As per Wikipedia “Model United Nations, also known as Model UN or MUN, is an educational simulation and/or academic activity in which students can learn about diplomacy, international relations, and the United Nations. MUN involves and teaches participants speaking, debating, and writing skills, in addition to critical thinking, teamwork, and leadership abilities. Usually an extracurricular activity, some schools also offer Model UN as a class. It is meant to engage students and allow them to develop deeper understanding into current world issues.” There are many who encourage it while others discourage it by calling it ‘vague’ activity that leads to wastage of money alone. Perception varies among people and I believe it is a well organized, scheduled, well-designed positive thing for youth. Such youth conferences are conducted to bring youth from countries all over the world on one platform to share their ideas in making earth a better place to live. Selection is based on real motivation letter, question-bank, designed in the form of a kind of personality test for delegates who want to apply for it. Through this motivation letter, the selection committee is just judging a delegate’s interest for participating in the conference. But the committee makes it clear beforehand that it is a self-funded program, travel expenses, visa or accommodation expenses have to be managed by the delegate on their own. As it is rightly said that the future of a nation is defined by its youth, every nation’s progress towards high technological infrastructure; high education circle; high moral dignity in international cooperation, high political acumen; high bureaucratic transparency; high scientific base-up; high evidence-based justice and many more, is dashingly influenced by the intelligent and good thinking youth. But all these modalities are inter-linked to the extent that it profoundly puts an impression on the youth in likely consequence. So the youth with highly energetic brains, immense potential and capability in itself has a great power to transform the overall socio-economic growth of the respective nation. But such youth need a fertile political atmosphere and opportunities for expressing their positive and in-depth perceptive thinking.
Now, it is really a proud moment for all of us that many youth from Jammu And Kashmir State are annually making it to attend International Conferences as delegates in US, UK, Dubai and other parts of the globe. This year also, several youth have been selected and I hope their selection will encourage more youth from the state to apply for such conferences in the given age group ( 17 to 25). We have youths from almost all corners of the state securing their place in these MUN conferences- from Kupwara, Bandipora, Srinagar, Anantnag to Rajouri, Poonch, Baderwah and Jammu. We can build a delegation of delegates who would represent the Jammu and Kashmir state in its unique identity, culture and political landscape. Besides representing their state as a whole, I think it is the best and positive way to express some core issues internationally through representation of young innovative minds. Issues that have become a global challenge like social issues( Child labour, child sexual abuse, domestic violence, poverty, gender bias, begging mafia etc), Environmental issues ( Climate change, plastic pollution, deforestation etc) , Political issues ( Rising political disputes and Human Right Violations in conflicted areas like Syria, Palestine, Kashmir etc) , Health issues( Indiscriminate use of Antibiotics) including others. Last year a youth from Ganderbal, Suhail Mehraj, made it to UN Youth Conference as delegate to address ‘education’ as a core issue. He was successful in attending the conference too. This year many such youth got selected for International Conferences likely to be held in Indonesia, Thailand, US , Dubai et all. Mir Seeneen , an 18 year old from Srinagar got selected for twin International Conferences to be held in Thailand and Indonesia, in October and November this year . Aubaid Yousuf Itoo, a 21 year old boy from Anantnag secured place in three international conferences, to be held in Indonesia, Dubai UAE and South Africa ,in November and September this year respectively. Shah Khalid, a 25 year old boy from Srinagar got selected for an international conference likely to be held in Thailand in October this year. To put it precisely, we have got immense pool of talent in the state in the form of our youth. Our youth are capable, talented and brilliant in touching skies in any field. Regarding the expenditure for attending such conferences that a delegate has to manage on their own, I would suggest that all educational institutions including shools, colleges and universities should raise funds and help such young innovative minds in attending these kind of International Conferences without any financial constraints.
( The author a Medical Officer at SMVD Narayana Super Speciality Hospital Katra Jammu is also a Motivational Speaker/Activist/ Columnist/ Educator at UNACADEMY. Views are his own)
