Sunday Times 2
Model UN forum connects public speaking with diplomacy
View(s):Delegates representing different countries gather under one roof to establish diplomatic ties with fellow nations and speak for or against a common theme. This is what Colombo Operated Model United Nations better known as COMUN is all about.
The COMUN in session. Pix by Kushan Pathiraja
Acknowledged as the fifth largest student-run body in Sri Lanka, COMUN has emerged as a potential platform where students from all over the country could test their public speaking skills, professionalism and their knowledge on diplomacy.
The forum also offers students a chance to fine-tune their debating and research skills during three practice debates before the main session. They will be drafting foreign policy statements of their countries and resolutions of their respective committees. Committees are categorised as General Assembly 1, General Assembly 3, General Assembly 4 and Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The World Health Assembly and Futuristic Security Council are two new committees introduced this year.
The Secretary General at this year’s COMUN is Sanoj Jayakody, a final year student at the Overseas School in Colombo. He had an interest in public speaking from his younger days. Sanoj, who moved into COMUN four years ago, says: “I started off as a delegate and participated in various committees. Last year, I chaired a special politics committee and this year I was elected as the Secretary General. This year’s theme is ‘Combatting Bellicose Rhetoric: The Next Generation’ and the main idea is to challenge delegates to think critically and find creative solutions to the issues at hand.”
“I got into researching about policies and then it just struck me that I was genuinely interested in this event. I used to spend hours in front of a computer screen and discuss issues with others who had the same interests. This year’s sessions were a lot better than last year and our EXCO has done a good job in keeping up with the standards. This time we introduced two new committees – the World Health Assembly, which is a first-of-its-kind in Sri Lanka and the Futuristic Security Council. Instead of a said topic, delegates have to respond to crises in real life”
He says that for the first time in four years, there will be a foreign delegation this time — the American School of Bombay.