What the hell is NMUN?

That was at least my reaction when I heard this strange acronym for the first time. Pretty meaningless, right? What you don't realise at first glance is that behind these four little letters lie memories that will stay with you for life. Back to the beginning.

Shortly after I moved to Würzburg, I hear from friends locally about a project called Model United Nations. So we've already got three important parts of the said acronym. To begin with, I must admit my enthusiasm is rather limited. But the more time passes, the more little anecdotes are shared with me that pique my interest. At this point Google came into play. After all, alongside my friends' stories, I want to form my own picture of this project. So I venture into the world of search engines and what I find there makes the last spark of enthusiasm ignite.

Result of my research: (N)MUN is a simulation game in which United Nations conferences are simulated. The aim of the whole thing is to find global solutions to global problems by discussing with a multitude of delegates from different countries and working on resolutions. Since it is a simulation, the countries, as well as the respective committee and topic, are assigned before a conference. It becomes interesting when you try to represent your own country's interests as best as possible whilst remaining open to compromises and new ideas. To slip into the role of a diplomat for a while – pretty tempting for a politics nerd like me. After further
research I take the plunge and apply without thinking too much about it. And indeed: I am invited to an interview and subsequently get to participate in an initial simulation in small groups as part of the selection process. The excitement rises. The next morning the phone rings. "Hey Miri, it's Lea here. If you fancy it, we'd love to have you on this year's NMUN delegation! What do you say?". My answer, as professional as always: "Damn right!" And off we go. Shortly afterwards we meet for the first time with the full team for a getting-to-know weekend. A motley crew of students from the most diverse fields of study, different age groups and above all different heights. This will become one of those "running gags" at a later point – I promise. Over this weekend we learn a lot about the structure and work of the United Nations. The excitement rises further. The project
already seems so much bigger and more exciting than my research had suggested.

Just a month and several weekly meetings later, we travel to our first conference. This takes place in Karlsruhe. Most of us are overcome with maximum overwhelm as we step into this huge room full of smartly dressed, professionally-looking students. However, it becomes relatively clear quite quickly that everyone feels the same way. The excitement, which by now reaches the ceiling, calms down a little bit. Our first conference passes and we do surprisingly well. We still need to refine the Rules of Procedure, the rules that maintain order during the discussion rounds. Nevertheless, we already bring home a "Best Delegate Award". The excitement transforms into pure joy. The following weeks are characterised by weekly meetings and applications for the fourth and final part of the acronym – the N. That stands for National and refers to participation in the largest and most well-known conference worldwide. This is held annually in New York. Universität Würzburg sends a delegation every year which, after participating in some MUNs, is ultimately allowed to fly to New York to represent the university there. The fun is financed through donations, donations, even more donations, personal contributions and as of this year also through a contribution from the university, for which we are very grateful. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are the first delegation for which the dream of participating in the conference in New York could come true.

And indeed. Around Christmas, flights are booked and visas are applied for – by which I mean both credit cards and residence permits. I take the largest suitcase I can find in the whole house to Würzburg. There it is again, the excitement. This time it seems to stay. But something is different. I can hardly sit still. Almost every day the thought pops up: I'm actually flying to New York. I will represent Azerbaijan in the International Atomic Energy Agency. I will speak with other delegates about the future of the Iran Nuclear Deal and discuss the usefulness as well as dangers of artificial intelligence. I'm actually flying to New York. On 5 April 2022 the whole group meets in Manhattan. We arrived a week earlier because we still have meetings with important people such as the permanent representatives of our assigned country, Azerbaijan, at the United Nations, and some sightseeing mustn't be missed either.

10 April and thus the first day of the conference we have been working towards for half a year comes far too quickly. Now it's negotiations upon negotiations every day from 8 in the morning until 10 at night. We sit in huge ballrooms in the Hilton Hotel, Uptown Manhattan. We spend our lunch breaks in Central Park – like in a dream. In the evenings we collapse exhausted into bed. The days pass, the conference draws to a close. The Closing Ceremony begins. We win an award as Distinguished Delegation. Filled with pride we jump up with joy, because we didn't expect such an honour. Again everyone looks so smart and professional. But on the way here I have learned something: we are all here for the same reason. We are all not perfect in what we do. Neither our English nor our knowledge of the respective countries and topics. But at NMUN it's not about being perfect. I think that's when it really dawns on me. At NMUN it's about fostering the interest of young people in political affairs and thus in shaping our collective future. It's about getting excited about countries and topics you previously knew little about. It's about learning soft skills that can be incredibly useful in so many areas. And above all, it's about meeting people from all over the world and gathering memories that will stay with you for life. I am particularly grateful for the latter point. Not only was my lifelong dream of a trip to New York fulfilled through my participation in NMUN – No. Much more important than that: I have stepped out of my comfort zone multiple times, constantly grown beyond myself and have found friends I never want to miss again. The last half year was perhaps not the easiest in my studies, but definitely one of the best. The excitement was worth it.