QAHS shines at Model United Nations
The 2022 Bond University High School Model United Nations (BUHMUN) was held in Week 4, Term 2. QAHS students, Mathilda Bester, Katya Gratchev, Charli Horchner, Shu Yi Huang, Anenya Kale and Tanya Nagrani joined students from across the Gold Coast, Brisbane, and even Sydney as they converged upon the Bond campus to take part in the Model UN, addressing the UN Sustainability Goal #14 – Life Below Water.
On Day 1, the students were greeted by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, before joining Michael Hoy via Zoom from New York, for a fascinating insight into the life of a diplomat. This was an interactive session and Michael’s stories and advice for the students, as well as his responses to the students’ questions provided inspiration for the coming days’ activities. Additionally, he described work within DFAT like an appealing and exciting adventure, for which IB students would be amply prepared.
Students then separated into various committees, working for two days to target more specific issues including marine pollution and the implementation of international laws on sustainable practices. The QAHS community was also delighted that Year 11 student, Mathilda Bester, was awarded Delegate of Committee Three | Making fisheries sustainable and provided access for small scale artisanal fishers to marineresources and markets. Congratulations Mathilda, on receiving this prestigious award, as well as Charli, Tanya, Anenya, Katya, and Shu Yi for your exemplary demonstrations of the IB Learner characteristics in your interactions with the BUHMUN community.
Read on for accounts of Katya and Charli’s experience:
“BUHMUN was an extremely rewarding experience. At first, all of us entered it without knowing what to expect. But as soon as we entered our committee rooms, we became immersed in an authentic UN-style forum, where we all had to take on the role of being delegates of our respective countries. By participating in the Model United Nations, I believe that I have been able to not only develop my understanding of countries and their policies, but also gain confidence, public speaking skills, perspective, and many fun memories. I highly recommend this opportunity for anyone who has an interest in global affairs!”
Katya Gratchev
Year 11 Student
“BUMUN was such an accommodating and inspiring experience! We began each day with yummy catered breakfasts, before heading into our committee rooms where we encountered some *heated* debate and discussion of world issues.
I was the delegate of South Sudan in the UNHCR committee which was assigned the issue of “displacement caused by climate change”. Before conference preparation, I had never stopped to think about how climate change disproportionally affects refugees. It made me realise that although we are affected by extreme weather events in Australia, our stable infrastructure mitigates a lot of the harm compared to other more vulnerable countries.
During the conference, we compromised, did some spontaneous public speaking, and most importantly, learnt how international relations have a mammoth impact on our world. My favourite part of BUMUN was all the conversations with the lovely staff and students - hearing their MUN stories, what inspired them to attend, and of course, the most controversial debates brought up in committee.”
Charli Horchner
Year 12 Student
Julie Bertwistle
TOK Co-ordinator, Psychology and English teacher