10 Years of MUN in Bangladesh

United Nations Youth and Students Association of Bangladesh is a voluntary youth and student movement for United Nations. It is dedicated to convey the voice of the young generation regarding current global issues such as MDG, human rights and development, environment, disarmament, social justice etc. It is an excellent environment for developing organizational and leadership skills, intellectual abilities and research orientation. As one of its main objective, UNYSA, Bangladesh has been a pioneer in setting up a trend of Model UN in Bangladesh. UNYSA, Bangladesh members celebrate their achievements both nationally and internationally. This is an intimidating history of these young ambassadors, as UNYSA, Bangladesh celebrates its 10 years in Model UN.

With every Model UN, there is always a strong aspiration to learn something fresh. These events sharpen a person’s problem solving capability and boosts up confidence to overcome modern challenges. This will give a person a chance to learn and get acquainted to UN skills. It is a great opportunity for anyone interested in international relations to learn and get tutored in efficient ways to change the world.

Being diplomatic in this world is a needed skill, and these events are great places to enhance this quality. Learning how to cooperate and negotiate to a greater goal has always been a feature on Model UNs; and there is always room to improve it to a professional level.

He fixed his small frame as he looked through the spectacles and spoke in his ever familiar soft voice. “It is so intolerable to see so many women die while giving birth in a world which is expanding with knowledge and capital”, said Mr. Ban Ki Moon, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, at a recent Model UN conference in United States. He also mentioned how he was the first Secretary-General to use Twitter regardless of his age. Mesmerized they were, over two thousand school children kept their minds still as Ban Ki Moon delivered his speech. It was the same podium which these children had used earlier that morning.

Model UN has been appreciated and practiced diligently for decades now. Young people taking the responsibilities of ambassadors to discuss and resolve modern day problems in a Model UN conference ensures that they transform eminently to a more aware citizen of the world rather than a citizen of any particular country. This assumption of the role as a country’s diplomat engages them to different issues which they need to sort out and galvanize actions with the best interest in mind.

But what is the necessity of such gatherings? The president of UNYSA, Bangladesh, Nafiz Nipun emphasized on the fact of development of oneself to a much needed global citizen. He added “metaphorical diplomacy is not taught at most educational institutes. There is no better ground where

one can prepare oneself to make a momentous impact internationally.” The delight of seeing these young adults enthusiastic about international topics is now acknowledged all over the world. The replication of the entire process of United Nations and experiencing real politics in these conferences incentivizes students and evokes them to become better ambassadors. To have a deep appreciation and compelling oneself to take up the challenges to craft realistic solutions for global issues serves as an objective for all such conferences.

A model UN conference targets students who are particularly interested in foreign policies. These discussion sessions are rather simulations of various committees within United Nations multilateral bodies and agencies. It differs from traditional debate exercises; students prepare and do research on a foreign country. They tutor themselves to adjust to new situations without having to compromise the cohesiveness of the policies of their own assigned countries. How do they accomplish this? They debate on these policies in order to achieve a final document or a resolution that serves the best significance. The topics put forth for Model UN are derived the United Nations itself. The diversity of these topics provides the magnetism to bring students from all backgrounds and all societies. Since it imitates a real conference in the United Nations, General Assembly, Human Right Council, World Health Organization, Security Council, Economic and Social Council and others are mostly included. Prior to a Model UN, a delegate needs to submit a position paper. This document contains the representing country’s current position on a particular topic and depending on different policies; the paper also expresses the national perspective on the problem, previous actions taken and probable solutions to support the cause.

These simulations date back to the early 1920’s, when students from all around the globe modeled the League of Nations. After the World War II, United Nations came in existence and these simulations continued, changing its name to Model United Nations. Today students from school, college and university participate worldwide in this very prestigious conference. In the last fifty years, over 1,000,000 youngsters took part in Model UN conferences. Students from Bangladesh are however not far from these events. Although high school and middle school Model UN programs are popular for quite some time now; United Nations of Youth and Student’s Association of Bangladesh (UNYSA, Bangladesh) stands tall in promoting University level Model UN programs. Upon completion of this organization’s 10 years, this associative organization of the United Nations has sent delegation teams to all recognized Model UN conferences across the world as well as arranges Model UN programs in Bangladesh.

This assiduous organization began its journey in 2001. It responsibly took up the challenge to initiate all Model UN related activities and popularize this concept among the young people in Bangladesh. Besides practicing this fine art of diplomacy, United Nations Youth and Student’s Association of Bangladesh devotes itself to a wide range of social awareness movements, various UN movements and the Millennium Development Goals. As a youth organization, UNYSA, Bangladesh strives to help the youth of the nation build a brighter future for the country and themselves as individuals and thus with the help of these practices, UNYSA, Bangladesh tries to provide the youth with a platform to do so.

In 2001, UNYSA, Bangladesh organized the first ever seminar on Model UN where Professor Nurul Momen from the Department of International Relations, University of Dhaka and Kazi Ali Reza, Officer in Charge, UNIC introduced several aspects of Model UN to elucidate the young participants. Within the next year, UNYSA, Bangladesh went into collaboration with UNIC, Dhaka and UNAB to organize the pioneering national Model UN in 2002. As anticipated, the first BANMUN brought a huge triumph among the students. The theme of the conference was “Terrorism”. Mr. Jorgen Lissner, UN Resident Coordinator and Mr. Humayun Kabir, former DG, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, People’s Republic of Bangladesh conducted the in conference sessions. Almost all the participating delegates signed up for “Meet the Diplomats” sitting. Mr. Morten Giersing, UNICEF Representative, Mr. Wolfgang Vollman, UNESCO Representative, Ms. Bui Thi Lan, FAO Representative and Ms. Machiko Kondo, UNHCR Representative and a few others sat down to converse with an eager crowd.

The second BANMUN was organized in the year 2003. The theme picked for that year’s summit focused on HIV. Under the protracted co ordination of Saikh Imtiaz Imtiaz, founder president, Taufique Joarder, former president and Rashidul Hasan Naim, former vice president of UNYSA, Bangladesh BANMUN continued to attract attention and grew expectedly. Dr. Suneeta Mukherjee, WHO Representative and Mr. Evaristo Marowa, UNAIDS Country Representative were invited as special guests.

In the following years, UNYSA, Bangladesh turned its attention to the international arena. In 2004, a team comprising of Taufique Joarder, Farhan Rahman, Shammy Wadud and Shajalal Karim was sent to the first WFUNA Model UN conference held in Beijing, China. Professor Dr. Syed Md. Shahed was the faculty advisor of the team. After successfully giving birth to the resolution at that year’s conference on Millennium Development Goals, UNYSA, Bangladesh was ready to send another team to the second WFUNA Model UN in 2006. And so it did, Nafiz Imtiaz, Farheena Rahman, Shadman Sadikin and Farhan Rahman formed a delegation and decided to fly to China to take up the roles of foreign ambassadors.

The third BANMUN took place in 2006. The theme chosen for the conference was “quality education and Millennium Development goals”. Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE) was honored to work in collaboration with UNYSA, Bangladesh in the arrangement. Mr. Larry Maramis, UNDP Resident Representative appreciated that year’s resolution as he spoke at the closing ceremony of BANMUN 2006.

Turning the calendar pages to the year 2007, three separate delegations are recorded to attend three Model UN conferences. WFUNAMUN in New Delhi, India followed by two of the most recognized Model UNs, AIMUN in Beijing, China and WorldMUN in Geneva, Switzerland. Nine members suited up and traveled to China at the Peaking University, Beijing.

Taufique Joarder, former president, Nafiz Imtiaz, former vice president and Farheena Rahman, former director, International affairs organized a Model UN workshop in the middle of 2007. Over 400 students from university, college and school registered for this workshop. It was by then UNYSA, Bangladesh knew that its attempt had been successful judging by the feedback from the students.

Either home or abroad, an established and confident UNYSA, Bangladesh were acknowledged for their success in Model UN. In 2008 another batch representing UNYSA, Bangladesh was sent to AIMUN, China. The organization’s accomplishment was heighted when Shammy Wadud and Sheikh Mohd. Erfan Uddin was chosen to represent Uzbekistan at APMUN, Incheon, Korea. UNYSA, Bangladesh lived up to its expectation and standard when it organized several Model UN workshops through the year of 2008.

In 2009, UNDPI launched the first ever Global Model UN conference or GMUN. Delegates were chosen from all across the world and were gathered in the UN European Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Sheikh Mohd. Erfan Uddin, vice president led a team of five into the “Palais Des Nations” building. The theme of the first GMUN was “The Millennium Development Goals – Lift the bottom billion out of poverty”. Delegates sent from UNYSA, Bangladesh were credited for their merits at the conference.

With the platform already constructed, UNYSA, Bangladesh turned the year 2010 into a milestone. UNYSA, Bangladesh put its footmark in six different international Model UN conferences. Delegates participated in EMIMUN, AIMUN, NAMUN, GMUN, NTUMUN and VITMUN. Sheikh Mohd. Erfan Uddin, for the second time in a row led a team of eighteen delegates at KL, Malaysia in the prestigious GMUN 2010. The Bangladesh stall was recognized as one of the most decorative stalls at the traditional Global Village program for its display of culture, heritage and history. Flying from Dubai to China to Canada and then to Malaysia, UNYSA, Bangladesh earned its much deserved recognition as a respected unit to make an impact.

Besides travelling around, UNYSA, Bangladesh arranged several workshops on Model UN at different universities and colleges. Encouraging, tutoring and challenging these students in a simulation continued helping them learn this excellent skill of diplomacy. With this year’s calendar just starting, UNYSA, Bangladesh has decided to gather all its past experience and schedule a ground breaking year. Selected delegates have already packed their gears to attend three of the most recognized Model UN conferences in the world: the 20th Harvard World MUN, AIMUN 2011 and the National Model United Nations in Washington DC. The ‘gurus’ of Model UN in Bangladesh, the founding members of UNYSA, Bangladesh have settled on hosting an International Model UN conference in Bangladesh, BANMUN. It has also decided to take this novel venture across Bangladesh to different cities. With its established wings in different districts, promotion of Model UN has already begun for quite some time. National schools have also approached UNYSA, Bangladesh to assemble teams to train their young students. Ten years might not seem much, but its trail of accomplishments speaks on their behalf. UNYSA, Bangladesh persists on its purposes, believes in its strength and delivers to the highest prospective.

The Current Secretary General of United Nations, Ban Ki Moon while visiting Cheongju University, Republic of Korea, on 5 July 2008 mentioned about idealism and aspirations. How hope can lead to world peace. Seeing youngsters taking interest into world affairs was indeed hope. This someday will certainly bring the harmony that this world deserves. In NAIMUN 2008, Ban Ki Moon’s speech touched the hearts of many. He mentioned the hardship during the Korean War and his strong

determination gaining him access into the Red Cross society. “I have seen the United Nations as a savior. This prosperity, in turn, helped a boy from rural Korea to rise up through his country’s diplomatic ranks and eventually become Secretary-General of the United Nations. It was a very inspirational and unforgettable experience for me,” Ban Ki Moon continued. “It made me think, ‘What should I do for my country?’ and made me make up my mind – I need to be a diplomat.” While talking about the several world issues, he said firmly that he did not want to leave the world in such a bad shape for the future generation and thus this urgency. “Let’s not have fate dictate us, but our determinations bring fortune.”