BRAMUN 2024

By: A. Jabur

Held yearly in Costa do Sauípe, Bahia, BRAMUN (Brazil Model United Nations) is the largest and most renowned MUN conference in the whole of South America, bringing together schools from all of Brazil, including Porto Alegre, Curitiba, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Salvador, and more. It is held in a beachside resort in one of the most beautiful places Brazil has to offer during a 4-day conference.

The St. Paul’s delegation, led by Ms. Lima and Mr. Sousa, arrived at Costa do Sauípe on March 20th. We were all immediately amazed by the vastness and beauty of the resort and all it had to offer, including pools, an amazing beach, and much, much food. We checked into our rooms and got ready for the opening ceremony, which included a speech by the secretariat and by a Brazilian Diplomat about the importance of diplomacy. There were hundreds of pupils from all over Brazil and over 20 schools in attendance. All St. Paul’s pupils were there as delegates, except for Lucia Melcon, who held the prestigious position of Head Chair of the Economic and Social Council. As the Opening Ceremony came to a close and BRAMUN 2024 was declared open, delegates began to head to their committees to commence what would be in total 4 days, and over 20 hours, of grueling debate. At 20:00 the committee sessions ended and after dinner, we enjoyed some karaoke and explored the hotel.

The next morning most delegates were up at dawn to enjoy the sunrise, some morning exercise, and a jump in the ocean. The views we experienced were absolutely unbelievable, and undoubtedly gave us strength for the following day. After breakfast, we headed back to our committees and continued debating for 4 hours, creating resolutions, giving speeches, defending our positions mercilessly and exercising diplomacy while trying to solve some of the most pressing issues faced by the UN today. During lunch, we all headed to the beach for a well-deserved break and enjoyed some swimming and sunbathing. Soon we were back in our committees, and 4 hours later we were having dinner and enjoying some more fun activities BRAMUN had to offer.

The next day we once again were up early to see the incredible sunrise and enjoy some morning exercise. Hours of taxing debate were broken up by trips to the beach and coffee breaks which we used to talk to our fellow delegates and get to know people we usually wouldn’t meet at conferences in Sao Paulo. Many friendships were forged not just in the tense committee sessions but also in the relaxing moments shared at the beach and during meals.

Before we knew it, it was the last day and BRAMUN was quickly coming to an end. We had one last committee session before the closing ceremony, and at this point, we were all extremely anxious to know if any of us were going to be awarded prizes at the most prestigious conference in South America, and at the same time sad that this unique experience that mixed tense academic debate with fun at the beach with friends was already ending.

The closing ceremony saw many teary speeches by the secretariat, as well as much celebration as the secretariat and leadership team for next year was announced. I am proud to say that Form 5 pupils Anna Sapoznik and Athina Kissajikian will hold the esteemed position of Chairs at BRAMUN 2025.

I am also proud to say that St. Paul’s had a very successful conference, as many of our delegates walked away with awards. Ana Jabur and Ana Sabie won Best Delegation in the Human Rights Council, Nina Moreau won Best Speaker in the French Revolution Trials, and Tiago Junqueira won Best Speaker in the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.
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In conclusion, BRAMUN 2024 was by far one of the most memorable, fun, but also demanding conferences I have personally ever experienced. The hours of debate, as well as the research and preparation that go in before the conference, are so rewarding and are more than worth it. The setting is incredibly beautiful and the experiences are like no other.