From a Delegate to a Host

Model United Nations has fascinated me since I first participated in a Model UN organized by 'Diplomathon' as a representative of Ronald Weasley in the Harry Potter Committee. Somewhere along the line came other such events, some even organized by fellow schools in Mumbai. That's when I started fostering a dream of one such Model United Nations hosted by our school. It took me some convincing to take this idea to my school Principal, and she shot it down. A few weeks later, she did come up with a mid path: a first of its kind, Model United Nations by the students and for the students of the school.

Model United Nations or MUN is an educational simulation of the committees and discussions at the United Nations. Participants get an opportunity to represent their allocated nations on matters of National and International interest at the simulated UN, learning about diplomacy, international relations, and the United Nations.

With a lot of pride, we created and hosted APMUN 2023. 2 days, 3 committees, and over 60 delegates debated matters of international importance in a simulated environment – someday, some of us may actually debate at the UN, but for now, there are memories. Our three committees challenged delegates to use their creativity and research skills to their fullest.

copyright ©

United Nations Security Council, was a historic committee where delegates focused on finding solutions to the Yom Kippur War while navigating through bomb blasts that the United States threatened Egypt with, a terrorist threat to UNSC by the Arab Coalition if the UNSC signed the Kharoum treaty and the assassination of the Presidents of Israel and Lebanon.

The Emergency Meet of the United Nations was a futuristic committee where delegates had to find solutions to restart the funding of the United Nations (which had been unceremoniously withdrawn by the USA). These delegates also maneuvered their way through riots by the Canadian citizens who were fighting for their rights. These delegates were present at the historic occasion of the creation of the UN 2.0, known as the International Equal States (IES) which Canada, Japan, Italy, and Germany had initiated, which would have more rights and fewer fights for power. This organization also aimed to focus more on the rights and protection of women and on financial equality for all nations.

The International Press Conference was a committee where delegates nurtured their journalism skills. The most unstructured committee, with content and situations being designed as we moved along the events of the 2 days, was for me to lead and manage (some perks for having brought the idea to our principal). The delegates churned out a total of 42 articles, covering live the other two committees throughout APMUN, while navigating through a crisis of their own when the journalist of the New York Times was taken at gunpoint by the Saudi Arabian Government.

APMUN was a dream come true for a lot of us at school, and more so for me. We took away with us learnings for a lifetime, stories to tell over the years, and yes, bragging rights to the future batches of our school. The baton now passes to our subsequent batches to make this a bigger and better event on the Mumbai schooling calendar. Some day, I will be back to school - not as a delegate, but hopefully as a chief guest to felicitate the participants of the school MUN, and talk about our experience at the First APMUN. Till then, this blog will keep me company.