Mumbai, 25 April 2023: Gateway House: Indian Council on Global Relations along with The J.B. Petit High School for Girls initiated the first ever Model G20 for high school students. The pilot saw participation from 70 students and was supported by Think20 and G20 under the Jan Bhagidari outreach initiative.
Mr. Amitabh Kant, G20 Sherpa, Government of India opened the J.B. Model G20, A Pilot project. He lauded the initiative and said, “I am delighted that The J.B. Petit High School for Girls is hosting a Model G20 event in collaboration with Gateway House. The Indian G20 Presidency has come at a time when the world is going through an upheaval, be it the global recession, climate change or the ongoing war. However, every challenge is an opportunity, and our G20 Presidency aims to be inclusive, decisive, ambitious and action oriented. I look forward to the suggestions and inputs derived from this Model G20 in the run-up to the Leaders’ Summit in September.”
The first JB G20 was the outcome of four months of coordination and research by the Gateway House team with faculty and students of The J.B. Petit High School for Girls. The simulation took place on 14th and 15th April and discussed topics ranging from energy transitions and resilient cities to digital public goods and reforming multilateralism.
On the first day, students representing the G20 nations along with observer organisations and India’s guest countries were divided into the Finance and Sherpa Tracks, while on the second day, they came together at the Leaders’ Summit to discuss the technicalities of the topics.
“The experience as a whole has provided a rich and unique platform for our students to engage in robust discussions on the contemporary issues of our times; to deepen their understandings and develop a holistic world view; and therein to explore the immense potential of the G20” expressed with pride, Ms. Benaifer Kutar, Principal, The J.B. Petit High School for Girls.
The JB G20 arrived at a consensus which was reflected in the J.B. Petit Leaders’ Declaration which recommended the formation of a G21, which includes the G20 nations along with the African Union. It also had suggestions on financing the United Nations and creating a Green Global Execution and Finance Agency.
Manjeet Kripalani, Executive Director and co-founder, Gateway House: Indian Council on Global Relations said, “The G20 is starting to play a significant role in world affairs. India – along with several developing countries – is an equal stakeholder in this multilateral, unlike many others dominated by the advanced economies. It is important for our youth to learn about the G20, what it stands for, what it can do, how it negotiates and arrives at a consensus. This is a contemporary grouping and The J.B. Petit girls have fearlessly taken on the task of this understanding and have set the right tone for their school compatriots in India and in the other G20 countries. We look forward to the success and global replication of this fantastic initiative.”
About Gateway House: Indian Council on Global Relations:
Gateway House: Indian Council on Global Relations is a foreign policy think tank in Mumbai, India, established to engage India’s leading corporations and individuals in debate and scholarship on India’s foreign policy and the nation’s role in global affairs. Gateway House is independent, non-partisan and membership-based. Our key areas of study are geopolitics, geoeconomics, energy & environment, space and ocean studies, national security and Bombay history.
About The J.B. Petit High School for Girls:
The J B Petit High School for Girls has continuously evolved over its 150 years of existence, and continues to do so. What has remained the same however, is the commitment to a holistic system of education for Indian girls.
Through more than a century’s experience and changing times, JB has remained steadfast in its mission: to encourage students to continually strive for excellence by providing an educational experience that is challenging yet supportive, broad but well-informed, contemporary yet rooted in our rich Indian culture.
Education, at J B Petit, is regarded as a process of liberation, bringing forth from within abilities which the child already possesses, and helping her to express these freely, and at her own pace. Recognizing that childhood is a journey, not a race, students learn in an environment that is nurturing, and acquire an education in the true sense of the word. Ignoring the rat race of ranks and marks, the school instills values of co-operation and team spirit, deeply rooted in the idea of ubuntu – I succeed, if we succeed.
The J.B Petit High School is set firmly in an ethos that is governed by the desire to move ‘ever forward’. Creating an environment entrenched in a spirit of freedom that fosters dynamic learning, it challenges students to think independently, critically & creatively; striving to produce learners who are beset by a passionate curiosity to know. It empowers students to become compassionate, responsible and well-rounded individuals, who have the potential to be a transformative force in the global community.
For more information or interview requests, please contact Aliasger Bootwalla on outreach@gatewayhouse.in or at +91 99677 74474.