MSMUN

17th MSMUN SEASON ENDS WITH OAN JUNIOR HIGH’ STELLAR PERFORMANCE, AGAIN.

Throughout last week, all roads led to the UN headquarters here in Nairobi. Reason? The students were all funky, dressed in stylish suits and dressed to kill, all for the MSMUN conference.

Delegates representing the 192 UN member states were attending the annual, all important conferences. Traffic was heavy indeed. What with all the member states flying their vibrant, youthful delegates in.  The UN complex was awash with highly diplomatic talk, consultation, lobbying and the occasional light moments from the delegates. A sight to behold – with the only difference being the age of the delegates who assumed the role of the actual delegates.

The MSMUN week is a culmination of ardous stringent training that runs throughout term one. Students devote their energies, giving up their lunch time and occasional weekends to learn, train and get examined on the running of the UN operations. By the time they are declared ready, the model delegations and the entire process runs like a well oiled machine.

To appreciate the magnitude and the importance of the process student-delegates go through, a few facts are in order.  Here we go.

The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945 after the Second World War by 51 countries committed to maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations and promoting social progress, better living standards and human rights. Due to its unique international character, and the powers vested in its founding Charter, the Organization can take action on a wide range of issues, and provide a forum for its 192 Member States to express their views, through the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council and other bodies and committees.

The work of the United Nations reaches every corner of the globe. Although best known for peacekeeping, peace building, conflict prevention and humanitarian assistance, there are many other ways the United Nations and its System (specialized agencies, funds and programmes) affect our lives and make the world a better place. The Organization works on a broad range of fundamental issues, from sustainable development, environment and refugees protection, disaster relief, counter terrorism, disarmament and non-proliferation, to promoting democracy, human rights, gender equality and the advancement of women, governance, economic and social development and international health, clearing landmines, expanding food production, and more, in order to achieve its goals and coordinate efforts for a safer world for this and future generations.

The above, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls is a synoptic précis of what the students do throughout the week, quite a task , not so?

The competition for these coveted positions is often a cut throat competition where every one of the student- delegate strives to out do, out smart and win over his competitors and every school strives to outperform the rest.

The fact that OAN Junior High claimed the lion’s share in the whole program explains our position: we are running a tight ship here.

The following snippets and nuggets deserve your attention.

That we are a perennial contender for the coveted top position is not in doubt. This fact explains why amidst a supremely adulatory rendition, the executive committee informed the  audience already on the edge of their seats that the OAN Junior High excelled as bulleted here below:

v    School with the highest number of delegates:  67 delegates.

v    School with the highest number of ambassadors:  11 ambassadors.

v    School with the highest number  of countries – 11 countries.

v    School with the highest number of  MSMUN Junior chairs- 5 chairs.

v    School with the highest number of  MSMUN  head and assistant heads    4 positions out of 4

v    School with the 2nd highest numbers in press corps- 3out of 4

v    And then came the crowning moment when the best resolutions that passed are awarded.

Out of the 900 odd students hailing from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, plus the southern Africa Pretoria School among others, it is with profound pleasure that we attest:

v    OAN Junior High scooped the best 3 resolutions that every school strives to take back home with them.

v    Best resolution for China as a Security Council nation.

v    Best resolution for China in its UN member state position.

v    Best resolution for Cameroon.

As Joseph Pulitzer  advises, ‘put it before them  briefly so they will read it, clearly so they will appreciate it, picturesquely  so they will remember it and above all, accurately so they will be guided by its light, allow me to paste here tabulated names and pictures of the  conferences and delegates, if you please.