Special thanks to Sylviane from Bureau 307 who kindly registered all G. Duby students willing to participate to this new GDMUN session!

All students experienced again two great days of discussion, exchanges, with such a high level of motivation.

First GDMUN day at Georges DUBY

A few articles about these GDMUN days:

Our first article brought by the talented writer Mathilde Murray. This article regards Mrs Hackenheimer, who opened the ceremony speech with her great charisma. A very inspiring speech.

We are the 19th of march 2016, it’s around 10 o’clock. The 2nd Georges Duby Model United Nations is opening and the prasentations are being made. People in suits are sitting and listening. As excitment rose amongst delegates, press people and admins, Mrs Hackenheimer, our well-kown literature teacher, who is leaving next year, delivered to us the most amazing speech.

We all know that Mrs Hackenheimer has been teaching at Georges Duby for a couple of years but she has also contributed to the organisation and, most of all, to the creation of the popular GDMUN. When we think that she has been in the Lycée when the section was being build up, we might wonder what she is feeling now, especially when we know how popular it has become. « I felt like a fairy god mother » she confessed in her speech. Seeing that this is the last one she will be assisting to, we are touched by her words and her pride when she says : « I see the same energy 20 years later ». Smiles could be seen on faces as Mrs Hackenheimer called herself « the headless chicken act running around the school » after her collegues. Indeed, we owe a lot to her for she came up with the idea of a debate club and GDMUN wouldn’t have existed without her help.

Mrs Hackenheimer also shares her point of vue on education by quoting William Butler, a poet who used to say : « Education is not the filling of a pail but the lightning of a fire ». For her, teaching her student was also teaching herself. We could see the knowledge she has been through as she quoted John Donne and Emily Dickinson and talked about « King Lear ». As the speech went on, the words echoed in the mind of the silent people who were listening attentively. « Remember to give back what you’ve been given » is a phrase of Mrs Hackenheimer’s headmistress that she remembers. We clearly notice that her priority is to teach the next generation as she declares « It will be your turn to inherit the earth ».

She also feels involved in man kind as she says that « the impulse for so many is the close doors, pull down shutters, turn indoors or abusing to hear their please ». These words have their effects as we can feel in the room that most people want to resist this idea. We see that she accords an importance of what we are undertaking as her final quote is from Gandhi « Be the change you want to see in the world ».

There were loads of applauses for this first part of the day. The morning had been rich in emotion such as excitment, nostalgia but also laughters. People talked loudly as they got up and left the room. It was bound to be an exciting GDMUN in this year of 2016 !

Mathilde Murray

Second GDMUN day, in Espace Vasarelly

A second article , written by Ella Vincenti (regarding the Security Council).

There are lots of interesting debates going on in all committees today! It’s great to see that our chairs are encouraging delegates to speak up and voice their opinions, as well as organising fun team-building exercises to create a warm and friendly atmosphere. I attended the presentation of a clause at the Security Council, where delegates are debating on measures to reduce the risk of nuclear proliferation. The United Kingdom submitted a clause signed by Iran, India and China, that suggested raising public awareness about nuclear proliferation using the media, in the hope of giving a more trustworthy image of the government in the eyes of the population. Concerns were raised by Egypt, who took the floor to discuss the fact that certain populations don’t, or have difficult, access to media and information, and was in favour of the clause under the condition that efforts be made to extend information to populations with a lack of access to media. When faced with questions concerning the point of this clause, and concerns about this clause giving way the panic and hatred, the United Kingdom delegate responded by saying that the point was not to make the public uneasy but to reinforce the right to information and spread awareness about nuclear proliferation internationally. A debate about the candor of certain states concerning their nuclear and military capacities was sparked when Iran contributed to the debate by voicing support towards the clause because they believed that “imperialist” states where withholding information about their nuclear and military sectors. When the clause came to vote, a small majority voted in favour and it was passed.