After much deliberation between Ecology or Security Council, I decided to brave the Worrall centre stairs and the Society and Ecology Committee did not fail to entertain and enlighten me! Perhaps the most “off the peg” fact I learnt was the direction of Mecca from the top of Methody’s Study Floor. (Towards the library if anyone’s interested.)

 

Mecca aside, lobbying was highly successful on Thursday with a mock debate concerning whether “Gingers are not discriminated against enough.” This statement proved “true” and I must add that I wholeheartedly agree, apologies to Carla, Ciara and Belgium

 

Friday kicked off with the UK’s resolution on Illicit Drugs and most delegates looking sleepy. Pakistan had really entered into the spirit of the Committee, wearing an “Eco-Warrior” green tie and green shirt, but aside from this I was disappointed about the lack of tree-hugger-types… Despite the chairs attempting to wake everyone up with very large bashes with the gavel, this resolution failed.

 

Moving on, a petition for a break was sadly refused, but the call for France to embrace his roots and wear a beret was kindly obliged. The next resolution, this time on Deforestation, yielded the result of Afghanistan being persuaded to dance! As he demonstrated “shopping trolley”, the sec. gen. entered (this time not to the ego-satisfying music of Carmina Burana) and seemed suitably startled.

 

Edward Nickell also came to visit, braving those steep stairs, and threw a spanner into the works by submitting a fake amendment, “Unites in the call for deforestation to be cut down.” (pun intended). This amendment was sadly, considered invalid. Interest perked up at a compulsory “eco-holiday” for all the “very stupid people” and somehow (don’t ask me how) this resolution passed in time for lunch.

 

Our afternoon topic was Migration and thanks must go to our guest speaker from Amnesty International

who gave us all a informative talk and each a pink “passport” containing the UDHR. South Africa was chased out of the room, providing the bored security with something to do for all of three minutes. UK provided laughs with her amendment “migrants with glasses would be refused entrance to the UK because they are deemed too clever and could take over the government”. UK was evicted, (possibly because all three of the chairs and press reporter wear glasses) whilst Vietnam declared an everlasting alliance with Ghana for reasons only known unto them. Finally we moved onto Afghanistan’s homophobic amendment (enough said) and fascism seemed to be rife, with Afghanistan being likened to a wannabe Nick Griffin. With elastic bands being fired across the room, the Resolution passed and the debating was over!

Mary Currie