Marist School to host Model Arab League
The school says it was the first high school in the country to offer the program
Marist School is scheduled to host the region's 20thModel Arab League conference this week where dozens of students from Metro Atlanta will debate and discuss resolutions to the most contemporary issues facing the real Arab League today.
“This program offers students an opportunity to work with current issues, explore different international perspectives, and take part in negotiations that mirror contemporary politics with students from schools across the Atlanta area.,” said Louisa Moffitt, a history teacher at Marist and the program’s coordinator. "The program allows them to see the Middle East in all its nuances, rather than simply a region beset with conflicts.”
The conference is scheduled for Jan. 27 and 28 on the private school's campus and is one of 14 models held annually throughout America. They will be joined by distinguished speakers including Megan Geissler, member of the National Council on US-Arab Relations in Washington, D.C. and John Mulholland, member of the Board of Directors for the National Council on US-Arab Relations. The keynote address will be delivered by Kennesaw State University Professor Maia Hallward, who teaches Middle Eastern Studies.
More than 2,000 students, 200 universities and secondary schools and hundreds of faculty advisers, participate in the annual event. The schools take on the 22 countries that comprise the Arab League, officially called the League of Arab States, and debate in an attempt to resolve issues. This year, Marist will represent Morocco.
The program will consist of a keynote address, plenary sessions and committee sessions on defence, social and political affairs and a session on Palestinian affairs a "Middle Eastern Luncheon" and an awards ceremony on the final day.
