Mumbai school students hold court at mini-G20 summit

It is intriguing to witness schoolgoing teens engage in debates and discussions about the global economic landscape policies and more with remarkable ease and confidence This was the scenario that unfolded during the twoday interschool model G20 organised by J B Petit High School for Girls held on Saturday and Sunday at Taj President Cuffe ParadeOn the day of the JB Model G20 summit organised in collaboration with the Gateway House Indian Council on Global Relations Mumbai 150 student delegates from various schools symbolically represented G20 member nations and guest countriesSanjana Singh Std X student and secy gen JB model G20On the lines of the G20 summit the student delegates representing the nations delved into discussions on global issues including terrorism financing cybercrime energy transition trade investments etcTinaz Bana the model G20 summits faculty coordinator and teacher of commercial studies at J B Petit High School for Girls Fort said ldquoThe problemsolving abilities and interpersonal skills of students were sharpened through exposure to globally significant issues This exposure is crucial for preparing this generation to tackle the most critical challenges of tomorrow in my opinion Following the deliberations the delegates will collaborate to draft resolutions that garner consensus from all participants This process mirrors the discussions and consultations conducted in the Finance Track and Sherpa Track leading up to the final Leadersrsquo Summit The ultimate goal will be to produce a consensual statement or outcome documentrdquo said BanaStudents participate in the twoday JB Model G20 summit at the Taj President Cuffe Parade PICsSayyed Sameer AbediAccording to Bana a group of students from Class 8 9 and 10 have dedicated over a year to work under her guidance to finalize the program structure ldquoThe summit is the outcome of meticulous planning and almost a year of preparation When we were invited to host a Model G20 summit in collaboration with The Gateway House our principal encouraged us to give it a try As a preliminary step we conducted an inhouse G20 summit as a pilot project in April to assess our readiness and identify areas for improvement Subsequently we organized sessions conducted by experts on various topics for our students The secretariat consisting of seven students has been steering this event and all these efforts have significantly contributed to their researchrdquoTalking to midday Benaifer Kutar principal of the school said ldquoBy organizing this interschool JB Model G20 we aim to cultivate in our students a deep comprehension of global affairs and our countryrsquos position within it It was just an idea in my mind initially but later we recognized the studentsrsquo keen interest and evolving understanding of the subject It became even more evident during the pilot inhouse Model G20 in April The JB Model G20 Leadersrsquo Summit Declaration further underscored the significance of fostering this awarenessrdquoPrincipal of JB Petit High School for Girls Benaifer Kutar centre with participants of the Model G20 conducted at the Taj PresidentKutar said ldquoThoughtful discussions and debate laid the groundwork for meaningful action In todayrsquos complex interconnected world I believe that educational institutes should explore diverse perspectives and provide a platform for youth to engage in meaningful dialogue or aim Here is to create a dynamic experiential learning where every student can develop a holistic worldview and engage in robust discussions on the contemporary issues of our times It is a matter of pride that our event has garnered recognition and support from the government of Maharashtra obtaining official permission to use Indiarsquos G20 logo which adds to our sense of accomplishmentThoroughly mentoredMultiple training and mentoring sessions were held by eminent speakers and industry stalwarts for students organized by the school in preparation for JB Model G20 The experts who conducted the sessions include Penny Burt Adjunct Fellow Gateway House and Australian representative of Women 20 Amity Bandar Senior Fellow for Energy Investment and Connectivity Sanjay AnandaramExecutive Board Member MOSIP and Ambassador iSPIRT Ganeshan Wignaraja Professorial Fellow for Trade and Economics Gateway House Major Ranjeet Goswami Global Head Corporate Affairs at Tata Consultancy Services and Purvi Patel International Affairs Fellow Council on Foreign RelationsLearning to leadParticipating in a Model G20 summit as a diplomat representative of a country is a challenging but rewarding experience said student delegatesSanjana Singh Class 10 student of J B Petit High School for Girls and secretary general of the secretariat JB model G20 said ldquoEssentially every year we have our annual UN conference JBMUN thatrsquos incredibly helpful in building confidence and instilling speaking skills among students But this model G20 event is a real world experience where students are donning the roles of diplomats Students have to simulate the proceedings of a G20 summit where we discussed and debated global economic issues and worked together to come up with solutions to the worldrsquos most pressing problems What the delegates say in these sessions will either hinder the consensus or help with it at the end of the day There is a minimum 10 minutes of research behind every statement they are or will be speaking here Thatrsquos what makes it harder to be part of a conference like thisrdquoSingh said ldquoAfter every session we have to pay attention to what each delegate has said and find points of convergence and divergence and that is something unique to this conference Getting delegates to consensus is so difficult given that different countries have diverse foreign policies that make it tough to get them on the same page This conference has taught me that listening is more important than speaking most of the time In Mumbai especially I have seen we are very academically driven which is wonderful but as a secretariat at this event juggling with the event and our academics I have learnt experiences like these come once in a lifetime and teach us so muchrdquoAnother student from J B Petit High School for Girls and a delegate representing India said ldquoPreparing for the summit was a challenging task I spent hours researching and analyzing various economic issues studying the positions of different countries and formulating strategies to achieve Indiarsquos goals I delved into complex terror financing which was the topic of the first session Given that G20 is more about collaboration and cooperation between countries I had to work out and find a way to work with countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan even though the delegations from these countries arenrsquot in the committee I did extensive research about Pakistan and Afghanistan and found a lot of ways to implement solutionsrdquoldquoAs the delegate representing China I was tasked with representing the interests of my country and advocating for its priorities This meant that I had to be wellversed in the economic policies and positions of China as well as have a strong understanding of the global economic landscape Researching these topics proved challenging particularly when relying on Internet sources For instance when initiating my research a simple query such as ldquoChinarsquos approach to terrorismrdquo yielded multilateral perspectives placing me in a challenging situation and necessitating diligent efforts Most of the details regarding the countryrsquos foreign policy were in Chinese requiring me to translate and decipher themrdquo said Navya Singh Rajwant from SIS Singapore International School sharing her experienceRajwant said ldquoThis conference tested me a lot and has taught me to be a little more diplomatic a little more controlled when I speak Be less defensive more sensitive In general I have learnt to articulate myself betterrdquoThe JB Model G20 Summit had a Leadersrsquo Summit on Day 2 Sunday November 26 featuring a formal signing procedure during the voting for or against a consensus communique The summit concluded with the presentation of awards to delegates for exemplary performance during the Leadersrsquo Summit150No of student participants