Dozen Reasons Why Model UN is LEGENDARY!

Do you love to talk about current affairs and political events? Do you wish to be an ambitious democrat or dream of devising world policies? Do you want to meet some very interesting people? Do you wish to boost up your confidence? If your answer to all these was a resounding YES, then, my dear friend, Model United Nations is definitely for you! Here are a dozen reasons (literally, a dozen reasons) as to why you should be a part of this conference:

The people you meet: MUN conferences are home to the most exciting and amusing people you will EVER get a chance to meet under a single roof. En route my own ventures in this world, I’ve come across a guy who was into culinary arts, a future revolutionary, a Delegate of Tunisia who used to speak as if he was drunk, and a Delegate of United States of America who was simply obsessed with terrorism (shoot, that doesn’t sound right, does it?) Well, I meant obsessed with FIGHTING terrorism, So if you love to meet such diverse and yet so interesting people and want to forge great friendships with them, then Model UN is definitely for you.

The learning: Ok, so this really does sound lame, but it really is cool. Not only will you get a chance to watch some awe-inspiring YouTube videos, you also get a chance to meet great personalities who have actually achieved a lot in their respective fields and are a figure of inspiration for all of us. Did you know that Andorra is NOT a third world country? Oh, and even though there are a 100 million internet users in China, you cannot access the BBC news? And that many European Nations have followed suit to China’s One-Child Policy? It’s a great experience, really. Keeping the fun aside, you will get a chance to learn a LOT of interesting things about the world and its countries!

The Entertainments: The delegates of a Model UN Conference are always in the middle of heated debates, but when they get the chance to suit down, they find fascinating ways to entertain themselves. Whether it’s building a flash mob on ‘I’m sexy and I know it’, irritating the Chairs with insane arguments (“For the Love of GOD Delegates, you give AID to other countries, NOT AIDS! Giving AID a good thing; giving AIDS, NOT GOOD AT ALL!”), or even having the absurdity to come up with lame pick-up lines (“I know everything about medical reforms. We should form a bloc together”), or simply pointing it out in front of the whole conference that the Delegate of Australia should close his zip (yeah LITERALLY the zip), there never is a dull moment in a Model UN Conference. Oh, and did I tell you that you can also pass on chits to fellow delegates if you want to kill time during the conference.

The social events: You are exhausted by the debates of the day and your mind is spinning furiously. A normal sane person would usually go home and crash on the bed. But the MUNers are one crazy lot of people! They spend the evenings having an exciting time in the so-called social events. From the global village, that gives each country a free pass to boast their rich culture in a fun-filled race to be declared the best, to the mesmerizing evenings filled with music as you dance to the beats, and the final night dinner, where everyone takes out the “formal” off the air, the social events are the refreshingly informal side of the Model UN Conferences, where every delegate has the permission to go wild and crazy.

The chance to control a country for a stretch of 3 to 4 days (NOT Literally; Fictionally YES): I remember we used to get essays to write when we were kids on “If I were the Prime Minister of my country…” In a Model UN you DO have that chance! If you want to put trade embargos on Iran, or invade India or suspend human rights, you can (and yes, obviously fictionally). YOU choose what your country does in a crisis, what policies it drafts; you are the boss for the day! I’ve seen Saudi Arabia giving bisexual basic rights in their country, USA take off his coat, loosen his tie, throw it on the table and scream to nuke its enemies in the Security Council. I’ve seen Israel attacking and blocking the Suez Canal until the government of Egypt gave up its control. The possibilities are countless. Enjoy this power, this control – and since it’s all fictional, you can let it get to your head. But, yes, NEVER go against your stance, because if you do that, it will be the Chairs who will hand you a death sentence (fictionally of course *winks*).

Experiment Extremism: If you want to experiment with extremism and you have a small country then you are damn lucky! I saw Nicaragua declare war on the USA, Sudan urging the Muslim world for a Jihad on Israel, South Africa standing up and calling everyone a fool who are beating about the bush! This has got to be one of the best parts of this conference! You are bound to have a blast brewing such extremist views.

The minnows’ advantage: Model UN is the best way to learn about some new countries you otherwise would have never heard of! I learned there are countries called Eritrea and Samoa in our world! And the best thing about this is that you get to learn a lot about their culture and their point of views! And as for those who get such countries; they are at a huge advantage: the other delegates don’t know about your country, which gives you a free rein to “invent” policies that will help you in your debates.

Facebook friends: Ok, so how many out there feel special when you have a huge social circle on Facebook? Admit it – we ALL feel extraordinary about that. And when you are at the Model UN, your circle will expand that you won’t know how to handle it. People you just had a fleeting meeting with, will add you, even those will add you whom you won’t even know were part of your committee. You can expect an overflow of friend requests (and maybe a couple of fraaandshepp requests as well!) on your Facebook and a sweeping I’m-so-amazing feeling.

A confidence booster: When you first come into the conference room and listen to the rhetoric of the other delegates, you can’t but freak out! Your first time, you are bound to feel like you are going to make a fool out of yourself: with sweaty palms, a crazy racing pulse and butterflies in the stomach. It really is stressful for you to put your placard up to speak, and then standing up, in front of some forty critical, knowledgeable, and highly competitive delegates could be very intimidating (especially when they can rip your argument apart at the seams). But that’s the start of it! Speaking up and defending your argument is like getting hit in a game of paintball; you feel less pain and you become less afraid with every hit – and in the case of a Model UN, each time you defend your stance, defend your argument, you become less and less nervous and before you know it you are not nervous at all! And by the end of the conference you will feel a great change in yourself and that confident feeling will empower you in your daily life, and my friends, that feeling is LEGENDARY!

The presentations: With all the silliness aside, Model UNs give you a great chance to improve your presentation skills. You get ample opportunities to present resolutions that you and your group drafted and then it is your job to clarify the queries that will be raised on the resolutions.

Memories: Even after months have passed, you will look back at the Model UN conference and can’t help but smile. The friendships you forged, the silly crushes you had, the laughs you shared, the entertainment sessions you enjoyed, and the perverted pick-up lines that made you laugh like an idiot are some things that you are bound to treasure for a lifetime! The only thing bad about the whole Model UN is the sad feeling it leaves you with that it’s over, wishing it hadn’t flown past that quick.

Extracurricular: So this isn’t one of my favorite reasons for going to a Model UN, but since it surely is one of them, so I’ll have to list it as well, and if the previous eleven reasons haven’t sold you on these conferences, this will. Many students will soon be applying for universities, and even though grades count, but many institutes do take into account your extracurricular activities as they are looking for all-rounders. Same goes for university students as well. Yes, to land you a great job you need to have great grades, but in this competitive job market you need to set yourself apart and what better way than to show your potential employer that you are confident, convincing and a great presenter: a complete package!

But above all, the feeling you get when you present a great solution to one of the pressing issues the world is facing, that is applauded by everyone, is sensational and totally out of this world. They also open your eyes to the affairs of the world as a whole, and help you to form an unbiased view of how the world REALLY is. So if you haven’t been in one, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR! NED University of Engineering and Technology is organizing a Model UN, here in Karachi, and you all can be a part of it! And believe me you WILL experience all these dozen reasons and plenty more at NEDMUN! Visit www.nedmun.com to register and witness the awesomeness of a Model UN for yourself.

Written by Muhammad Osama, President NEDMUN.