Lamya Adam, a student in year 11 at Doha College, Qatar presented to a group of over 50 students today at 15:30 UTC during the first day of the inaugural Global Summit. She addressed everyone on the topic of “the delegate will reply in note form.” Her presentation addressed a wide array of topics centered around resolution writing, presenting, and conference attending.
Adams entered the MUN world reluctantly. However, shortly after signing up she found herself surrounded by like minded thinkers and a caring community. Once she entered there was no turning back! Adams began her session with instructions and advice for new members of the MUN community. She reminded the session that there is “no right or wrong way to write a resolution. There are many different approaches.”
“Research is confidence,” she began. Stressing the importance of research she instructed everyone to read the research reports, skim, highlight, and delve into areas where you need more information using other sources (even recommending Wikipedia, a highlight for the students!) She walked the participants through the structure of writing a resolution: Build out, starting from the research report and explore multiple solutions and weigh the advantages and disadvantages.
Adams believes that if you put the time and effort into research before the conference it will pay off in the long run. For difficult Points of Information (POI’s), “refer back to your research. Use facts. Research can help you ‘be a politician.’” She explained that to be a politician, “Acknowledge the question but like politicians thank for the input and divert attention. Make sure to highlight the good parts. Stand by your position and resolution!”
When these tactics (along with sharing the floor with team members) fail for trying to answer a difficult POI, Adam’s delved into how to properly reply in note form. Her first advice: “actually reply with a note!” She warned that many who say they will answer in note form, fail to do so entirely. By answering their question by note, you may win their vote, even if they don’t 100% agree with what you say. Answer their question creatively. She said “think outside the box. MUN is supposed to be fun. Be a little dramatic, but highlight the good parts of the resolution and stress the urgency and dire matter of the resolution.”
Adam’s then opened the floor to an activity to get the participants involved and to practice the skills she went over. Students researched the topic of sustainable energy in small island developing states to debate whether or not to build a dam to provide hydroelectric power to communities. The participants returned from research and engaged in a small impromptu debate, where the participants displayed their skills of answering POI’s and diverting when necessary.
In a short 45 minute session Lamya Adam was able to debunk negative connotations of replying in note form. She gave an introduction to how to be properly prepared for an MUN conference and engaged her participants in an activity where students were able to display their newly learned knowledge. Her session balanced worries of many newcomers to the MUN world with helpful tips for seasoned MUN delegates to continue to grow their toolkit.
In short, Lamya Adam demonstrated skills, shared tips, and explained what it takes to be a successful delegate and how to get there. And her story from being a reluctant delegate to giving her own presentation to inspire new MUNers shows the exact spirit of the Global Summit.
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By Hallie Williams