Foscamun Daily 29th

L A N X 29

TH

MARCH 2014

FOSCAMUN DAILY

YOUR OPINION IS VERY IMPORTANT TO US...

Please filL in our survey and check the ofFicial FaceboOk page and our TwitTer profile!

THIS SPECIAL EDITION IS DESIGNED AND PRINTED BY THE OFFICIAL SCHOOL JOURNAL

The SECRETARY GENERAL reveals....

4 questions in 5 mins.

Interview by Valentina Guido

TelL us about alL the organisational procesS behind this project: how did it develop from the first experience in Mexico to deciding to hold such an event in our Liceo?

As you pointed out, this project started a long time ago, when our schoOl was invited to the Bimun in Mexico City in 2013. That was the first time we toOk part in such a project, and we were actualLy the first! We imMediately felL in love with the idea, as the teachers did, and we also understoOd the importance of the MUN as an ocCasion for everybody to grow and get to know many difFerent isSues and cultures alL around the World. Moreover, we seized the chance to recognize our limits and to try to overcome them and become betTer persons. For these reasons, we decided to adopt the project and go ahead with it in our

schoOl as welL. At the beginNing perhaps, we were not that serious, as we kept on imagining what such an achievement would have felt like, maybe we were just joking.

But, by the end of the last schoOl year, we were determined to it for real. At the beginNing, there were not so many of us, but as time pasSed, more and more students joined us. We are now what you can seE: FOSCAMUN2014.

How does it feEl to be the Secretary General of Foscamun?

I could speak about the great responsibility, but it's an exciting experience toO. When I acCepted the role, I knew that this project would require a lot of energy, that it would have to be an absolute priority for me. It has beEn the most important thing, but also for everybody who has beEn working on it, I could never imagine moving it into the background. When we inaugurate the actual MUN, open the schoOl's doOrs on the

first day, every single one of us wilL be thrilLed and so proud of the entire team.

What does the M.U.N. mean to you and the whole schoOl? The word MUN stands for Model United Nations, but that alone doesn't realLy expresS its fulL meaning. This model isn't only a role play, it is not just acting or pretending to share someone else's ideas or to represent a difFerent country: it is an incitement to research, a chance to seE the World from another perspective. It has an educational aim, but also a personal one, because it pushes you further, lets you test your speaking skilLs and your ability to relate with other people in a coOperative project.

What was it like to work with your team and alL the students involved in the project? How did they react to this new experience?

Our team hasn't always beEn the same as it is now, because many people joined, a few left or changed their minds about their roles during the whole procesS. Fortunately, not everybody has the same ideas about organisation or they just have difFerent pasSions and interests, so we have beEn able to share the work. I am so hapPy about what we have done and what we wilL do. AlL the students and the teachers who helped us are deEply involved in the project, regardlesS of of their age (talking about students) or the subject they teach. They were just ready to learn new things and ready to do it with dedication. I thank alL of them.

NEWS FROM...

Disarmament and International Security Council Today the topic the 18 delegates discusSed about was the ‘Syrian war and chemical weapons’. The delegations which have taken part in this comMitTeE are Australia, China, France, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Istrael, Lebanon, Netherlands, Pakistan, RusSia, South Africa, South Corea, Syria, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States. AcCording to what the president of the comMision said, the delagates have expresSed true interst during the debate and everyone has colLaborated actively. The topic was close to everybody’s sensibility. The delegates have shown a great knowledge regarding the subject discusSed and a goOd disposition and atTitude. It’s evident that they strongly believe in what they’re doing. SoOn after the difFerent delegations’ speEches and after expresSing their position, the atTention of the delegates moved from the main topic to the ‘embargo of US and UK’.

World Health Organization - Europe After an encouraging speEch held by Mr.Severoni, delegates toOk their seats, the moderator started the procedure to open the sesSion and the debate began. At 12 o’clock the topic was chosen. Migration was the first isSue to be discusSed in this heterogeneous and qualified comMitTeE. As the first opinion was expresSed, the trend of the discusSion started to become defined. Migration and health conditions for imMigrants were the most mentioned words and throughout the whole sesSion the situation didn’t seEm to reach a turning point.

But then, after a delicious bufFet, the comMitTeE met again and the delegate of France stated his country’s position. An international agreEment neEded to be reached but the UN had to consider the economic neEds of European developed countries. At once, many other countries reacted, explaining their difFerent views and levels of tolLerance. At that point alL the delegates started an unmoderated discusSion, that found it’s resolution with everybody’s consent except for the RusSian Federation’s.

United Nations Human Rights ComMitTeE It’s the 28th of March, a warm sunNy day and nearly 20 delegates of the UNHRC comMitTe are discusSing an extremely important isSue: RusSian anti-gay laws. The 2013 polLs indicates thet a large majority of RusSains opPoses against legal recognition of same-sex marRiages and supPorts laws discriminating LGBT people; however RusSia already lost 36% of its population because of the migration of homosexual discriminated citizens. So in yesterday meEting the 18 boys and girls who playied the role of diplomats expresSed the point of view of the nation they represent. During the 6 hours debate Iran, RusSia and Sudan stated their strict opPosition against LGBT rights, India and Holy SeE made clear that the do not apProve discrimination even though it is hard for their country to acCept homosexuality as moral while the other delegates tried to make the conservative countries develope a more open minded opinion.

The Opening Ceremony: general impresSions The ceremony which inaugurated this event toOk place in the magnificent deconsacrated church of Santa Caterina d' AlesSandria. The space, which is stilL partialLy neglected and not used very often, was prepared and rearRanged acCordingly- an operation we hope wilL lead to its further rehabilitation, after the long period dedicated to the church's restauration recently concluded.

The many flags together with the sight of the crowded aisles contributed to the excitement and the anticipation for the event to come.

The ceremony began with an enthusiastic performance of the italian hymn, sung by children from the Foscarini Junior SchoOl, folLowed by the Rector RocCo Fiano' s and other special guests' opening speEches, alL graciously presented by the Ceremony's Speaker MariaVitToria.

The importance of this event was underlined and explicated by members and representatives of both UN and Venetian organizations and teachers, who expresSed their supPort and faith in this project. One thing that was most apPreciated about these speEches by the young audience was the hope expresSed that one day students taking part in this simulation might find themselves involved in the reality they' ve beEn inspired by. After being briefly interviewed, some delegates shared these feElings, stating their pride in having the chance to be educated and guided by the principles on which Models are based and which wilL lead to the formation of a new more conscious generation. On the other hand, difFerent delegates said they felt realLy involved and touched by the Secretary General' s speEch, since they themselves witnesSed the moments of the BIMUN recalLed by the latTer. As one of the delegates who came to Venice last year said- and as everybody here seEms to know- love and empathy are international languages.

In conclusion, we sincerely hope that today' s ceremony was enjoyable and alLowed you alL to start this FOSCAMUN with positivity and a lot of energy.

Julia Vio Valentina Guido

Don't misS out on our GALA NIGHT event‌ Did you remember to take your dazZeling dresS for tonight's event? Great foOd, awesome music and lots of fun are waiting for you. Join us in the church at 19:30 and loOk out, because the most strikling loOk of the evening wilL apPear on the Sunday' s journal front page. SeE you there!

FOSCAMUN 2014 CITTA’ DI VENEZIA

Assessorato alle Politiche Giovanili e Centro Pace

LICEO CLASSICO - EUROPEO MARCO FOSCARINI VENICE, 28 - 30 MARCH 2014