NE India Model UN session kicks off
SHILLONG: There is a need for reformation of the education system in North East, feels director of North East India International Model United Nations (NEIMUN), Limabenla Jamir.
Addressing media persons post the inaugural function of the three-day NEIMUN session which kicked off at the State Convention Centre here on Friday, Jamir said that the curriculum being followed by students from the region has no relevance at present and there is an urgent need to reform the whole education system which should look beyond textbooks and classrooms.
Stating that students should fight for their cause, Jamir said that NEIMUN would focus on building leaders in every state who in turn will fight for the reforms.
Around 290 students from across the country have descended on Shillong for the second session of NEIMUN which will see deliberations on issues like access to sanitation, gender equality, corruption, rights of indigenous people and other issues which are pertinent to the Northeast. The session will also dwell upon the “Post-2015 sustainable agenda: setting the world stage to end poverty.”
NEIMUN’s first session was held in December last in Kohima, Nagaland.
NEIMUN aims to encourage students to study international organisations and global issues besides trying to create a platform for talented students from across India and neighbouring countries to integrate with the students of Northeast. Believing in the power of youth to change society, NEIMUN, Jamr said, aims to build future leaders.
“We will like to make students aware of not only the local and national affairs, but also international events and make them future leaders,” the NEIMUN director added.
She is also said while people in the region are way ahead in terms of fashion, they are lacking in many other areas.
Meanwhile, Jamir informed that NEIMUN was in close coordination with other organizations on the issue of alleged racial discrimination of people from Northeast in “mainland” India. It was also pushing for inclusion of the history of Northeast in school textbooks in other parts of the country.
Inauguration
Earlier, speaking at the inaugural function, Chief Secretary PBO Warjri spoke about burning global issues like ISIS and Ebola.
Warjri termed the ongoing conflict in the Middle East countries as a threat to neighbouring nations.
The Chief Secretary also said that young people should be a part of the “change”. However, he said, people cannot change for good unless they respect themselves and others at the same time.