Over 1,500 students take part in 9th Harvard Model UN

Hyderabad: With an aim to promote Global Citizenship among Gen Z and to channelize their energy towards action around the SDGs, Worldview Education in association with Harvard International Relations Council (IRC) hosted the 9th edition of the Harvard Model United Nations (HMUN) India 2019 at Hyderabad International Convention Center (HICC) on Sunday. With over 1700 attendees, including high school delegates and educators from 180 schools in India and 10 other countries.

"We have been working persistently towards making HMUN India a community that unites young minds from over a dozen countries across the globe and provides them a platform to solve some of the world's most disconcerting issues, and it is incredibly heartening to receive such an enthusiastic response from these young delegates who engaged in meaningful discourses, embraced diversity, built friendships, and strived to resolve the pressing societal concerns together" said Jenna M Wong, Secretary-General, HMUN

The four-days of debates, discussions & deliberations in this Model UN provided students an opportunity to not just understand the complex nature of the challenges the world faces but also helped them develop skills such as negotiating, diplomacy, listening to diverse perspectives, and the important of compromise- all of which are critical to find solutions for the various issues.

In the 16 committees including simulations of UNDP, UNHRC, IMF, ASEAN, a wide range of topics including Terrorism, Human Rights, Transitional Justice, Public Health, Freedom of Speech, Climate Change and Nuclear Energy were discussed.

These committees were directed & chaired by some of the most talented students of Harvard University. At these committees, delegates did not only deliberate on the issues to draft resolutions but also identified their peers who are like-minded and passionate about the same issues.

Some of the speakers and leaders who addressed and interacts with over 1,500 school students include Shiv Shivakumar, group executive president (corporate strategy & business development) Aditya Birla Group; Arun Maira, former chairman of Boston Consulting Group India and former member of Planning Commission of India; Chandrasekar Radhakrishnan, vice president (strategy & insights) Coca-Cola India & South West Asia; and Ravi Bhatnagar, director of external affairs & partnerships, RB AMESA.

"We believe that no amount of discussions and debates can make a difference unless one lends an ear to all perspectives and collaboratively strives to translate their ideas into actionable solutions. It is extremely heartening to see how emphatic these young minds are in expressing themselves as well as listening to others.

The success of HMUN India 2019 has filled us with optimism towards our objective of enabling students to create tangible impact within their communities, and we hope to keep providing this platform to them to translate their thoughts into actions." Says Sampreeth Reddy, CEO, Worldview Education.

In line with the theme 'Converge for Change', HMUN India 2019 also introduced certain measures like digitizing the logistical processes to reduce paper usage, reducing the usage of plastic, and tying up with Robin Hood Army to share the surplus food from the conference with those in need. Furthermore, under Act2Impact Development Fund, HMUN India plans to use sustainable technologies for management of waste and sewage in Shahpur, a small village in the state of Telangana.

With this edition of the conference witnessing such success at grassroots levels, both Harvard IRC and Worldview Education are already gearing themselves up to make tireless efforts towards bringing forth a bigger and more impactful 10th edition of Harvard Model UN India which will be held in Hyderabad in the month of August next year.