Mission Viejo : Child Abuse Focus of Student Summit

A group of students will focus on child abuse when they meet for the annual Model United Nations conference Sunday.

Called the World Summit for Children, about 100 high school students will hear from a series of speakers who will give a global perspective to the issues of child abuse and abduction.

The program will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Mount of Olives Lutheran Church, 24772 Chrisanta Drive, Mission Viejo.

“Children are suffering everywhere,” said Carman Bibbo, executive director for the local Model United Nations chapter.

“We want to train these leaders of tomorrow to understand what happens to children who are abused.”

Local experts on child abuse will speak at the conference, including Jody Aguirre of the Adam Walsh Resource Center.

Once the talks are concluded, students and adults will break into separate group discussions.

Drawn from the honors programs of local schools, Model United Nations students tackle the same problems that heads of state struggle over, from terrorism to hunger.

One of the country’s largest Model United Nations programs is at Mission Viejo High School, where students often join as freshmen and stay involved throughout high school.

Students are sent to Model United Nations conferences across the country to debate and discuss global issues.

The event is being held on United Nations Day, a worldwide celebration of the United Nations.

“As the current generation in power slowly ages,” Bibbo said, “these students are the leaders of tomorrow who will replace them as they gradually disappear.”