Introducing the Israel Middle East Model United Nations!

The Israel Middle East Model United Nations student ambassadors in action, voting on a resolution (photo: AIS).

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The Israel Middle East Model United Nations (TIMEMUN) is a Walworth Barbour American International School (AIS) tradition, dating back to 2001 and former AIS teacher Sara Jane Shapira. What started as a few dozen students in a spare classroom is now a three-day United Nations simulation conference, with over 500 students, 40 advisers, and 13 speakers from various parts of the political spectrum!

Last February AIS welcomed students from 35 schools all over Israel, as well as one school from Germany. For the MUN portion of the conference, students were divided into 10 committees, each school representing one or two countries. In each one, students debated and discussed important current issues, and wrote policy statements and clauses culminating in sophisticated resolutions.

One of the most unique aspects of the conference was the Conflict Resolution Program, where students represent themselves instead of various countries; the program is aimed specifically at developing conflict mediation skills amongst students of various backgrounds and perspectives. The participants vary not only in the schools they attend (AIS, Israeli Jewish, Israeli Arab), but also in the personal opinions they bring, and the program is led by two professional conflict mediators (one Jewish and one Arab) who, through discussion of the conflict in Israel, teach students communication, mediation and negotiation.

Those who participate in it have referred to the TIMEMUN conference and Conflict Resolution Program as both life-changing and eye-opening. What is more, in addition to the visiting schools, almost half of the AIS high school students were involved in this year’s conference in one form or another including delegates, administration, Falcon TV, and press!

All participants conducted themselves in the most mature manner, and found resolutions to the issues they were discussing as their proud advisors looked on. Special thanks to AIS Director Peter Sickle, and Assistant Directors Aviva Rosensweig and Orit Hai.

Learn more at http://www.timemun.net.

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