Written by Albert Xiong, Cici Wang, Martina Huang, and Sarah Liu.

It’s widely acknowledged that our environmental and societal challenges are pressing. While these issues can be mitigated by mankind joining hands, taking small steps, and continuing forward together, the reality is that too few people have taken the practical first step. One major reason for this predicament isn’t a lack of desire for a better world, but the fact that these issues appear dauntingly insurmountable, making solving them seem impossible. Besides, it’s not feasible for one to make changes while others don’t, is it? After all, one’s efforts seem quite futile when the problems one intends to fix are worldwide. Consequently, many wait for others to take the initiative, only to realize later that if everyone thinks the same way, then very few will actually do anything.

Though the Tsinghua International School (THIS) Model United Nations (MUN) Sustainability Team is too small to influence the world, we decided to start with ourselves and our immediate community. As a team, we wanted to break free from the predicament with our actions, inspiring our community to take the first step and join us in effecting change. The Sustainability Team wanted to inspire everyone to take practical action, and that’s what we did.

In the previous school year, the Sustainability Team committed to various types of activities aimed at fulfilling the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. There was a radio station focused on student well-being (Goal 3), interactive posters to amplify student voices on gender equality (Goal 5), a Take-One-Leave-One table to encourage responsibility in consumption and production (Goal 12), primary after-school activities sessions that planted a seed of sustainability, and so many more.

Out of all the different activities, one major goal that the Sustainability Team focused on last year was that of responsible consumption and production. The team put this into action by making videos about the use of toilet paper in an attempt to spread awareness on the use of paper. It also set up wastepaper recycling boxes within math and science classrooms, where huge amounts of scratch paper are produced. Moreover, the team also brought the influence down to the primary section, enhancing primary school students’ knowledge of recycling and why these actions contribute to helping Earth become a greener place. Toward the end of the semester, the team also attempted to collaborate with the ELA department in reducing the use of single-sided paper while printing.

In this current school year, the Sustainability Team kicked off the year with an extended version of the paper recycling bins from last year. During the designated month focused on “climate action” and “responsible consumption and production,” a series of activities were organized to instill and promote these concepts within the THIS community. One of the activities was the Sketch Paper Contest. This engaging competition involved all secondary homerooms at THIS, with each group striving to collect the highest number of sketch papers in order to earn a reward for their efforts. This in turn motivated the recycling of sketch papers. You might be curious as to why this activity is specifically called the Sketch Paper Contest and why we place such emphasis on the word “sketch” rather than the word “scratch.” The reason behind this choice lies in our definition of sketch paper, which refers to reusable paper that is freely available for individuals to sketch or write on. By focusing on the term “sketch,” we highlight the sustainable and effective usage of these papers, steering away from the connotations of wastefulness associated with “scratch” paper. A notable contribution resulting from this activity was the significant support it provided to teachers during their classes. As one of our primary objectives was to supply the science and math departments with sketch papers for drafting and calculations, this initiative aligned perfectly with the UN’s sustainability goals of “climate action” and “responsible consumption and production” within our THIS community. One teacher stated that they typically provided students with new A4 papers for calculations and found this process burdensome. Fortunately, with the provision of sketch papers for the science and math departments, we were able to reinforce the importance of sustainable practices and responsible resource utilization within the THIS community.

The Sustainability Team then turned to promoting awareness of gender inequality, creating videos and hosting activities before morning homeroom to enhance students’ understanding of the current issue. The video was also played at an assembly, gathering responses and interviews of students across grade levels and responding to their impressions about gender inequality. The team wanted to spread the idea that individuals should not be defined by their gender, but rather defined by who they are. The team organized this activity hoping that students at THIS can rip off gender labels and be who they want to be. We created two cardboard figures and attached pieces of sketch paper with various gender labels onto them. These included labels such as “blue for boys,” “pink for girls,” “power for men,” “softness for women,” and “logic for males” and “emotions for females.” A WeChat moment was also posted, asking students to contribute their observations of gender labels. Then, as the two figures were placed in the lobby, students and teachers ripped off labels and shared the reasons why. The responses and ideas of students were then edited into a video and showcased to the secondary school during the assembly. We hope to make THIS a more inclusive and open-minded school, where everyone can express themselves freely!

Every one of us wants to leave the world a little better than we found it. Over the past year, through various engaging activities focused on issues like consumption, gender inequality, and climate action, our Sustainability Team has helped raise important discussions and has promoted more sustainable practices within our school community. While more progress is still needed, seeing recycling bins filled with sketch paper and students reflecting thoughtfully on gender stereotypes gives hope that small actions can culminate in positive change. As we look to new initiatives addressing water conservation, sustainable agriculture, and partnerships within our city, we’re confident this teamwork will continue to build awareness and inspire action toward the UN’s vision of a just and livable planet for all. The Sustainability Team wants to be the bridge within the THIS community, as we want to hold the hands of all and walk down the road of sustainability step by step.

Images: Martina Huang, Benita Sumita

From Nov 19-23, the BWYA Model United Nations Club participated in the 14^th Annual Session of THIMUN (The Hague International Model United Nations) Singapore held at the Hwa Chong Institution. The participants, who come from Grades 9 to DP1, took part in the full range of committees, holding various occupations from delegate to president to journalist. The students all left the conference with increased confidence and loads of great memories.

BWYA students at THIMUN Singapore 2018

The THIMUN Singapore conference, established in 2004 as a sister conference of The Hague International Model United Nations, is the most prestigious MUN conference in Asia. Every year, globally-aware students gather in Singapore to hold extensive debates over the most controversial topics, many of which the UN has no solutions for, and draft comprehensive resolutions that may be delivered to the UN.

MUN is just a simulation of the UN and all discussions are kept subjective, given that delegates are merely students virtually representing a country’s stand. Having participated in MUN conferences as a delegate, I used to wonder whether my effort was spent in the right place, knowing that what I said might not ever have an effect in the real world. Furthermore, many of the skills MUN builds, such as leadership, confidence, and public speaking experience, can all be achieved through other debate style events. However, this year, after being a member of MUNITY East, THIMUN Singapore’s official Press team, I have come to a different conclusion: MUN is an effective transition into a globalized society and helps students to achieve the BWYA school motto: “Locally Grounded, Globally Aware.”

MUNITY East press team 2018

“Why is it necessary for one to bear knowledge regarding global politics?” you might ask. The answer is that everyone, no matter what their occupation or field of study, is part of human society. During the conference, the Press team had the pleasure of talking with Mr. Seref Isler, a BBC journalist who actually took part in many THIMUN Hague conferences during high school. His unique MUN experiences helped him to kick off his journalism career. During one workshop, he told us, “Each member of society must learn its essential principles in order to make the right decision and speak justly for the greater good.” From this perspective, thanks to its politically-based attributes, MUN nurtures a student’s fundamental responsibility as a global citizen.

One of the most effective ways to learn knowledge is through reinforcement. However, a student may find it easy to memorize a list of historical events but may not necessarily be aware of why they have taken place and what impact they have brought to the contemporary world. MUN helps students to become aware of the factors influencing global politics through the implementation of knowledge in debates and speeches. Their knowledge thusly reinforced, students become more globally aware and are able to make better decisions.

Being globally aware does not just mean “diligently studying your world history” (although your history teacher will certainly be happy if you do); it also means being able to put oneself in others’ shoes and coming up with comprehensive solutions to problems that benefit the maximum number of parties. Unlike other debates, MUN requires a student to develop interpersonal skills such as communication and negotiation. Tolerance for different voices is another crucial characteristic that MUN helps to develop. After asking my fellow students what they thought was the most important thing about the conference, almost all of them responded “tolerance”, because “different opinions actually enable students to work collaboratively to find a comprehensive resolution.” “In a debate or many other events,” they responded, “there is only one side that wins. But at MUN, everyone is allowed to have a unique statement on the resolution.”

MUN not only builds public-speaking skills, confidence, and leadership, it is also a wonderful platform through which students can become globally aware of political policies and relationships. It may only be a simulation and hardly any of the resolutions have any significance on the real-world situation but students are nevertheless trained to become more responsible for their stance, influencing them to become global leaders in the future.

This post is provided by BWYA
Photos courtesy of BWYA

Beijing World Youth Academy (BWYA) sent twelve student delegates to Singapore to participate in the annual The Hague International Model United Nations (THIMUN) on November 19-25. This conference brought together more than 1,500 students from major international schools across Asia.

The delegates from the school’s Model United Nations (MUN) Club represented France and India and joined in separate committees as members of the General Assemblies (GAs), the Human Right Council (HRC), and the Security Council at Hwa Chong Institution.

BWYA delegates representing France and India

Seven of the delegates were newcomers, while the returning students performed well in different activities such as drafting resolutions for specific issues or topics and making points of information (POIs) and speeches for or against any resolution whenever possible.

THIMUN 2017 was the first international conference in which Grade 10 students Spring Xia and Amanda Zhang double-entered at the Security Council. “Delegates in the Security Council are more aggressive than those in some of the general assemblies. It was tough,” Zhang said. “Their questions are trickier to answer; they will slam your draft resolution directly if your word choice in your speech is inaccurate. Also, the veto power is powerful yet detrimental.” Nevertheless, the delegates stood firmly to their resolutions and debated over the aspects that could have made their positions less dominant. Eventually, the clauses that they wrote all passed and the two delegates rejoiced over their “victory.”

BWYA delegates Spring Xia (standing, center) and Amanda Zhang (right) debating in Security Council with double delegation of France

BWYA delegates Esther Yang and Wendy Fan as double delegates of India at the Economic and Social Committee

At the second General Assembly (Economic and Financial Committee), which included 150 delegates, Penelope Zhang’s resolution was among the submissions that were thoroughly discussed. Although her resolution was not passed, Zhang said she looked forward to other prospects. “I was honored to see my draft resolution being debated for four hours in total over the course of two days. It tells me that my efforts had been recognized. I am sure that a little discouragement will become my force to become better next time,” she said.

Another BWYA delegate, Selina Zhao, said that the conference helped her improve her English communication skills. Prior to it, she used to sit quietly at her desk whenever debating a sample resolution during club sessions. “My English isn’t  perfect, but after THIMUN, I’m not afraid to speak and let my thoughts be heard. I was able to make POIs to other more experienced delegates and spoke more actively in club sessions.”

BWYA’s MUN directors Sophie Lauratet and Cosmina Lacsu and accompanying teacher Julia Zhu supported and encouraged the students over the week’s stay in Singapore.

Photos: Courtesy of Sophie Lauratet. Featured photo shows BWYA Delegates Brian Han and Tina Han.

This article is written by Cherry Yan and Penelope Zhang from Beijing World Youth Academy (BWYA).

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