On 16 September, BSoG’s debate Club Team and MUN clubs organised a BSoG MiniMUN 2023 conference.
This was a one day conference at the beginning of the semester to kickstart the MUN year. It was also a great opportunity for new delegates to get acquainted with MUN, and experienced delegates were invited to network with other MUNers based in Brussels and nearby cities.
The focus of the conference was on the European Council. The European Council is a committee seen less frequently at MUNs, and this was an opportunity to get to know the procedures of the European Council better.
Faris Zebib, member of the BSoG Debate Club Team and a BSoG third year student of BA in International Affairs, shares his experience from the conference.
"After months of preparation and contemplating our approach we finally made it happen.
The BSoG’s Inaugural Mini-Model UN was a major success. With the organization of our debate team, Sofie Skovborg, Nicole Sanjon and myself, led the simulation on the 16th of September.
The single-day conference had 20 participants, coming from Universities and High schools alike from all across Belgium. The delegates were formidable speakers and reminded us that Model UN and debate continues to be a core part of young student’s education and growth.
We saw 3 awards handed out, the first to a First Year BSoG student from Romania. The second to a University student from Sweden, studying in Leuven. The third a high-school student from India, studying in the International School of Antwerp.
The award winners highlights the beauty in diversity that we experience in Brussels. It is this diversity that is a catalyst for fruitful and explorative debate all over the world. Different backgrounds, upbringings and perspectives come together in simulations like the “European Council” where delegates represent EU member states and simulate the approach of their designated countries.
In the end, we arrived at a well formulated “Resolution Paper” that was subject to immense scrutiny and debate by all of our delegates throughout our committee sessions.
We hope this experience left the students more knowledgeable on EU affairs and will serve as a catalyst for the development of young democratic leaders and bright minds."
