As a president of the Human Rights Council, I had an inspiring conversation with the Human Rights Council mentor, Ms. Jane Gibbons. Ms. Jane Gibbons is a DP psychology teacher, with profound learning of Individuals & Societies and also sociology. She has been to several types of schools in many countries. Starting with the 2 years of teaching in England, she realized her passion and enjoyment of teaching over other jobs and has been teaching in UNIS for over 6 years. She is specifically interested in the issues of human behavior, based on how our media limits people’s views. She identifies the lack of information when researching, and believes that people should thoughtfully process the information instead of presuming conclusions. 

 

During our discussion, Ms. Gibbons kindly stated her position and thoughts on each and every issue of the Human Rights Council. “I understand the difficulties the Uighurs are facing because of China and their distinct features,” says Ms. Gibbons. But, she focused on the viewpoint of China, and the fact that people conclude China as a potential country creating negative outcomes. She claimed that while researching, students must also focus on the reason why China is acting so, and consider the difference between the communist country and the features of the Uighurs. Persecuting a specific group must not be done in any at all topics.

She had once visited the United States in the past, but the seriousness of the systematic racism and the treatment of black African Americans by the police was not noticed by her in those days. The issue to her seemed to be desensitized when it was transmitted through media. After interacting with the American people especially in UNIS, her views on the powerful leading country started to acknowledge the significant issues within the country. She believes that the issue of police brutality in the US must be considered thoughtfully during the November conference. 

The last issue, Ms. Gibbons says, is growing more and more important for the current student’s generation. People are becoming more open-minded about LGBTQIA rights, an important human rights issue, mainly due to the decreasing power of religion within the society. However, she views the Middle East as a difficult region to implement LGBTQIA rights, not only because of the cultural aspects but also the patriarchal society where males are dominating power. For women, financial independence and limited opportunities cause them to rely on their family or husband over themselves. Ms. Gibbons fully desires a free society in the Middle East, related to LGBTQIA rights, and looks forward to a fruitful discussion during the conference. 

 

Viewing the global world that is thriving to share more and more various cultures through the increasing number of travelers, Ms. Gibbons believes that MUN has a tremendous value for students. Through MUN, she believes that students become more knowledgeable about the world as they are exposed to issues of other countries they have never encountered before. Moreover, she stated that students become more empathetic, and they acquire the skills for an informed, objective conversation. Delegates will understand why they must care for people far away, and research thoroughly for their speeches to support their points. She sets an expectation for MUN participants, as she has noticed that most of the students doing MUN are more confident in speaking, presenting, and questioning other students as they phrase their words objectively. For every MUN members, Ms. Gibbons comments, “I understand that MUN is very time-consuming. The benefits you get from MUN, you might not see right now as a student, but you may see them more in 4 years’ time, or 5 years’ time, or 6 years’ time because they’re lifelong skills. So keep going!”