By William Weston
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Only one hour into the MUN Impact Global Summit 2.0, Amaya and Lois’ workshop began, addressing the subject of making your MUN club’s voice heard and aligning your goals with the SDGs. To get the audience thinking about the SDGs, Lois, a 14-year-old student from Gibraltar, began to explain why SDG 1 (No Poverty) should be a focus for MUN clubs. Whilst stating that the number of people living in poverty has decreased over the past years, she made clear that a lot of work still needs to be done to address this global issue. Amaya, a 16-year-old student from Sri Lanka, also explained how SDGs 5 (Gender Equality), 10 (Reduced Inequalities) and 13 (Climate Action) need more attention. She explained how the similar nature of SDGs 5 and 10 means that the two can be addressed through similar methods. The duo went on to explain how NGOs have worked to address these issues, using Oxfam and UN Women as examples.
Following an enlightening presentation on the SDGs, participants had the opportunity to answer the question, ‘How can we organize events with other schools and clubs?’ Several interesting solutions were raised by participants. For example, one participant, Malik, suggested that ‘schools should organize sports days’ in order to promote healthy living and in turn SDG 3. Furthermore, another participant, Vishwa, suggested how schools could organize free teaching for people in the local area, to ensure that everyone has access to quality education (SDG 4).
The session then went onto an explanation of some key leadership skills that one may need in order to organize MUN conferences and workshops. Amaya explained that a good leader should inspire others and be a great listener. Additionally, she highlighted the importance of public speaking skills, something that any MUN delegate can appreciate. Afterwards, Lois continued to explain the benefits of partnerships and how twinning projects, such as through conferences or fundraising events, can massively help to get your message out there.
Finally, the workshop could not conclude without addressing the very present issue of COVID-19 and its impact on MUN clubs and conferences around the world. Amaya addressed the fact that social distancing requirements, along with lockdowns and curfews, have limited our abilities to organize and participate at the events that we would have previously taken for granted. However, that does not mean we cannot adapt to online platforms, such as Zoom, to still inspire others and take action. Being able to access MUN conferences and SDG related events, such as the MUN Impact Global Summit, from the comfort of our homes is a huge advantage. Amaya herself admitted that she has attended several more conferences since the pandemic began than she otherwise would have. However, an issue that often gets forgotten is the lack of access to the internet and technology that several people have. Amaya shared her concerns that people may get left behind by this shift that we are currently experiencing. Nonetheless, the youth’s ability to make change is as present as it has always been and that was definitely highlighted by Amaya and Lois’ enlightening presentation.
The full recorded session of this workshop can be accessed here.