SALMUN, which stands for Salvador Model United Nations, took place this past week at PASB. This yearly conference held in Salvador had Natalia Portela (Year 11) as the Secretary-General and Pedro Lyra (Year 11) as the Chief Information Officer hosting the event. Students from schools all over the world participate in Model United Nations, an academic simulation in which the students represent any country, organization, or person, expressing their stance on a specific conflict and providing a number of solutions from the perspective of the position that they have been allocated. Those who participate in simulations such as the Model United Nations (MUN) are able to strengthen their leadership and collaborative skills. Aside from that, those who decided to take part in this outstanding experience broadened their understanding of global issues and problem-solving. This gave delegates the opportunity to discover a passion for debate.
This year’s conference was held from the 24th to the 27th of May, and the overarching theme was “Building Bridges, Not Walls: Promoting Peace, Inclusivity, and Cultural Understanding.” Due to the unfortunate pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus, the primary focus of this year’s SALMUN was discussing methods to make the world a more fair and unbiased place to live in order to improve international relations. It is strongly recommended that middle and high school students attend this event, seeing that it is a great extracurricular opportunity. This year’s gathering consisted of eight separate committees, each led by different chairs. These committees were the ECOFIN, Historical Security Council, Human Rights Council, UNHCR, Security Council, UNESCO, Special #1, and Special #2. The American Congress and the International Football Federation (FIFA) were chosen to serve as this year’s special committees.
While middle school students are invited and encouraged to attend the event, they are only allowed to participate in unique committees created specifically for them. Students from year 11 and year 12 are required to take part in SALMUN for a grade, seeing that PASB believes students receive important knowledge by participating in such a remarkable event. Furthermore, students who already have a substantial amount of knowledge about the conferences and the procedures that are associated with them have the possibility to try and become chairs by submitting an application. Overall, SALMUN is a unique event, helping students improve in different areas of their lives, and its 2023 edition will forever be marked in the hearts of students.
