The Future of the World is in Good Hands!
Students at the May 13 Honors Model UN
After a fantastic spring of Model UN sessions with middle school students from all over the St. Louis area and beyond, Civitas held its culminating Honors Model UN session this past Saturday at The Drury Inn in Creve Coeur. About 10% of all students who participated in Model UN this spring, those who were especially engaged in the process of preparing for and participating in their week day sessions, were invited to a final Model UN event on Saturday by their teachers and the Civitas staff.
The nearly-perfect attendance (only one registered student didn't make it) was just the start of an incredible morning with 6th, 7th, and 8th graders from 14 different public and private schools. Their main task, designed by Civitas staffer Gloria Bilchik, was different from their earlier Model UN experiences. Instead of discussing previously written resolutions, delegates examined specific Articles in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) to see if they needed updating to better reflect the 21st Century. 2023 is the 75th Anniversary of the passing of the UDHR and the world has changed dramatically in those years. In four separate groups, students considered adding the abolition of solitary confinement to Article 9; adding freedom from government-sponsored religion to Article 18; adding the right to self-expression through any art form, without government censorship to Article 19; and adding the right to record government activities and to share them with the public to Article 21. After brainstorming ideas, each group decided to amend the Article they were considering, created the wording for that amendment, shared three reasons for their decision, and presented their case to everyone. The floor was then opened for others to ask questions for clarification, suggest changes to the amendments, and/or speak in favor or against the ideas presented. Each Article Amendment was then brought to a vote for approval or rejection by all in attendance. The insight during all of the small group discussions, the empathy for other people in other countries, and the critical thinking displayed in the questions and comments, were all very impressive. If only world leaders had also been in attendance!
The second task of the session was a quick, animated activity prioritizing UN work in the upcoming year. With just minutes to think, students shared with the large group what they thought was the most important task for the UN to tackle immediately. After all ideas were shared, an open caucus time of campaigning for votes took place. Things got very lively and loud as they discussed suggestions made including Eliminating Food Shortages, Improving Education in Struggling Nations, The Muslim Genocide in China, Poverty, and Access to Clean Water. Alas, those ideas were not chosen during the final vote, which was a tough decision. As Bobbi always says, global problem-solving is extremely expensive. Not everything can be addressed at once, which makes for tough prioritizing. After a session vote, if these dynamic middle school students had their way, the United Nations will focus on the following two issues in the next year:
Addressing Climate Change
Ending Wars & Conflicts
The morning concluded with a distribution of Certificates of Participation and an explanation of the free high school events offered by Civitas. We hope to see all of these students again next year to share more amazing ideas to tackle global, national, and local concerns.*
*We thank the Saigh Foundation for its continued strong support of our Middle School Model UN program.
Photos from the event can be found here. Committee results can be found here.
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We have just a few more spots on the Civitas WUMUNS team this fall!
Washington University's annual weekend-long Model UN will be September 29th-October 1, 2023.
(Local students do not spend the night on camps.)
Activities for the weekend include participating in a General Assembly, but that is just one of many options. Other committees and simulations, including historical and current issues facing the UN, are a part of the experience.
Click here for more information.
Your high school might consider bringing a delegation if you have a Model UN club. If not, and you are interested in participating, contact Civitas to be on a team. We will take up to 10 interested high school students. Middle School students who are finishing up 8th grade are welcome to join the group.
Email Stephanie ASAP if you'd like to join the Civitas team: gavinstephanie89@gmail.com
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There are no scheduled events remaining for high school students this school year. However, mark your calendars for these upcoming opportunities, details coming in mid-August:
The Festival of Nations in Tower Grove Park, August 26 & 27, 2023: Civitas will have a booth on both days (Saturday and Sunday) and will be looking for student volunteers to help out.
Kick-off for the 2023-2024 School Year, Saturday, September 9, 2023: Stay tuned for more information!
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