Reflection of the Model UN experience

My introduction to the UN Nations at my school was not what I expected it to be. For starters I didn’t know it was going to be a class and that I had to do as much work as I did in my regular classes. For some reason I always visualizes the Model UN as a club which people attend to, in order to debate and simulate abstract ideas about the world. And what I mean by abstract, is probably any given issue concerning anyone in the world, would be a good enough issue to debate. Before learning about the horizons the Model UN would provide me, I felt indecisive and lost interest in what lay ahead, I was a lost soul in the center of the universe. I continued to feel disengaged, until my teacher advised us that our first conference would be held in December. By then my heart started pounding, and I felt weak in the knees, I had never in my life stepped out of my comfort zone, which has always been a challenge for me. Every day my classmates and I prepared our prelude, encouraged each other to persevere and researched as much information about our topics as possible. After an extensive research, and plenty of motivational pads in the back, I gained comfort and promised not to give up; little did I know that this prolonged journey had just begun.

In our way to the Harvard United Nations held in the Sheraton Hotel, Boston, we reread all our notes and prepared for the battle that awaited us. Even though I was aware of what I was up to, I quite didn’t understand how to cope with everything. I knew that the kids I would be debating against came from private schools and that they had been trained all along, but I quite didn’t understand the whole idea of continuously debating for almost thirteen hours straight, with intervals of 2 hours, in order to eat. As I first arrived to my committee, which to my surprise was the biggest one of them all, the historical general assembly, my nervous system shut down immediately. There were about FIVE HUNDRED students in that committee, and in order to speak we had to stand on a podium and speak in front of a microphone. “Talk about getting out of your comfort zone”. You see that’s the thing with us, instead of going from easy to hardest, we just threw our self in the deep end without a life vest. Later I understood that the best way to confront your fears is to challenge yourself, and not be afraid of the simple things in life, but the hard ones you are indifferent to. The Harvard conference was the first one I ever attended, and the one that taught me a life lesson which is; life is a struggle and if you whine all the time you’re not being productive, and inefficiency leads to inactivity, which I am not going to do. Even though my school didn’t win a price, we got plenty out of it; we were introduced to a different environment, and travelled out of state, which I had not accomplished before.

Leaving Harvard was a little depressing because we had a great time and we felt like we deserved awards; but it did not damage my motivation in the class. I understood that winners are not the ones who are acknowledge for their victory, but the ones that learn a lesson and apply to their life. The fact that I didn’t win didn’t make me less smart than the other students, because I know what I am capable of accomplishing in life, and if wining metals is not one of them, I hope that my life lessons help others strive with their struggles in life. Our arrival at school was probably a very difficult time for us, because not only were we physically tired, but also mentally. The truth is that in the Model UN you learn more than in a day at school, and the interesting part of it, is that the students are the ones teaching each other.

In our second attempt to push ourselves even further, my school enlisted us in the Philadelphia UN, sponsored by the IDIA. The ride to arrive there was only two hours long, and when we got there we encountered a less intense environment. Already trained from my past conferences I had grasped new ideas and let go of my fears, but still I was contending with my discomfort with large crowds. When my partner and I were guided to our destinations my confidence started to dwindle, and I feared that I was not going to be able to persist in this longstanding battle. Again my will power had betrayed me, and I felt like a coward. I couldn’t believe how kids who were younger of age than me, and who barely had much experience as I did in this ground, defeated me with their glib articulation. Every day I tried my best, but I fell short from my goals, this negativity had overshadowed my other skills, and I couldn’t brake from this vicious cycle. Even though I do not personally apply the adage “ignorance is bliss” in this case I used the power of elasticity and did apply it, it was disappointing to see myself not stand up for myself when I had the tools to do so. It’s like going to a battle with a gun in your hand, and letting someone bit you with a stick, it is just sad to watch.

Already in the committee I started to let my fears blockade my knowledge, and even though I tried to vindicate myself I just couldn’t do it. I understood everything that the delegates in the committee were saying, but I feared to speak up and make a fool of myself. My committee was about poverty in Eastern Europe and we had to find resolutions to the economic irony going on in Europe; the truth is that in Europe most of the population is employed, but yet lack plenty of economic growth. With the overthrow of the Russian government, the economy fell deeply and it has become a laborious task to boost the economy. The funny part of it all is that I had a superfluous amount of knowledge on regards to the economy, because I’ve been taking Micro and Macro economic courses long before I was in the conference. I wanted to talk about the use of micro loans and the transparency governments should have before they could ever progress, but I was too late with my speech and other students took my ideas and reworded them to write their draft resolutions. Oh yes, did I forget to say, this was the second time I contributed to a draft resolutions, and another person took my ideas.

Our last conference was held in New York City in the United Nations. Since we were in the City, there was no need to sleep in a hotel; therefore we commuted there for the conferences. This time I had a more positive attitude and persevered that we could win something. But unfortunately we didn’t and I realized that probably the reason why I never won an award was because I wasn’t as assertive as the other kids. Even though the whole purpose of the United Nation is to bring peace in countries, sometimes the people who make those decisions are quite ambiguous. The truth is that inside the conference it becomes a battle of the fittest and at the end only those who spoke more fluently and took credit for the draft resolutions won. Even though I did as much work as the other kids, my efficiency was not so vigorous and I ended up loosing. But even though I didn’t get recognitions, I still think I won a better award, and that is humbleness and compassion for others.

Being in the Model United Nations has made me realize many qualities about myself that I never knew existed. For example, I didn’t know that I could let go of my fears and speak in front of large crowds without stuttering. As well it helped in an academic level, because thanks to all the conferences I went to I became more articulate and participated more in class debates. The truth is that such experiences, like being in a club, may not make you a winner in the sense of winning an award, but at least for me it helped me become a better human being with others. In the United Nations I learned about border disputes, microloans, and the use of BIOFUELS, something that would take me months to learn in a regular school year. The Model UN helped me find a niche that I could fit in, and that is why I encourage other people to give it a try, and step out of their mental box in order to travel the horizons of the world.