By Jordan Hattar, Co-founder/Director of Help4Refugees
During my freshman year of university I joined the MUN team at California State University Long Beach. In November of 2011 my university sponsored me to attend BIMUN in Bonn, Germany where I was a member of press/media team. I wanted to learn more about international relations and see what the real UN was like. Also, I wanted to meet other people who were passionate about making a difference through diplomacy, international relations, etc.
Ten months later, in the fall of 2012, with my experience of being a MUN journalist, in addition to recognizing the difficulty of entering the Syrian Refugee Camp of Al-Zaatari in northern Jordan, I decided to be a freelance journalist as my ticket to gain access into the refugee camp.
Within three months of being a journalist in the refugee camp, after a great deal of persistence, I was able to appear on BBC World News Radio and BBC World News TV at just 20 years old. I also attended a press conference in the refugee camp with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. I vividly remember having the confidence to talk Secretary General Ban Ki-moon because of a press conference I took part in at BIMUN in which my friend played the role of “Ban Ki-moon” while we asked him questions.
There is a huge connecting between MUN and my current humanitarian efforts. MUN conferences left me feeling inspired by fellow delegates’ motivation to change the world and equipped me with skills needed to create positive change- if it weren’t for MUN I wouldn’t have been so confident when I entered the Zaatari Refugee Camp for the first time. MUN prepares students for the humanitarian path in many ways.
My advice would be to take action after learning about a given issue. We are never too young to change this world! For example, often after MUN conferences we are so well informed on an issue and we create these incredible resolutions, why not carry that into the real world? My advice would be to find a creative way to reach out to decision makers or news outlets and ensure that your voice is heard. For example, writing an Op-Ed for a newspaper publication or submitting a blog to Huffington Post can change a lot of people’s minds. Changing hearts and minds is one powerful way to change this world
The real UN feels no different than MUN- thanks to BIMUN for teaching me how to act during a press conference!