From Friday 1^st until Sunday 3^rd March, this year’s Model United Nations’ Conference is being held over the road at Kingswood School. This is a major event in our calendar. This year twelve students from Year 12 have signed up to take part, each one representing either Qatar or Paraguay. Let’s hope for better weather than last year when it was cancelled because of the adverse weather conditions – snow. Each student has chosen which committee she would like to be on and for which of our two allocated countries.

QATAR:

• Middle East Committee = Ashley Ulaikere
• Political Committee = Jess Hill
• Economic Committee = Christine Wan
• Health Committee = Isabella Mexi-Jones
• Human Rights 1 = Olivia Padwick
• Human Rights 2 = Ava Spencer Jones

PARAGUAY:

• Economic = Constance Feng
• Health = Alex John
• Political = Laura de Remedios
• Disarmament = Emma Brennan
• Human Rights 1 = Sophie Phillips
• Human Rights 2 = Frankie Cook

The girls are now busy researching their adopted countries and their new roles as ambassadors. It is pleasing to see a balanced mix of IB and A Level students; participating this year means they will be experienced experts should they wish to attend again in 2020. Mr Hayward is in charge on the Saturday, and Mr Evans on Friday evening and Sunday. Each student prepares a resolution for their respective committee, which – if adopted – will be debated within and by that committee. And of course, more than anything, it is a wonderful opportunity to mix and mingle and meet new people from all over the country – a bit like the Assembly and Pump Rooms in Jane Austen times. 

Let’s hope it all goes very well.