With my experience being a strong zero in MUN conferences and debating, the thought of having my very first conference being in Singapore and being organised by one of the most prestigious universities in the world was unimaginable and for the most part, incredibly daunting. Despite that, being a part of this experience was extraordinary and definitely one of the highlights of my school year.
The MUN was organised by the University of Oxford and was run by alumni and students of the university who chaired the committees. The event was over a span of three days and took place in the early part of October this year. Weeks before the conference, the delegates from our school (Mei, Seoyoung, Imran, Daiyu and I) were preparing as much as we can and spending our free time researching our countries' stance and solutions in order to make the first appearance of ACG Jakarta a competent one. Besides the constant heated debates and discussions between the delegates in my committee – which was the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) – there were numerous learning opportunities for me throughout the three days. Seeing the other delegates presenting about their country's views with such understanding and passion truly inspired me and taught me lessons I would not be able to find anywhere else. Delegates were open to participate in the general speakers' list, moderated caucuses, unmoderated caucuses and of course, the drafting of the resolution on some of the biggest issues around the world at the moment. Being part of the discussions allowed me to enhance my public speaking skills and also bond with the other delegates as we worked hard on the draft resolution. As I was a part of the committee that strived for gender equality, I was fortunate enough to participate in discussions on topics I was very passionate about such as women empowerment in sustainable development as well as healthcare. Coming to a consensus at the end of the MUN as a whole committee was probably one of my favourite parts as it showed that individuals (or nations) can truly unite if we can set our differences aside and agree on what we believe can help to change our generation for the better. In the night, we had the social events that all delegates as well as faculty members were welcome to attend. On the first night of the socials, we had a fun-filled karaoke night to wash away the stress and nerves of the first day. Songs that we all knew the lyrics to helped with calming down the social anxiety that had been constantly stirring throughout the day, and allowed everyone to just relax and enjoy with their new friends. On the second night, there was the intimidating delegate dance that my schoolmates and I were dreading ever since we received the itinerary days before the conference. We were nervous since we thought we would not make any friends, yet we were completely wrong by the time the first two days of the conference passed by. After spending those days with other delegates in my committee, I got to meet some of the friendliest people and got to share a lot of laughs and enjoy the conference with them. The delegate dance was probably one of the most fun times I have had this year as I got to dance the night away with the new friends I made. The experience was something I did not expect at all and it was filled with constant laughter and crazy moves. Overall, the MUN was personally an unforgettable experience and definitely helped me gain the skills and knowledge I needed for other MUN conferences in the future. I also strongly encourage the younger students to participate as it is something you will enjoy and at the same time learn tremendously from. Anastasia Sufian Year 12 |