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Press Releases KosoMUN: Dialogue & Cooperation Helps Young Kosovars Construct a Peaceful Future 16 July 2002 - In the fall of 2001, the United Nations Association in Canada [UNA-Canada] was approached by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe [OSCE] to implement the Model United Nations Programme in Kosovo. There was little doubt that this initiative would bring countless interesting challenges and experiences. Jeronimo De Miguel, Model UN Project Officer at UNA-Canada and Catherine Letendre, Regional Coordinator of the project for Quebec, arrived in Kosovo on June 20th, 2002 and in partnership with the United Nations Development Program [UNDP] and the OSCE, began their work in the region of Peja towards a Kosovo-wide Model UN Programme [KosoMUN]. From June 21st to June 27th, 2002, both UNA-Canada representatives facilitated information and capacity-building sessions for almost 100 Serbian and Albanian teachers, students and directors from a number of high schools in the north-western municipalities of Peja, Klina, Decan and Istok This first phase of the KosoMUN project was highly successful in the creation of the necessary foundations to ensure the expansion and continuity of the Model United Nations programme in Kosovo. The goal of the programme is to allow students at the high school level to become familiar with the structure of the UN and with the work of diplomats through interactive simulations. While Model UNs create connectivity between participants, they also foster important skills in public relations that are crucial in today's competitive job market. More importantly, while these simulations assist students in understanding the intricacies of global challenges, they also underscore the potential for solutions through discussion, cooperation, negotiation and compromise - vital to a stable and peaceful reconstruction process in Kosovo. Kosovo's environment is very favourable to the implementation of such a programme. Given the United Nation's strong presence in the region, students in Kosovo have the advantage of already being very familiar with the UN, its mandate and scope of activities. A remarkable team of translators ensured that students would be able to participate in the language of their choice. The willingness of the students to set aside differences that had devastated the region 3 years ago was evident throughout the workshops. Their intelligence and resourcefulness were boundless, providing signs of hope to a new Kosovo in the future, dependent upon a generation of concerned and astute global citizens armed with well-developed critical thinking skills and the ability to approach problems and challenges through a solutions-based methodology. The reality of Kosovo is difficult to grasp at first for someone that comes from a country where ethnic differences are accepted, welcomed and generally perceived as an enrichment factor rather than a controversial element. While KosoMUN gave a chance to students to learn through a highly unique and valuable interactive educational program, it also gave Jeronimo De Miguel and Catherine Letendre a chance to see another side of the UN in action and to witness a resilient people's plight for a better tomorrow. Toward the end of the mission, several UN officials and OSCE officers met with UNA-Canada representatives to discuss the implementation of the programme throughout Kosovo and Phase II of the project. Given that funding is made available, UNA-Canada hopes to continue playing a pivotal role in the development of the initiative. While educating participants about international issues, KosoMUN affirms that Model UN can be a useful tool to educate youth about the value behind dialogue, cooperation and negotiation in situations that are highly unstable and seemingly difficult to overcome. As once said by an anonymous thinker: a mind once stretched by a new idea never regains its original dimensions. Contact: Jeronimo De Miguel
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