IB and the Model European Parlament

The Model European Parliament (MEP) is an international simulation of the working of the European Parliament for students aged 16–19. The aim of the programme is to give young people an insight into the workings of the European Parliament and raise their awareness of European citizenship. At the conferences, participants will be acting as representatives of specific countries and voice their concerns on global issues on behalf of the countries' standpoint.

Students from Nesbru, together with students from two other schools, have attended three MEP conferences since the beginning of the school year, which have taken place in Germany, Bulgaria, and Norway, respectively. In Germany, we were able to get a Vice president and a committee president spot for our students. Rugile, who attended the IMEP conference in Sofia, Bulgaria, was interviewed to gain a better understanding of this experience.

First, we asked why she decided to join MEP in Bulgaria and she replied: “I had already attended the MEP conference in Germany which was fun and had further enthused my passion for debating. In addition, this time I was offered to be the head of the delegation, which involved a higher position, and that was a great accomplishment”.

Another question we asked was how her general experience was, which she replied as being “Unforgettable”. She had met a lot of amazing people that made her experience at the conference joyful. Further to this entertainment, she had learned a lot about different issues concerning our society and was actively proposing solutions to resolve the matters.

Overall, MEP has been beneficial, as it fostered crucial skills and abilities in students. Participants have not only developed as open-minded individuals but also as risk-takers and public speakers. Throughout these conferences, all of the students have demonstrated remarkable perseverance and dedication, reflecting their astonishing accomplishments.