Welcome to Delegates
I am delighted to welcome you to Scotland's only school-based Model United Nations Conference, to be held at George Watson's College in Edinburgh over the weekend of 13-15 March 2009. This follows our inaugural Conference in March 2007, when 170 Delegates from Scotland, Ireland and England enjoyed a wekend of lobbying, debating, eating together and a Saturday evening Ceilidh. Such was the success of the 2007 Conference that 320 Delegates attended the 2008 Conference.
Whilst MUN is relatively popular and widely practised in universities, it is virtually unknown in schools in Scotland. Since 2004, my own pupils here at George Watson's College have discovered that following international affairs, investigating the world from a viewpoint other than that of Scotland or the UK and debating the rights and wrongs of countries' actions is far from being a dry, tedious activity centred around the classroom and linked only to hard work. It is not only interesting and stimulating, but also intriguing and enjoyable.
The conferences we have attended outwith Scotland have stimulated Watson's pupils to the extent that this George Watson's College MUN Conference takes place as a direct result of 'pupil power', exercised in the enthusiastic aftermath of our attendance at one conference, and supported thereafter by the School Principal and given birth by a dedicated team of staff and pupils.
We very much hope that you will discover enjoyment, fulfilment and a challenge as you work towards taking part with us in our Conference, and that you will come to a fresh understanding of the world's problems, and in cooperation with other delegates, strive to find some solutions to them.
I wish you every success in participating and look forward to seeing you here at Watson's in March.
Rob Crawford
Director
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