By: Maria Fernanda Zenil Cruz
As has been heard over the years, children and young people are the future of the world; they will be our future entrepreneurs, leaders, inventors, writers, journalists, scientists, and more. In other words, they are the blank canvas on which the next pages of history will be written, and their role will be crucial in determining the direction our world will take.
This is why education becomes the engine that drives the motivation of children and young people to find their passion. Nevertheless, the truth is that not many are interested in what is happening around them – war conflicts, social unrest, economic crises, environmental problems, etc.
The cause of this disinterest is that they see it as very far from their reality; that is, in one way or another it will not affect them and if so “someone else is going to fix it”, but what if not? We cannot leave in the hands of someone else what we can change. In the current polarized world, we must remain united as humanity, regardless of geographical borders, religious beliefs, ethnicities and socioeconomic classes.
But, how can we call for action and not just a motivational speech? Last April 2024, a Model United Nations (MUN), a simulation of the UN system in which students represent countries or people to debate issues of global interest, was held in one of the most prestigious schools in the world in Mexico, where I had the opportunity to personally survey some of the participating students, revealing that MUNs are a great tool to call to action, and probably the solution to interest youth in global issues. These are the results:
- On a scale of 1 to 10, students had to rate before the MUN how much they were interested in political topics: 46.9% scored below 6.
- On a scale of 1 to 10, students had to rate after the MUN how much they were interested in political issues: 82.3% rated 7 or above.
- They were asked the reasons why they decided to participate in the MUN:
52.9% because they like it, 35.3% to try something new, 5.8% to learn about political issues, 2.9% to better self-esteem and 2.9% due to a school requirement.
- 91.2% believe that their participation in the MUN has helped them improve their leadership skills.
- 44.1% believe that their participation in the MUN has influenced their plans, such as their career choice.
- 70.6% of participants believe that they now better understand global issues and see the impact on our world.
- They were asked what skill they have developed the most thanks to MUN:
35.3% understanding of global issues, 29.4% self-confidence, 20.5% leadership, 8.8% overcoming fears, 2.9% mastering another language and 3.1% others.
- 97.1% believe that MUNs help students promote peace and conflict resolution.
- Lastly, they were asked individually how they believe MUNs help improve our society. Some of the answers were:
- “I learned to face problems that affect my environment.”
- “…Each of the delegates learn how to support society, from the smallest possible thing.”
- “We can understand what is happening around the world, listen to the opinions of others and know that there are many possibilities to solve the problems of the world and everyday life.”
- “Motivating young people to be participants in global problems.”
- “The MUN helps young people develop skills such as understanding, teamwork, leadership and issues relevant to society.”
Thanks to this survey we can now be very clear that the MUNs do not stop at a debate, they go further. Students take their knowledge outside of school making them more aware of what is happening in the world. For this reason, I want to invite schools and parents to motivate their children to participate in a MUN, since it makes them gain a lot of experience and skills. Furthermore, children and young people, with their great potential and creativity, are the ones who will be making the change in our society tomorrow. So, never forget that by inspiring change, creating futures, we transform the world!