Patana students attended the 8th Bangkok Model United Nations Conference at the New International School of Thailand (NIST) on Saturday, 2 October.

As in previous years Patana Secondary students played an active part in the local MUN conference. The conference comprised of four committees dealing with health issues, the environment, human rights, and political issues. There was also a Security Council.

Present at the convention, besides BPS, were the New International School of Thailand (NIST), International School Bangkok (ISB), Prem Center (Chiang Mai), Ruamrudee International School (RIS), and Harrow International School (HIS). Thanks to the MUN advisers at NIST for making the day a resounding success.

I think I can safely say that all delegates and staff enjoyed themselves greatly in what turned out to be another long but rewarding day of discussion and controversy. At this point I would like to take this opportunity to welcome Mrs Helen Berghuis who has joined the MUN team this year, and took the photographs of the conference, and Mrs Ford who also attended.

The opening address was given by the Guest Speaker, Mr Heinz Kampmann, Counsellor of Political and Regional Affairs at the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, in Bangkok, who spoke about the most recent world problems with a special focus on the European Union. He also spoke of his own personal experience of the re-unification of Germany. Mr Adrian Watts, the Principal of the Secondary School at NIST, performed the presentation of the gavels to the Chairs. The Principal gave a speech that was thought-provoking, especially in the light of his informing delegates, that he had been, many years ago, the MUN organiser for East Africa. He stressed the non-competitive nature of MUN, where the objective was to find a common solution to shared problems. In his letter to delegates published in the conference booklet, Mr Watts reminded delegates that:

“It is reassuring that there are students willing and able to search and discuss solutions to many of the world’s problems”. Mr Simon Leslie, the Headmaster of NIST, wrote that, “Global issues are important issues and they are probably as critically important in the first decade of the 21st century as they have been in many previous difficult periods in the history of this planet”.

As on previous occasions, space prevents me from mentioning all of the other excellent and thoughtful addresses which were presented during the opening ceremony and the conference itself, except that everyone who spoke to me agreed that what we had learnt at the conference constituted a solid base to build on for the IASAS MUN Conference, Singapore in November.

Bangkok Patana fielded an incisive and superbly energetic team. I was most impressed as I observed delegates during the day of the conference. Committee One focused on the question of AIDS. On this committee Hesam Kazemini was a most effective Chair. Victoria Truslow spoke for Laos, and Karan Khanijou for the USA. I witnessed lively exchanges in this committee on several occasions involving our delegates.

In Committee Two, on environmental issues, Maria Dela Pena was in the Chair. She steered the discussion with great skill. It also included Wendy Yang for France, Sarah Hopkins for Papua New Guinea, and Lillian Suwanrumpha who asked a particularly incisive question on the destruction of the rain forests. Again, our delegates were most incisive participants in the discussion.

Committee Three discussed questions pertaining to human rights, which I was privileged to attend early on in the discussions, where a vote was taken on changing the agenda. June Chan spoke for the DPR Korea, Dominique Chao for Laos, Virginie Python for Lebanon, Ravleen Madan for Pakistan, and Alisa Burn for Turkey. Mature and organised debate was very much the order of the day here as elsewhere.

Finally, Committee Four dealt with political questions. Nivedita Raghavan spoke with panache for Norway, asking Kevin Chen a question on the issue of enforcement in relation to the Iraq problem I heard Kevin himself address the committee where he reminded America, as representative of Syria, that they have the responsibility to stay in Iraq while the present crisis continues. Norrapat Shih represented the USA with his usual aplomb. All spoke to great effect.

Members of the Security Council from Patana showed themselves to great advantage as usual. They were: for Pakistan, Jared Haube whom I witnessed asking an excellent question on nuclear non proliferation, Daniel Kastner for the USA, spoke to the council to great effect, and Meet Shroff represented France with enthusiasm.

The culmination of the conference came with the Closing Ceremony at the end of the day. Delegates were wished good luck in their future at the MUN. As I have observed on previous occasions in these reviews, new friendships were formed and old acquaintances renewed, and this conference, like the others, was no exception. Newer delegates developed a more solid notion of the debating process and the projection required to argue a case persuasively. These are both valuable tools within MUN, and, of course, in preparation for life and work beyond.

Thanks go to our hosts, as well as the staff, visitors, and delegates from all the participating schools who all did their best to make this conference the great success that it was. Thanks, too, to the delegates from Patana who displayed their considerable skills at every stage of the conference as I have only touched on in the body of this review. This must not go without recognition.

None of this would have been possible without Mr. Wood’s conscientious work and encouragement behind the scenes. Mr. Wood’s advice at our weekly meetings of the MUN, in particular, allowed all the delegates to do their best on the day. We have tentatively planned our next Bangkok conference at RIS for 12 March 2005. We are all looking forward to it.

Dr. P.K. Ford,

English Faculty and MUN Adviser.

H. Berghuis