BUSUN 2017

By: M. I. Silveira e Silva

photos from @mun.stpauls on instagram

Amongst the various trips and experiences St. Paul’s provided me with, Model United Nations was, in my opinion, one of the best outcomes. Even though conference procedures and preparations are always quite similar, each conference brings out different experiences and lessons that put me in tricky situations where I always doubt whether I will be able to find a way out. And I believe this trip to Brown University for BUSUN 2017 (Brown University Simulations of the United Nations) Conference wasn’t any different.
 
BUSUN Conference takes place every year in the second weekend of November, at Brown University – part of the Ivy League group - and I believe this alone would be enough to set the standard of the conference. Delegates were experienced, ready to tackle the issues thrown at them, and overall, excited to work their way out through the worlds’ current conflicts. On top of being involved with the conference, throughout the week we spent there, we also had the opportunity to attend open classes, such as “The Principles of Economics” and “The Illicit global economy of counterfeiting and intellectual property theft”.
 
Personally, in this conference, I was given the opportunity to represent Somalia at the Arab League Committee. There we discussed topics such as: “Preserving the rights and lives of protestors in all regions with a focus on those controlled by authoritarian regimes” and “The ongoing war in Yemen and the path towards resolving it and rebuilding the country’s infrastructure that has been destructed throughout the course of the war.”  To solve such, we had to prepare resolutions and persuade other delegations that our solution would not only be the most effective, but also that it would benefit all. Points of information, motions and voting procedures were unaccountably made, allowing us to pass two resolutions for both topics mentioned above.
 
BUSUN to me, was important not only because it enhanced my debating skills by making me impose myself in front of several other delegates from numerous nationalities, but also because it concluded my Model United Nations journey at St. Paul’s. As someone who has been part of MUN for 5 years, I am grateful for the opportunities it has provided me with and truly encourage all those who still have time to pursue it and engage with it. Model UN has helped me lose my fear of public speaking, made me understand that persistence and perseverance are essential and most importantly, and taught me that those who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are actually the ones who do.