By Ayomide Ajakaiye
_
As MUN Impact’s first Global Summit draws near, the theme of global citizenship becomes more and more apparent. Being a global citizen is about recognizing all the different pieces that form the larger world around you. It is essential to remember that every person has the potential, no matter their expertise, to make an impact.
Despite their youth, Ananya Balakrishnan and Ananya Prasad, student leaders at MUN@HOME and Jr. OMUN, help make an impact through their work as the Plenary Session Team of the Global Summit. They both share the responsibility of providing an introduction for the session each day, hosting keynote speakers for presentations, rehashing the events of previous sessions, and simultaneously setting the tone for what all the workshops will look like. Each session introduces keynote speakers such as the Assistant Secretary General of the Security Council and other guests as they enlighten participants about important issues that affect our global community. “It’s almost like uniting communities to speak to a larger cause…I’m really excited to have that “forum for thinking,” Balakrishnan states. Both Prasad and Balikrishnan push for youth advocacy and awareness by embodying the values of MUN Impact.
As experienced MUN delegates themselves, both Balakrishnan and Prasad understand both the excitement and nervousness that surround conferences, but encourage participants to realize the importance of the summit. “Be confident with your own abilities…look at the bigger picture of what’s going on around you, what’s happening, and what you’re learning,” Balakrishnan advises upcoming participants.
Both Prasad and Balakrishnan are thrilled to be serving as a part of the Plenary Session Team and have high hopes for the Global Summit. “It’s so easy to feel hopeless nowadays,” Prasad says, “I hope that we can actually show people that they can have an impact beyond just their communities.”
Make sure to tune into the Plenary Team’s Presentation! Many people have different definitions of a global citizen, but for Prasad, “A global citizen is someone who remains actively involved in issues that not only impact them but issues that they have the privilege of not being affected by them.” Ultimately, the concept of the Global Summit unites people together in a time when the world may feel very separate in order to appreciate global citizenship and make a difference.