COMUN promotes Unity in Diversity

“You will inherit the world!” ………………”You are the future!”…………. “Make a Difference!”

Sound familiar?? It’s the famous mantra that becomes a challenge, hurled at every younger generation by their parents and teachers. How many of us have heard these words? from teachers, from parents??

How many of us in the younger generation have attempted to make a difference??

It’s the mantra, the dare to make a difference that the COMUN 2012 Executive Committee, better known as the EXCO, took up as a challenge; and with the hosting of the COMUN 2012 Conference from the 2nd to the 4th of March, the EXCO effortlessly proved that when the young put their minds to it, they indeed can make a difference and leave an indelible mark on society’s memory.

However, one may well ask – What does COMUN stand for? What are its principles, ethics??

An acronym for the Colombo Model United Nations, COMUN is a mock simulation of the United Nations introduced by The Overseas School of Colombo 18 years ago, with the intention of fostering “Unity in Diversity.” The Conference has gained such repute in the student fraternity that not participating in COMUN is akin to sacrilege! Every High School student recognizes it as a once in a lifetime opportunity to participate, whether as a delegate or EXCO member.thus, it has become a traditional calendar event for students in Colombo, for it gives them a chance to simulate the leadership and decisive roles of world leaders, to resolve conflicts, at least hypothetically if not in the real world.

The problems are many in the real world: natural disasters, food shortages, population explosion child trafficking, and terrorism – to name a few. As the world increases in complexity, problems abound with, solutions elusive. This is the legacy inherited by each succeeding generation. Currently, the world is plagued by a shortage of energy resources and the COMUN 2012 organiz- ing committee thought it appropriate to select the theme of the “Energy Crisis – Its sustainable Use and Development.”

It is at conferences like COMUN that student delegates aged 13 to 19 years old find a voice – airing their concerns and devising solutions. The COMUN experience effortlessly transforms the callow novice delegate from a greenhorn into an able and capable debater, a resolver of tricky issues through the use of diplomacy and negotiation. They are also given the opportunity to interact with new people, new ideas and cultures and enroute, solve more than one world problem.

When a school registers for COMUN, it is assigned countries and councils. COMUN 2012 had a record 22 schools participating from Colombo: 1 each from Jaffna and Kandy and 3 international schools from Pakistan and India. Student/delegates assume the role of representatives of the country they are assigned in one of the five councils of General Assembly 1, General Assembly 2, General Assembly 3, Economic and Social Council and the Security Council, to debate on world issues. Ample practice debates sessions were organized by the EXCO in the pre-conference period enabling delegates to familiarize themselves and master the basics of moderated and immoderate caucus- ing.

The Conference itself from the 2nd to 4th March was a huge success with the delegates. The opening ceremony on the 2nd of March was inaugurated by Chief Guests Mr. Fadhil Makar -National Coordinator for UN Volunteers – UNDP, Ms. Areta Williams – The Head of The Overseas School of Colombo with Secretary General Dimitra Abeysakera declaring the conference in session. Two days of intense debating and resolutions writing concluded with the introduction of the Emergency topic of a “Nuclear Meltdown” with each committee brainstorming ideas and solutions on how best to resolve the emergency situation. This was followed by the closing ceremony at the Cinnamon Grand during which Awards were presented by Chief Guests Mr. Lionel Fernando ( CEO – Secretariat for Senior Ministers of

Sri Lanka) , Ms. Areta Williams (The Head of The Overseas School of Colombo) and

Guest of Honour - Prof. Carlo Fonseca ( an Authority on Energy Crisis). The Best Delegation Award was won by the delegation of the United States. The Colombo International School, Colombo was honoured with the Best School Award. It was, indeed, a night that will evoke memories of excellence and co-operation in the months ahead!

COMUN 2012 , however has not concluded with the hosting of the conference for, the session of 2011-12 has launched several initiatives. Apart from the new logo and a new website, COMUN 2012 has also collaborated on the Road to Rio Campaign with the Green Lanka Youth Platform to introduce the Best Green and Environmental Initiative Award and present the resolutions drafted during the conference. Moreover, April/ May will see the launching of the “Plant a Tree” campaign in all the participating schools in Colombo and the election of the new Executive Committee which will carry on with the planning of the programme during the course of the 2012 -13 session.

The universal opinion amongst the student fraternity is that this year’s Executive Committee did make a difference especially since it succeeded in achieving and promoting unity in the diverse student fraternity; unity in achieving realistic solutions to world problems. However, all this would not have been possible without the support of The Overseas School of Colombo, being the host for 18 consecutive years and our main sponsor, The Embassy of the United States of America. We’d also like to thank: Dialog, BMW, The National Savings Bank, Galle Face Hotel, Sri Lankan Airlines, Medicalls, Raffles Institute of Design, Royal Ceramics , Commercial Bank, Hatton National Bank, Pharma Associates and all other sponsors for contributing to this highly successful event. Hopefully, the momentum that COMUN 2012 has gained with the current session will help propel us, the youth, into constructive action to make for a better universe in the world of tomorrow!

-Alisha Rajaratnam (The Overseas School of Colombo - COMUN 2012 Executive ) Committee