ISLAMABAD, Aug 14: In a super-charged atmosphere – enthusiastic opening speeches and loud cheering – the St Mary’s Academy Model United Nations (SMAMUN) kicked off here on Thursday evening.

Some 400 students from schools and universities from across the country assembled at St Mary’s Academy for the 4th SMAMUN – a student-led programme initiated by a few ambitious A level students.

The event was designed to engage young people in debate on current issues affecting the world.

SMAMUN is a unique conference that brings together school and college students from around the country to stimulate various organs of the United Nations and other international organisations. Students had the opportunity to act as UN delegates.

Nearly 50 schools, colleges and universities representing different nations of the world are participating in the event.

As per tradition, the event that brought together these groups, representing numerous nations, began with the Global Village where each educational institution had put up their country’s booths.

Students ate Chinese fortune cookies, heard Pakistani Bhangra and watched Arab Sheikhs invite delegates from other countries to their booths for herbal tea, all in the same evening and in the same time zone.

Flags of various countries lined up the tented wall around the global village as student groups set up booths with traditional cuisines, books, brochures, collage works, pictures and posters and other decorative objects like vases and cushions characteristic of their respective countries.

Some 200 to 300 students travelled from the US to Argentina and to the Middle East, making stops along the way to taste North Korean rice cakes and sip Iranian green tea.Representing North Korea were students of Beacon House senior girls branch Rawalpindi. With literacy rate almost 100 per cent and having the fourth largest army in the world, girls found North Korea to be one impressive country as they shouted “Long Live North Korea”.“The North Korean people are admirably patriotic,” said Zara Zia, a North Korean delegate, adding that they had come well-prepared to take on the world particularly the US on their nuclear controversy.

Sharing the joy of the Olympics were Beacon House Margalla campus students who represented China. Dressed in traditional Chinese dresses, students passed out fortune cookies to delegates stopping over to admire their colourful booth.

O level student Ali Shaabar, the head delegate of his country, Iraq, was hopeful of winning more support to fight terror elements but above all “freedom for his people”.

According to SMAMUN Media Director Arsalan Ali, the aim was to celebrate different cultures by bringing them together.

“We want to promote cultural understanding and the best way and most universally understood would be through good food and music,” he added.

While most schools showcased the colours and customs of the countries they represented, others set up booths with postcards, photographs and homemade snacks.

At the Turkish stall, one of the most eye-catching booths, students served biscuits with jam. “Tasting each country’s traditional food brought different cultures together,” said one Turkish delegate.

Students from Karachi and Punjab universities are participating in the event for the first time.

In the next three days, students will deliberate, argue and clash for a safer, cleaner and prosperous world, coupled with special events like ‘Aqua Night’ an evening where all students will wear blue and white. A concert will also be held on the last day.