Nature’s Spokespeople

“It is our belief that we cannot develop, we can’t even exist, without a place to live in, without a place to makes us flourish.” Who would choose to be part of a different committee after hearing the stance of Environment Chairpeople Sinziana Astefanoaei and Catalin Toma?

It all started with a regular debating club that turned into a national conference with Sanziana and Catalin as keynote participants. “At that time I didn’t know much about conferences; we were just discussing global issues, reading articles and debating,” Sanziana recalled of their modest beginnings.

But, probably this wouldn’t have been enough.

They both agreed that the person who made the difference was their English teacher, David Pi.  “He made going to an international MUN [Model United Nations] one of his goals here in Romania, one of his projects to be fulfilled while he was a teacher at our school,” Catalin mentioned admiringly.

So far the ingredients for a successful conference have been a great place for acquiring the necessary skills and the best person to teach them. Still, all skills have to be practiced and could there be a better opportunity than at the MUN Conference? Once breathing the conference air, they didn’t set their sights on great achievements but their modesty brought them very good results as delegates. Catalin felt excited because it was his first MUN conference but he was timid because it was his nature. Sanziana, meanwhile, regarded it as an opportunity to broaden her knowledge field. Through the eyes of a teenager, MUN seemed to be an overwhelming experience. Catalin was mesmerized by “the gargantuan number of people of my age interested in such a thing.” Sanziana, instead was absolutely impressed with the complete dedication and implication that delegates showed while defending their countries’ opinions and interests.

If we were to follow their advice the best conference to participate in would definitely be MUN? But why not choose other conference instead? What makes a MUN Conference different from other events of the same type? Sanziana found two differentiating aspects. One of them would be a higher degree of strictness and formality, a good thing in her opinion since “it prepares students for a stiff academic environment.” In addition, she finds that MUN Conferences put a greater accent on individual work which is, once more a positive aspect: “When everybody is well prepared, the debate is more engaging and has a higher level” she concluded positively.

On the other hand, Catalin found the impact of MUN of utmost importance: “It helps pass from the very selfish views usually taught in school and in the society about nationalism and preconceptions, and that is exactly what such an event is able to achieve – create a common thinking necessary for a species, a species who, for millennia has fought against its own kind.”

What could a chairperson hope to achieve in a MUN Conference? Most of their expectations regard progress, both personal and collective. As the saying goes, “One is never too old to learn”, or too experienced, Sanziana would add: “I’m sure that observing the delegates, and learning from their mistakes, I will be a better delegate myself, in the future.”

As for Catalin the position that he now occupies is a greater opportunity for him to make the others discover the unique MUN experience. “I hope to be able to implement the spark of protecting the environment in those who attend the conference, and also to help the others find out that they are able to discuss topics in a way they have hardly skimmed the surface of during school talks” he said, animated by his well-intended plans.

Whoever might have thought that MUN is just an engaging way of spending their leisure time have proved to be much mistaken. Sanziana listed no less than four skills maximized by this apparent hobby: “Listening, analyzing, negotiating, finding optimal solutions considering a wide variety of factors are all important skills that I have developed and that will help me reach my maximum potential in my career.”

To round up, how about taking into account some pieces of advice from the Environment Committee chairs:

“Research is the key to success. However, don’t forget to have fun!” – Sanziana Astefanoaiei

“Enjoy what you are doing and make friends. Because if you cannot make the most of this conference, then you will not think of it as a rewarding experience, and it will be, from any point of view, an utter waste of time.” – Catalin Toma

Written by: Ioana Gabriela Gorgoi