Some Bermuda College students will take their debating skills to a new level this month.

Seven of them, who form the The Model United Nations Club, will travel to Brussels, Belgium on March 24 for the seventh Harvard World Model United Nations conference.

The local club have been meeting since September and have only recently completed the chartering process and received their Constitution two weeks ago.

"Model United Nations are simulations of the real UN,'' club president Belcario Thomas said yesterday.

"We learn how international diplomacy works, learn local politics, and learn the role of ambassadors,'' he said.

"It's a model of the UN, we do the same things as the United Nations,'' vice-president Kenneth Caesar said.

"We've attached ourselves to the Harvard MUN,'' Mr. Thomas said. "They are the largest and most internationally representative MUN.'' Shuaib Worrell, the club's public relations director, described the Harvard group's debates as wide ranging.

The five-day conference includes debates about the environment, diseases, refugees, and maternal mortality as well as Middle East peace and arms control.

"Harvard MUN has 500 college students from around the world who attend lectures then debate the issues,'' Mr. Worrell said.

April Fisher, the events coordinator said the Bermudians would separate to cover their chosen topic.

"I'm doing AIDS, but we will come back and spread our knowledge to the others,'' she said.

Mr. Thomas said the United Nations establishes policy through its numbered resolutions, and Model UNs learnt how to "come to a resolution by consensus''.

"We come up with a solution in the best interests of our countries -- just like in the UN!'' "At the conference we will improve our public speaking and debate skills, learn lobbying and resolution writing,'' Shay-Coy Bridgewater, club secretary said.

Treasurer Gino Smith admitted the club needed further sponsorship for the Brussels trip.

"We need sponsorship,'' he said. "We've raised $4,000, but we've drafted more letters and business plans to present to potential sponsors.'' "Several companies have been supportive, but we need a total of $14,000,'' he continued. "The $2,000 per person includes air fare, accommodations and registration fees.'' Two major sponsors have been Jardine Matheson and Bacardi International, each giving enough for one student to travel.

"The skills that you get at the MUN are translatable throughout the working world,'' Mr. Smith added.

"We come from different fields. I want to do insurance, the others are pursuing the arts, humanities, education and business. We've done all this organising ourselves.''