Sunday, December 4, 2011RCA Model United Nations in Prague, Czech Republic.
Will division over nuclear power stall Europe's energy solution? This was one of the many debate issues the RCA Model United Nations (RCAMUN) team confronted during a recent high school Model UN conference in Prague, Czech Republic, November 23-28, 2011. Eight diplomatic RCA eighth graders traveled to Europe to represent their school and country as they participated in the inaugural Yale University Model Government simulation. Our eight 8th graders debated from the following perspectives: Aliyah Cofer – French Minister of Labour The simulation included traditional MUN debating and caucusing; however, it featured an interesting crisis component in which committees had to “shuffle” in order to address an urgent and evolving crisis situation which had implications throughout the European Union. Crisis updates were delivered through Twitter, mimicking how information is often delivered globally in real-time.
One of many highlights of the conference occurred during closing ceremonies when RCA 8th grader, Imani Moss, was named an Outstanding Delegate among all representatives in the Council of Ministers of Justice. “After this experience I am convinced I want to be a diplomat when I grow up! I want to work for the Peace Corps right out of college to help with world problems and then go to work for the United Nations,” said Imani or OD (short for Outstanding Delegate, as her team later affectionately called her). RCA coaches Gina Coss and Adam Dovico stood by as Imani graciously hugged the Yale chairperson displaying deep appreciation for the incredible honor. According to Mr. Dovico, “Imani showed maturity, knowledge, and diplomacy throughout the week in Prague. Her ability to think quickly on her feet and argue facts impressed everyone in her ministry and cabinet.”
The connections RCA students made with other students from around the world were another exciting aspect of the conference. RCA students were the only 8th graders present; the majority of the delegates were in fact juniors and seniors in some of the top high schools from 18 countries on 4 continents. Many of the participating students were children of UN diplomats themselves. Among the schools represented were The Harrow School (UK), International School of Luxembourg, Moscow Economic School, Crescent Girls' School (Singapore), and coincidentally, Pace Academy (Atlanta). Student Eryn Davis remarked, “It was amazing to see that even though we all had different backgrounds and came from different countries, we still shared similar interests. I enjoyed meeting so many kids from around the world.”
Although students worked diligently during the simulation, they were able to take in the beautiful and historical sites of Prague. They visited the vast Prague Castle grounds, the Charles Bridge, and they were lucky enough to be in Old Town during the first night of the lighted 30-foot tall Christmas tree as they took in the sights and sounds of traditional Czech music and the holiday markets. Later in the week, a serendipitous layover trip to Paris, France, allowed students to visit Ile de la Cité and Notre Dame Cathedral.
RCAMUN would like to thank law firm and long-time contributors Kilpatrick Townsend (KT) for their ongoing support during the preparations for the Yale conference. For several weeks, employees of KT worked with student delegates assisting in the researching of country and position assignments as well as conference topics. We are extremely grateful for their dedication to the RCAMUN team! Finally, RCA is looking forward to future Model UN simulations particularly the inaugural RCA Model UN Conference (in conjunction with UNA-USA’s Global Classrooms® and Georgia Tech MUN), which will take place on Saturday, March 3, 2012. For more information on RCA’s Model UN conference, please click here. |
|
