18 February 2016 - The Philippine Embassy in Athens conducted a briefing for six students and two teachers of Leonteio Lykeio Patission, a Greek-French private school founded by the Marist Brothers in Athens, Greece, at the Philippine Embassy’s conference room on February 17.
The students were accompanied by Ms. Maria Bastaki, the school’s Head of the English Department, whose students will be participating and acting as Philippine Diplomats during the 6th Platon School Model United Nations (PSMUN) conference, which will be held from March 04 to 05 in Athens, Greece.
Since February 2011, the PSMUN has hosted more than 600 delegates annually, from all over Greece, Europe and the Middle East, giving delegates the opportunity to experience the challenges of diplomacy by assuming the roles of UN representatives and members of other international decision-making bodies. The PSMUN has five General Assembly Committees (Disarmament & International Security, Social Humanitarian & Cultural, Special Political & Decolonization, Legal and Environmental) and 4 Specialized Agencies (ECOSOC, ICJ, Security Council and Special Conference). The topic for this year’s Special Conference is “Migration: A Movement for Change.”
In his welcome remarks, Ambassador Ochoa said that he is glad that the Leonteio Lykeio Patission school has chosen to represent the Philippines in the PSMUN and expressed his hope that after the briefing the students will gain greater understanding and appreciation of the Philippines, especially its culture and its people.
After his welcome remarks, Ambassador Ochoa distributed give-away bags containing table runners made from Inabel fabric, dried mangoes, and tourism brochures. Ambassador Ochoa also received an information package about the Leonteio Lykeio Patission school from Ms. Maria Bastaki.
The briefing was conducted by Minister and Consul General Rosario P. Lemque and focused on fast facts about the Philippines, the Department of Foreign Affairs’ structure, and the Philippines in the United Nations, focusing on present and recent past representatives in major governing bodies in the UN.
A roundtable discussion followed the briefing wherein the students and their teachers asked questions about the topic from Consul General Lemque and Consul Sheila Marie C. Tario. END