São Paulo – The CEO of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, Michel Alaby, will participate in the Mini UN event, which promotes debates on the international agenda among secondary school students from all over Brazil. The event is organized by the Pontifical Catholic University (PUC) of the state of Minas Gerais, and counts on support from the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef). The 12th edition of the Mini UN began last Saturday (8) and will continue until Wednesday (11), in the state’s capital Belo Horizonte.
Alaby will speak on this Monday (10) during a debate on the Summit of South American-Arab Countries (Aspa). He will tackle trade relations between Brazil and the Arab countries. "I am going to discuss the history of commerce between the parties, and explain that Brazil is regarded by the Arabs as a reliable partner,” says the CEO. "I will also touch on the excellence of Brazilian products on the local market, and on actions turned to improving product supply and service provision,” he says.
The Mini UN will be attended by roughly 780 secondary school students from the states of Minas Gerais, São Paulo, the Federal District, Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo, and Maranhão for debates and lectures addressing topics pertaining to diplomatic careers and international institutions. In addition to the Aspa, the agenda also includes the United Nations Disarmament Conference, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, the International Monetary Fund, and the International Organization for Migration, among others.
The debates are organized by students in the university’s International Relations course. Apart from the Brazilian students, youths from Germany, Canada, France, Switzerland, and Angola who are in Brazil through exchange programs.
Alaby finds it interesting to be able to speak to young people. “You can change the image young people have of the Arab countries. Although this is quite a simple piece of knowledge, many don’t even know how many Arab countries there are. I am going to provide a more realistic overview [of the subject],” says the CEO.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum