Alleyn's Model United Nations (AMUN 2023)

Alleyn’s Model United Nations (AMUN 2023) took place on Saturday, October 7th, and was a fantastic opportunity for students from different schools to come together and discuss a number of significant global issues. The conference was organized by the AMUN Secretaries-General, Izzy and Oscar (Year 13), and their student Secretariat, debating a range of topics ranging from the environment to human rights to international security.

We were very lucky to have the Right Honourable Lord Knight of Weymouth in attendance, who spoke on "the role of social media in amplifying harm and division locally and globally, and how governments should respond." The talk was interesting for both staff and students alike and covered a number of issues pertinent to students' lives in the 21st century, namely the dangers of bad actors creating and distributing unsavory and extremist material via social media. He touched on the role of governments in acting as a bulwark against the algorithms used by social media companies, which promote dangerous material to vulnerable people. It was a simultaneously fascinating and terrifying talk and very relevant to the topics being discussed in the Special Political and Decolonization Committee.

The conference was well attended, with our own 37 delegates and 100 students from 8 different schools in attendance, including:

• Reeds School
• Epsom College
• Pimlico Academy
• Kingsdale Foundation School
• Dulwich College
• Queens Gate School
• Westminster School
• London Nautical School

In addition to the overall competition for the best delegate by committee and overall best delegation, our own delegates were engaged in an inter-house MUN competition, with Cribb’s looking to maintain its position as the leading light of MUN at Alleyn’s.

We had 5 committees in session for the conference:

• Environment Committee – Chaired by Maya (Y13) – Discussing shale gas and the outsourcing of plastic waste
• Human Rights Council – Chaired by Oscar  (Y13) – Discussing the International Criminal Court and Religious Freedom.
• Security Council – Chaired by Izzy (Y13) – Discussing peacekeeping missions and gender equality
• Special Political and Decolonization Committee – Chaired by Martina  (Year 13) – Discussing the legacies of colonialism and the role of social media in promoting violent extremism
• World Health Organization – Chaired by Sophie (Year 13) – Discussing genetic modification in animals and bird flu.

Finally, we had a very eventful general assembly in which a rogue Artificial Intelligence made threats against the global community, to which the assembled delegations had to respond. The lively and entertaining debate that followed showcased the talent of those students in attendance to think on their feet and speak convincingly on issues they only learned about moments before from the perspective of their allocated country.

The Alleyn's Model United Conference is a testament to the passion and intellect of young individuals committed to making a positive impact on the world. The insightful debates held in various committees showcased the potential of these future leaders to tackle global issues with dedication and creativity.