With terrorism and a Middle East crisis setting the stage, UN 鈥淪ecretary-General鈥� Jasmine Marwaha will convene 450 delegates at the 天美影院April 5 and 6 to debate pressing world problems.
They are not real UN officials, of course, but Marwaha, a 天美影院junior, and the 450 high school delegates from four states will gain an unparalleled immersion in world affairs, problem-solving and diplomacy at the Washington State Model United Nations.
Each high schooler 鈥� after months of studying one of 188 different nations 鈥� will vigorously debate current issues from that country鈥檚 perspective. Topics include the Middle East conflict, climate change and missile defense.
鈥淭errorism will not be the direct topic but we will address the root causes of terrorism, like the small-arms trade, refugees and drug trafficking,鈥� Marwaha said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e also fostering the global awareness that so many other nations accuse of us lacking. You might say this is an attempt at fighting the war on terrorism 鈥� one high school student at a time.鈥�
Friday鈥檚 noon opening ceremony will feature an address by Jorge Madrazo-Cuellar, Mexico鈥檚 consul in Seattle. Against a backdrop of the world鈥檚 flags, a roll call of nations will cap the ceremony at 1 p.m., paving the way for the debates to begin.
天美影院students, who run the sessions and helped organize the conference, spent a year preparing students at the 32 participating high schools, in concert with their teachers.
One of the 天美影院students, senior Jorge Roberts, first became involved with Model UN when he was in high school in Mexico City. Upon arriving at the 天美影院last year, he resurrected a Washington program that had been dormant for several years.
鈥淚t can be a life-changing experience for a kid,鈥� Roberts said. 鈥淚t was by far the best thing I did in high school.鈥�
Debates will take place Friday from 2 to 5:30 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (full schedule at ).
Last year鈥檚 Model UN involved 270 students from 21 schools and was such a success that the program was expanded this year to include students from across Washington state as well as from Idaho, California and Texas.
鈥淭eens in our society are often criticized for their lack of involvement,鈥� said Ian Moncaster, president of the World Affairs Council, which organized the event in conjunction with the UW. 鈥淵et here we have 450 kids volunteering hundreds of hours of preparation and spending their spring break working to solve the world鈥檚 problems. The truth is we鈥檙e having trouble keeping up with the demand.鈥�
The program is sponsored by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, with support from the Frank Russell Co. and United Nations Association of Seattle.
天美影院sponsors are the Office of the Special Assistant to the President for International Affairs, Office of International Education, Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies outreach centers; Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs, Office of Admissions, Office of Minority Affairs, Office of Student Affairs, University Relations, Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Education, Student Activities Office, University Bookstore and the Foundation for International Understanding Through Students (FIUTS).