"Honourable Chair, distinguished delegates, this is Sophie from the United Kingdom speaking..."
Most of the old MUNers might have heard of some "similar" openings of the speech in different conferences, regardless of the size or level of the committee that you had attended. As for the freshers, you wouldn't be surprised to hear this during the sessions as well.
Speaking as a Model UN enthusiast who had devoted herself in the field for years before attending her first WIMUN, WIMUN may become one of the turning-points in your life - because exactly that happened to me three years ago. It’s hard to adequately express what to expect at WIMUN in words based on my personal experiences, but here is a bullet-point summary for you from an objective view:
Mastering the art of reaching the consensus and getting closer to the UN:
A throwback to my first WIMUN in 2014 — when I was eighteen — I had learned how UN actually works, tried as much as I can to think out of the box. Most importantly, learning as far as I can to master the art of consensus reaching. As an aggressive national champion in speech competitions, it was the moment that I indeed learned how to lead the debate for good aside from winning; learning how to be a real global citizen who debates out of the passion for world apart from the victory in the conference room. During the meetings in the United Nations, reaching the consensus is the main issue for every ongoing debate. You’ll learn how to reach the real consensus by so-called effective communication aside from the fierce debate. Besides, you’ll be forced to think out of the box and speak for the nation. It is not hard to understand that people tend to talk on their behalf unconsciously in the conference even if they try hard not to do so. Nonetheless, through the guidance of UN4MUN and the detailed elaboration of the topic, you’ll view things more objectively and think like a diplomat, instead of a delegate.
Broadening your horizon by associating with students around the world and the fantastic New York City itself:
Truth be told, WIMUN 2018 will be the third WIMUN conference in my early twenties. I’ve been attempting to go to as many WIMUN conferences as I can, and the strong network I built in each conference keeps up my passion for so many years.
Three years ago, I was a petite Asian girl who knew nothing but studying for exams and winning the competition for fame. I was so lucky to be elected as a rapporteur for the GA1 by the delegates in WIMUN2014, and the crazy four-days conferences had brought me not only unforgettable memories, but also life-long friendships worldwide. I met loads of young leaders from different corners of the world, and we built up our friendships by exchanging life experiences and brainstorming together. You'll be seeing people who are so inspiring that constantly motivates you to move forward and change for good; you'll be meeting a bunch of unique individuals who are surprisingly compatible with you. Most importantly, you will be given courage and motivations to go for dreams instead of following the trend.
Aside from the fantastic peers around you, the New York City itself is also beyond description. Quoted from the Alister Cooke, "New York is the biggest collection of villages in the world."As a massive metropolitan mixing with all sorts, you will be leading an unexpected multicultural life filled with adventures. As long as you stick to your personal belief and dreams, New York will always be the place for you.
As for the third bullet, I’d like to reserve that for you to explore.
As I mentioned previously, WIMUN has transformed me from a narrow-minded girl to a strong-willed woman whose veins are filled with perseverance, motivations and the courage to change. You’ll soon be sitting at the UN General Assembly Hall, picturing your future. And when you actually step on the venue, it will suddenly dawn on you that nothing’s impossible as long as you would like to give it a try.
