August 20, 2007	Monday	Sha’aban 6, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Aug 19: Before a hall packed with students, the Saint Mary’s Academy Model United Nations (Smamun) 2007 conference concluded with the same energy and passion with which it had started four days ago.

Despite the exhausting and long heated debates among students who acted like real diplomats, the drive and flare was still very much there even on the last day of Smamun 2007 which ended on Sunday with a cheerful award ceremony.

Awards were distributed among schools and individuals with the best diplomatic efforts. The best delegation award went to students of Head Start who represented the US.

Boys and girls from the Head Start School seemed to dominate the crowd as they cheered and shouted when their friends walked to the front to collect their awards.

Earlier, after debating and quarrelling like big powers did in the United Nations, students on the last day of their Model UN managed to find a common ground to bring peace to the world without war.

Putting aside all differences, various committees on Disarmament and Security, Counter Terrorism and HISTOMUN etc, presented resolutions that focused on safeguarding human lives without waging war to establish peace. Probably their major accomplishments were to convince super powers like the US and Israel to solve problems by entering into dialogue rather than invading other nations.

With new and profound challenges facing the world, the principal of Saint Mary’s Academy, Eileen Ann Datty, hoped that students had been able to gain an increased sense of responsibility at the Model UN for the future of Pakistan and the world.

With these thoughts from a proud principal a brief documentary was also played giving glimpses of the challenges that lay ahead for the future generations with poverty alleviation being the top most priority.

This year students from as many as 29 schools from Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Lahore participated in Smamun 2007 which provided youth with better understanding of how the world worked.

Smamun 2007 boasted strengths of 250 students from Head Start, City School, Roots Islamabad, Beacon House, Khuldunia High School, Grammar School, University Law College Lahore, LGS Lahore and students from Saint Mary’s Academy.

Wishing their counterparts the best, secretary-general and president, Smamun society, Mustafa Mumtaz Sheikh and V.P. Usman Khalid, respectively, as well as directors, Shehzad Shahid and Arsalan Ali Shafqat, hoped to see the students next year for Smamun 2008.

“Smamun 2007 has been a great success. It will be an event to look forward to and be remembered fondly for all times to come,” Arsalan Ali Shafqat said.