THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE
DATED : 14/04/11
KARACHI:
Seven secondary school children from the Links School have returned after representing Pakistan at the Harvard Model United Nations (HMUN) in Shanghai, China.
The delegation was led by Links Schools MUN coordinator, Asad Mahmood, and head delegate, Ammar Siddiqui. Neha Makhdoom, Minhaaj Junaid, Mishaal Khan, Kurush Kakalia, Muhammad Jan and Anoushe Raja were the hand-picked bunch, from classes VIII to X to participate at the conference, which took place from March 17 to March 21.
Not only were we the first and only Pakistanis at the conference, but we were the youngest among the other college and university students at the annual event, said Ammar. The delegation represented Venezuela at the Disarmament and International Security Committee of 212 members.
People were surprised that we even had schools in Pakistan, said Ammar. When we arrived, their perception of Pakistan was very odd. People just knew Pakistan as a country where more and more people died and the president did nothing about it. It felt great to represent our homeland and it felt like we were pioneers setting a positive image, he added.
Ammars mother, Mrs Siddiqui, accompanied the children to China and said her son was inspired to become a delegate now. Its because children are not treated like children at these conferences. Their opinions matter, she told The Express Tribune.
The Global Village was one of the many social events at the conference, in which participants get to show off their country, hand out free food, tokens, information and provide entertainment.
Curious visitors thronged Pakistans stall, receiving gifts, including seashells, small Pakistani stamps, and embroided Peshawari sandal key chains and prints of ajrak patches. The Pakistani delegation visiting HMUN lured in visitors with mouth-watering shahi meva and burfi mithai.
The incredible lot also put together a heart-stopping performance to the beat of Dama dam mast Qalandar in front of over 3,000 international visitors at the concluding dance event. Out of almost 50 proposals, theirs was one of the eight approved.
The owner of Links School, Afzal Leghari, told The Express Tribune that it took almost six months of correspondence before the school was selected among 150 schools around the world. Its really inspiring to see our kids go abroad and make us proud in the current dismal and depressing environment in the country, he said in praise of his students.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 14th, 2011.
DATED : 14/04/11
KARACHI:
Seven secondary school children from the Links School have returned after representing Pakistan at the Harvard Model United Nations (HMUN) in Shanghai, China.
The delegation was led by Links Schools MUN coordinator, Asad Mahmood, and head delegate, Ammar Siddiqui. Neha Makhdoom, Minhaaj Junaid, Mishaal Khan, Kurush Kakalia, Muhammad Jan and Anoushe Raja were the hand-picked bunch, from classes VIII to X to participate at the conference, which took place from March 17 to March 21.
Not only were we the first and only Pakistanis at the conference, but we were the youngest among the other college and university students at the annual event, said Ammar. The delegation represented Venezuela at the Disarmament and International Security Committee of 212 members.
People were surprised that we even had schools in Pakistan, said Ammar. When we arrived, their perception of Pakistan was very odd. People just knew Pakistan as a country where more and more people died and the president did nothing about it. It felt great to represent our homeland and it felt like we were pioneers setting a positive image, he added.
Ammars mother, Mrs Siddiqui, accompanied the children to China and said her son was inspired to become a delegate now. Its because children are not treated like children at these conferences. Their opinions matter, she told The Express Tribune.
The Global Village was one of the many social events at the conference, in which participants get to show off their country, hand out free food, tokens, information and provide entertainment.
Curious visitors thronged Pakistans stall, receiving gifts, including seashells, small Pakistani stamps, and embroided Peshawari sandal key chains and prints of ajrak patches. The Pakistani delegation visiting HMUN lured in visitors with mouth-watering shahi meva and burfi mithai.
The incredible lot also put together a heart-stopping performance to the beat of Dama dam mast Qalandar in front of over 3,000 international visitors at the concluding dance event. Out of almost 50 proposals, theirs was one of the eight approved.
The owner of Links School, Afzal Leghari, told The Express Tribune that it took almost six months of correspondence before the school was selected among 150 schools around the world. Its really inspiring to see our kids go abroad and make us proud in the current dismal and depressing environment in the country, he said in praise of his students.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 14th, 2011.
