"The Utopian Mean": Bahraini youth discuss solutions to the world’s pressing issues

The United Nations Information Centre in Manama (UNIC Manama) participated on 23 February in a Model United Nations event organized by Abdulrahman Kanoo International School of Bahrain (ARKISMUN).

ARKISMUN is a student-led annual conference that serves as a platform for the Bahraini youth to voice themselves while fostering their diplomatic skills, global awareness, and leadership potential.

This year, ARKISMUN revolved around the theme "The Utopian Mean", where over 400 delegates examined the utopian and dystopian nature of our world to acknowledge the contradictions of humanity further and use them to reach solutions to global issues being discussed.

UNIC Manama Director briefed the delegates on the UN priorities in 2024, recently underlined by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in his address to the General Assembly, including peace and conflict resolution, climate action, and multilateral system reform. "The world is living in a time of unprecedented, interconnected crises. Peace is the way out," Ben Lassoued said.

"The meaningful participation of youth is key to finding new solutions that can bring about the change our world urgently needs, including peace. As the future of this world, you are the guardians of this planet," Ben Lassoued told the delegates, referring to the Secretary-General's policy brief on meaningful youth engagement in policymaking and decision-making processes.