ACADEMIC SPOTLIGHT

MCS Students Attend UN-UNIS Human Rights Conference on Climate Change

This fall, Jermaine, Pinki, Viviana and alumna Nicole Letelier were awarded a Victoria K. Wimpfheimer Grant, which aims to support an annual educational program that focuses on contemporary social justice issues. The recipients will pilot a Model UN program for Upper School students.

To kick off the program, eight Upper School students (Matt Felsenfeld, Djuna Schamus, Ellie Cohen, James Oliver, Kai Marcel, Rehana Hirji, Kyle Bartos, and Zoya Tierstien) represented the Carol Baur School, our partner school in Mexico, in the 11th annual UNIS-UN Students Human Rights Conference on global warming.

The conference, held over three days in December, was attended by students from across North America and over video conference included students in Latin America, Africa, and India. Over 19 different countries participated in editing and drafting an Action Plan that urges governments, corporations and NGOs to work towards creating a more sustainable planet through education, social programs, and economic support. On the last day of the conference, the Action Plan was voted on by the students and then presented to Hugo Siles Alvarado (of Bolivia), the 63rd president of the General Assembly.

In addition to H.S. Alvarado’s address to the students, several other speakers joined the conference to impart positive messages and encouragement including Ekkard Strauss, a Human Rights Officer for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and Ricardo Zapata-Marti, Economic Commissioner for Latin America (Regional Focal Point on Disaster Evaluation). The resounding message was that youth are the most suitable to lead the conversation on global climate change.

Upon return from the winter holiday an after school elective will offer Upper School students the opportunity to participate in a Model UN run by and for middle school students. MCS students will meet with other middle school students in the NYC area in late April and display their debating skills and put forth their ideas and resolutions to a pressing global issue.