How a MUN taught me the importance of giving the right opportunities to children!

Barely two days after completing my summer school course from King’s College London, I stepped into the Swati NGO at Tigri. From being around students scrutinizing international policies, I was suddenly surrounded with children discussing the latest episodes of daily soaps. The change was quite drastic.

I contemplated over this change, trying to figure out the role education plays in one’s life and whether these supremely talented kids would ever be able to get opportunities which would do justice to their capabilities.

That was last summer.

          

This month, a huge poster in my college caught my eye; it was of Child Rights and You. Immediately, I started reading it carefully, trying to figure out how CRY was associating with the college. It was then that I got to know that the Mock United Nations Society had been able to partner with CRY. “Interesting!”, I thought.

The rather bland “Interesting!” got transformed into an “Oh my God, I don’t believe it!!” when I got to know that a Model United Nations session was going to be organized for the children at CRY, some of whom I had taught earlier. What thrilled me even more was getting the opportunity to cover the session as a CRY volunteer.

Over the next few weeks, multiple training sessions were organized by the Lady Shri Ram Model United Nations members for the kids. I however, got the chance to meet the children only after they had completed their training. The change was unbelievable! Their knowledge, their confidence and their desire to be the change makers- everything about them was incredible! As dramatic as this sounds, believe me, this is how it actually was.

What personally moved me the most however, was seeing them enter my college in their school uniforms. It was as if the two irreconcilable parts of last summer, which I thought would never meet, converged right in front of my eyes. Here were the kids from Tigri, discussing and critiquing world policies, suggesting possible amendments and engaging in intellectual thought.

This MUN was a step apart, or rather step ahead, from all the other MUNs that I have attended throughout my life. There was the usual diplomacy, debates and deliberations but what was different about this MUN was the companionship and support amongst the delegates. It didn’t matter whether they represented India or Pakistan, America or Iran, their intention was never to pull the other down. The postscripts in their notes stating, “Tension mat le, main hoon na!” (Don’t fret, I’m there for you) were a proof of this. Their bubble of compassion survived unabated through all the rivalry, competition and the desperation to win.

I was happy to see them grow, develop and learn new things about the world, but I was even happier that they managed to not unlearn their values of supporting and encouraging each other.

A big thanks to LSR for letting these children experience MUN.

The children, for whom the world was confined to the alleys that they crossed each day, had now experienced MUN- a window to something more.

-Sonali Mahesh

 Student , LSR 

 University of Delhi

 CRY Volunteer

-Photo Credits

Pritha Sen & Santanu Sarma