What “NMUN” Means To Me

 

NMUN stands for National Model United Nations however, to me, it means three things: diversity, growth, and inclusiveness. I can add several other things to this list, including friendship, happiness, network, relationships, and satisfaction. All of these words have a memory, moment, person, or situation connected to them.

 

As a third-year volunteer staff member, I can easily affirm that there is a special connection between each single volunteer and the conference, as much as between each volunteer with the other ones. Spending an entire year working at-distance as pairs and as departments, and then meeting in the city that never sleeps in Fall and Spring, make for each staff member this experience an adrenalinic one that no many other experiences can compete with.

The learning experience that us, as staff members, provide students from all over the world with, is what motivates us every year in doing better and better. Slepless nights spent during the conference editing working papers, for not mentioning tiredless days spent throughout the year working on the background guides, are always worth it when you can see students growing during the week of the conference. Their passion and graditute to you, are just a few things that make the hard work as the most worth it one.

This year, I had the chance to work with a committee of outstanding delegates: approaching the topic “Improving Emergency Response Capacities to Safeguard Food Security” in the World Food Programme (WFP) committee that I directed, delegates from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and North America, have been able to negotiate solutions that could be applied in the real world. Reaching a final resolution, adopted with consensus, has been a great achievement that each one of them should be proud of it as much as me and the Chapp of the committee are of.

Today, my heart filled with even more gratitude when the College of Sciences at the University of Central Florida – where I am doing my Ph.D. in Security Studies – featured me in the news with the article “An Invaluable Learning Experience” that tells about what NMUN means to me and what it has meant for my personal and professional growth throughout the years.

Sara Belligoni

 

Thanks to the National Model United Nations for the pictures.