A conference of firsts... MUNISA 2022

The final Model United Nations conference of 2022 has come to an end - MUNISA 2022, hosted by the International School of Amsterdam (ISA), was held on December 9 and 10. This was ISA’s first inter-school conference, so the first day was short - our delegates had check-in at 2 pm and all committees were closed by 6 pm. During the opening ceremony, the Secretary-General, Tanguay Lacroix, shared with us the theme of this conference; ‘Finding sustainable solutions for a changing world’. Lisa Jordan, managing director of DRK foundation, who was one of 2018’s top 10 most influential people in Dutch society, also spoke, reminding us all of the definition of sustainability - ‘meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’. She emphasized that these solutions must take socio-economic factors into account, but that our society would not survive without solutions to the environmental crisis that we are currently experiencing. Read more about the opening ceremony in MUNISA’s newsletter here.

“The big conversation today is about climate change [...] We need every aspect of your energy to remind us that you are the generation for progress” - Lisa Jordan

While this conference is a new one for every school, it was also one of many firsts for our school’s MUN club. It was our first conference without our beloved DP2s, some of whom hold our school’s records in delegate with most ‘Best Delegate’ awards and most conferences attended. This conference thus was a reminder of the end of an era - but also the dawning of a new one. Of the 19 attending students, at least 6 were first-time delegates. Among the attending students were also two first-time chairs, Ridhi for the Environmental Committee and myself, Jana, for the Economic and Social Committee. These milestones indicate that our school is continuing to develop and expand our MUN club, proving the future of MUN at our school is steadfast.

“MUNISA was a wonderful conference for beginner delegates, and for me, it was a memorable experience as a first-time chair. The environment was friendly and communicative, and the topics and procedures were ideal for someone interested and willing to learn. I developed myself as an MUN participant, and certainly came out with new skills and knowledge that I know will be an asset to me in future conferences!” - Ridhi (DP1)

Since the last MUN conference (MUNISH 2022, read the article here), there have been a couple of other significant events regarding our school and MUNs. Firstly, the new, 2022-23 MUN Club presidency has been announced. Enya and Rishi will remain presidents of the club, while beginning to hand the reigns to Tara and Adithya, who are now our vice presidents of recruiting and training. I, Jana, will have the position of vice president of communication. On behalf of all the vice presidents, I would like to thank both Enya and Rishi for all their efforts in the previous year(s) to engage so many students of our school with the MUN experience, teaching us how to make the most of conferences, and truly ensuring we always felt comfortable and prepared.

The second announcement is that we as a school will be hosting an MUN conference! Held on June 8 and 9 2023, ISHMUN will undoubtedly be a fantastic experience for all involved. Even for those not particularly interested in enjoying the process as a delegate or chair, there are many roles and opportunities for those with more affiliation for organising or planning. If you are looking to be involved, please feel free to email the official ISH MUN Club email; ishmundebate@gmail.com.