Applause, thanks and enthusiasm have been the conference’s watchwords of the 3rd of June, at the UN. The students of the COP21 project, accompanied by other members of the MUN association, had arranged a meeting with ambassadors wanting to know more about the involvement of young people in major projects.
Mr Dusik, the Regional Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, accompanied by Mr Niemtchinow, Representative of the Permanent Mission of France to the Unites Nations in Geneva, have been invited to the appeal to action of the Lycée de Ferney-Voltaire. Students and their teacher Mr Kastler, who supervised the project, completed the tribune. Edouard Labarthe was the president of the session, supported by Omar Boutallaka, Kelly Laugier and Sacha Krajcik, three of the driving forces of the project. Kilian Bartsch, Secretary General of the conference FerMUN 2016 and his Deputy Sara Luzzatto were also sitting next to the president, to represent the general investment of the association. Mr Ramet, Environment Counsellor of the Permanent Mission of France, initiator of our participation in the project, unintentionally missed the ceremony.
The main goal of the association Model of United Nations ( MUN) is to envolve young people in the actual world, and to make them participate in actions which maybe determine our future. In an eloquent speech, Kilian recalled these basic principles, by switching between English and French in a very skilful way. By doing so, he stressed the importance of the usage of those basic languages of our organisation. Mr Dusik and Mr Niemtchinow, impressed by this speech, warmly thanked us for our “out of the ordinary” motivation.
Mr Kastler, leader of this project, mentioned the “open school” of Jean Zay, the former Minister of National Education of France, recently interred at the Panthéon. He made the link between our association and the open-mindedness it brings to its members. He ended his speech by explaining that MUN makes one work on the form rather then the content, as the ideas, even simple ones, are always there.
Following on Mr Kastler’s speech, the Deputy Secretary General of FerMUN, Sara Luzzatto, specified, that students were even more motivated to build this project since the themes were in agreement with the FerMUN2014 conference. During this conference delegates tried to find solutions pertaining to the environment subject. The video giving a preview of the content of the written appeal to action, realised and presented by Sacha Krajcik, turn out to be really moving. Actors of the project COP21 recited verses describing the actual situation of our planet and in order to trigger awareness but also to provoke a certain optimism amongst the spectators. The video was an oral and direct “ appeal “, to be considered before looking at the written project.
Omar Boutallaka and Kelly Laugier wished to underline that FERMUN 2016 is committed to do more in the area of sustainable development, dedicating two of its committees of the conference to this subject. The students are particularly interested in these projects, which are influenced by our patron, the famous philosopher Voltaire. His story Candide recommended: « Cultivate your vegetable gardens ». Inspired by this idea, the Lycée International of Ferney-Voltaire has its own vegetable garden. This demonstrates that all the students, not only the member of the association, have understood what is at stake for the next years.
At the end of the presentation time was dedicated to questions and answers, which was an opportunity for some guests to learn more about the project. Mr Dusik wanted to know what subjects were of most interest for young people, and Omar responded that all topics were important, adding that for him, the transition to renewable energy was an obligatory move to create the ecology of tomorrow. The representative of La Francophonie wanted to know more about the admission and integration of non-francophone students at the conference. In response, the Secretary General reminded everyone of the hard work of the interpreters, one of the specificities of FerMun, and the international scope of the lycée. The statement was welcomed by the Ambassador.
The ceremony ended with photographs of the students involved in the COP 21 project presenting the manuscript to Mr Nicolas Niemtchinow, and a group picture to mark this inspiring meeting with its promise for the future. The photographers and journalists of the press team of FerMun recorded the event for posterity. They remained active until the very end of the event, as did the interpreters in their box, thereby maintaining communication among all attendees.
Under this link you will find the full poem. Under this one you will find the video.
Journalists : Victoire Saugnac and Lucas Laurent
Translators : Lisa Mouette and Gwedoline Dommanget