Graded Students Host Model United Nations Conference Bringing 200 Delegates to Campus

This past weekend, Graded’s Model United Nations (GMUN) conference returned, bringing nearly 200 delegates to our campus. Graded MUN students regularly attend conferences and bring home awards and honors from across Brazil and abroad, but GMUN offers our students a unique opportunity to design, plan, and lead the entire experience.

Long before delegates arrived, a student secretariat was deep in preparation. Flex meetings that ran long, shared documents full of ideas, and late-night problem-solving formed the foundation of this year’s conference. 

Bia C. and Sofia G. served as Secretaries-General, guiding the event from vision to execution. Under-Secretary-General Isa T. and Logistics Director Eduardo V. coordinated operations in support of the participants. Ian S. directed the High School Committees, Arthur P. led the Middle School Committees, and Olivia F. managed Press Corps and social media coverage. Nearly thirty student Chairs helped ensure thoughtful, productive, and inclusive debate throughout the weekend.
 

Delegations from Escola Americana de Brasília, International School of Curitiba, Escola Concept, St. Nicholas School Alphaville, Colégio Palmares, Colégio Miguel de Cervantes, and the NGO Nada é Impossível contributed a wide range of perspectives, enriching discussions across all committees.

Students engaged with complex topics, including maritime stability in the South China Sea; democratic governance in Sub-Saharan Africa; nuclear proliferation on the Korean Peninsula; expanding access to education for refugee children; the impact of climate-driven crop failures on global food prices; media literacy and health misinformation during epidemics; and safe access to vaccines in conflict zones. Through these debates, delegates strengthened skills in negotiation, critical thinking, and public speaking while collaborating with peers whose perspectives and experiences differed from their own.

The conference also welcomed guest speaker Dr. Felipe Krause, a former Brazilian diplomat and now a University of Oxford professor, who delivered a lecture on “The United Nations in a Fractured International Order.” His insights helped students connect their committee work to the challenges facing the United Nations in today’s increasingly polarized geopolitical landscape.
 

In his opening remarks, GMUN HS Faculty Advisor and HS Social Studies Teacher Mr. Edu Levati noted that the work Graded delegates put in—brainstorming, leading, and solving unexpected problems—develops skills they will carry forward. These experiences reflect the kind of education we value at Graded, one that extends beyond the classroom.

This year’s GMUN was a clear demonstration of what students can accomplish when they take the lead and engage deeply with real-world issues in meaningful ways.