More MUNA videos

And just one piece of photographic evidence that not all delegates had their thoughts fixed on complex political matters all the time.

MUNA Video

To give you a little more of the flavour of the conference we have uploaded a brief extract from a speech from the opening conference. We'll try to ad more later.

And the news today is ...

While idly leafing through my Dutch National paper this morning, I came across this article on our Model united Nations Conference. You might recognise one of our students.

Let the debate begin

The great thing about attending this Model United Nations Conference in the Netherlands is the opportunities it provides for international collaboration. Here is one of our students (from Brunei) representing France and a Dutch student (representing Germany)!

We have also heard from Dan King from the US Embassy in Amsterdam who spoke to the Crisis Committee and the Security Council about crisis management, with particular reference to Haiti and last year's Turkish plane crash in the Netherlands.

But there have been plenty of opportunities for students to speak as well as to listen. Here is one of our students, representing Afghanistan, successfully defending a resolution on women's education.

And here is another of our students enjoying the vote (even though it went against her!)

And, last but not least, here's yet another of our students just having fun.

Model United Nations Alfrink

Many of the Sixth Form are currently on the outskirts of the Hague in the Netherlands attending a Model United Nations Conference. Even as I type, students are lobbying, debating, submitting and defending resolutions. The planning started early and continued in the Eurostar station,

 and on the train

It was a little chilly when we arrived

 but everyone is in very good spirits! After checking out the Prime Minister's Office

we headed back to Alfrink College for further training. It's that way ...

Two of our students gave speeches at the opening conference (and we were very proud of them) before everyone moved into their repsective committees.

We have heard a high level of debate so far and are very much looking forward to the next day and a half. Updates to follow if we can find time.

A busy week

Starting with a mass in Westminster Cathedral this weekend to celebrate the life and work of Mary Ward, this week is going to be an extremely busy one. Oliver! has its first performance tomorrow and then, on Tuesday, a fifth of the Sixth Form are off to the Netherlands for a Model United Nations Conference. Then next Saturday there's a major charity fashion show in London at a highly prestigious venue (more details to follow). It will be quite a week.