From March 23 to March 29, a delegation of 20 students from St. Lawrence represented Côte d'Ivoire at the National Model United Nations in New York, working with university and college student-delegates from around the world to address some of the world's most pressing issues.
The group has been attending weekly workshops since August, they have performed extensive research about Côte d'Ivoire and their committee topics, and they have also attended a practice simulation at Université Laval, in addition to writing a 1,500-word research paper.
During their week in New York, the student-delegates worked 12-hour days. They participated in formal sessions, giving short speeches to hundreds of their peers, and in informal sessions, working in groups to write resolutions. They also had the opportunity to visit the UN headquarters and Canada's Permanent Mission to the UN.
In a video message to participants, António Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, thanked all delegates for taking part in this Model United Nations conference, telling them that "Our world needs your engagement and ideas more than ever," and that he is "fully committed to giving young people a much stronger voice in international affairs to be a force for positive change, now and in the future."
It is therefore appropriate that we hear the voices of some of our amazing delegation reflecting on their experience:
"As soon as the first committee session began, I felt overwhelmed by a strong sense of self-accomplishment. In that instant, all the work I had put into this project over the past few months finally materialized. I realized how much the perseverance of the entire group had contributed to our success, which filled me with immense pride to be part of this delegation."
"This exposure is simply invaluable in developing one's sense of global citizenship."
"I learned that by thinking outside of my cultural and national context, I was able to approach politics with much more empathy and open mindedness."
"Compromise and halfway points are closer than we might think."
"I've met people from around the world and found out how similar we really are. All we wanted was to make the world a better place, and everyone had that in common."
"I think I'm the proudest of the group as a whole. We really got to see people grow and learn massively in the span of a few months and more intensively in New York. I am so proud of every single delegate."
"I have learned an immense amount and it has definitely changed me as a person. I learned to have faith, and most importantly, hope, in the future of a world I thought bleak beforehand. The commitment and will of the young to propose viable solutions to pervasive problems left me in awe."
For their hard work and active participation, the St. Lawrence delegation was awarded an Honorable Mention by NMUN.
Congratulations to all involved!
