MUNner’s PoV: Why Are MUNs Important in India?
MUNs, more popularly known as Model United Nations, are basically academic simulations of the real-world United Nations where students from all across the globe may participate. While MUNs came into existence in 1949 in the US, in India they gained popularity in 1996 and have been exponentially growing ever since. Here, students (rather MUN fanatics) emulate delegates from different countries in an attempt to solve a plethora of issues faced on a daily basis, such as nuclear non-proliferation, climate change, territorial disputes between two countries and hegemonism in the 21st century. For instance, you, being an enthusiastic change-maker, signed up for a MUN and were assigned a country like the United States of America in an issue like human rights, you would have to put forth USA’s policies and their government’s perspective on this particular issue, while simultaneously not violating the USA’s foreign policies. Too much information? Let’s break it down into three parts. Firstly, a country’s policy would include the legalities your country already has and is willing to curate with regard to this issue. Secondly, a country’s perspective would include how your country has dealt with this issue in the past and the initiatives your country’s eminent political leaders are willing to take. Lastly, your country’s foreign policy would basically be your country’s relations with other countries. In relation to the previous example, the delegate of the USA can favour and collaborate with the delegate of the UK, as the two nations have maintained close relations and emphasised bilateral coordination. However, USA and Russia are notorious for having maintained a very critical bilateral relationship over the past few decades. So, if the delegate of the USA chooses to praise and applaud Russia’s policies, then they would be indulging in a rather dicey coup.
Next, who organizes these conferences? Most MUNs I have been to have been organized by schools, colleges, universities and educational groups. A simple google search would lead you to find several MUNs happening online, or even in your city. You can register individually, or even better- ask your school if they are participating in this particular MUN and go as a representative from your school. Now that you have registered either way, you will be allotted a country in a particular committee. Some prominent committees are UN Security Council, UN General Assembly, Human Rights Council, Specialised Committees and UN Economic and Social Council. Each of these committees will have an agenda, which will be the main topic of discussion and debate throughout the course of the conference. Now, you may be allotted a P5 nation like China, France or USA, in which you will be able to dominate the committee easily if you give the right speeches and incentives to smaller countries. However, if you get an ‘obscure’ country that you have never even heard of, like Benin or Kiribati, then you may face some trouble even accepting that your country has anything to do with the given agenda. However, you do have an unappreciated advantage here- you can come up with innovative roasts and precarious solutions without any repercussions because no one can dig up dirt on your country even if they wanted to!
Following this, you would have to do extensive research on the given agenda, your country’s stance and involvement, prepare speeches and even come up with plausible solutions that may be included in the resolution. After a few sleepless nights, the MUN is finally here. You carefully pick out your best blazer and pair it with certain accessories, ready to set an ever-lasting impression. What follows in committee over the course of the MUN is immense fun, lobbying, moderated caucuses and motions of entertainment.
Now that you have understood what a MUN is and the basic procedure of a MUN, I would like to emphasise on the importance of MUNs. As a matter of fact, MUNs help any student become a great debater and a global citizen. Emotionally and psychologically, MUNs motivate you to become an active citizen and an active change-maker. They stimulate the imaginative and creative side of us students and also enable us in becoming global luminaries in the future. Honestly speaking too, no one can deny that it is a lot of fun pretending to be a leader, emulating their roles and trying to resolve extremely critical and deep-rooted global issues in 48 hours or less. Especially in this particular era of globalisation, enhancing our knowledge about the world and real-world issues is of great importance. Irrespective of our profession, we will interact with people from all over the world with diverse backgrounds, and having knowledge related to global issues and developing a global perspective on various facets can truly be of no harm. Problems taking place even halfway around the world can indirectly impact our lives, our country and our community. MUNs have greatly helped me build confidence and leadership skills, two skills which are extremely crucial in this juggernaut of a world. They can make you turn from a scared high school delegate to a global leader, talking on a public forum, and influencing the lives of myriad people. They help us collaborate with one another and develop teamwork, negotiation and public speaking skills in a safe, structured and not-so-calm environment. Another added bonus is that they look really good on college applications! MUNs are also really helpful in developing problem-solving, critical thinking and analytical skills. The most important aspect of MUNs, without a doubt, is diplomacy. MUNs teach you how to negotiate with others in a way that is beneficial to you, all in a tactful and result-oriented manner. Attending MUNs also helps one in networking and develop connections with people from all over the world, thereby promoting multicultural education.
In conclusion, Model United Nations are a great way to challenge yourself and gain a perspective on worldly issues. They will greatly help you in developing communication skills and global acumen. They may initially seem terrifying, but trust me, once you are in the circuit, you will definitely get addicted to the effervescent aura of MUNs!
