MUN – Singapore – Mahindra International School

Six students went to Singapore in November to participate in the prestigious THIMUN conference. One of them was to preside as Deputy Chair of the GA 2 Committee. Hectic preparations, research, discussions on the economy of various countries, financial implications of UN aid, humanitarian issues, social implications, etc took up most of their time in the run-up to and during the conference, including during flights. All of this paid off well when all our students got the opportunity to present their ideas convincingly, negotiate and convert adversaries into allies in the making of important resolutions. Uday as Deputy Chair carried out his responsibilities competently as did the others as delegates of Venezuela. Here are some of their reflections.

Lila Ravichandran

THIMUN has been an experience like no other. As a delegate last year, I fell in love with the conference—the quality of debate, the diversity of people—the sheer scale of the conference. Having had an overwhelmingly positive experience, I wanted to experience it from the other side of the chairing table—I sent in my application.

I never thought it would get accepted—the entire experience has been nothing less than surreal. As nervous I was the first time, I was oddly calm this time around. Trying to balance this with my schoolwork was difficult, to say the least, but over the past six months or so, I have been working hard to make sure everything is ready for the conference. This time, I was a cog in the extremely efficient machine that was the THIMUN conference. I was expected to be a role model for the hundred or so delegates in my committee.

While certainly overwhelming, the friendliness of the members of the Executive Board and their willingness to show that they, too, were human, went a long way in making me feel more comfortable. This is an attitude I want to bring back to MBIS MUN—one of teamwork, dedication, and a sense of comfort.

The next day, I started off as Presiding Chair in charge of the committee. I fumbled quite a bit in the beginning, making rookie mistakes I normally would never make. I was flustered… but within thirty minutes, I found that I was running the committee just as smoothly as they were the day before. This taught me that there is nothing quite like learning by doing—failure is the quickest teacher.

All in all, THIMUN was an experience like no other. While I did fall behind on schoolwork during the conference, and would normally not go next year where the workload is even higher, this experience is seriously making me consider applying for Head Chair next year. The skills I have learned here cannot be learned anywhere else in the world, and I am truly grateful to have been given this opportunity. I will try my best to apply everything that I have learned into my own life, and try to improve myself, both as a Chair, and as a human being. Uday Mehra, DP 1, Deputy Chair GA2

I always thought that I was extremely unprepared and no matter how much research I had done it would not change the fact that this was my first MUN conference and being in a completely new environment 2,138 miles from home proved to be a challenge for me. The level of debate was exceptionally good, it was a great experience as I learnt so much and faced challenges that I never faced before leading me to get over them all. I encourage everyone to join MUN, it might seem frightening at first but you will overcome this seemingly endless adversity and you will be grateful for it.

Yuvaan MYP 4

Firstly, coming to the THIMUN conference has been a great honour and I think that this experience has helped me a lot overall. This conference has improved my confidence and my speaking skills in general. It has also helped me to change the way I think in many different topics in a positive way. Such conferences also teach you how to think in a diplomatic way and how to think when put in a spot when someone asks you questions.

Rishabh Raval MYP 4

Human systems and economic activities	The study of how and why people construct organizations and systems; the ways in which people connect locally and globally; the distribution of power and authority.
Social organization and culture	The study of people, communities, cultures and societies in the ways in which individuals, groups and societies interact with each other.
Continuity and change through time	The study of the relationships between people and events through time; the past, its influences on the present and its implications for the future; people who have shaped the future through their actions.
Human and natural environments	The study of the distinctive features that give a place its identity; how people adapt to and alter their environment; how people experience and represent place; the impact of natural disasters on people and the built environment.
Resources and the environment	The interaction between people and the environment; the study of how humans allocate and manage resources; the positive and negative effects of this management; the impact of scientific and technological developments on the environment.

Living things	The study of the characteristics, systems and behaviours of humans and other animals, and of plants; the interactions and relationships between and among them, and with their environment.
Earth and space	The study of planet Earth and its position in the universe, particularly its relationship with the sun; the natural phenomena and systems that shape the planet and the distinctive features that identify it; the infinite and finite resources of the planet.
Materials and matter	The study of the properties, behaviours and uses of materials, both natural and human-made; the origins of human-made materials and how they are manipulated to suit a purpose.
Forces and energy	The study of energy, its origins, storage and transfer, and the work it can do; the study of forces; the application of scientific understanding through inventions and machines. (IBO, 2009)

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