The 19th session of the ?Havard Model Congress Europe? welcomed 15 representatives from Mauritius. Roger White and Lizzie Grant from Le Bocage International school, who are both seventeen, were the two winners for Mauritius. Roger won the price for the historical committee of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). And Lizzie won the award for the press corps committee.

For Roger, the whole experience was great but at the same time challenging. ?At the beginning I was scared and anxious. The price was something I did not expect. However, I gave the best of myself to win it. I still remember that, on the eve of the congress, I tried to document myself as much as I could. In the end, I got what I wanted!?

<B>The international dimension</B>

As for Lizzie, her first impression was that she felt relieved after having won the price. ?When I went there, I did not want to win a price. But then my teachers made me understand the hopes they were placing on me. So I did not want to disappoint them. When I look back, I realize how much fun it was. I really tried my best!? `

The 15 students left Mauritius on 28th March and came back on 5th April. Two teachers, Eric Pascal and Iisha Servansing Peedoly, accompanied the delegation of students. It?s the eighth time that Le Bocage International school has been invited to this congress. The first time was in 1999.

As global citizenship is becoming more and more important, the conference gave the students the opportunity to share the experience with 380 students from 20 countries, such as Greece, India, Switzerland, Turkey and many more. Indeed the themes of the conference covered areas of concern for the international community. From global terrorism to HIV/Aids, the topics provided a rich experience to the students.

For some, the trip to Paris was the opportunity to know more about the city itself. To spend their spare time, sightseeing tours were organized. Indeed, trips to places such as Louvre museum or amusement parks like Euro Disney were on the agenda. The pupils got to see historical monuments such as La Tour Eiffel or Place de la Concorde. Natalie Rey, one of the students, described the trip as a dream come true, as she had never visited Europe before. ?I was really impressed by the architecture. I had always heard about Paris, but to be there was just wonderful.?

For Eric Pascal and Iisha Servansing Peedoly, the whole initiative would have never materialised without the help of sponsors. Actually, he seized the opportunity to thank all the sponsors that helped the students such as Mauritius Commercial Bank, Phoenix Camp Minerals and other companies as well as the PTA of the school.

<B>Confidence and team spirit </B>

For most of the students, the congress was a matter of proper preparation and personality development. One of them, Ava Thancanamootoo, explained the importance of the preparation: ?The whole preparation of the conference for each person was important. And we were really prepared indeed thanks to our teachers. Without this preparation we would not have been able to perform properly.?

The other aspect of the initiative was the team spirit. They could not find the right word to describe the unity reigning among the team. They described themselves as a big family, taking in consideration that the two teachers took care of them with a rather parental approach than formal.

After what we could call such a successful initiative, Eric Pascal thinks that it should be more encouraged by other institutions to bring further capabilities to students. ?Culture is not inherited, it needs to be conquered!?

The students of Le Bocage International School who took part in the competition cannot stop thinking about it. After some holidays they were back to their normal routine last week. But, up to now, they just cannot stop thinking about the wonderful experience they have lived in Paris?