Hello. My name is Evanour Hamadeh. On February 25, I had the honor of being the Secretary-General of the 19th Lebanese edition of the Model United Nations (MUN). Organized by the American Community School in Beirut (ACS Beirut), MUN is a simulation of the way the United Nations works, with students filling the seats of policymakers taking decisions for the sake of the global community.
With over 200 participants from both private and public schools in Lebanon, as well as students from Jordan, Kuwait and France, this year’s theme was “test of time.” The aim was to emphasize the urgency and imminence of ongoing conflicts and encourage participants to pass resolutions able to persevere in the long run.
My Journey
My personal MUN journey began in my bedroom, during a time of pandemic and lockdown. My first conference was an online one. Although atypical, it sparked my hunger to grow and make use of my time at home to adapt and develop.
Resilience, innovation, and perseverance. These are, in my opinion, the qualities that allow us to withstand the “test of time,” the ability to face the challenges ahead, and to withstand adversity.
While we survived the pandemic, here we stand again on shaky ground. Not only due to the ongoing financial and political situation, but also due to the recent earthquakes. The earthquakes that shook buildings, beds, and lives. The earthquakes that shook our sense of security and certainty.
Those who were there know that fleeting seconds can turn into hours and endless voids. That time itself is malleable. We have the power to maneuver time and bend it to our will. We should take advantage of that power whenever we feel powerless in the world.
Rise Up
A test of time: a test whether we will rise to the occasion. From the civil rights movement to the struggle for independence, we have seen examples of people and communities around the world who withstood the test of time and created change.
As a country, Lebanon has faced more than its fair share of challenges, from political instability and economic crisis to natural disaster. The Lebanese have always shown remarkable resilience, fortitude and grace.
Now, adjusting our sails according to the direction of the wind, let us once again work together, with open minds and hearts, to take action for ourselves and future generations.
For Lebanon to continue to be able to stand the test of time, we need to urgently address the education crisis in the country. Due to the economic crisis, many schools have closed, teachers are on strike, and according to such organizations as Save the Children and Unicef, over a million Lebanese and Syrian students are left without education.
Due to the devaluation of the Lebanese Pound, public school teachers are left with a salary worth some US$ 40 a month – a salary that hardly allows them to drive to and back from school.
Lebanon is traditionally known for its good education. However, according to the World Bank Human Capital Index, Lebanese children now “lag behind their peers (…) suggesting that the future productivity of the labor force and the country’s trajectory for equitable growth is at risk.” According to the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) two-thirds of Lebanese students are not achieving basic literacy.
ACS Beirut has long had a flourishing MUN program that has branched into a parallel program for students from local public schools. Organized by ACS students, the Outreach Program is open to students across public schools in Beirut. Starting with 20 students in 2021, the program now accommodates over 50 students from 4 different schools.
During the three-day MUN conference in February, participants discussed a wide variety of topics, including the Russian-Ukraine War, and Women’s Rights in the Middle East.
For Lebanon not to become a topic on any future MUN conference, and for the sake of its own future, it better start taking educating its children seriously NOW.
