Model German Parliament: Six Students Qualify to Visit Bundestag in Berlin

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:

Six students from schools across the state have been adjudged best performers in the Model German Parliament organised by Goethe-Zentrum here, earning them an opportunity to visit Bundestag, the German Parliament in Berlin and get a first-hand experience of the functioning of its democratic system.

The two-day event, held in association with Green Valley Public School, Peyad, was aimed at giving students a simulated experience of how Germany’s dual-ballot, multi-party democracy functions.

The Model German Parliament is an interactive simulation of the Bundestag (German Parliament), where students take the roles of parliamentarians, party leaders, and policymakers.

Students from Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan; Bhavans Elamakkara; Christ Nagar EHSS; Christ Nagar ICSE; Christ Nagar International; Christ Nagar, Maranaloor; Good Shepherd; Government Model Girls Higher Secondary, Pattom; Lecole Chempaka ICSE; Lecole Chempaka International School; LMS; Loyola; Oxford School; Sarvodaya ICSE; St Thomas Central School, Trivandrum International School; Vimala Hridaya ISC; Viswajyothi Public School, Angamaly, attended the September 20-21 event.

Those who were selected to travel to Germany are Zultan Nehan Moulana (LCI), Aalap Parte (St Thomas Central), Mehrin Khulsum (Viswajyothi Public School), Ananthapadmanabhan B(Sarvodaya), Akshay George Sam (Loyola) and VaniBaiju (Good Shepherd). They will also get the opportunity to visit the German Parliament and witness the proceedings there.

The agenda of the Model Parliament was ‘Germany’s Path Ahead: Balancing Refugee Protection and Migrant Integration’.

The participants stepped into the shoes of policymakers and parliamentarians as they debated bills, defended party ideology, forged coalitions, and even elected a Chancellor, replicating the proceedings of the German Parliament at the event.

Four delegates and two press members, including one reporter and a photojournalist, participated from a school.

Other winners: Best Delegate- Zultan Nehan Moulana (LecoleChempaka ICSE), Best Leader-Aalap Parte (St Thomas Central), High Commendation—Mehrin Khulsum (Viswajyothi Public School), Most Impactful Speaker­- Ananthapadmanabhan B (Sarvodaya), Honorary Mention—Samrdhi Sampath (Christ Nagar International), Apoorva D Praveen (Christ Nagar) and Sakash Nair(Sarvodaya), Special Mention–Diyah Sreekumar (St Thomas Central School) and Advaith Nair (Christ Nagar ICSE), Verbal Mention– Harinee R Gireesh (Bhavans Vidhya Mandir) and Indulekha Menacheril (Bharatiya Vidhya Bhavan);Best Photojournalist – Akshay George Sam (Loyola);Best Journalist—Vani Baiju (Good Shepherd).

The event was conceptualised by Aditya Sundaresan, a grade 12 student at Green Valley International School, and also a B1 student of Goethe-Zentrum. Team IGNITE, a student-led initiative that focuses on organizing academic ventures, wasa partner of the event.