UN comes to Uckfield

INTERNATIONAL differences were highlighted as college students threw themselves into role play at a Model United Nations General Assembly in Uckfield last week.

The Weald Hall at the Civic Centre was transformed into a meeting place of the General Assembly and hostilities were quickly evident as students representing Israel and Palestine exchanged words.

The delegates were students from the three community colleges of Uckfield, Heathfield and Crowborough. About 100 were taking part and all had researched the stances of the countries they were to represent.

The three topics on the agenda were the AIDS Pandemic, Humanitarian Intervention and the Water Crisis, but Peter Dyson who was chairing the assembly gave delegates leeway to raise other issues of concern to their countries.

Mr Dyson asked students to remember the role of the UN during the day as trying to bring about human rights, caring for the environment and creating a world where everybody could live peacefully together.

Uckfield Community College students Richard Clark and James Ellis, both 17, were representing the US for the day and were impressed by the transformation of the Weald Hall ready for the occasion.

Heathfield students John Ditchburn and Byron Price, also both 17, and representing the UK said three lessons a week had been devoted to preparing for the assembly. They too felt the event had been well organised.

Wealden MP Charles Hendry praised students who took part in a second Model United Nations General Assembly at Uckfield Community College on Friday.

Mr Hendry joined the students for the afternoon session and spoke to them afterwards.

He commented: 'I was really impressed by the enthusiasm and commitment all the students showed. They had done a great deal of research to understand the viewpoints of the countries they were representing and they set out their positions with great clarity and conviction.

The visit was one of four to local schools and colleges Mr Hendry made on Friday. He began by talking to students in years 11 and 12 at Uplands Community College about the work of an MP and how people can campaign on issues that are of concern to them. He then visited Mark Cross Primary School and finished the day visiting the exhibition at Cross-in-Hand Primary School.