This early, International School of Manila (ISM) students (from left) Leandro Leviste, Mariella Salazar and Michelle Ferreol prepare themselves to become the country's future leaders. (Photo by LJ PASION)

MANILA, Philippines — At the International School of Manila (ISM), a group of extraordinary 13- to 16-year-old high school students do everything except to sit down and talk about trivial things.

In fact, they like discussing serious global issues such as human rights, white collar crime, disarmament,external debt, poverty, agricultural reforms and fiscal fraud!

But apart from voicing out their opinions, these future world leaders also pass resolutions and work together in devising ways on how to solve the problems of the world as little UN diplomats and ambassadors of their countries, at The Hague International Model United Nations (THIMUN) in Netherlands.

Learning diplomacy and dialogue
A 19-member delegation from ISM, comprised mostly of Filipino students, joined this year’s largest gathering of young people from all over the world.

Around 3,000 student delegates took part in the five-day simulation education activity of the United Nations (UN) session. Like in the real UN, these delegates assume the role of foreign diplomats and engage in international negotiations, debate, develop solutions to world issues, and defend and advance the policies of their countries.

The Model United Nations (MUN) was first held in The Hague in 1968 by Paul Sand from The American School of The Hague. It was later continued by the THIMUN Foundation which held its first youth assembly in 2001.

The MUN was established to instill among the youth the core values of the UN Organization. By gaining a deeper insight into the world’s problems, they are enabled to seek solutions that not only serve the interest of their countries but all its member-states to help foster true international cooperation.

ISM senior student and THIMUN Economic and Social Council deputy president Michelle Denise L. Ferreol says what makes the conference truly significant is that resolutions passed in THIMUN economic and social council will be sent to the UN secretarygeneral and can actually be read and acknowledged by the real UN delegates in their sessions.

True envoys
Delegates in the THIMUN are assigned to represent another country and explore options to resolve its problems.

“This year, we represented Albania so we prepared intensively for it at ISM because we want to be able to embody that country and present it in the best way possible,” Michelle says.

But while they embrace Albanian ideals and policies throughout the confab, the Philippine delegation is still able to promote the country and their distinct Filipino identity.

“By exploring views other than our own we are able to promote special understanding. Yet, outside of the debate, we represent ourselves and in some ways, are ambassadors of our own countries. By making friends and doing good in the conferences, we hope to give a good impression of our country back home,” points out Leandro Leviste, ISM senior, and son of Senator Loren Legarda.

Leandro says his experiences in previous MUN conferences have taught him how to place the country he is representing in a good light despite its bad practices.

“Last year, we were representing Syria and the topic was good governance. We all knew Syria had the most  corrupt government in the world so I had to reconcile my own beliefs because I was
representing a government that was completely on the wrong side of the argument. But rather than being antagonistic and focusing on the bad things that divide Syria and other countries, I focused on the things that unite them. Cooperation and engaging other countries is the best way to deal with things. Every country has its bad sides but at the same time there are good sides so you should find those and present it in a way where other nations can view it positively,” explains Leandro, who headed the Human Rights Commission.

Apart from him and Michelle, several others from the Philippine delegation were selected for chairmanship and officer positions in this year’s THIMUN.

Challenging but rewarding
Participating in an international event of this magnitude and importance can be quite intimidating and challenging for these high-schoolers.

But it can also be motivating and rewarding especially when their resolutions are passed and they are able to speak up and explain their cause to a satisfied audience.

“I was in general assembly and I found it challenging to talk about fiscal fraud. I had to do a lot of research and tried to make a resolution on it and it was really very difficult. A lot of the delegates there barely wrote anything about it. I wrote on what Albania did to reduce their external debt and actually  cancel it. A lot of times the delegates asked me if debt cancellation is a moral hazard. I said it’s not, because it has worked for Albania and we feel under certain grounds and conditions, it would actually work, by canceling it at the appropriate time when countries are taking steps towards development. It’s actually very helpful to know about your policy so countries are able to relate to it. Hence, it felt good when my resolution was passed,” enthuses Mariella Antoinette O. Salazar, a sophomore student at ISM.

A rare feat for the ISM delegation though is having Gaea Morales, a freshman student, take part in a plenary session where only a few get to speak in. “In that entire conference of 3,000 people, there are only four delegates who have resolutions debated on plenary, in front of the whole conference.

It’s a great enough honor to have this for a senior but as a first year student, it’s off the charts!” exclaims Leandro.

Life-changing experience
Although she graduated valedictorian in elementary, Michelle used to be a very shy girl, who wasn’t eloquent and couldn’t speak in large crowds. But her education in ISM and participation at the MUN conferences have boosted her confidence and made her more involved.

“Even though we are just teenagers, we already get our feet wet in the things that are happening all over the world. We’re not just in our own bubbles, which normally happens in international schools,” reveals Michelle.

Mariella was also shy and couldn’t speak spontaneously without preparing the night before and holding a paper as guide.

“I became confident in public speaking. The seniors like Leandro and Michelle also helped me in developing my skills. But in general, MUN taught me not to be biased, it enabled me to understand people and just expanded my horizons. It taught me about nations I’ve never even heard before. It just opened me up to the entire world,” shares Mariella who is a member of the Philippine Debating Team.

For Leandro, his interest in politics and international relations may have been influenced by his politician parents but he says MUN further fueled those interests.

“As a student you might not have all those many options in school. But the training we get from ISM and participation in other international conferences gives me the confidence to explore these issues in depth. MUN teaches us how big and how small the world is. While we are exposed to different people and cultures from around the world, we also realize that despite the differences we’re all high school students after all and have similarities and things that unite us together,” relates Leandro.

He adds that one can also see how interested and involved young people are in global issues. “In MUN, you realize how much interest there is among young people nowadays. The idea we come from an apathetic generation is really just a myth. Young people now are very much interested in these things.”

ISM offers a special program that trains students to be good public speakers and delegates in the MUN. Apart from the various annual conferences organized by the THIMUN, ISM also participates in the local conference called Model United Nations Assembly (MUNA) and the events of the Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools. ISM was also the first school in the Philippines to join THIMUN seven years ago.

Making a difference
While in reality, these delegates are just students and don’t have that much capacity to influence leaders and change government policies, they believe that they can still make a difference by doing their share in their own little ways.

Mariella says they take part in nation building by writing action papers on how to resolve issues on gender equality at a local conference organized by the Rotary Club of Makati. Their papers are even submitted to the President of the Philippines.

Leandro regularly organizes fun parties for the children of ISM personnel to give motivation and help bring the students closer to the school staff.

Apart from engaging in school outreach programs, Michelle and Mariella are also spearheading fundraising events for their program called “Project Tiger.” They hold garage sales to raise money for the upgrade of facilities and the setting up of internet connection in public schools in Tagaytay.

The trio is also encouraging a greater number of private and public high schools in the country to adopt the MUN program and help develop a greater number of students.

“An MUN delegate must live it by doing service. MUN opens you up to a broader perspective of the world but how you use that is what really matters. MUN delegates are not just students of the country where they’re from but are students of the world, and its future leaders. And while we are still students, whatever we are doing now is going to be carried over to the next generation. When we are finally in the position to instigate change we can actually do it and use our experiences and knowledge to help put the world in a better state,” concludes Michelle.