EXCELLENCIES
SENIOR OFFICERS OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE
DISTINGUISHED LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
PARTICIPANTS OF THE MODEL UNITED NATIONS SESSION 2008

It is with the greatest pleasure that I address this 11^th Session of the Model United Nations Session (MUNS)

Let me begin by thanking the Rotary Clubs of The Bahamas for their continued support in ensuring that this educational event, since its inception, is organized each year. In particular, I wish to commend and congratulate Mr. Kevin Degenhard, the Rotary Clubs MUNS Committee Chairman, and the Members of his Committee for their untiring efforts in making a difference in the lives of these young persons.

To the Moderator and Judges, who have the unenviable task of selecting the winner, your time and expertise are greatly appreciated.

To the students and Advisors, special thanks to you for your participation in and your commitment to this year’s MUNS.

Last, but by no means least, to the Resource Officers of my Ministry, I thank you for the assistance rendered to the participating schools and the Rotary Clubs of The Bahamas, and invite you to continue to lend your selfless support to this noble event.

As The Bahamas and the world community wrestle with myriad challenges, including sustainable development, global warming, securing alternative sources of energy, the high cost of fuel, environmental degradation, crime (national and transnational) and gender inequality, to name but a few, perhaps the greatest challenge facing us as a small developing Nation is how to empower the creative imagination and intellect of our citizenry, in particular our youth, to confront these challenges successfully.

In developing this creative imagination and intellect, my Ministry believes that education and training are the twin pillars of success. It is in this context, therefore, that my Ministry takes the opportunity, once again, to commit itself enthusiastically to another MUNS.

Over the years, this event has afforded its participants an excellent opportunity to be exposed to and to become educated in some aspects of international relations and multilateral diplomacy, while also simultaneously developing capacity in team work skills, negotiating skills and conflict resolution insights, which stand them in good stead as the future and present of the Nation.

Indeed, in an era of Goggle and Yahoo searches, our youth need to be retooled and empowered with a new set of creative and innovative literacy skills that will enable them to access information quickly, filter it even more rapidly and, most importantly, be able to discern which sources are reliable and which are not, all of which, you will agree, have been critical in preparing for today’s exercise.

It is my hope that your participation in this year’s MUNS will encourage you to continue learning a little more about the world in which we live, to continue developing your skills in thinking outside the box and to continue honing your person-to-person skills which are all extremely important to national development in an ever-changing globalized world.

And so, I take this opportunity to extend to each and everyone of you best wishes for a successful and exciting MUNS 2008.

This year’s topics are relevant, timely and stimulating, given ofttimes conflicting and competing foreign policies and national interests, and, sometimes gaping cultural differences that can fuel international discord and conflict. All of the above frequently require innovative approaches to meet the challenge of reaching a peaceful resolution of often very complex issues.

In closing, let me say that not only does your participation today make you all winners on an individual level, but in a wider context, The Bahamas also benefits significantly, if only from the standpoint that for my Ministry, the MUNS creates the very real possibility of seeing some of you, bitten by the international relations bug, become our future diplomats. By using your creative intellect and imagination, nurtured in part by your participation in the MUNS, you will be more than equipped to promote and safeguard the national interests of The Bahamas and to maintain its good relations with the global community.

I Thank You.