February 2005 and the political process in Northern Ireland seems stalled if not in reverse. However, despair not for 19 young students from Northern Ireland are not despondent, not disengaged but simply determined to take politics seriously and show that our parochialism is not endemic. Instead they are thinking and acting global.

For 4 days at the largest simulation of the United Nations held in the world, NAIMUN XLII (North American Invitational Model United Nations) they are debating and negotiating with some 3000 other students across 30 committees, the problems we face as a world and as nations and as individuals - from Darfur to Iraq to AIDS.

Guess what? Americans like us. They say Wow! and Awesome when they hear how far we have travelled and yet all seem to have a link through family and friends to Ireland albeit a usually tinted or cliched perception of where we come from.

Guess what as well. They would love to visit Northern Ireland and take part in our conference in October if only we can get them and their folks across that barrier of false perception.

Guess what. Americans are interested the world and here at Georgetown University and across some 100 schools from all over the USA, Canada and beyond, they are keen to provide leadership and think the way that nations who often feel the victims of US foreign policy feel.

The former and controversial Director of the CIA, George Tenet addressed the opening of the conference on Friday and he had to take a number of tough but fair questions over the role of the US in the world and in respect of the UN. Deborah Patton from MCB was amongst the lucky few and her question about how ironic it was for the US to claim to seek leadership in the world while going alone in so many areas was met with universal approval.

DC is a happening place. It is been a hectic few days of meetings with the team from the Northern Ireland Bureau headed by Tim Losty who welcomed us and told us of their work to build a better understanding in the US and especially in new parts of the US - North Carolina, Florida, Virginia of the mutual benefits to both sets of people.

We are staying in the Hilton Washington DC made famous in 1981 when Ronald Reagan was shot- honey I forgot to duck! and on our first day the latest president visited the hotel to address a National Prayer Breakfast. The most powerful man in the world does not go through the public lobby but when he left we constituted the nearest thing to a crowd and he and Laura waved at us as his 15 vehicle motorcade sped back to the White House.

We are having a fabulous time and with so many highlights to date that we have hardly had time to absorb and reflect upon them.