5 Reasons to Join the Model United Nations

Guest post: Giacomo Sproccati

Hi everybody! My name is Giacomo Sproccati and I am 20 years old. I am a John Cabot University exchange student and a member of the executive committee of the Association Giovani nel Mondo from last year as well as a Model United Nations addict! In fact, so far both as a high-school student and a college-level student, I have taken part in a dozen MUN diplomatic simulation conferences abroad as delegate and as an official.

Model UN conferences are unique experiences. Everybody should participate in them at least once. Watch my video (above) of the recent MUN conference in Kazakhstan to find out more – and if you are still not fully convinced about the benefits, here are five good reasons, including developing your leadership skills and getting over that pesky fear of public speaking, that will make you change your mind:

1. Meet students from all over the world

A Model UN conference is a concentration of different nationalities in the same place for a few days. If you are an Italian student taking part in the Rome Model United Nations (Rome MUN), the international event organized and planned by our Association Giovani nel Mondo, you will get to experience a lot of foreign culture without going too far from your home.

Or, if you were an Italian student participating in the recent New Silk Way Model United Nations (NSW MUN) at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, which I attended with my colleague Roberto De Girolamo, you will have the chance to meet a lot of people willing to explain their culture, as well as sampling traditional foods and learning the steps of their traditional dances. This contact with different perspectives and settings is very useful to help you grow at a personal level and expand your horizons.                              

2. Overcome your fear of public speaking

Being a diplomatic initiative, the MUN is a great setting where people can try to face their fear of public speaking. This chance to overcome a fear of public speaking is great because it supports delegates’ personal growth and triggers self-confidence. Indeed, every delegate remembers his or her first speech, the frightening sensation in the stomach, but also the satisfaction and the congratulations received at the end.

3. Become acquainted with diplomacy and international issues   

Model UN conferences are diplomatic simulations. Respect and cooperation are the fundamentals of the debate. This setting allows every participant to understand how existing international bodies work and the contribution they themselves can make to help solve issues and challenges that affect our planet today.

4. Enhance your leadership skills 

In order to work, the debate requires different people to fill different roles. The chairperson’s challenge is to moderate the debate to make it as much productive as possible. This means developing strong leadership skills, in order to make sure every country speaks and that the debate is fruitful and successful. Moreover, chairpeople also develop good evaluation skills, since they assign awards to the best delegate and the best delegations at the end of the conference.

5. Enjoy yourself!

Every MUN conference organizes social events, which are an opportunity to have a good time with the people you’ve met. Traditionally, the night before the closing ceremonies of Rome MUN there is a fantastic disco party. Delegates always have lots of fun. Similarly, at the New Silk Way MUN, every present nationality was asked to perform a typical dance from his/her home country. The results were amusing, with the delegates creating a circle and supporting every group with applause. You could really feel a peaceful feeling and harmony among different cultures. It can also happen that late-arriving delegates are asked to dance in front of the whole committee. This performance normally brings a lot of enthusiasm and provides a good base for a successful debate.