May 03
While making my weekend jaunt around my neighbourhood, I encountered a herd of well-dressed young men and women. “Sophisticated lot,” I thought to myself, observing them meandering towards various eateries for lunch. Upon closer inspection, however, I found that the suits were a little too loose, the skirts a little too high, and their demeanors a little too naïve. Was this merely a flock of poorly dressed youths? Nay, this was the local incarnation of that global exercise in futility, Model United Nations.
(If you have no idea what this is, Google it, do your research and come back. For the more enlightened readers, carry on.)
Now Prashant might wholeheartedly disagree with me (he was once a delegate, many moons ago) but I find the entire idea of MUN to be a right crock of steaming bullshit. Who in their right minds would want to model themselves after that inept bureaucratic behemoth?
(Truth be told, Prashant assures me that the only reason people actually attend this play-politicking is that insatiable urge that everyone gets every now and then: to get laid).
I suppose that these naïve children would say that they participate because it gives them a chance to experience international politics. Do these kids actually learn anything by spending months preparing for 3 to 4 days of playing dress up? No they don’t. You don’t learn anything by pretending to be world leaders.
If you want to learn something real, travel to Jakarta, Johannesburg, Singapore, Mexico City or Colombo. If you want to “feel” international, you experience it first-hand, not by reciting rehashed arguments of how countries need to do this and that.
Harvard University recently suffered poorly in a review of its undergraduate curriculum, where study abroad programs received a less than positive grade. We lament about the lack of understanding our students have of the world. We instead should stop bitching and start sending them overseas, for at least 6 months. In that short period of time, I assure you that their eyes will be opened a hundredfold.
Who am I to say that this is the utmost education that anyone growing up can?
Anyone who’s lived overseas can answer that question. A global nomad, that’s who.
