Stratford students tackle global conflict at Model UN
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Students from all three Stratford high schools, Nancy Campbell Academy, St. Michael Catholic Secondary School and Stratford District Secondary School (SDSS), once again met at the Stratford City Hall auditorium for the second annual Regional Model United Nations (MUN).
This educational simulation of a real United Nations aims to teach students essential skills in diplomacy, public speaking, negotiation and research by simulating UN committees.
MUN also aims to help senior students understand global affairs, international relations and complex world problems, while fostering critical thinking, teamwork and leadership skills necessary for future careers.
More than that, Mark Boersen, organizer and teacher at St. Michael Catholic Secondary School, says the program also aims to connect local students and foster a sense of friendship throughout the city.
“Our MUN is really the only venue that allows for all three Stratford high schools to come together and to work together in a diplomatic fashion to try and work through an issue,” he said. “More importantly, I suppose that there is an aspiration that our local MUN builds a stronger community.
“When our city high school students collaborate and debate, they are not just meeting once and leaving; hopefully, they are forming connections that they can keep developing. I hope, even more than a final resolution, that their MUN is a meaningful experience and will lead to long-term friendships or even joint initiatives amongst the three schools.”
The day is hosted at city hall, which not only lends to the overall structure of the day but also offers an accessible space for all students to join, noted Boersen.
“The space adds gravitas to the day. Plus, city hall allows for an accessibility advantage,” said Boersen. “Our local MUN removes barriers like travel costs and logistics, making it easier for more students to participate. That inclusivity often brings in a wider range of perspectives, which actually improves the quality of discussion.”
This year’s topic was the escalation of conflict involving Iran and regional security. Earlier this year, tensions in the Middle East escalated into direct military confrontation between Iran and the coalition, led by the United States and Israel. Coordinated strikes targeted Iranian military and nuclear facilities, leading to retaliatory attacks and widespread regional instability.
One of the delegates, a Grade 12 student from St. Mike’s, Vincent Macissac, representing the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), says he has looked forward to MUN and was eager to start negotiations, specifically related to this year’s topic.
“I think the topic was very relevant, especially given what's going on in the world right now,” said Macissac. “We're very polarized. So, something like the Iran war, which is very two-sided, especially with the EU being neutral, you have that middle ground from a lot of countries, and then you have a very pro-U.S. stance from Israel, and on the other hand, you have very anti-Israeli stances from some countries like Lebanon.”
Delegates were asked to determine how to prevent a regional war, whether international law was violated and what role the UN should play in enforcing peace. Later, they debated and tried to negotiate a resolution addressing key factors such as a ceasefire or de-escalation mechanisms, the protection of civilians and humanitarian access, nuclear monitoring, the security of global energy routes and UN peacekeeping missions.
As a standout leader throughout the day, Macissac said he believes his passion for global relations is why he took on more of a speaking role and, by speaking up, he believes he can lead others to do the same.
“I like speaking out and being a leader,” he said. “I'm really passionate about Model UN and things like international relations. I really want to get people interested, and I think playing that leadership role is why I jumped at the chance to talk to different people, build alliances, start conversations, and even debate. This gets other people talking. It gets people emotional.”
At the end of the MUN, students came to a final resolution.
“Delegates reached a resolution at the 11th hour,” said Boersen. “They managed to come together to hammer out a resolution in response to the Iran crisis despite back-and-forth negotiations.
Although the resolution came together at MUN, Boersen said he’s not sure how the resolution would stand up in the real-world United Nations.
“Honestly, I am not sure how their resolution would stand up in the real world with very real pressures and political players, but it is the aspiration of the student delegates to try and work things out and come to some sort of understanding,” he said. “As I have said, the UN isn't perfect: It too struggles, and it reflects the world as it is, not as we wish it to be. And that is why their role as delegates is so meaningful and important.”
Macissac also said that aspects of the resolution could have been the same in a real-life UN, but overall, he still believes students have a lot to learn before heading off to the global stage.
“I think there's a lot that we don't know still,” he said. “I don't think it's exactly what the UN would pass, but I do think these learning opportunities give students a great understanding of our world.
“Our world is very polarized right now, and it's super easy to feel overwhelmed with what's going on, and it’s hard to understand. Something like this gives us an opportunity to learn about other places. A lot of students now don't really have the opportunity to travel, and I think for a lot of people, this is possibly their first experience hearing about different cultures, different laws and different societies.”
“I think it's also great to understand how hard it is to pass something in the UN because I think, as a society, you want to blame politicians or leaders for a lot of stuff. However, when you play that Model UN position, you begin to understand how difficult it is to come together as a community of over 194 countries with completely different interests and come to a resolution that will benefit everybody.”
This realistic experience has given Macissac a taste of public relations, where he sees himself navigating toward it after taking time to travel and returning to St. Mike’s for a fifth year next year, then heading off to university to possibly focus on public relations.
“I would like to do one more semester of school, and then I'd like to do a second semester where I travel and work. More specifically, I'd like to travel to Eastern Europe, somewhere, very niche places. Because I think, honestly, those unheard places tell the greatest stories.
“This might be a little bit of a reach, but I would also like to pass through Ukraine if I could. Just to see what it's like, to be in a country that's facing such hardship, and talk to people who are very passionate about their own culture. I think it'd be a great learning opportunity, too.
“Eventually, I would like to do something where I work for the Canadian government, but abroad, something like a diplomat, or, even better, an ambassador. That's really my dream or my hope for the future.”
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