Interview With Presidents Natalia Mejia and Valentina Defelipe!

Today we have the honor of being able to discuss different aspects of the United Nations Model with the charismatic presidents of the Congress on Racism and Discrimination II, which will be lead by Natalia Mejia and Valentina Defelipe of 8A. The topic that will be the main concern of the congress this year is how sports can be a way in which to combat racism.

1. What are your expectations for this year´s Congress?

We hope that the delegates will show interest in the event and will prove that they made a big effort to make of the Congress a meaningful experience.  In this sense, that they will participate proactively and show critical thinking in the debates.

 2. What do you think is important for the preparation of the delegates?

The delegates need to have a good understanding of the issues that are going to be discussed, and to appropriate their role as United Nations representatives so that they can think in a global manner. Therefore, the delegates need to organize their sources, avoid improvisation by being well-informed and practice formal speech on a daily basis.

 3. Why do you think the United Nations Model is important for your education?

We consider that the importance lies in the fact that we will learn about current world issues and it also teaches us about different cultures, and at the same time learning to think critically by debating on a formal environment.

 4.What do you think is the advantage of teaching argumentative, global thinking etc, through the simulation of a United Nations meeting instead of doing another activity?

The advantage lies in the fact that through the simulation the students have to face real problems of the world in a serious setting. At the same time, the United Nations Model encourages autonomous learning since the delegates have to do their own research and, finally, the activity is going to be more fun than just simply answering some questions in a book.

 5.What do you think is the relevance of talking about racism in sports?

Sports are an important activity in our society and we believe that through it we can unite people from all backgrounds. Also, in sports we can see some instances of racism and it is precisely because of this that we can use it to fight against it. One example of this situation is the campaigns that the FIFA have created to develop a more tolerant atmosphere in soccer.

Regards,

The Social Studies Department!