Kochi: Cyber space offers both opportunity and threat and identifying both are important for the youth who use it on a massive scale. With this vision in mind, 88 young and enthusiastic students from seven schools around Kochi came together to debate ‘Cyber Warfare and Security’ for the first edition of the Bhavan’s Elamakkara Model United Nations (BMUN) at Bhavan’s Vidya Mandir, Elamakkara, from Friday.
The event was an academic simulation of the United Nations that aims at educating participants about current affairs and topics in international relations and diplomacy. Participants role-played as diplomats representing a nation in a simulated session of the Disarmament and International Security Committee (DISEC) at the United Nations.
In her inaugural address, Ms Meena Viswanathan, educational consultant, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Kochi Kendra, urged the young delegates to not only find effective solutions for cyber issues at the international as well as at the local level.
Speaking to the student delegates through Skype, Mr Muralee Thummarukudy, chief of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) work in Disaster Risk Reduction, touched upon the different committees in the UN and their functioning.
With regard to the agenda discussed in the DISEC, he stressed the need to discuss the restructuring of the cyber security laws within a country especially to protect those who are vulnerable to attacks from non-state actors.
In the valedictory address, principal of the school Ms Jaya Jacob said that the need of the hour is for technical education to address the challenges of our times, resolutely and rationally.
Students interacted in a vibrant environment at the BMUN, sharing their ideas with each other on cyber security and the issues they have identified, both on account of their experience and from the media.
