As the first day progressed, students began the Model United Nations. They moved into three committees for discussion: the Economic and Social Council, Habitat, and the Environment.
For the Economic and Social Council, discussion centered on the issue of fracking; for the Habitat group, the topic was slums; and for the Environment group, they discussed waste management. There were around 20-25 students in each group, all assigned to countries with some conflicting and contrasting opinions.
Students read opening speeches to present their countries’ stances on the topics to inform other delegates on who to ally with. Once countries began to group up, resolution papers were drafted in the format of clauses, including possible solutions. These were presented to the chair and other countries to address the issues.
Seeing all the students become increasingly involved in discussions, and noticing the effects of our actions, was enlightening. Each delegate had persistent and strong opinions on their topics. The amount of knowledge in each presentation was undeniable. Many questions were raised on how we, as students, can change our world for the better.