70 of MUN and debating pupils had the privilege last week of listening to and partaking in a workshop on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict which was expertly delivered by the organisation Solutions not Sides. Delivered by both an Israeli and Palestinian peacemaker, this education programme exists to provide humanising encounters, diverse narratives and critical-thinking tools in order to empower young people with the knowledge, empathy and skills to promote dialogue and conflict resolution, and to challenge prejudice in the UK. This is discussed through the prism of the Israeli/Palestine conflict.

Queen’s pupils had the opportunity to listen to both the Palestinian and Israeli peacemakers, who, through their own lived experiences of the conflict, have come together to look at finding a resolution. They both spoke of their lives in the region, the restrictions, difficulties and feelings within their own communities. Both speakers explained the need to understand each other and their differences yet why it was vital that peaceful solutions needed to be explored. Students had the opportunity to complete a resolution-based activity that created much discussion and raised many questions. They then had the rare and unique opportunity to put several of those questions to both speakers and saw how difficult but equally how essential it was that this conflict be brought to a peaceful conclusion through diplomacy and discussion. The pupils were captivated and exceptional in their questioning; their probing was searching which the speakers welcomed and encouraged and demonstrated how engaged our young people are in global affairs. We hope to undertake more work with Solutions not Sides in the future; their approach to conflict was authentic and a completely novel experience for our students which we continue to want to provide for them.

The debating team has also been busy as they entered, for the first time, the Oxford Schools’ Debating Competition. This is a long-standing and prestigious competition run by Oxford University students and is one which employs the British Parliamentary format of debating.

Model United Nations continues to be a cornerstone of the co curricular programme at Queen’s, and this event offered pupils the chance to explore a new and challenging style of public speaking. Working in pairs, pupils were allocated debating roles on the evening, such as Prime Minister and Deputy or Leader of the Opposition and Deputy, with the motion revealed at the same time. With just 15 minutes to prepare and no use of technology, pupils had to quickly develop ideas, anticipate opposing arguments and craft clear, persuasive speeches.

The focus and intensity in the room were striking, with pupils rising impressively to the demands of the format. Their teamwork, adaptability and clarity of thought were evident throughout, resulting in eloquent speeches, incisive questioning and articulate responses. While the team did not progress to the National Final, the experience sparked a real enthusiasm for this style of debate, developing skills that will support pupils both during their time at Queen’s and well beyond the classroom.