The HIAMUN’24 theme debrief; the executive teams’ thoughts, how it came to, and what it represents.
Posted
CommentPost a comment
Introduction to MUN:E
On May 21, 2023, HIAMUN launched and hosted the first-ever annual MUN:E event. As Mr. Karim, HIAMUN’s director, said, MUN:E also stands for MUN Egypt, MUN Exchange, MUN Executives, MUN Education, and MUN Evolution. MUN:E is a conference about uniting the MUN conferences of Egypt and collaborating with one another by hosting workshops through WhatsApp groups, providing suppliers, etc., to create more robust and innovative conferences.
Hayah’s Secretary General Abdulrahman El Dib shares the purpose behind MUN:E was creating a platform that could develop into a way for conferences to unite, exchange ideas, and guide each other to grow and develop the conferences, to raise the level of MUN around Egypt. He adds that with MUN:E they can connect the secretariats through the conferences, and as it grows through the years, MUN’s growth would increase, and students would be able to attend high-level conferences.
Alaa Hussein, HIAMUN’s Deputy Secretary General, says she is excited for MUN:E’s future. She shares her thoughts on the future, expecting “MUN:E to create official unified practices that all conferences in Egypt will abide by,” which will “hopefully lead to an increase in the standard and quality of MUN conferences in Egypt.” Jannah Tarek, HIAMUN’s Deputy Secretary General, adds her thoughts, sharing that MUN:E is “a chance for everyone to talk about different aspects of MUN in Egypt in general” and it’s “a way of communication between all the secretariats.” She expresses her perspective of the event happening over the course of several days in order to be able to thoroughly discuss and focus on the details of developing the MUN conferences in Egypt. Jannah expects that MUN:E will be the reason for the unified and stronger MUN conferences in Egypt.
Participating schools were Heritage, CES, TBS, AIS, NIS, and Alson. Each school’s attending representatives contributed interesting suggestions that sparked the discussions and brought great ideas to the table.
Jeopardy
As the forum begins, the representatives of the schools are gathered, nervous, and making small talk. Teams were randomly created; each group consisted of representatives from different schools, and they joined to play an amusing and rousing game of Jeopardy. The game lightened the mood and broke the awkwardness with fun questions that excited everyone to answer and help their team win. Nagham Sharaf from TBS said the vibe was friendly, and she expected it to be more awkward, but it was fun. Mariam El Ramly from Alson also enjoyed Jeopardy and expects more experiences and fun throughout the rest of the day.
Conference Discussions
The day was organized to discuss various topics concerning the Model UN conferences across Egypt. The secretaries discussed essential issues such as the grading system. Each representative adds their opinion regarding the points system, rubrics, etc. There were many divided opinions on how the grading system should work, many contrasting one another’s point of view, apart from the unanimous decision that unifying the system to be one would be too difficult. One of the critical topics that were brought to discussion was the community service projects. Each school works on a project to provide money for a service/target SDG (Sustainable Development Goals). Nevine Ghazi from EGI and Jazmin Blaj from Alson helped fuel the conversation with their solid and striking ideas, constantly supporting their thoughts with creative ways to execute their plan. Although almost everyone had a different opinion on how to approach this project, they all had the same goal: to help the communities and support those in need.
Press in MUN:E
The discussion about the press was new for conferences and provided much insight into the process and evolution of the media in Hayah. What started 14 years ago as just The Quil, which was only a newspaper, eventually evolved into the press known today with multiple branches covering different jobs like photography, design, and more. HIAMUN’s press is open and willing to collaborate with other schools to expand press across the conferences. There was an open discussion on how to start their press teams, with questions on how they prepped for the conference and what is required to make a good team. Menna Darwish and Lina Wahba from Hayah, along with Sarah El Meshad, the Press advisor, shared excellent ideas and recommendations with the rest of the schools.
The students discussed how they could communicate with each other regarding the press, suggesting ideas such as a website, an Instagram account, a Reddit community, or a WhatsApp group. However, Hamza Soliman from Heritage thinks a WhatsApp group is a terrible idea, bringing the forum to laughter at his straightforward opinion.
The secretaries also mentioned the pre-conference preparations, each sharing their views and procedures on how delegates are prepared at their schools. Abdelrahman El Dessouky from BISC expressed that they should enhance the delegate’s creativity and train them to vigorously debate and learn, which garnered a lot of agreement from many. Alaa Hussein, the deputy Secretary General from Hayah, agrees and adds that for a delegate to be trained well and prepared for the conference, so should the presidents and chairs. Farida Youssef from Oasis thinks that to help the delegates learn, instead of a lecture about what MUN is, make it interactive so that it could stick with delegates and make it more fun. An abundance of ideas was being shared, with differing perspectives to help one another improve and strengthen the preparations for the delegates, chairs, and presidents to end up with an exceptional forum and spectacular debates.
Artificial Intelligence in MUN
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT! Heritage MUN is banning the use of printing, spell-check, and cell phones, said Heritage MUN Director John Mulin during the introduction of the AI segment. The AI discussion was an interesting conversation where the secretaries debated over the use of AI tools in the conferences. Director John Mulin of Heritage MUN states that it was a firm belief that spell-check would ruin students’ ability to spell, but did it severely affect them? Maybe it’s the same case for AI. AI can generate sufficient information in just a matter of minutes, making it less time-consuming and easier to gather research. Hence, naturally, the students will, as Kenzy Youssef from AIS says, work smarter, not harder, and use AI to help them with their research. Karim El Dib, HIAMUN Director, mentions: “Chat GPT is a tool that could be used for and could be used for bad.” Whether it is used for cheating or for enhancing skills. He adds that it will have a negative impact in the beginning; however, in the long run, it would definitely have a positive effect and raise the level of debate. Hence his belief that it shouldn’t be banned. The secretaries share their stance on the use of AI, and although they all agree that AI tools like Chat GPT are negatively affecting the quality of the debates in the conferences, most agreed that it can’t be avoided, so why not utilize it the best way they possibly could?
Final Remarks
The MUN:E conference was an excellent opportunity for the representatives of each school to discuss various important topics and agree on the best decisions that could be made to help improve the MUN conferences in Egypt, unifying them in the process.
Malak Taher is a Senior Economist and Adviser to the EBRD Board Director for Egypt at the Ministry of International Cooperation. She received her Bachelor's Degree in International Relations followed by a Master's degree in Emerging Economies and International Development from King's College London, while being an Economics Sessional Lecturer at Kaplan International College in London. With almost 4 years of experience in the Ministry, Malak has been involved in high-level negotiations and initiatives, including being part of a team responsible of the cooperation portfolio with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and launching Egypt's Country Platform for the Nexus on Water, Food and Energy during COP27.
Malak graduated from Hayah International Academy in 2015 after participating in her first HIAMUN in 2012.
By: Malak Diaa
Exposure, Transcendence an Empowerment; these are the three words that can be used to envision the MUN impact. A student conference at its front, Model United Nations is the youth’s entryway to “diplomatic debates and conversations that resemble those at the United Nations.”
MUN exposes students to the challenging and emerging conflicts and affairs that concern nations worldwide, and develops their understanding of the interaction of diplomats, secretaries, and judges in discussing issues and creating the holistic picture of matters through the diverse perspectives of the world. Essentially, it provides an opportunity for students to deliberate the critical local and global issues through the lens of a multitude of countries around the world. It also iterates and reveals the importance of the UN to participating youth. This exposure intensifies the significance of MUN’s educational purpose, because it encourages participants to think critically of world events, and grasp multiple viewpoints.
Allowing students to represent nations as delegates does not just allow students to indulge in “the art of diplomacy” and increase collaboration and communication skills, it enables them to understand the stance of their country in political, social, and economic contexts, entrusting them to respond to other countries accordingly. Participants of the conference are students transformed by the interest in debate and discussion in an international simulation of the UN. Therefore, MUN is a challenge to the normal experiences and responsibilities of the student; this transcendental aspect of the conference exists to create a pathway for students to enter the seemingly distant diplomatic world. MUN is transcendent of the student’s existence and multiplies youth interest and engagement in the many concerns of the world, which generates the framework for positive change.
Voice and perspective are the two key ideas that delegates and judges revel in; what is said and how it is said is the drive of discussion, collaboration, and critical thinking. Voice and perspective is what makes nations agree, disagree, abstain, conflict, direct, and modify ideas, stances, and most notably, change. Consequently, MUN empowers students to drive and lead their forums to establish resolutions and conclusions that have worldwide significance. The conference gives a voice to solutions that are so critical in the current time, empowering future leaders and problem-solvers that have a wider scope of the world, here and now.
MUN is the difference; MUN is the exposure, transcendence, and empowerment of youth to face today and tomorrow’s international challenges.
Quotations from: https://www.un.org/es/node/44733
By Tia Mokhtar
HIAMUN is an annual conference that has been in session since 2011, which hosts schools all over Cairo; giving students the chance to make new experiences and help develop their debating skills. We asked some of HIAMUN’s participants what they’re looking forward to the most in this year’s conference.
Ameera El Samra from Hayah eagerly awaits HIAMUN which she has taken part in for the past three years. She tells us that she is “very excited and enthusiastic about this year’s HIAMUN, since I’m in my favorite forum, and I’m very excited for the intense debates on each of our topics. Since I have two HIAMUNs left, I’ll be going all out in my forum, and I’m very excited to meet many new delegates that will make my HIAMUN experience 100 times better. HIAMUN is one of the events I look forward to every year, and prepare for 4 months earlier. This HIAMUN will definitely be a memorable experience and full of amazing debates, I can’t wait!”
Seif El Minawi from AIS West has been an active participant in the past two HIAMUN conferences, this year he looks forward to the intense debates and ‘great food’. “For this year’s HIAMUN conference, I am looking for some intense debate. As you know, MUN has many aspects to it, but for me what gets me excited is debating. HIAMUN has always had a strong level of debate, hopefully that level gets even higher. I truly want all the delegates with me in the forum to participate because that makes the experience more intense and honestly more fun. It also produces better resolutions and results, which in turn positively reflect on me and on the council. So please, I urge all delegates reading this; be prepared because I’m coming in strong for HIAMUN ‘20 and so should you. And of course, as usual, I’m looking forward to the great food that HIAMUN offers!!”
Aya Darwish from Hayah has never attended HIAMUN before, she regards it as “a very new and exciting experience, seeing how successful all of the other HIAMUNs were, in addition to how different they were from other MUN conferences. I’m also looking forward to meet new delegates and interact with new people.”
Ali Abdelbaki, another student from AIS West, is attending HIAMUN this year for the third time. He excitedly anticipates this year’s conference. “As usual, I am overexcited about HIAMUN as I usually am every year. Just something about the conference makes one feel at home; it’s the atmosphere created by the dedicated organizers that gives us delegates and guest chairs that warm feeling of being a part of something more than just an MUN conference. Over the years, I have formed traditions at HIAMUN and made many new friends I am proud to call family today. Most importantly, the hard working OC and EC allow me to carry out my passion for this club by creating one of, if not, the best conferences of the year and I’m overjoyed to have the opportunity of joining this conference one more time to see many new faces to this culture and sadly, see some faces for the last time at any conference. It is with utmost excitement that I say delegates, delegates, delegates welcome back to another annual session of HIAMUN.”
Jana Salah from Hayah has attended one other HIAMUN conference, what she looks forward to the most is “seeing how all the different forums will incorporate the theme of Pangaea into the conference. I am also very excited to be subjected to a variety of diverse points of view and intellect by meeting new people.”
Hamza Wareh from NIS is a previous winner of the best delegate award in HIAMUN. He looks forward to this year’s conference, as it will be his last. “Sadly, the next HIAMUN will be my final MUN as a student. Therefore, I have chosen that I should put in the effort to reach the utmost potential an MUN could provide. I would like to remember this MUN not only as my final conference but also the one where I have left a remarkable impact on the people that I met, and hopefully, could become friends.”
By Judi Yassin
Hayah International Academy’s Model United Nations conference was initiated in 2011 and has come to be arguably one of the best model UN experiences in Egypt. After attending three MUN conferences that same year, Mr. Karim El Dib found that Hayah International Academy had the potential to start its own unique conference, therefore decided to initiate HIAMUN. He saw a clear vision of HIAMUN being the third THIMUN affiliated conference in Egypt (which was achieved) and worked towards it by making HIAMUN a safe environment in which students can learn and express themselves. However, it wasn’t that simple, as the first HIAMUN conference was scheduled to take place right before the 25th of January revolution. This forced them to postpone the conference until May. It was also difficult to find schools that trusted the fact that the first HIAMUN conference would be a constructive one, therefore participate in it. In addition, the first HIAMUN conference had only one forum which was the General Assembly, it only consisted of 35 participants. Now, there are ten forums in HIAMUN consisting of over 400 students from schools all over Egypt. Mr. Karim El Dib believes that with these growing numbers, students attend the conference with different motives and goals in mind, which makes the experience even more brilliant.
By Jana Hesham
Both the academic and organizing committees play a significant role in literally putting the whole event together. We interviewed some members of the AC and OC, to bring you the jist of what HIAMUN’s team carry in spirit and how each member contributes to the conference.
What do you like most about MUN?
“The heated debates between the delegates.” - Aly Haytham, AL Chair
“The thing I like most about MUN is that it opens our eyes to the issues the world faces and it gives us the opportunity to find solutions, while also learning about the different perspectives each nation has.” - Malak Kamal, GA 3 Chair
“One of the main things I like about MUN is that it allows for the negotiation of different topics that are of utmost importance. Furthermore, it allows each and every individual to develop new skills such as debate, presentation, and communication skills.” - Fatema Ottozbeer, GA President
“What I love most about MUN conferences is how diverse they are, you get to meet new people from all the different schools.” - Youssef El Wardany, GA 3 President
“I love watching delegates get so immersed in the debates. I recall an ICJ case last year where the advocates got so immersed into the case and made the case feel so real to me. I also remember a conversation after a debate about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with one of the delegates who happened to be Palestinian. The conversation made me look at this debate in a different way than I saw others.” - Alaa Aref, Press Head
What inspired you to enter HIAMUN this year?
“For the past three years, MUN has always been a way for me to stay in touch with the world around me and the events happening everyday. And since I like to always know what’s happening around me, I decided to go on with the MUN experience even more and become a chair so that I am even more aware of the topics at hand.” - Aly Haytham, AL Chair
“I chose to enter HIAMUN this year since it’s my last. That means that just like numerous people have left their marks in my life when I was starting my MUN career, I want to at least try to be half as helpful as all those that helped pave my way.” - Malak Kamal, GA 3 Chair
“I decided to enter the AC this year because I saw it as a great opportunity to grow and develop as an individual through an activity that I personally find very pleasurable and interesting.” - Fatema Ottozbeer, GA President
“I have been a part of HIAMUN for the last 3 years, first as an admin then as a delegate. This year I decided to be a part in bringing this conference to life. So, I was inspired to apply to the AC this year and have the chance to guide all delegates before and throughout the conference. “ - Youssef El Wardany, GA 3 President
Describe your role in three words.
“Driven. Persistent. Impactful.” - Aly Haytham, AL Chair
“I feel like the three words that would best describe my role is more of a statement ‘laying the foundation’.” - Malak Kamal, GA 3 Chair
“Indispensable, collaborative, and enjoyable.” - Fatema Ottozbeer, GA President
“Guiding, leading, empowering.” - Youssef El Wardany, GA 3 President
What makes your role important in HIAMUN?
“ It’s important because I make sure that the forum runs smoothly and in the best way possible.” - Aly Haytham, AL Chair
“Because without me all delegates and directors will most probably starve.” - Iman Mahgoub, Catering Head
“I feel that since the academic committee decides on the council topics and writes the reports, it helps shape delegates’ minds to view things from a certain point of view. As well as it is laying the basis for delegates to grow throughout the duration of the conference by ensuring that everyone participates and enjoys it.” - Malak Kamal, GA 3 Chair
“In my point of view, my role is extremely significant since it facilitates the learning process for the delegates, as well as that it makes the overall HIAMUN experience better and more enjoyable.” - Fatema Ottozbeer, GA President
“The president has a very important role, since all presidents need to guide, lead, and empower all delegates before and throughout the conference to give them an exceptional experience.” - Youssef El Wardany, GA 3 President
“I believe that the media in general has become a huge factor in our lives and a significant part of all industries. So, when it comes to MUN I don't believe it is any different. From designing our logo, to promotional teasers and videos, to press blog articles and daily newsletters during the conference, the press team plays a very important role. I believe that as press head, my role is to not only oversee the activities and duties of press and its execution, but to also create an experience for our press members and teach them about the role the media plays in any society and help them get to experience it first-hand.” - Alaa Aref, Press Head
What do you want people to know about your role?
“What I want people to know about my role is that I’m doing my best to make sure everyone enjoys HIAMUN’20’s food!” - Iman Mahgoub, Catering Head
“It’s a lot of work, but you become a part in planning one of the best MUN conferences.” - Youssef El Wardany, GA 3 President
“We hope that people would pay more attention to our press blog updates and releases. We hope to maintain the spirit of HIAMUN in the months leading up to the event, and so we hope people can not only view our press blog article and social media updates, but also get engaged and help us maintain that spirit.” - Alaa Aref, Press Head
How do you choose the topics? Tell us about the process.
“When we start choosing our topics we tend to try and search for ones that are constantly affecting us and our societies. The delegates would easily be able to relate to the topic, which would lead to them becoming more active in the debate.” - Aly Haytham, AL Chair
“Picking our topics was quite the challenge. When I first joined the team my president, Youssef El Wardany, showed me a few topic ideas and there the discussion started with us agreeing upon two almost immediately. However, the third topic proved harder to find taking us nearly two weeks to find a topic we both felt was strong enough to spark debate in the Third General Assembly.” - Malak Kamal, GA 3 Chair
“I chose the topics by searching for global issues that have a major impact on our lives, and issues that threaten a lot of countries’ stability and well-being.” - Fatema Ottozbeer, GA President
“Choosing MUN topics is a very important process. The topic must tackle a modern rising controversial-issue that would interest all delegates. In order to come up with that topic I must look into previously discussed resolutions and research relevant issues. Lastly, it is of high importance to word the topic in the correct manner for the delegates to understand what aspects to focus on.” - Youssef El Wardany, GA 3 President
How do you plan on arranging the menu for HIAMUN?
“I plan on arranging the menu for the conference by meeting with my deputy and fundraising team to arrange the sponsors and venues that we can afford. We would also check all the previous surveys to see last year’s delegates’ comments and try to adjust the menu to fit everyone’s needs, then most importantly taste the food (which is my favorite part).” - Iman Mahgoub, Catering Head
How do you plan the roles of the press team members?
“Press members who sign up, whether as writers, designers, or otherwise, give us a brief understanding of their experience in the media as well as their areas of expertise/interest. Further interviews that we conduct give us a deeper understanding of how each applicant can contribute to the team. While this information helps us in choosing our final committee members, it also helps when dividing the roles and assignments.” - Alaa Aref, Press Head
By Amira Aref and Tia Mokhtar
This year's conference, HIAMUN`20, officially marks the 10 year anniversary of HIAMUN. Each year the conference is full of many real world issues, questions, and cases that our delegates research and debate. Since this is HIAMUN’s 10th annual conference, we spoke to HIAMUN attendees over the past years, and we hand-picked 10 of the best topics.
Establishing measures to increase efforts towards economic integration amongst Arab nations (Arab League, HIAMUN’19)
The significance of the topic is through how it shows us, as Arabs, just how powerful we could be if Arab nations united. Arabs are unified through the similar cultures, language and heritage, but because of “foreign domination” and “internal divisions” Arabs have become separated. ICJ chair, Ali Kandil, said that economic integration is when “All Arab nations have the same currency, no visa needed to travel between them or to get jobs, and similar monetary and fiscal policies.” He also said that Arab nations becoming one large market, will make it “efficient, since you’ll be able to get jobs easily where the resources are, also when traveling there is no need for visa. No barriers for internal trade, tax rates are the same, similar to the EU basically.”
The question of legality on the possession of marijuana (cannabis) for personal use (General Assembly, HIAMUN’14)
Although this is not the biggest of problems we face in our world today, this debate on whether or not the possession of marijuana should be legalized can go on forever. The potential the topic carried enabled the delegates to pull up strong evidence on both sides, adding to the intensity and liveliness of the debates.
The question of militarizing outer space (General Assembly 1, HIAMUN’18)
When it comes to a topic like this – one that we don’t usually think about or consider - the debates allow us to see the countries’ stances when it comes to this issue and gives the delegates an insight on the goals and motives of these countries. It allows us to think of the motives and goals behind the stance each delegation takes when addressing this issue.
The issue of government transparency and accountability (General Assembly 3, HIAMUN’19)
Nour Abdelaziz, delegate of Saudi Arabia at the time, explained this topic saying, “the topic was about how when the government commits a crime, it has to take accountability for it, and not try to hide it like what happened with the Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and also that every single move the government makes or any money it spends, should be known to the public, and that nothing is kept secret.” She also elaborated on why she liked this specific topic saying, “I really enjoyed this topic because it reminded me of our current political state and I could relate to it and actually have a personal connection to the topic while debating, so I was debating it with passion.”
The question of the establishment of a Kurdish nation-state (General Assembly, HIAMUN’17)
As citizens of a country in the Middle East/MENA region, we recognize that even after World War I and all the articles on self-determination, we were not handed freedom on a silver platter, but rather an illusion of “if you want it, you can have it” as it was never actually that easy especially for minorities that had no state to call their own, such as the Kurds and their unrecognized nation-state, Kurdistan.
The issue of gender or racial inequality around the world especially in the Middle Eastern region (ECOSOC, HIAMUN’14)
One can say this is a topic that can be “expected” to be in MUN, and that’s exactly why it is one of HIAMUN’s most important topics. It focuses on a widespread issue that has been recognized for its global significance. For our delegates, this is also an issue that hits close to home as the problems and conflicts caused by this matter are very noticeable in the Middle East region.
The question of cyber surveillance on civilians (General Assembly, HIAMUN’16)
Ameena El Agha, delegate at the time, chose this topic as one of the most memorable for her, stating that, “it’s a real world issue that we might actually be victims of. So it’s important to be aware of its dangers and manifestations.” It is definitely an issue that the delegates realize they face every day, and so having it in HIAMUN gives more insight on the dangers of the matter in question.
The question of banning lethal autonomous weapons (LAWs) (General Assembly 1, HIAMUN’19)
For DSG Yahia Beethoven, this topic is important in several ways. The DSG said, when asked about the topic, that it “Shows us how technology could be dangerous or beneficial. It shows how different countries have different objectives, some want to develop, others want to defend, others want to dominate and threaten other weaker countries. It differentiates between fully autonomous and semi-autonomous weapons which is very important. It’s very relevant because artificial intelligence is a growing and trending field in the world. It puts ethics versus efficiency which is very interesting, would we risk the lives of people based on the decision of a machine and some software installed in it? Should we risk hacking? Should we get rid soldiers and make them lose their jobs to have more efficient machines? But at the same time this lessens the risks of spies and treason etc.”
Measures to reduce sectarian violence in the MENA region (SRCMENA, HIAMUN’17)
Mostafa Fetouh, delegate of Israel at the time, said that this topic was unforgettable for him and a topic that he liked a lot. He spoke of how it was “an eye opener” because through his research, he learned about the illegitimacy of the Israeli state despite being on Israel's side in the debate.
The issue of press freedom (Human Rights Council, HIAMUN’14)
Press freedom has been an ongoing issue that appears to be of great significance, as it is well known that freedom of the press is very closely associated with freedom of speech, which many could agree is a right. Not only that, but also the fact that Egypt had been labeled as “deteriorated” when it comes to press freedom (in 2013) makes this an important issue to discuss and put to light.
Here we compile a simple guide for any delegate’s MUN experience outlining the main do’s and don’ts with HIAMUN Secretary-General, Ameena El-Agha, so that everyone attending our conference could feel safe and feel comfortable to make the best use of their time by exploring themselves while still having fun!
1. Chase the experience
Many people join HIAMUN with one goal that could be main-submitting a unanimous resolution or getting a best delegate certificate. However, putting that goal in your mind hinders you from gaining a real experience that can open a door for you to discover yourself. As you are supposed try, have fun and be yourself in the conference without making it stressful on yourself or others!
2. Be decent
Try to make the conference’s environment as safe as possible. For instance, during the debates, do not bash the other delegates just to seem smart and impressive, as you have to take care of the thin line between having a fun, elevated debate and offending other delegates or main-submitters of any resolution as this bashing could reach the extent of “bullying”. Also, you should not be sending extremely inappropriate notes to other delegates, and don’t get me wrong you can joke and have fun, but without harassing anyone, as others have the right to feel safe in the forum, so they can benefit from the conference, and not be afraid to get out of their comfort zone.
3. Be constructive
If you are an experienced delegate don’t enter the forum with the mind set that you need to bash every speaker, as you are supposed to share your experience with other delegates who maybe are younger and less experienced, as bashing them could ruin their MUN experience while they are trying to get out of their comfort zones and build on their talents. So be constructive when critiquing the opinion of anyone. Also, try to help others. If you find someone writing a resolution, go on and help them by sharing any bit of your experience, or if you find that a resolution has some flaws, give them advice on how to amend it.
4. Get out of your comfort zone
Finally, and as cliché as it may sound, the conference is supposed to let people become comfortable with debating and expressing themselves, so during the debate don’t shy out, and say your opinion even if you think it’s small and insignificant. Don’t feel like you are the odd one out, as maybe you expressing your minor opinion will encourage someone else to come out of their comfort zone as well!
ALI KANDIL, ICJ CHAIR
What are you looking forward most to in the conference this year?
I’m looking forward to meeting lots of new people and getting to participate in an event much larger than I am. I am also very excited to be able to work hand in hand with other people whom I may not know, to be able to solve the world’s major issues.
What made you take part in MUN in the first place?
I’ve always heard that MUN was an experience that cannot be missed, and it has truly lived up to that reputation, if not exceeding to it.
YASSINE ABDELHAMID, ARAB LEAGUE CHAIR
What is your favorite MUN memory?
Winning the best lobbyist award in my last MUN conference.
What was your favorite MUN conference?
CACMUN ’17
YASMINA GOHAR, CCPCJ CHAIR
What are you looking forward most to in the conference this year?
Just hearing and knowing that everyone had fun while feeling like i helped them add something to their confidence and skills. Also having the feeling of accomplishing something new that added to their life like submitting their first resolutions, or talking for the first time or winning an award for the first time.
What is your favorite MUN memory?
2015 Cairokee outing and 2018 outing. They were moments of absolute pure happiness.
MENNAH EL BEBLAWY, VENUE AND TRANSPORTATION HEAD
What made you take part in MUN in the first place?
It has become a second home.
What is your favorite MUN memory?
Last conference when I was making my deputy run around everywhere since I was late and everyone including the SG’s and DSG’s were calling me to go to forums assuming I am in school (Till today, they didn’t know I actually wasn’t there.)
MARIAM ABDELGAWAD, ADMIN HEAD
What made you take part in MUN in the first place?
I’ve been participating in MUN for about 4 years and this is going to be my fifth, and it’s something I never regretted being a part of, that’s why this year I wanted to take part in the organizing committee for the first time even though I’ve been participating as a delegate for 4 consecutive years.
What was your favorite MUN conference?
HIAMUN ’15 because Cairokee performed at the outing and that was a day I would never forget.
ALIA WALEED, ECOSOC PRESIDENT
What was your favorite MUN conference?
I’d say the last HIAMUN when I was the chair of ECOSOC.
If you could go back in time what would you change in your MUN experience and why?
I would turn in my first chair report (in grade 9) on time for a chance to attend TIMUN in my first year for a more well rounded experience.
ABDELRAHMAN MEGAWER, SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT
What made you take part in MUN in the first place?
Since HIAMUN is the most anticipated event in the school and it is an excellent mixture for learning and having fun at the same time. Hence, it is a perfect fit. P.S. it covers my CAS :p
If you could go back in time what would you change in your MUN experience and why?
A close friend of mine, once told me “learn to unlearn”. Such an interesting quote right? Seeing that this is my second year to be part of the AC, it is very natural to have a tendency to repeat whatever was done last year and zoom out any room for creativity and new thoughts. If I had been aware of such concept earlier, I would have been very keen to initiate and embark to new measures to builder a much more pensive relationship with my delegates. It came to my realization that we have as AC members can have a huge difference on our delegates, we could actually teach them something like pushing them to get out of their comfort zone. And hence, I would have taken the matter to the next level. Thankfully, HIAMUN ‘19 is still months away and I still have time to do that!
It’s a new year for memories, experiences, and conferences. The Academic Committee and the Organizing Committee are getting ready for this year’s conference. The OC are getting their plans ready and getting everything sorted for the upcoming conference. The AC are getting their delegates ready for the conference and training each and every one of them, and throughout this hectic process there’s always someone who’s never done it before. This is why we interviewed our youngest AC members, Nour Amr (chair of the General Assembly) and Alia Emara (chair of the Human Rights Council) to get to know how they’re feeling about being chairs this year.
What is an obstacle or a challenge that you think you’ll face?
Alia: An obstacle I feel that I will face is that I know I will have friends in the forum, however, a part of this experience is learning the professionalism that accompanies it. Also, I feel like during the actual conference I don't know what is waiting for me in a sense; this is my first time as an AC, so I have no expectations, but, I know that I will get a hang of it, hopefully ending this experience positively.
Nour: I feel like as I get older and my MUN experience grows, I’ll start to worry more about others rather than focusing on myself. Comparing yourself to others is never healthy, however when many people excel at the same thing, it’s inevitable really. In this conference, the thing I think will really challenge is me is to be able to balance between fun and work as a chair, because the forum shouldn't be too strained but shouldn't be too chaotic as well.
What do you think you’ll learn out of being a chair?
Alia: The main thing I know I will learn our of this position is time management, and the prioritization of what's important over what isn't. Also, I have already gotten glimpse of the time sacrifice I have to make, since in summer I was working on the Chair Reports. I think that another thing I will learn is, being exposed to different people with different opinions, and this I believe will help me later on in life.
Nour: I think that something I'll definitely learn is better communication skills, and how to have more confidence when speaking in front of a group of people. I also thinking that checking the delegate's resolutions will help me learn how to write my own resolutions better.
What your expectations are for this year’s MUN.
Alia: I expect this years HIAMUN, to be the best one yet. The topics are wide-ranged and very interesting, and the debates will surely be amazing. Also, with the AC and OC this year, it being a fun conference is rest-assured.
Nour: An enjoyable, well-rounded, exciting, constructive, and phenomenal conference, an intellectual explosion.
What are two things that you’re looking forward to the most?
Alia: I'm looking forward to many things this HIAMUN. I enjoy meeting new people, and I thoroughly enjoy good debates. Also, I'm very excited to be in the AC, this year so I believe that the journey to the conference will be as fulfilling as the conference itself. I'm also looking forward to seeing my forum come together, and to meeting the delegates we have in the HRC this year.
Nour: Definitely the food, but also meeting as many new people as I can and gaining more knowledge from them.
Describe your MUN experience so far in one word
Alia: Euphoric
Nour: Bittersweet
Every year, delegates are buzzing with extreme excitement; wanting to know their forums and of course, working passionately on their resolutions. The Organizing Committee spends countless days and sleepless nights finishing everything that’s needed to be done, from editing videos to finding sponsors, with only one thing in mind: to make this the best conference yet. The Academic Committee devotes their time researching and typing away, creating outstanding chair reports for their anticipating delegates. With all of these individuals and teams working eagerly, there is one team merging everything together and that is the Executive Team. Malak Hassaballah (Secretary General), Yasmine Amr (Deputy Secretary General), and Ameena El Agha (Deputy Secretary General) are members of the HIAMUN 2018 Executive Team. They are the backbone of this conference. They exert their time and effort to make this an amazing conference and experience for all. This year, we interviewed the Executive Team in hopes that all of you get to know them.
How do you feel knowing that this is your last HIAMUN conference and what will you miss most about it?
Malak: HIAMUN has, from the start, been a huge part of my high school experience, and knowing that I will no longer be able to attend a conference devastates me. I will definitely miss the spirit of the conference shared among, not only the AC and OC, but the delegates as well.
Yasmine: I feel both happy and sad that this is my last conference; happy that I get to spend my last one alongside so many people that are passionate about what they do, and people that make it all more fun, but sad just because it is the last one, and it's an experience I'm going to miss looking forward to.
Ameena: Thankfully this isn't my last HIAMUN, stay tuned!
How is being part of the executive team different from being a delegate?
Malak: Being in the executive committee, I get to help bring the conference to life, alongside my outstanding deputies, and of course, Mr. Karim El Dib. From proof-reading chair reports and going over OC plans to checking if all the placards are in place, the executive committee organizes the conference from scratch. Delegates, though, experience the outcome of our efforts and add their own to the conference, contributing to its success and embodying the energy that makes HIAMUN what it is.
Yasmine: Being part of the executive team is a lot different from being a delegate. Needless to say, the responsibility becomes a lot bigger because we're not just responsible for ourselves, but for every delegate who attends the conference and it is our duty and their right that we give it our all to make it the best they've experienced. But still, whether you're a delegate or a member of the executive committee, you look forward to the conference and get unbelievable excited as the date nears.
Ameena: The two experiences are worlds apart. Being part of the executive team requires a year-long commitment where you have work to do almost every week. The work itself is more organizational than anything else, and your purpose is to give the attendees the best experience they can possibly get. Being a delegate, on the other hand, requires more academic work over a much shorter span of time. It's a way to better yourself and have a good time simultaneously. To put it simply, both experiences are completely different but satisfying in their own ways.
Describe in one word how you felt when you were chosen as part of the executive team?
Malak: Ecstatic
Yasmine: Proud (to be chosen and to be a part of something so much bigger than myself. )
Ameena: Euphoric
What makes HIAMUN unique in comparison with other MUN conferences that you have attended?
Malak: I think what makes HIAMUN unique in comparison to other conferences I’ve attended is that HIAMUN caters to individual delegates. Whether it’s through training sessions, one-to-one feedback on resolutions, or personally encouraging delegates to speak, presidents and chairs are always ready to support the delegates in their forums. In addition to that, HIAMUN has its own traditions that are carried on from session to the next, such as the chocolate fountain and the character of the year. To me, this makes HIAMUN very unique.
Yasmine: There are alot of things that make HIAMUN unique. HIAMUN, is a family, and there's always room for anyone and everyone. Every delegate can find help when they need it whether or not they are able to ask for it, because their chairs make sure of it. Every delegate has the equal opportunity to say what they want to say, because their chairs make sure of it. It goes without saying that our chocolate fountain also adds to the magic.
Ameena: HIAMUN is a melting pot of people with creativity, commitment, and professionalism. As cliche as it sounds, those people are doing their jobs because they love what they're doing and they believe in the conference's potential. Everyone who participates in the conference, from the delegates to the AC and OC, are aware of its high standards and they work to satisfy those standards.
What is the most memorable moment you have encountered from all of your experiences in MUN conferences?
Malak: My most memorable moment from all my MUN experiences was when Yasmine, DSG, and I were in the ICJ, and during the cross-examination of a witness who had forgotten his hypothetical name he claimed that it was because the day of the event we were questioning him about was "very stressful". His excuse left us all laughing!
Yasmine: My most memorable moment had to be the moment I was about to give my speech as President of the Third General Assembly, and that was in front of everyone at the conference, and I started thinking about the first time I spoke in a forum and how my knees were shaking and I could barely hear the words as they left my mouth. I thought that's what it would feel like to speak in front of so many people, but when I got to the podium my knees didn't shake and I could control my words and listen to them as they left my mouth, and I realized it was because of MUN that I was finally able to say my part and not be afraid about it
Ameena: The moment when I heard that we'd won our ICJ case at AISMUN 2016, which was gratifying after all the effort that we'd put into it.
Lastly , do you have any advice to those joining MUN as delegates for the first time?
Malak:
1. Speak up, even if you’ll have to get out of your comfort zone.
2. Open yourself to a wide range of ideas that can be added to your resolutions. Also, amendments aren’t meant to be a personal attack on you. - Enjoy the experience while it lasts!
Yasmine: As someone who once joined MUN for the first time as a shy child, my advice is to look at that confident delegate standing at the podium and remember that they, and every other delegate, was once a first-timer as well, and that if they can seem so confident and express their ideas so unapologetically, why can't you? So speak when you have something to say, and listen when others have something to say and you'll do great.
Ameena: Carpe diem; seize the day. (Another cliche?)
This year, HIAMUN’s theme is Kaleidoscopic. Kaleidoscopes are representative of diversity and perspectives, so is every issue negotiated and discussed in MUN. We must bring ourselves to look at the issues we deal with from different perspectives, considering every subject’s standpoint and view. This week, we interviewed Salma Soliman, one of our Deputy Secretary Generals, to get her take on the experience of planning for the conference.
· What’s your favorite thing about being a deputy?
It’s definitely witnessing the conference come to life. Being a deputy allows me, along with the extraordinary team alongside me, to build the conference step by step. From outlining committees’ plans to counting the last delegation’s flags, I get to see and contribute to how the integrated efforts of everyone compile to form such a conference as HIAMUN.
· How does being a deputy feel compared to being a delegate for the first time? Is it the same nervousness and excitement?
The first time being a delegate is always an unforgettable experience, whether from the nerves you get standing up on the podium for the first or writing out your first resolution. I would say being a deputy is a relatively very different experience. I engage in a different type of work where we carry the burden of trying to make sure the conference is the best experience possible and reaches and exceeds standard. Therefore, the nerves still exist, but just appear for different purposes. I believe engaging in any MUN conference is a very exciting experience regardless of the position held in the conference. It always gives me a chance to explore new areas of myself and do things ‘out of the routine’.
· Does being in MUN inspire your future career in any way, or is it just a hobby?
At first, I started MUN as a hobby, and it was one of the activities I was very passionate about. However, my ultimate goal now is getting to work in the UN’s ECOSOC, merging two of my favorite fields; MUN and Economics.
· Can you give us insight on the load of responsibility a deputy has?
As a member of the executive team, we have a lot of responsibility to make the conference stand on its feet. The height of our responsibilities lie in the planning stage for the academic and organizing committee. Regarding the academic committee, we decide on the forums and work alongside the presidents and chairs on their forums. Regarding the organizing committee, we overlook the separate branches. We also prepare for external relations during the MUN conference.
Get to know Salma:
· What’s your favorite TV series?
Sherlock!
Each year, HIAMUN Secretary and Deputy Secretary Generals choose participants graduating from the General Assembly forum, which they think are capable enough, to become chairs. This year they happen to be Ameena El-Agha, Anas Ismail, Yahia Beethoven and Zeina Abdeldayem.
Throughout this week they have been asked a series of questions about HIAMUN and their coming years in the conference. First, we were interested to know about what obstacles they think they might face. Anas Ismail, chair of ECOSOC, answered saying “I’m worried that it would be hard to handle the delegates that are older or that the delegates would not take me seriously because they know me as a relaxed person.” While Yahia Beethoven, chair of General Assembly 1, answered the question tackling his expectations for this year’s conference saying “I am expecting this year’s conference to be a great one because we have tried something new with recruiting two Deputy Secretary Generals instead of one and the Secretary General and the Deputies are all very hardworking and passionate about HIAMUN, as well as the academic and organizing committees this year who are also working passionately. I am very happy with my president, Nezar and I’m thankful that he engages me and is a very easy person to work with.”
Zeina Abdeldayem, chair of SRCMENA, offered the honor of answering the third question “What does HIAMUN mean to you?”. Zeina took it back all the way to middle school saying “Ever since I was in middle school, I have always looked up to the HIAMUN delegates and always asked about it and wondered what it is. Ever since then I was always eager to get involved and was always excited for the year’s conference where I could call myself a delegate and get that experience. Ever since I started last year, I’ve been attached to it and it has given me a view and idea of what I want to become in the future which is a politician.” The next question was for Ameena El-Agha, chair of ICJ, “What effect does HIAMUN have on you or other students in general?” Ameena answered saying “I think HIAMUN is a perfect mixture of seriousness and fun and that gets everyone excited for it, it unites the different grades and it is a perfect opportunity to learn and have fun. I also believe that it opens up a person’s eyes because they get exposed to problems the world has today.”
Lastly, they were all asked if they could describe their relationship with MUN in one word. Ameena thought that it would be “special”, Yahia answered with “commitment”, Anas values “hard work” and Zeina answered believes that it is about “devotion”. We are very excited and eager to see what they will add to this year’s conference with their exciting spirit.
Meet HIAMUN 2017’s Deputy Secretary General, Mabrouk El-Kawass, an active high school senior with a sense of responsibility towards striving to make this world a better place. This is exactly what Mabrouk, and the rest of HIAMUN’s team, aspire to achieve every HIAMUN conference.
His constant effort to grow and improve as much as possible, through HIAMUN and otherwise, comes clear in this interview, which will hopefully get you an insight into what’s behind this year’s theme, what’s to look forward to, and more.
Mabrouk El-Kawass, Hayah’s Model United Nations Deputy Secretary General, 2017
HIAMUN has become one of the very reputable conferences in Egypt. What traditions has it developed over the years and how would you characterize it?
HIAMUN has always been known for its traditions of teamwork and support from all of the members. All the committees work together as a family. Aside from that, we usually have our chocolate fountain, and our remarkable opening and closing ceremony videos. There’s also the character of the year. These are things that we do regularly and we feel happy that we keep on repeating them year after year.
How would you describe this year's theme, “Kaleidoscopic"?
This theme is extremely special, because it covers different aspects of the aims of MUN. It shows how the same issue can be viewed from different angles, depending on the way we interpret the image in front of us. Our conclusions will be different. It's also a matter of diversity in our views and how something really simple can present something beautiful.
MUN has been known to change one's perspective about important events for a long time. Would you say that choosing a theme such as Kaleidoscopic would help to introduce this mindset to the new delegates?
Of course it would help to do so, as it would help them to look at the important events from a different point of view and a different perspective that will show them a remarkable outcome, thus changing their mindsets.
One of the great merits of HIAMUN is its continual evolvement and evolving for the better. What are the most significant changes in this year's conference and what can we expect?
There have been many changes in the conference this year, some of which have been already applied and others in the planning process. This year, we’ve added younger chairs from our school as to give a chance to the young talented MUN students, and we also added a third chair in our General Assembly forums to enable the chairs to give more attention to the delegates and to divide the work between them. Also, this year, for the first time, we have opened the door for some schools to participate in our academic committee by sending us students to take the role of chairs in our forums. We are also planning further logistical changes.
Get to Know Mabrouk!
How would you describe yourself in one word?
Passionate.
If you were a superhero, what power would you choose to have? Why?
I’d fly, to visit all the places I want to see for free.
We met up with two of our presidents and chairs, Alia El-Kattan, President of SRCMENA and Nahdeen Hassanain, chair of ECOSOC, to get their take on the HIAMUN experience.
1. What do you like the most about HIAMUN?
Alia El-Kattan: My favorite thing about HIAMUN is the spirit of the conference, whether its the Academic and Organizing Committees or the forums. HIAMUN is a well-organized, beneficial, and truly enjoyable conference that guarantees delegates and students an unforgettable experience.
Nahdeen Hassanain: My favorite thing about HIAMUN is the balance that exists. Everyone has an amazing time yet also without ruining the structure or seriousness of the conference itself.
2. What’s HIAMUN’s unique point in comparison to other conferences that you have attended?
Alia El-Kattan: A huge part of HIAMUN is ensuring every delegate gets the most out of the conference, which is something I haven't experienced with other conferences. That includes the training sessions many delegates receive to ensure they enter MUN knowing the expectations, the feedback and the support the AC members are required to give, and finally chairs making sure every delegate in the forum has a chance to speak in the conference. Moreover, the forum sizes allow every delegate to get the opportunity to speak and debate, in contrast to other conferences with very large forums that don't give many of the delegates a chance to participate as much as they would like to.
3. Could you tell us about your experience as a delegate? What did you enjoy? What are potential difficulties? (For future delegates)
Alia El-Kattan: My favorite part about being a delegate has always been and will always be the heated, controversial debates. The best part of MUN, in my opinion, is the debate skills you learn while trying to deliver your point through debates that are both beneficial and enjoyable. The main difficulty is the resolution-writing, as it is not easy to come up with detailed, effective, and beneficial solutions to some of the world's most controversial and critical problems. It does get easier over time, though, through plenty of practicing.
Nahdeen Hassanain: My experience as a delegate has been amazing. I started out as an admin and made it a point that I participate in HIAMUN, as it keeps evolving and developing into, in my opinion, the best conference locally. The hardest part about it is the preparations that overlap with all the schoolwork. If you're new to MUN preparation, research is really important and having to find the time to make that a priority might be the challenge.
HIAMUN’13 was the first HIAMUN with delegates from other schools, thanks to a powerful executive team of that year and the years before. This had a great effect on all the conferences to come. HIAMUN’14 was a year when the conference expanded to greater forums. HIAMUN’15 was the year the conference was granted the THIMUN Qatar affiliation. We interviewed HIAMUN’13 Secretary General, Malak Saleh, HIAMUN’14 ECOSOC President, Marawan Tarek and HIAMUN’15 Deputy Secretary General, Omar El-Shahidi to get their take on the experience, and how MUN has affected their life.
What experience did you gain from MUN?
Omar El-Shahidi: Well, I was always a shy kid, like me, standing on a podium actually speaking? No way.
Then I joined HIAMUN and it gave me a lot of confidence. Now I love public speaking. I feel like it's a platform where I can express myself or show a more confident side of me, not to mention the socializing skills you gain from MUN. I can go on forever about how much MUN changed me. All in all, MUN transformed me into the man I am today.
Marawan Tarek: It helped me to deal with people better and understand them more.
Malak Saleh: I owe a lot of what and who I am today to that role I was given the privilege to fulfill. It teaches you how to function under stress, which you will have to a lot of times throughout university and life in general. It teaches you how to synchronize your mindset with the others working with you and I think that's the most valuable lesson I've learned because the real market and world is a tough one and had I not gotten that kind of exposure during high school, I don't think I would've handled it all the way I did. It's life changing in all sense and meaning to the word.
How did having such an important position add pressure on you more than being a delegate in the past years?
Omar El-Shahidi: Well, as DSG you're responsible for bring the conference to life, so it's a lot of pressure. Not only that, but we were also aiming for the THIMUN Affiliation so we really had to up our game.
As DSG you connect the ideas of the SG to the real world, you really just have to pressure people into doing their best. So it ends up that you're nagging at the OC and AC to finish their work, and fighting with the SG about budget details and possibilities. So it's a lot of pressure because you have a lot of responsibilities to juggle, but I enjoyed being DSG. Definitely one of the highlights of my years in High School.
Malak Saleh: It was kind of overwhelming at first, since I decided to open the conference up to other schools. It took time to choose the executive committee, to finalize all 5 forums and the press team was the toughest because the main team had graduated the year before so I sort of had to choose someone I know would be able to deal with it entirely and alone at times. But thankfully I had the best executive team and deputy Secretary General so I didn't have to do any of it alone. So having all of us work on this together I think is what made it so memorable and smooth. By the end of the process all of us could pretty much do anything.
So, is being a DSG worth the trouble and the work? Or did you enjoy being a delegate better?
Omar El-Shahidi: Being DSG is definitely worth all the headache. Working with Mohamed Sabry and Karim El-Dib was one of the best things that happened to me, and the feeling you get when everything falls in place is just extraordinary. During the conference though I was quite nostalgic to be a delegate again. Debating has always been my favorite thing about MUN, but if I had the option, I'd still choose DSG, hands down.
If you had the opportunity to not go to MUN, would you have taken it? Why?
Omar El-Shahidi: I'd still do MUN. MUN had great impacts on my character that make me who I am, so I wouldn't really let go of that. Also, the connections you gain from MUN last for quite a while. Like, during the first week of university, a couple of people knew me because I was the DSG, and it’s kind of hard not to feel proud when they say that.
Are there any mistakes/decisions you took while on duty that made you rethink later when you saw its impact?
Malak Saleh: Of course. Nothing's 100% perfect. And like anyone else there were things, looking back as happy as I am with what the conference was, I wish I would change or take back. A major thing was that I wish I would've delegated better throughout the pre-conference period. I think had I done a better job at that a lot of the small details I saw that could've been better wouldn't have happened. But thankfully I did have a great team and mentor that later taught me how to gradually master that skill. I just took everything Mr. Karim told me to heart and went with my gut. I had a vision about what HIAMUN was going to be in the future and worked towards that vision and goal.
Marawan Tarek: Definitely, but I always felt capable because I had a great director, team and chair that supported me all the way. They really made things a lot easier for me. I was a bit scared because of the huge responsibility at first, but I was really happy that I got to do it.
What is the most important advice you would give the HIAMUN’16 Secretary General?
Malak Saleh: Own it. Do your position justice, and go with your gut because you got to the place you're in because of your hard work and dedication. Enjoy it while it lasts because experiences like this one are so rare!
Photo courtesy of the THIMUN Qatar Facebook Page.
As HIAMUN’s sixth conference approaches, the conference was awarded the THIMUN Qatar affiliated plaque during the THIMUN Qatar Leadership Conference, QLC on the 15th of October. It was accepted by HIAMUN’14 Secretary General, Ahmed-El Agha, who was a guest speaker in the conference alongside HIAMUN’15 Press Head, Youssef Ramzy on “Photography & Videography in MUN Press Teams”.
We caught up with the alumni to discuss their HIAMUN experiences and the impact it had on their lives post-school.
What would you say about the significance of Press Teams to a conference?
Youssef Ramzy: The press teams are the ones that make the conference successful. They basically do everything from advertising the conference, up until documenting the conference itself. A press team is an essential and key element in any MUN conference, it is an important need to create a successful conference. The press team is what makes the conference an actual conference!
What do you think is so unique about HIAMUN that has gotten it so far?
Ahmed El-Agha: I think HIAMUN is the perfect balance between fun and seriousness. The level of debate is very high, and at the same time the delegates have a lot of fun. It isn't easy to find that combination in an MUN conference.
How has contributing to HIAMUN affected you personally and helped develop you?
Youssef Ramzy: Contributing to HIAMUN had a great impact on me, I can say that it gave me the motivation to work with many different people no matter what conflict I faced. It made me practice my leadership skills, especially as a press head, and it definitely affected me in terms of organization and time management. Because one day in our lives we will have to face the true meaning of being leaders, and we will face many complications we will have to solve. So yes, HIAMUN had a great impact on me in who I am or what i do today.
Ahmed El-Agha: MUN took me out of my comfort zone, and made me more comfortable with public speaking and communication. Participating in HIAMUN helped me push that further because I was doing it with people I already knew well, which also added to the fun. The executive positions helped me in leadership skills and decision-making. In fact, I got to develop these skills ever since my first conference as a delegate, since even in that position you're technically taking decisions on behalf of a country!
Participating in MUN has definitely affected these two alumni positively, from being Secretary General to Press Head, the leadership positions that they have taken on have helped their organizational skills, decision-making and more, as well as their earlier roles as delegates have. It has helped them branch out to other activities and develop their skills, such as presenting at the Qatar Leadership Conference. We hope they continue to grow, along with many more students.
Meet HIAMUN 2016’s Secretary-General, Mariam Hassaballah. An active high-school senior to-be that has mastered the ability to run one of the most anticipated and hopefully successful MUN conferences as of next year. Introducing someone like Mariam, last year’s GA president, is a mere formality. Assuming that you take part in the MUN community, chances are that you would be quite familiar with the name. Mariam’s notable influence on MUN grounds can be further clarified through the consideration of her countless characteristics that distinguish her as surely an influential leader.
Her constant stand for what she believes in, as well as what MUN stands for, and the necessary incorporation of that into the upcoming conference, is evident in the following interview which we had the pleasure of carrying out with her. The insight regarding the theme of next year’s conference “metamorphosis” and the future of HIAMUN as well as its technical side can be obtained from this interview.
Mariam Hassaballah, the Secretary-General of HIAMUN (Hayah Model United Nations) 2016.
HIAMUN has become one of the very reputable conferences in Egypt. What traditions has it developed over the years and how would you characterize it?
HIAMUN has developed traditions that we are keen on keeping. They may not be grand traditions, however, they are small ones that characterize HIAMUN. This would include the layout of the tables with the flags, and the outstanding opening and closing ceremony videos. I do believe, though, that with every new conference, there is a different spirit that is established by both the AC and OC.
One of the goals of MUN is to bring young, bright minds together to create dialogue and interaction. Do you feel that the delegates of next year’s conferences will be able to tackle the topics and become agents of change?
Each year, new delegates join HIAMUN seeking means to broaden their skills and knowledge. Mostly, the new delegates are placed in the General Assembly, and because of the exceptional guidance of the president and chair of the GA, and our director Mr. Karim el Dib, the new delegates will, in fact, be agents of change.
What is the rationale behind the topic choices this year?
The topics this year follow the theme of “metamorphosis,” the final change of transformation. We believe that a solution to these topics, a framework that will enable change, a prospectus would lead to total transformation in the world today.
Get to know Mariam:
How would you describe yourself in one word?
Well, it’s not one word, but obsessively organized.
If you were an animated character which one would you be? Why?
Mojo Jojo, I’d rather not tell you why.