20.12.2022

BMUN: High School develops UN simulation project

By Felipe Lima

Critical thinking, development of ideas, improvement of communication, organization, and planning. These were some of the skills exercised during the first Beacon’s Model United Nations (BMUN), a project developed by the students and inspired by the UN simulation. The 9th-grade (Y9) and high school students were encouraged to participate in the initiative in order to learn about the study model and bring up debates on current issues. This year, the focus was on the war in Afghanistan. 

The event took place over two days, but the project lasted the whole year, as it required a lot of preparation from the students, including rules and study guides as well as research on the topic. By doing so, the participants understood the world context and the bias of each country represented. The participating delegations were: Russia, United States, China, France, United Kingdom, Nigeria, Philippines, Tunisia, Zambia, Bangladesh, Mexico, Jamaica, Norway, Portugal, Germany, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran.

The students, besides registering to represent the delegations they were interested in, were also divided into sectors for the best organization of the event, such as the Secretariat, Academic Team, Communication, Visual Creation, and Press. In addition, students who stood out at the event were awarded as a form of recognition. 

The Beacon’s Model United Nations will continue in 2023 and will soon allow the participation of students from other schools.