From August 15 - 17, The British School of Colombo had never been more than proud to have three of their outstanding students to take part in the IIMUN USA held in New York where the three young girls represented China and Canada in the Security Council where they debated on how education can combat terrorism around the world. 

Here's a peek into what the school principal had to say along with the teacher-in-charge along with the three young diplomats! 

Principal John Scarth 

What do you have to say with regards the students’ performance and the school’s MUN team? 

I am absolutely delighted with the performance of our students. The organisation of the IIMUN in Sri Lanka was a very big task and our students rose to the occasion magnificently. They worked hard, showed tremendous team spirit and outstanding dedication. That the Conference operated so smoothly is a testament to the hard work of our students. During the Conference itself, their energy, enthusiasm and passion were infectious: they made the Conference a wonderful success. 

Most important of all, our students participated in all the Committees with great skill, showing wonderful oratory skills. All of the students performed well and some individual students performed outstandingly well. 

The Model United Nations is a forum for young people to meet, share ideas, and have their own ideas and ways of thinking challenged: being challenged is an essential part of participating in MUN. It is when young people challenge each other’s ideas, that they truly start to learn about others and about themselves. 

The British School MUN team have participated in many different MUN sessions and I have been amazed at their growing talent and passion for debating. They provide a wonderful role model for our younger students. The IIMUN Conference in New York was a wonderful way to end a successful year for the MUN teams. 

Mahum Kidwai (British School - MUN Faculty-in-Charge) 

Can you tell us what the IIMUN is? 

The Indian International Model United Nations (IIMUN) is the largest Model United Nations organisation for high school students across the globe. They organise 108 conferences across as many cities in the world. These conferences see a combined attendance of over 200,000 students with over 2600 committees being simulated. This, apart from the annual championship conference which is organised every August in Mumbai, sees an annual participation of over 3000 high school students from over 25 countries across the world. They also work with over 600 schools in India helping them organise their MUN conferences. 

What did they expect at this year’s conference? 

Students of the British School in Colombo were expected to host Sri Lanka’s first ever International Model United Conference in collaboration with IIMUN from the 8th-10th of July this year, and in doing so, we had over 480 students from across the Island as well as from the Maldives in attendance. Our students expected to learn new terms of procedure, as well as to gain exposure in terms of our organisational capabilities. The MUN Society led by Ravini Gunasekera and Uzair Kidwai achieved this with flying colours, and as a result, our efforts were applauded, and we were invited as a school to represent the countries of China and Germany at the IIMUN USA Conference, which was the world’s first Model UN Conference to be simulated at the actual United Nations Headquarters in New York. 

The three students who went on this prestigious journey were Oneli Siribaddana, Monika Saleh and Saskia Wijewardene. They were excited to experience the UN Headquarters, and to have a tour of the Security Council, in which they were debating. 

How did the students get selected for the conference? 

Our Organising Council for IIMUN Sri Lanka was selected on an interview basis, which was spear-headed by our Principal, Dr. John Scarth. Once the Organising Council were selected, the Society Office Bearers and myself sat down and interviewed potential delegates for Conference. 

The British School in Colombo has gone from strength to strength in terms of numbers when it comes to student participation in MUN. A few years ago, we had delegations of 10-12 students, and that number increased to 25 two years ago. Last year, we had delegation sizes ranging from 50-80 students, which shows the impressive increase in interest when it comes to Model United Nations within the school, and of this I am very proud! Our three New Yorkers were selected based on their previous MUN performances, and their enthusiasm in representing the school at various avenues. 

All in all, I could not be more proud of our school’s MUN Society, and am confident that their endeavours shall reach new heights in the years to come. 

Students 

How does it feel to be selected to the IIMUN conference held in New York? 

This experience has been a whirlwind of a journey, and it feels wonderful that the three of us had the opportunity to represent our school and Sri Lanka at the world’s first ever MUN Conference held at the UN Headquarters. It still feels urreal, and we are very grateful for all of Ms. Mahum’s support and guidance during the entire process, as well as Dr. Scarth’s constant encouragement and advice. It has been a dream come true to have been able to undertake this journey! 

What was your prior MUN experience? 

We all joined the MUN Society at BSC around the same time, and have participated in various COMUN Conferences in recent years, as well as having organised the IIMUN Conference in Sri Lanka which was hosted at our school. All three of us were memebers of the Organising Council, and enjoyed the experience immensely! 

What did you achieve at this year’s conference? 

We represented China (Monika and Oneli) and Canada (Saskia) in the Security Council, and debated the use of education in combatting terrorism around the world. The research sessions that we had with Uzair and Ravini before we departed for New York helped us gain an insight into the intricacies of policy-making, and we achieved many improved skills of debate at the Conference during the sessions themselves. We all felt as though by being within the committee sessions, we were making a real difference and it didn’t feel like a simulation at all! 

We would like to thank Ms. Manjula Dharmasiri who accompanied us to New York, and ensured that we had the best experience possible, and we cannot wait to share this experience with our peers so that they may be inspired to take the MUN Society to greater heights for the years to come. A year ago, we could have only dreamt of this moment, but now, having come back home after this Conference, we feel grateful and better off in terms of our level of debate after having engaged with some of the best speakers in the world.