Young minds needing to be challenged
Agree to disagree. You may – or may not – have heard this expression before. But, if you are reading these words, they must make you feel something. Especially if you are young. It is about stating that things are never black or white, and that there is something special about every thought, every point of view. In my opinion, along with Joseph Schumpeter’s concept of creative destruction, this is what best describes the United Nations. Countries with reluctant perceptions of each other are thereby brought to constructive talks in the process of fixing issues which can never be truly fixed.
Take the Qatar diplomatic crisis currently underway - it has been caused by Qatari forces allegedly disrespecting one of the clauses of the coalition with Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt with respect to the way in which Qatar handled its relations with Iran; causing massive chaos within several UN negotiations.
This means that it isn’t geopolitically possible for this group of nations to agree on the long term. Deals are close to being reconsidered, trends that were drawn to now be destroyed - in short, this is what makes geopolitics so fascinating. Things are bound to change and everyone is entitled to their own madness.
Such an evolution also concerns the very concept of United Nations, as it was first created on 26 June 1945 in San Francisco, destined to fix the geopolitical issues of the Second World War. Its stakes are obviously way different on present time.
Why the UN matters
“Humans are not meant to live in a society”. In my opinion, this sentence represents a bet in relation to which the UN was created and its aim set: making ideas collide. Touching hearts and people while trying to fix their issues and the wonders of their times. It is about understanding that nothing comes easy, and that maybe we like it better that way. We are the youth that wants, that fights, that thinks.
Seven months ago I joined the United Nations club of Isegoria, curious to discover what it would be like to represent a random country in a UN-like committee, along with other student delegates. It was quite challenging at first as it required speaking out in front of a whole lecture theater, knowing specific geopolitical facts, having enough arguments to always respond, and respecting rather strict procedures of rhetoric. Plus, I had never taken part in a MUN before.
Perks of joining a MUN
But participating in a MUN is not primarily about the rules or experience. It is about ideas, reflection, how your country feels about a certain issue at a certain time of its existence; and often seeing things from a perspective that you have never envisioned before.
Take my friend who was representing Pakistan in the UN Commission on the Status of Women. He had to defend a position which was completely opposed to his personal convictions, one according to which women weren’t equal to men. Such cases actually happen pretty often and therefore oblige delegates to adapt to different situations and accept constant change, along with managing disagreement, finding allies and developing strong, supported opposition to those inadequate to your convictions. Rather quickly, we got used to this new activity of ours and developed a strong interest in debating about important, contemporary and diverse issues.
Audencia MUN
Hence our decision to organize a MUN in Audencia Business School this year. Six committees will be presented during these 3 days of MUN, and to quote only a few, we are envisioning the Security Council, the European Council, the African Union, the World Health Organization… An example of a topic given for the World Health Organization would be “Tackling unequal access to vaccination in developing countries”.
As we intend to bring about 150 student delegates, most of them from foreign universities, the language of the conference and of the committee will thus be English. It is going to be the first French MUN to be held entirely in English; all around the theme “Bridging the gaps and overcoming inequalities”. Along with the debates, we will have an opening conference and social events such as a gala on the last night.
Wait no more and join this incredible adventure, along with 150 students from all around Europe! The delegate fee is 65 Euros and includes the lunches, the socials and the participation to a committee as a delegate. If you have any questions or want to sign up, feel free to visit MUN Audencia’s website and Facebook page.
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