Equal representation

The students' hopes and aspirations in the mock conference echoed those of people everywhere.

Bahrainis Khalid and Jassim enjoyed their roles

Two Arab students from Bahrain had to slip into somewhat uncomfortable shoes and represent Israel.

Jassim Al Aimer, from Bahrain Bayan School, said: "We got to socialise with some Israeli students who were okay. They were friendly, and it was a good experience."

He, and fellow school friend Khalid Al Shawi, were driven by other global issues.

"I wish that world hunger is solved and no one is hungry in the world. I wish that the Iraqi conflict will end as soon as possible."

But the situation on the ground for most Palestinian children is entirely different to that of the privileged surroundings of a Doha hotel.

Alia said: "When you try to tell the children that the majority of Israelis are normal people, in normal homes, watching television, it's difficult for them to imagine them as anything but soldiers, as helicopter pilots, or tank drivers."

Communication

Many of the Palestinian children from both Ramallah and Gaza, gathered around the table of the Israeli ambassador to Qatar. They asked questions about the poor conditions in Gaza, the fighting, and the future.

Two young Gazan students wanted to give the ambassador a badge of the Palestinian flag as a symbolic gesture.

Tim Sebastian, a veteran journalist, made a keynote address at the conference which, though sombre, inspired many of the students.

He said:"All that stands between us and whatever terrible abyss is out there is our ability to talk to each other.

Al'a, left, and Khalid hope for a better future

"If we can't somehow urgently improve on those communication skills, generations are going to go on dying locked into the same cycle of violence that we have so conspicuously failed to break."

Unfortunately for the students from Gaza, they will now have to spend a week in Cairo waiting for the Rafah border to open, before they can return to their school and their families.

But Alia reflected on a positive conference for the students.

"Everybody was here to try, to change, to revolutionise. I would love to see some of them in the real United Nations.

"If these kids were running the world, it would probably be a better place."

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