30th ANNUAL MODEL UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE

The 30th annual MSMUN conference was held at the United Nations Office in Nairobi from Tuesday to Friday this week. Our students played different roles in the conference as junior chairs, ambassadors, delegates, press corp, and securitaries.

Simulating the activities of the United Nations, our students represented Ethiopia, Uruguay, Liechtenstein, and Malaysia in various committees such as technology, ecology, health, human rights, special summits, and historical decisions committees.

The conference was a culmination of a long process that aimed to build teamwork, leadership, critical thinking, research, public speaking, debating, and other skills. We celebrate two of our delegates who were recognised as best delegates in their respective committees; Faith Muchabaiwa and Jisu Sue. Below is a reflection from one of our conference participants.

Mr. Isaac Kisongoche,

Lead MSMUN advisor.

Exploring Model United Nations: My Junior Chair Experience

Finally, after all those Friday evenings, coming home late, sitting and learning for so many tests, my journey as a Junior chair became a reality! All my hard work boiled down to this year’s theme - “Yibambe!” - hold strong. Where there’s a will there’s a way! Never give up!

I want to share my experience as a junior chair at the recent Model United Nations Conference (MSMUN). This was a four-day event, which was all about students pretending to be leaders from different countries and talking about important global issues. Not only was I a Junior Chair, but also an ambassador of Ethiopia.

For those unfamiliar, Model United Nations (MUN) is a simulation of the United Nations where students represent different countries and debate on various topics ranging from climate change to human rights. It serves as a platform for students to develop their public speaking, negotiation, and critical thinking abilities while delving into the complexities of international relations.

As a junior chair, my role was complex. I was tasked with moderating committee sessions, guiding delegates through procedures, and ensuring fruitful deliberations. It was a challenging yet rewarding responsibility that pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me grow both personally and professionally. The best part was seeing how passionate and excited the delegates were. They worked hard to make persuasive speeches and form alliances with each other. Even when they disagreed, they tried to find ways to work together.

Being a junior chair also taught me a lot about how countries work together to solve problems. I got to see how people compromise and come up with solutions that everyone can agree on. It was eye-opening and made me feel like I could make a difference in the world.

Outside of the meetings, there were also fun events where we could hang out and get to know each other better. It was cool to meet students from different schools and learn about their views.

Overall, being a junior chair at MSMUN was an amazing experience. It showed me the power of young people coming together to talk about important issues and work towards solutions. I'm so grateful for the opportunity and can't wait to do it again.

Dhara Shah,

Junior chair, MSMUN Ethiopian Ambassador (9N).