More than 100 student delegates from Innoventures Education schools discussed and debated topics reflecting pressing global concerns at the Dubai International Academy’s Model United Nations (DIAMUN) held on Saturday, June 27.
Following the unprecedented cancellation of DIAMUN 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak, it became increasingly clear that Innoventures Education must adapt to the circumstances for students to have the opportunity to engage in fruitful and constructive debate. Although a face-to-face conference was not a viable option, DIAMUN, an integral part of the school community, still had a place in the academic year.
On June 27, from 10am to 1:30pm, DIAMUN hosted its first-ever online conference, open to students from all Innoventures Education schools. The opening ceremony, took place on Microsoft Teams Live, with engaging speeches from the Secretary-General, Gautam Raj, the CEO of Innoventures Education, Poonam Bhojani, and a Keynote Speaker and Guest of Honor, Ambassador Umej Bhatia, Singapore’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva.
DIAMUN is one of the largest and most anticipated annual MUN conferences in the Middle East and sees participation from hundreds of students every year. Despite COVID-19 disruptions this year, the event still went ahead – evolving into the first-ever online DIAMUN.At Model UN conferences, students emulate a real United Nations committee or assembly, with each student representing a different country. Students get to hone their public speaking, problem solving, teamwork and research skills by participating in the event.
Poonam Bhojani said: “It is of vital importance that we work together to rise above the challenges our schools have faced so we can provide this opportunity to our students. Through collaboration and team work, we can find solutions to the world’s most pressing issues. DIAMUN’s online edition still gave students the opportunity to help build character, develop leadership skills and cross-cultural understanding, vital skills needed in today’s fast-changing world. The need for debate, diplomacy, dialogue, and discussion between nations is more important than ever before.”
DIAMUN keynote speaker and guest of honor, Ambassador Umej Bhatia, highlighted the role of young people in designing a better world. “The theme of this year’s DIAMUN, ‘Redesigning the Future through Universal Collaboration’, is well suited to our contemporary reality. Nothing has highlighted our global interconnectedness and demonstrated just how crucial it is to have a well-functioning and robust multilateral system more than the current COVID-19 pandemic.”
Following the opening ceremony, the 100+ participating delegates split into separate meetings on Zoom for the six different committees: The Security Council, Human Rights Council, Economic and Social Council, Third General Assembly, World Health Summit and Youth Assembly. Within the committees, delegates began debate on pre-submitted clauses, using the recently-improved DIAMUN app for communication.
Issues discussed at DIAMUN 2020 reflected contemporary concerns, ranging from protecting humanity from pandemics, addressing the rise of misinformation campaigns, youth unemployment and planning the future of children in war-torn nations. Delegates were encouraged to frame their research and debate in the context of the impact of COVID-19. Each committee’s topic was also linked to the current situation as indicated in their respective research reports. The Executive Team for the conference added passages to each existing report which discussed the impact of COVID-19 in an effort to direct delegates towards that stream of thought within their own research and debate.
Overall, the conference was a resounding success, with each committee coming up with feasible and effective solutions following productive and fruitful debate. Participation levels from delegates were high, with the moderation from the Student Officer team fostering discussions seamlessly.
As one student delegate said: “Maya Angelou once declared, “I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.” Now more than ever, it is imperative for our Innoventures Education community to come together to discuss such pertinent topics.”
