25–26 June 2026, Curitiba, Brazil — Nearly 150 students from across the state of Paraná took part in SESIMUN 2026, a Model United Nations simulation organized by SESI School with the support of CIFAL Curitiba and the International Cooperation Office of Sistema Fiep.
Held at the Campus da Indústria in Curitiba, the two-day event gave students the opportunity to step into the role of United Nations delegates, debate global issues and strengthen skills in negotiation, public speaking, critical thinking and international cooperation. For many participants, it was their first structured experience with international relations and multilateral diplomacy.
Two Decades of Education, One Enduring Partnership
CIFAL Curitiba
Established in 2003 and hosted by the Federation of Industries of the Paraná State System (Fiep System), CIFAL Curitiba provides training opportunities aimed at building the capacities of key decision-makers at various levels, enabling them to plan and sustainably design cities while addressing key dimensions of sustainable development. Over more than two decades, the centre has built one of the most sustained and productive partnerships in the CIFAL Global Network with SESI Schools across Paraná, a relationship that began with workforce development and technical training, and has since expanded into one of the most ambitious youth education programmes in Latin America.
Based in Latin America's greenest city, CIFAL Curitiba's main objective is to equip decision-makers with the skills needed to foster sustainable urban development, with a scope covering Latin America and Portuguese-speaking countries. The decision to support SESIMUN reflects that mandate applied to its youngest and perhaps most important constituency: students who will themselves become the decision-makers, innovators, and civic leaders of the next generation.
Diplomacy in Action Across Three Committees
SESIMUN 2026 brought together delegations from multiple SESI School campuses, including students from Ponta Grossa and Apucarana, as well as participants from invited educational institutions in Curitiba. Across three committees, students discussed issues related to artificial intelligence, sustainability, international relations and disarmament.
Two of the committees were conducted entirely in English, reflecting SESI School’s internationalization strategy and giving students the opportunity to practise diplomacy in a global working language. A third committee was held in Portuguese, ensuring broader participation among students at different stages of language development.
The Model United Nations format required participants to research the positions of their assigned countries, develop arguments, respond to opposing views, negotiate with peers and work towards common positions. In doing so, students practised the skills at the heart of multilateral cooperation: listening, persuasion, compromise and respect for different perspectives.
CIFAL Curitiba
CIFAL Curitiba
Voices From the Event
For Mylena Aparecida Feliciano, a student from SESI School in Ponta Grossa, the event offered a new kind of learning experience. "It was my first Model United Nations simulation and an incredible experience, completely different from the other activities we usually take part in at SESI", she said. Representing a country and understanding its economic and technological realities is truly transformative and helps us become better citizens and adults."
Equally striking was the spirit of peer mentorship that the event generated across experience levels. Allegra Germano Correa, a first-year student from SESI School in Curitiba who represented Israel in the disarmament committee focused on the Korean War, captured this dynamic with particular clarity: "It is very rewarding to see so many people discovering this field and to be able to help them better understand the dynamics of the debates. Learning how this project works, which is so enriching and has such a positive impact on people's lives, was a remarkable experience. I am very happy to have taken part and hope many other students will have the opportunity to experience it as well."
These voices illustrate something that statistics cannot fully convey: the degree to which SESIMUN functions not only as a learning experience but as a community, one in which more experienced students take on mentoring roles, newcomers discover capacities they did not know they had, and participants from different cities and campuses find common ground in the shared challenge of representing a country's interests before their peers.
An Educational Philosophy With Global Roots
This training programme is supported by UNITAR and the CIFAL Global Network, which continues to strengthen CIFAL Curitiba's capacity as a hub for sustainable development education and youth leadership across Latin America and Portuguese-speaking countries.By bringing together UNITAR's expertise in capacity development, the industrial and educational network of the Sistema Fiep, and the enthusiasm of nearly 150 students from across Paraná, this initiative showed how simulations can help students understand complex global challenges while developing the confidence and skills to take part in public dialogue and civic life.