Heritage

Contentseducating towards a better future107Some Model UN exercises take place in the classroom or throughout the school, whileothers are regional, national or even international. The regional, national and internationalexercises are much larger conferences, with participants from all over the world.Since the conference became popular about 50 years ago, more than one million peoplehave participated in MUN conferences around the world. However, depending onthe location, a conference can have as few as 30 students or as many as 2,000.The Model UN stimulates interest in international relations and related subjects,increases the capacity for students to engage in problem-solving, teaches aspectsof conflict resolution, research skills and communication skills, and provides theopportunity to meet new people and make new friends with different cultural backgrounds.www.wfuna.org/wfuna-munhttp://euromun.orgPeace is first a state of mind, and then it is the changein the world and society.Clara, Spain, 12On people, culture and the environmentBuilding block:We help children discover how to take care of their surroundings, the environmentand their cultural inheritance. We show them how to protest against an atmosphereof indifference and feelings of powerlessness.Violence in war is never directed only at people, it is also directed at the environmentand culture. During wars, for example, crops are often lost or destroyed; mass numbersof people flee, seeking protection in densely populated cities or refugee camps;clean sources of drinking water are poisoned; landmines make agriculture impossible;and large parts of a nation’s cultural heritage either go up in smoke or are taken outof the country.Naturally, the future of the earth is not only plagued by war. Industrial activity andpollution, for example, are one of the leading causes of pollution worldwide. Under-