Nurturing Diversity: Empowering Youth for a Better Tomorrow

July 11, 2023

The UNPO jointly with Fiona McConnell, Professor at the University of Oxford and UNPO Academic Advisor, and Liam Saddington, a Professor at the University of Cambridge Advisor of the UNPO Youth Network, developed a few years ago the Model UNPO. 

Nowadays, we are proud to see that more and more, Model UNPO is being used by multiple schools across the UK to educate the youth on the challenges of geopolitics and to nurture empathy and understanding towards unrepresented people and nations.

 

The Model UNPO which is based on the Model UN is designed to help students immerse themselves in the world of geopolitics and diversity. The students are assigned different roles as representatives of stateless nations, indigenous peoples, and minority communities.

This model exposes the students not only to the world of UNPO but also to deeper issues related to conflicts, human rights violations, and environmental injustice issues. The Model UNPO has also been designed to be versatile and up to the teachers in charge to choose the topics of discussion (Topics during the discussion include development aid, corruption, geopolitics, the role of superpowers, and climate change.) Students during this simulation are doing deep research on the non-state actors that they have been assigned and they start drafting possible amend clauses for a resolution.

 

Exposing students to role-play simulations pushes them to a much more appreciation of the topics and enhances their knowledge of socioeconomic inequalities, global diversity, human rights, and environmental injustice. Nonetheless, students develop empathy and improve communication, debating skills, problem-solving, and team-building.

Throughout the Model UNPO teachers have reported that students were actively engaged and it enhanced their teamwork and oracy confidence. Students were also enthusiasts and jumped into their roles easily and enjoyed the debates. Another benefit of the Model UNPO is the exposure to the geopolitical world and the abstract concept of sovereignty which are not always so easy to understand. Students were also met with different feelings from feeling proud and taking pride for their amendments suggestions but also they were feeling frustrated and angry if the negotiations were not working as expected. This variety of emotions brought them to be exposed to what feels like working in the complex and injustice world of global governance. The Model UNPO was used by teachers from year 12 but it was used also in year 9 by simply adapting to younger students. 

 

It is important to expose the youth to such relevant issues in the geopolitical world and the Model UNPO has been proven to be a great and successful tool that brings the student to engage and learn about world issues that affect unrepresented people and nations. It helps in the development of their soft skills and it is useful as a  jump start toward the transition to university and future careers.

 

Download documents:

Model UNPO, MONU Model UNPO

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Dr Liam Saddington

Dr. Liam Saddington is a political and environmental geographer focused on the geopolitical impacts of climate change, particularly for small island states and the rising sea levels. His research on the UK’s evolving role in the South Pacific offers key insights into environmental degradation and displacement. He co-developed the Model UNPO, bringing conflict resolution and debates on human rights and environmental justice to UK schools. He serves as the academic advisor for the UNPO Youth Network and contributes to study sessions in partnership with the Council of Europe, contributing his expertise to global advocacy efforts.

Alexandra Gavilano

Alexandra Gavilano is an environmental scientist and climate justice decolonisation and democracy activist. With a focus on environmental protection, democratic decision-making, and personal and collective adaptation, Gavilano brings a wealth of experience in grassroots activism and advocacy to UNPO. As a climate and food justice activist, Gavilano has co-launched initiatives and associations that address social and ecological challenges. Her focus lies on system change for environmental protection, strengthening of democratic decision-making, and personal and collective deep adaptation. She serves as UNPO’s Sustainable Empowerment Campaign advisor.

Prof Francesco Palermo

Francesco Palermo is a professor of comparative constitutional law at the University of Verona and Director of the Institute for Comparative Federalism at Eurac Research in Bolzano/Bozen. He worked for the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities and was member and president of the Council of Europe’s Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. From 2013 to 2018 he served as a non-party member of the Italian Senate, Member of the Scientific Committee of the Fundamental Rights Agency of the EU for the term 2018-2023 and Constitutional Adviser to the Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Autonomies since 2019. He has authored over 300 publications, including 11 monographs and 36 edited volumes. He serves as UNPO’s Democratic Pluralism advisor.

Dr Tenzin Dorjee

Tenzin Dorjee, also known as Tendor, is a Tibetan writer, activist, and scholar based in New York, specializing in nonviolent resistance and the intersection of religion, politics, and conflict. His work, including the book ‘The Tibetan Nonviolent Struggle’, reflects his deep commitment to human rights and political change. He combines academia and activism, with a strong academic background from Brown and Columbia, he has also led organizations like Students for a Free Tibet and the Tibet Action Institute.

Prof Fiona McConnell

Fiona McConnell is a Professor of Political Geography at the University of Oxford and a Tutorial Fellow in Geography at St Catherine’s College, Oxford. Her research, which began with a focus on the exiled Tibetan government, now explores governance beyond the state and the articulation of political legitimacy by marginalized communities. Since joining the UNPO in 2012, she has been instrumental in developing the Unrepresented Diplomats Training Program and the Model UNPO, and co-authored influential reports on compromised spaces. As a political geographer, Fiona’s research aims to develop new areas of thinking regarding governance beyond the state, and has been Awarded the Philip Leverhulme Prize and the Back Award. Fiona’s work continues to shape the discourse on self-determination and diplomacy.

Dr Michael van Walt van Praag

Dr. Michael van Walt van Praag is a distinguished international lawyer and expert in intra-state conflict resolution, known for his foundational role as the first General Secretary of the UNPO. In addition to his involvement with our organization, Dr. van Walt possesses extensive experience in facilitating peace processes and mediation, having facilitated peace talks throughout the world and lent his expertise as an advisor and consultant to governmental and non-governmental organizations engaged in such processes. He currently serves as executive president of Kreddha and is a Senior Fellow at the Sompong Sucharitkul Center. In 2020, he was awarded a knighthood by the King and the Dutch government for his exceptional global contributions to conflict resolution and the rights of oppressed peoples.

Putheany Kim

Putheany Kim, mostly known as Kim, is a dedicated young activist passionate about human rights and environmental justice. Inspired by her father and driven by her aspiration to become a human rights ambassador, Kim has committed herself to promote a more equitable and sustainable future. Her work emphasizes collaboration, as she has built strong alliances with organizations and fellow activists recognising the power of unity in effecting meaningful change.

Senator Paul Strauss

Paul Strauss, is an American politician and attorney serving as the senior United States shadow senator for the District of Columbia since 1997. As a member of the Democratic Party, he advocated for D.C. statehood and federal representation. Strauss, also a former chairperson of the District’s Board of Real Property Assessments and Appeals and a union organizer, is the principal of the Law Offices of Paul Strauss & Associates, P.C. He has been involved in various local and national political roles, including a significant role in the “51 Stars” campaign for D.C. statehood and international advocacy efforts. He has testified before the U.S. Senate, engaged with international bodies, and is an honorary member of the Global Committee for the Rule of Law.

Tammy Breedt

Tammy, born in Johannesburg, South Africa, is a dedicated politician and activist. She studied at the University of the Free State, where she was a student activist and served on the Student Representative Council. Tammy has been an active member of the Freedom Front Plus since 2006 and served in the Free State Legislature until 2019. After the 2019 General Elections, she became one of the first female Members of Parliament for the party, serving as the National Spokesperson on Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Social Development, Women, and Youth. Currently the Deputy Chairperson of the party in the Free State, Tammy also leads the foreign relations and internationalization committee.

Elisenda Paluzie

Professor Elisenda Paluzie is a prominent economist at the University of Barcelona, where she served as Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business from 2009 to 2017. She holds an MA in in International and Development Economics from Yale University and a PhD in Economics from the University of Barcelona. With research experience from the London School of Economics, CERAS-ENPC in Paris, and Kyoto University, her work focuses on regional and urban economics and international trade. She served as President of the Catalan National Assembly (ANC) from 2018 to 2022.

Rubina Greenwood

Dr. Rubina Greenwood is a prominent Sindh human rights advocate with more than 20 years of experience raising awareness on the human rights issues affecting the Sindh community in Pakistan. She is the President and founder of the International Sindhi Women’s Origination (ISWO) and President of the World Sindhi Congress (WSC). She has a Phd in Architecture from University of Glasgow and she is currently Director of Network Integration for the Network Rail Consulting.

Mercè Monje Cano

Mercè Monje Cano is a socio-cultural project manager and accomplished human rights advocate with over fifteen years of experience in advocacy, project management and strategic planning. Before her appointment as UNPO Secretary General, she had been serving as the Executive Director and Head of Programmes at the UNPO, where she also acted as the UN Representative. She has managed programmes, led numerous UN advocacy efforts, coordinate various human rights initiatives, and led trainings on advocacy techniques, showcasing her expertise in advancing the rights of minorities, indigenous peoples, and unrepresented groups.