National Model United Nations in Erfurt, Germany 2023
(19th November ~ 25th November)

Introduction

National Model United Nations Germany was my first MUN at the international level, having started my first physical MUN at Nagoya University MUN, this has been a great experience. From this MUN in Germany, not only did I get to work together with delegates from over 12 countries I also got to experience Germany and its culture thanks to the tour included in this event. In this report, I would like to write about my experiences and what I have learned from NMUN Germany.

My experience

To first explain what Model UN is, Model United Nations (MUN) is a simulation exercise that replicates the proceedings and workings of the UN. It is a course intended to give students knowledge about diplomacy, international relations, and how the UN operates. MUN conferences are held at many levels, such as international, college, and high school. At a Model UN conference, participants—often called delegates—represent various nations and participate in discussions and debates on world affairs.

At the National Model United Nations Germany there were 4 committees, which are the General Assembly Plenary (GA), Human Rights Council (HRC), Security Council (SC), and United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA). I was the representative of Argentina with another fellow delegate called Bianca for Okayama University in the Human Rights Council (HRC).

One great thing that I liked was the location of our committees. NMUN Germany 2023 is done in the beautiful town of Erfurt, rich in culture and history. And our committees are done at locations such as the town hall, and the parliament, (which are beautiful places with historical relics and arts) and our HRC committee was held at the Bildungsstätte Andreasstraße which is the Memorial and Education Centre Andreasstraße. It is a museum housed in a former East German Ministry for State Security jail for political prisoners. So, while immersed in this kind of historical atmosphere, we worked together with fellow delegates representing different countries on the topics of “Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in the Digital Age” and “Promoting the Right to Food in the Context of Conflicts and Violence”.

Argentina delegates in front of our committee location and inside

Before the conference started, there was a study tour where we went to visit the Buchenwald (concentration camp) Memorial, Wartburg Castle (a UNESCO world heritage site where Luther translated the bible into German), and the Point Alpha Memorial (a Cold War U.S. observation post on the East German border, next to a portion of the Iron Curtain). Visiting these places makes me feel more about German culture and the breadth of history, especially from the Buchenwald Memorial and the Point Alpha Memorial. I saw photos, memoirs, and preserved items from these two places. As someone who loves history, particularly that of WW2 history, it was an exciting experience. From Buchenwald Memorial, I saw the cruelty of power and I felt the tension of the Cold War at the Point Alpha Memorial.

Another plus side of the trip is the people we met along the way. I got to meet with wonderful people around the world and make new friends. From the first 2 days trips, I got to travel together with students from California State University who are nice people. They told me about life in America and California and I told them about life in Japan and that I would be happy to show them around if they ever come visit here. Another great event from the study tour is the pub crawling event. Not only did I get to experience pub crawling for the first time, but I also got to have interesting conversations with students from America. It was a wonderful experience for me.

Pub crawling

I had great fun being able to participate in this NMUN with fellow delegates from Okayama University. There were 7 of us in total and we all lived at the same hostel with Professor Caleb. We were all there for each other and I enjoyed their accompany.

In all honesty, the whole Germany trip was tiring but also fun and fulfilling. Also, I want to thank our professor Caleb, who was always with us with his support and encouragement throughout the whole time in Germany which was of great help to us.

What I have learned

In these 3 days of the conference, I got to work together with different people from different countries which has improved my ability to work together with other people. As Model UN is about diplomacy and includes negotiating with other participants to build consensus and reach resolutions and thus my skills in this regard have increased. I have to talk to people, find common ground, resolve conflicts between delegates, work manage time, think from the interest of the country that I am representing, and also learn to compromise if necessary. This has also improved my critical thinking skills and to think on my feet when necessary. Another gain from the whole trip is cultural awareness. Being immersed in this culture, and in the lovely city of Erfurt, we learned the ways of Germany which I think I could learn more if I could stay longer.

As I am representing Argentina at this conference, I also got to learn a great deal about Argentina, from culture to politics, particularly on their international policies and views. To represent a different country, whose political views might differ on different international affairs is I think the beauty of Model UN.

Another thing that amazed me at the conference was the quality of the speeches by the delegates. The speeches were so great that I felt like I was in the actual UN session. This has inspired me to improve my public speaking skills.

Thoughts and Aspirations

My first thought when I got to Erfurt was that it was beautiful. It was exactly how I imagined Europe to be compared to Frankfurt which is more modernized (Our plane arrived here me and 2 delegates from Okayama University stayed here for around 4 days in total). I am also lucky enough to have experienced German Christmas before I went back to Japan thanks to my partner, Bianca, who is also a Okayama University student as I got to experience this with her aunt’s family in Germany. I am very happy to have tried hot wine not only in Erfurt but also in Frankfurt. I am also grateful for her help in our work together at the HRC.

The events we had before and after the main conference were not only fun but also a great opportunity for me to network and make new friends. But mainly it was really fun. Especially the delegate dance and dinner party where I got to make Chinese friends. They were nice and talented people and I am very happy to have received some gifts from them. Even now at this time of writing this report, I am still in touch with them.

As I have mentioned above, the benefits of MUN are as real for anyone who joins. Therefore, my thoughts at this stage are to learn more about organizing MUNs than delegating as I want to bring more people to join MUN. Now, I am serving as vice president for the Okayama University MUN club and someday, I would like to organize Okayama University Model United Nations for students both domestic and abroad to join.

Currently, thanks to the experience I got from my previous MUNs, I was able to serve as a chair this time for JUEMUN 2024, which is the largest English-speaking MUN in Japan and it is going to be held here in Okayama at Seishin University.

Conclusion

To conclude, NMUN Germany 2023 was a great journey with both learning and fun interlaced for me. Not only it was a great international experience, but the people we met along the way made me further realize the vastness of the world around me. MUN is one place where you can experience and learn a lot of things which is the reason why I want to bring it to more people. I am glad and I am thankful to Okayama University for offering these kinds of opportunities.

活動レポート

National Model United Nations in Erfurt, Germany 2023 (19th November ~ 25th November)