– written by Fatima Almoran, Gr. 11 –
What is MUN? Model United Nations (MUN) club simulates the UN in which it teaches students about world politics, diplomacy, and critical thinking. The clubs help students dive deeper into understanding the current world problems, and understand both sides of the problem. They develop skills such as research, public speaking, and critical thinking.
A CAS Project
As Meerab and I are IB students, we must complete a CAS project and decided that it is very unique to host a conference at our school and our way of leaving our mark by starting a new tradition. In November of 2023, Meerab and I decided we wanted to become more involved as MUN club leaders and maybe give the newer students in the club a chance to practice their newly gained debating skills.
When Meerab and I first started MUN, last year, it was very difficult to adjust to the new way of speaking. A great way to get accustomed to the new habits is to practice them, which gave us the idea of organising a conference as Ms. Den Dekker had done in the previous year. As a way of providing an opportunity for newcomers to practice on a smaller scale than most conferences, it is also a great way to spread awareness of international issues to a younger demographic.
Halfway through November Meerab and I reached out to schools near us that have an MUN club that they would like to bring along. The schools that replied were THIS (Thuringia International School) and DIS (Dresden International School). These schools had participated in the previous conference organized by Ms. Den Dekker, so she helped us get in contact with the schools and she was a huge help throughout the entire planning process. Unfortunately, due to the cutbacks in transportation during the strikes, DIS could not attend, but the conference was smooth sailing and a success nonetheless.
Preparations
MUN Club: At the beginning of the school year, we welcomed numerous new students from the 9th grade and above to join the MUN club. Our initial focus was on instructing and grasping the fundamentals of MUN, including conference structures, along with improving our skills in debating and discussing relevant topics.
All the newcomers to MUN were very quick learners and we decided that it would be a good idea to host another conference at our school; MUN winter conferences are not so common so it’s a great opportunity to practice debating before the bigger conferences in the spring and summer. We decided to start conference practice in the club, which included writing resolutions and a lot of practice debating and researching allocated countries.
The Conference
The conference, held in the Aula of our school, was an overall success since we welcomed students from Thuringia. We had around 18 students and 2 chairs. This diverse group represented 18 different perspectives and countries, engaging in three distinct debates:
- Achieving a just energy transition
- Promoting education in rural areas in LEDCs
The debates showcased compelling arguments and high-quality resolutions, making the discussions quite challenging. All the resolutions were passed, highlighting their potential real-world impact within the UN. The students’ growing confidence in expressing their opinions was truly inspiring, and I believe this experience significantly enhanced their skills.
The award for the best delegate, was chosen as the chairs recorded the amount of time the delegate would speak, however, it also depended on the content and relevancy of their speech. Kaya, a student from Thuringia International School represented Denmark and fulfilled all those requirements. Her enthusiasm for all the resolutions and her active participation through thought-provoking questions and robust debates truly set her apart. I also take pride in acknowledging the outstanding performance of our student, Felix, who demonstrated exceptional skills as a delegate.
Voices from the students:
Felix:
I started MUN at the beginning of Grade 9. I was just really interested in politics and debating and wanted to join a few more clubs, looking at the options, MUN seemed the right fit and I have been enjoying it ever since. Having started MUN I quickly fell in love with the concept, since it feels realistic and semi-serious because we are using relevant and current topics and having good discussions.
The conference was very interesting and, though nerve-wracking, also enjoyable. Although UN formalities and etiquette are quite complicated, the conference was relaxed and was a great introduction to the concept of larger-scale conferences and emphasized actual debating contents over rules adding to the fun.
I believe that having my first conference in a way that is less intimidating for me was definitely an advantage and having it be less strict did not take away from the experience, overall, I think that it was a good introduction.
Generally speaking, I really enjoyed the conference and MUN thus far, therefore, I recommend it to anyone interested in debating or politics as it is a great time.
Kaya:
I started MUN in 9th Grade out of curiosity and overall interest in international relations. I am participating to this day and I was able to gain a lot of experience through the Leipzig MUN last year and Oldenburg 2023. MUN is a great fit for everyone interested in relationships between countries, world politics, and relations. It connects to the MYP subjects Individuals & Societies.
It was very fun and easy to follow. There was a clear structure present and if mistakes were made the chair corrected the delegations quietly and kindly. I was able to learn a lot due to the multiple chances to speak for my delegation and to listen to multiple other delegations speak.
Conclusion
The conference had many positive reviews as summarized by Kaya and Felix they found the conferences to be fun, informative, and a great way to gain practical experience in diplomacy and global issues. The relaxed yet structured nature of the conferences helped them feel more comfortable and prepared for larger-scale MUN events.
Overall, both they and we highly recommend MUN to anyone interested in debating, politics, and international relations. We would like to thank all the students who participated in the conference, and most importantly Mrs. Den Dekker as without her the conference wouldn’t have been as successful.
We thank the LIS Photo Club for all the wonderful photos taken at this conference.