The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
In Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, people are stuck in a cave, only seeing shadows on the wall. They think these shadows are all there is to the world. When one person escapes and sees the real world, it’s hard to accept at first, but they finally understand the truth. Just like the shadows, children’s stories often show happy endings, where everything turns out perfectly. But do children need these happy endings to feel safe, or should stories show more of life’s challenges and struggles? Does it make sense for Cinderella to marry the Prince, for Harry Potter to defeat the most powerful wizard in the world, for the Grinch to become the hero of Whoville, or for Hansel and Gretel to outwit a witch? In this committee, delegates will debate whether children’s stories should always have happy endings to help them feel good, or if stories that show both good times and hard times can actually help children prepare for the real world. Just like the prisoner in the cave who sees the truth, should children’s stories show the real challenges they might face in life? This committee will combine children’s fiction with one of the most famous debates in philosophy.
This committee is aimed at confident beginners who wish to challenge themselves as well as those already with MUN conference experience.
Topic
- Should Children’s Stories Always Have a Happy Ending to Promote Positivity?
Student Officers
President
Braiden Chen
Introduction
Hello delegates, my name is Braiden Chen, a freshman at Xiamen International School. This is my second year in MUN. It is my utmost honour to serve as the President of the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund.
I encourage all delegates to research previous attempts, come up with creative solutions, and fully understand their character’s stance. I hope this MUN conference will be both meaningful and memorable for everyone. Thank you.
Looking forward to seeing you at the XIAMUN IX conference!
Deputy President
Sunshine Wang
Introduction
Hi delegates, My name is Sunshine Wang. This is my second year in MUN and it is my pleasure to serve as your deputy president of the United Nations Children’s Fund in LITMUN I. Nowadays, the majority of children’s stories have a happy ending in which everything turns out perfectly. However, do children need this happy ending to develop themselves? This committee is a combination of children’s fiction and a debatable question in philosophy. Since this is a beginner committee, I encourage all delegates to not be afraid and walk up to the podium to share your thoughts, take this committee as an opportunity to build and develop your skills! I’m looking forward to seeing you and having a wonderful debate at this conference!