have their say.’
The beauty of Model United Nations is that it provides school-age teenagers with an opportunity both to engage with issues at the heart of current political debate and practical experience of forming and expressing views. At LIMUN last year for example, student delegates participated in seven committees, debating and drafting resolutions on topics such as women’s rights in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime, intersectionality and disablism, clean energy, and medical misinformation and negotiated a resolution that responded to the treatment of women by the new regime in Afghanistan.
It’s hard to explain what it’s like when you stand up to speak for the first time. It feels like a leap of faith. But by the end of the first day almost all the nerves have disappeared
Louis, Harrodian Upper Sixth Former
This was the first conference for many of the younger Harrodian students and both staff and more seasoned Sixth Formers were impressed by their dedication, focus and resilience in negotiating on behalf of designated countries, including Mexico, Angola, Germany and Tunisia. ‘It’s hard to explain what it’s like when you stand up to speak for the first time. It feels like a leap of faith,’ says Upper Sixth Former, Louis. ‘But by the end of the first day almost all the nerves have disappeared.’
Louis's friend and fellow Sixth Former Lucas distinguished himself at the conference by winning the LIMUN Diplomacy Award for his contribution in the Model United Nations Security Council. Both students are long-standing MUN club stalwarts and say the club has helped feed their shared passion for Politics – one of the A Levels both are taking in the summer. ‘Being an MUN delegate isn’t simply about expressing your view: you need to look at things from other people’s perspective and that helps you build transferable skills,' says Lucas. 'You learn to think on your feet, negotiate and take people with you, even if you have differences. I think it's great preparation for the world we enter when we leave school.’ The club is currently looking at the Ukrainian refugee crisis and how Europe should respond, with Lucas acting as Chair.
You learn to think on your feet, negotiate and take people with you, even if you have differences. I think it's great preparation for the world we enter when we leave school
Lucas, Harrodian Upper Sixth Former
So how do younger club members feel about their LIMUN weekend? Despite initial nerves, 15s (Year 11) Nika and Kian and 14s (Year 10) pupil Rosalie soon got into the swing of things and see the weekend as both a learning experience and a confidence booster. ‘My tendency to be vocal with my opinions definitely helped me co-operate with others,’ says Nika whose committee was examining renewable energy resources. Kian feels the same way: ‘I feel as if it has become a lot easier to speak to anyone, even people I don't know,’ he says. ‘My confidence has grown.’
My tendency to be vocal with my opinions definitely helped me co-operate with others
Nika, Harrodian 15s Pupil (Year 11)
Two out of three of these GCSE students also say that their hands-on experience of politics may inspire them to deeper study of the subject. ‘Standing up and speaking and debating with so many older students can be a great inspiration,’ says Rosalie. ‘I am seriously considering politics for A level.’
Standing up and debating with so many older students can be a great inspiration. I am seriously considering politics for A level.
Rosalie, 14s Student (Year 10)
For her part, Ms Arnold will be happy if their experience does boost the already healthy number of students embarking on A Level Political studies, but it's clear in any case that taking part in Model United Nations is something that each and every Harrodian pupil can benefit from. As members of a democracy we all have a part to play in the political process. Participating in MUN enables those who take part to learn to understand that and to use their voice from an educated position. That can only be a good thing.