At the end of Term 3, Year 10 Modern History students staged the annual United Nations Summit in the Gehrmann Theatre, chaired by Year 11 Modern History students, Elizabeth Shoebridge (11B) and Emma Readdy (11L). The student-led forum discussed, argued, and responded to the resolution ‘that at all countries attending this United Nations Summit unreservedly condemn the unprovoked and egregious attack by Russia against the sovereign nation of Ukraine’.
With escalating global tension and strained international relations, the United Nations plays an instrumental role in maintaining international law and order, the protection of human rights, and the provision of humanitarian aid. In a world seemingly overcome by crises, the UN Summit seeks to foster a well-needed understanding of current global issues and helps Modern History students to relate their classroom knowledge to pressing world politics.
Country delegates represented 12 countries across the globe, each supporting their positions with various media including the James Bond theme song, God Save the Queen audio, and impassioned nationalist chanting. The Summit fostered an environment of understanding, and allowed students to explore different perspectives and responses to the Ukraine crisis and dive deep into the complex and multifaceted effects of this conflict. Students explored economics, morality, and the fragility of global peace to ultimately agree on a resolution—even if that resolution was only passed because the majority of delegates misunderstood the meaning of ‘abstaining’.
The country delegates attending the UN Summit were:
Australia: Ruby George (10B) and Libby Timmins (10R)
Belarus: Tessa Lloyd (10O) and Anshika Singh (10R)
Finland: Ashley Cleland (10E) and Charlotte Cooke (10E)
Germany: Liv Evans (10O) and Carys De Jager (10E)
India: Ruby Coltzau (10R) and Scarlett Bennett (10L)
Kenya: Alyssa Godinho (10B) and Eliza Forster (10O)
Poland: Madison Varshney (10M) and Kathryn Petersen (10O)
Switzerland: Lucinda Isbel (10H) and Maeve Lynch (10M)—third-place prize winners
Syria: Kashvi Kothari (10B) and Molly Cooper (10W)—second-place prize winners
Turkey: Stella Anson (10O) and Charlize Chang (10H)—first-place prize winners
United Kingdom: Charlotte Kennedy (10B) and Caitlin Small (10R).
Elizabeth Shoebridge (11B) and Emma Readdy (11L)
Co-chairs of the Summit
Year 10 Modern History United Nations Summit, co-chaired by 11 Modern History students Elizabeth Shoebridge and Emma Readdy, in the Gehrmann Theatre
