Model UN in Prague and Debate
Hello all, wow it has really been too long since I posted an update on here! I have done so much over the past few months that I definitely could not fit into one blog post. Since my last post I’ve been back to Prague twice (this post will focus on my most recent trip), enjoyed a quick, but fun trip to Rožňava, Slovakia, visited Třebíč for another Rotary orientation weekend and have gone to Rotary Ski Week in the low Tatra Mountains in Slovakia. Back home in Trutnov I have been enjoying spending time with my friends here, I have moved host families, have been going to school, and even got to attend a Czech ples (ball or prom) a few weeks ago. Life has certainly been eventful and I am so thankful to have had all these wonderful and fun experiences, if you have questions about any of them feel free to shoot me a message and I will happily explain further.
Now, as you probably could have deduced from the title, this post is going to focus on my latest Model UN (MUN) experience which was this past weekend at PORGMUN 2018 in Prague. This was my fifth MUN and was hands down the best and most fun conference I have ever attended. I represented the Arab Republic of Egypt in my committee, the African Union, where we debated two topics, Child Marriage: the conflict of human rights and cultural tradition and The Conflict in the DRC: facing the risks posed by foreign militant groups. Both of these topics are incredibly complex and preparing for the conference involved a significant amount of research and reading in order to make sure that I could confidently debate as a representative of Egypt who accurately represented the country and it’s stances on these issues. I am proud to be able to say that at the end of my weekend I was named best delegate in my committee something I was not expecting going into this weekend having not debated in so long.
The PORGMUN conference was four days long and involved not just debate, but also a variety of social activities such as a gala dinner, a tour of Prague and a party organized by the event which provided great opportunities to us to socialize with one another and to make new friends from all over the world. This was an international event, in my committee alone there were delegations from the Czech Republic, Austria, France, Ireland, Turkey, Poland, and Spain. With over 300 students attending it was amazing to get to meet, debate with, and talk to students from all over the world who were so smart, fun, and interesting.
I would also like to talk now a little bit about debate and Model UN in general and why these activities are so important and meaningful to me. Debate was the most impactful thing I did in high school, it influenced me more than any of my courses, more than IB, more than any of the other clubs or programs that I participated in. I learned so many valuable things from it, both in reference to knowledge I accumulated through studying for and preparing cases and in terms of skills that it gave me. Debate opened my eyes to so many things and really and truly shaped me into the student and person I am today. Debate has given me so much confidence over the years, not just when it comes to public speaking, but in general when it comes to voicing my opinions on issues I care about and inspiring me to work toward goals I would otherwise never have. Debate has taught me more about the world we live in today than any course I took in high school ever did, and not only did I learn from it, but I learned passionately from it. Thanks to debate I am more aware of global issues and events than I could ever have hoped to be without it. Debate furthermore has given me opportunities to meet some of the most incredible people I know. The people I have gotten to speak and engage with in events such as PORGMUN 2018 or Confederation Cup 2017, or National Seminar 2015 have been incredible and inspiring and so disproportionately impactful upon my life given the short amounts of time I have been given with many of them. This also applies to the speakers I have gotten to listen to and be inspired by at these events, for example getting to listen to Justice Rosalie Abella of the Canadian Supreme Court last year, in the Supreme Court chamber, is something I cherish and am thankful for regularly. Debate is something that made me look beyond my classroom, beyond my province, beyond my country, and threw me head first into the world inspired, excited, eager and ready to learn and work hard. I am so thankful for the students who are out organizing events like PORGMUN, this event was organized and run almost entirely by students at the PORG Gymnaziums in Prague. I am in awe of how seamlessly they managed to pull of this event and how much effort and detail went into it. Thanks to this conference I have learned more about the world around me, the current issues we need to be working to fix, and I have become more inspired than ever to push forward and try to learn as much as I can from the people out there currently doing work to make this world a better place for all of those in it.
Debate is something I hold so near and dear in my heart, I can honestly say I don't believe I would be sitting where I am if it wasn’t for debate. It has made my life so much better and has opened so many doors for me. The conference this past weekend was simply a continuation of the amazing opportunities I have gotten to take advantage of and enrich myself through that I am so beyond thankful for. I truly encourage everyone to give debate a try, most high schools/universities have debating societies and Model UN conferences are hosted all over the globe throughout the year, a simple google search for one near you will likely turn up multiple results. It can sound scary, but the people who attend these events are so incredible and they are so fun and welcoming, debate has made my life so much more fun and full and I want as many people to enjoy and experience that as they can. I am having so much fun still on my exchange and I am so excited to see what these next three and a half months I have left here bring!
