Ayalde students debate and explore in Athens

From October 10th to the 13th, six students from 4ESO were in Athens, Greece to attend an MUN conference and see a bit of this beautiful city.  They stayed in the Monastiraki neighborhood and enjoyed the typical Greek restaurants and souvenir shops.  Day or night, from nearly every street they could see the Acropolis glowing in the distance.  Athens is a city that students of architecture, art, politics, and history can enjoy thoroughly because they´ll find a monument on every corner.

However, the primary destination for Ayalde students Sofia Estevez, Maria Ivorra, Catalina Villar, Helena Landeta, Cristina Salvadó, and Irene Castaños was CSMUN 2025, hosted by Campion School of Pallini, just outside of Athens.  As always, our students enjoyed making new friends, about 300 of them, that came in from all over the world, even as far as China, to practice diplomacy and alliance building, skills that are needed in our fast changing world.  This year’s theme was about how our societies are going to adapt to new technologies and Artificial Intelligence while maintaining our economies, our resources, and our humanity.

Ayalde students attended committees for disarmament, the environment, society and humanities,  world health, and world economics and finance.  They made speeches, participated in debates, created peaceful resolutions in working groups, and defended their ideas and allies.  All the while, they used formal English in the style of diplomats at the United Nations.

On Saturday night after committee work, students had a chance to relax and celebrate Greek culture with traditional food and dances in the social event held by Campion School.  The music was upbeat and emotional, and because the weather was so pleasant, the students were able to dance outside under the stars.

It was a great trip, productive and exciting, memorable and certainly worth repeating.