For more than a year, they have sometimes swapped their student uniforms for that of apprentice diplomats. In a few days, from November 18 to 22, sixteen middle school students from Paris and Seine-Saint-Denis will fly to New York (United States) where they will visit the headquarters of the United Nations (UN). . They will witness the tabling by France and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) of the resolution advocating the “Olympic Truce”, this period which calls for an end to conflicts during the Olympic Games.
Thirty classes, or more than six hundred middle school students currently in 9th grade, have worked on this subject for a year in their establishment: they worked to collectively write their own resolution aimed at improving the situation in the world through sport. Each class studied the functioning of the UN and worked on the precise situation of a particular country — Senegal, the United States, France, Qatar, etc. — before making proposals to advance the situation there. .
The discovery of diplomacy
Sixteen students were then selected after a large day of “simulation of debates at the United Nations”, organized in June at the Paris City Hall. “We are very proud to have been able to participate in this program and even more so to be winners,” relishes Marianne, a student at the Lucie and Raymond Aubrac college, in Paris (11th). We already knew what the United Nations was, but now we will be able to actually witness the adoption of a resolution. »
“It is an enormous opportunity that we, young people, have the right to take part in this fight to ensure justice reigns and promote a peaceful and more equitable world. It doesn’t happen twice in a lifetime,” also appreciates Emma, a student at the Jean-Baptiste Corot college in Raincy (Seine-Saint-Denis). This Wednesday morning, the establishment hosted a meeting between all these students who will be leaving in a few days.
The teenager worked on the situation in Saudi Arabia. “It’s a country whose customs and traditions I didn’t know very well, and it was really interesting to put myself in the place of the people who live there,” explains the woman who even discovered a real interest in diplomacy. “It gives ideas for the future: when you don’t really know what you want to do later, like me, having such an experience, it broadens the field of possibilities. »
A student who calls herself “super shy”, Lucia finally overcame her fears to join the project: “It was my mother who pushed me to get started,” says this other student from Corot college. And she was really right because it offers me a great opportunity. »
“They amazed me”
“It was very enriching because I didn’t really know how the UN or diplomacy in general worked,” also recognizes André, a student at Voltaire College in Paris (11th) and who worked on the situation in Ukraine. We had to do in-depth research and it was also very interesting to speak in public to defend our proposals. »
To write their own resolution, the students had to seek a consensus to take into account the situation of each of the countries they represented. “As a teacher, they amazed me,” says Delphine Jolif, history and geography teacher at Corot college. We read a lot that they are part of a generation very linked to social networks, where we confront each other with very strong opinions… And it was impressive to see them looking for solutions to reach an agreement rather than see them impose their opinion at all costs. »
2023-11-09 05:35:00
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