Confidently I raised my hand.

“Under what point do you rise delegate?”

“The delegate of Syria rises under a P-27, short speech or comment.”

“That is an order.”

Pausing for a moment, I begin “the delegate of Syria would like to praise the delegate of Bolivia for rightfully condemning the corrupt capitalist pigs of the West. This delegate recognizes the destructive aftermath of too much Western intervention as evidenced in the prolonging of the Syrian war. The imperialist pigs of the West have wrongfully aided insurgent rebel forces.” I sit down, satisfied in my cynical response.

Last weekend I participated in my first conference of Model United Nations. As a political science major, MUN naturally drew my attention. I signed up not knowing what to expect. The days quickly passed. I started learning about procedures, rules and Syrian policy. I interpreted how a true delegate of Syria would act, what my tactics should be during the conference. Finally, the conference arrived. I was eager about how the events yet to unfold. Yet, I was also nervous. Would I properly represent a corrupt delegate of Syria? Could I withstand backlash from other delegates? My anxieties later subsided. The conference was an incredible experience. I met people passionate about the people of their country. People willing to negotiate for the greater good. People unafraid to remain true to their country’s convictions. The following lessons statements best capture my experience:

1. The power of word choice

Words are powerful. They can elicit an array of emotions such as joy, confusion and anger. As the delegates prepared resolutions, or specific plans of actions , I was amazed by how much discussion can go into the selection of a word. For example, the word “suggests” was looked upon more favorably than “requires.” Certain countries, like Syria and Russia, want little little regulation and interference from the UN; they do not want the UN to impose policy upon them.

2. “Birds of a feather stick together”

Like-minded countries naturally gravitate towards each other. Delegates turn to their ally countries first in deciding policy. So, yes, Russia, Syria, the DPRK (North Korea) and China often stuck together. Quite the intimidating group, right?

3. The danger of being too sympathetic to a cause…

As the delegate of Syria, I had to think as the Al Assad government would. I had to regard Western countries as the potential threats. I had to condemn capitalism. I needed to lie and deflect questions about the Al Assad government starving its own people. Even after the conference or when I wasn’t in committee, I found myself thinking as the delegate of Syria. A very scary thought indeed…

4. Model United Nations: a platform for international unity

The goal of the MUN conference is to create resolutions, a culmination of debates and negotiations, which is not an easy feat. It took almost the entirety of the conference to just pass two resolutions on the topic. However, the process in creating resolutions is amazing. Delegates representing countries of different cultures, languages and beliefs unite as they create policy that would combat issues of world hunger, gender inequality and security. Though MUN holds no real power, it offers a glimpse into the work of the United Nations. I hold a greater admiration for the United Nations members. Compromise is difficult. Yet, they overcome their differences to serve the global community.