The R-MWC delegation, representing the country of Jamaica, received three awards voted on by their peer delegates from more than 270 colleges and universities.
The students were recognized as a “Distinguished Delegation”, for “Outstanding Position Paper”, and as “Outstanding Delegate in Committee”.
Women in High Places
It’s times like these when I am thankful for the intensity of classes at R-MWC.
If it wasn’t for the fact that most of the delegation is quite used to staying up half the night, being involved mentally and intellectually for the greater part of the day and has become quite adept at finding that last ounce of energy somewhere deep inside, there isn’t half a chance that we might have survived yesterday. After stumbling out of bed, bleary-eyed, to the nearest Starbucks at seven am and being subjected to the fog-horn voice of the barista (You give money,I give you coffee, si), we amazed ourselves yet again by being ready a minute earlier than we were the previous day and made our way to the Jamaican embassy,a little nervous about meeting the same people we were trying to be.
We were pleasantly surprised to find that both the dignitaries were women, a rare sight in the diplomatic world. What followed was an hour of questions and answers, information on Jamaica’s foreign policy and the realisation that we were in the presence of two very smart, very intelligent and very able women who showed us, in the subtlest of ways, what empowerment of women really means. Feminism with a twist of the traditonal, for a world that’s still learning to accept it was the lesson of the day.
After a noisy brunch of real food, fresh juices and some more delegate bonding, we presented ourselves at the United Nations for the opening ceremony. Our speaker for the night was the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations herself, Asha-Rose Migiro, more living proof of diplomacy’s changing face, and seemed confident of the fact that a future Secretary-General of the United Nations might have been sitting in the room and that “she” would certainly change the world.
Needless to say after that, the committee sessions were engaging and intense, and something to look foward to today as well. Once again, here’s to coffee and conversations, UN style.
There is hope for the world yet, and here’s why I’ve seen it in the last two days here in New York City:
1. Buses: After introducing himself to us as “My first name’s ‘Hey’ and my last one’s ‘Driver’, and a chow-stop at the ‘Liver and Onion Palace,’(his idea, not mine), Nowhere, Maryland, our very entertaining driver unloaded us and our luggage in the middle of the slush that currently passes off as Manhattan, New York. Twenty minutes later, we were in the lobby of the Sheraton, waiting for our keys, bickering over lost bags and generally spreading the love all around. For a change, the lifts worked like a charm, or so we thought, until a slightly bewildered guest worked up the courage to pipe through the estrogen infested air and ask, “So, um, why exactly are you all here?” “For the Model United Nations Conference! To block the elevators!” Precisely that, and then some.
2. City Lights: The dedicated bunch that we are, it took us all of ten minutes to plonk our bags in the middle of the room and begin our research. Because the conference itself was to begin on Sunday, our alternatives were very limited of course. There’s little else in the world that can compare to freedom, especially when it’s coupled with the generosity of lights, and everywhere we looked, we saw that same energy in the eyes of people, and before we all knew it, we were part of that give-and-take that is, in the name of civilization, a feeding off and a symbiosis, because it’s when you’re two snowy breaths away from the next complete stranger that you realize what humanity truly is.
3. The Most Divine St. Patrick: who had graced all of New York through shamrock hats, songs and six-foot tall leprechauns. We spectated for a while, then progressed to the opening act, and finally became the main one itself. It was, as Christina Morgan, our very own Irish maiden would say, “Brilliant craic! Fantastic banter!”
4. Conference Day One: Sunday was it, the beginning of the reason we are here, and if anything, a fair bit of the fun too. Stephenie Stovall, our videographer and I spent the greater part of the evening traipsing through the labyrinth of our hotel looking for our delegation in action. Everywhere, they were coming by the hundreds. The future of diplomacy had emerged, and it was hard at work. It’s a truly heartening thing to see your friends and college mates interacting with others to try and make a change in the world. Evgenia Filimyanova was the first Jamaican delegate to speak at the podium, and the silence after her two-minute speech –on the need for world cooperation and unity at the highest diplomatic levels— only showed how serious everyone was to help Planet Earth. For a few hours, trivialities and personal differences were thrown out of the nearest French window, and issues like global poverty, AIDS, terrorism, narcotics and crime prevention were the words on everyone’s tongues. It looks like altruism and selflessness are the flavors of the week.
5. The Ex-Presidential Wave: While on our mission, Stephenie and I chanced upon what looked like Ali Baba’s Cave of Political Wonders. The forty thieves were the glitterati of Bill and Hillary Clinton’s election campaign and the flashing light-bulbs everywhere blinded us into curiosity. So of course, we turned our delegation badges over and our New York Times sponsored- lanyard cables became our entry tickets into the event. The commotion in the left corner attracted us, and before we knew it, we were twenty-feet away from Bill Clinton himself. Stephenie, ever the professional, promptly stood on the nearest silk-clothed table and produced her trusty camera. After about ten minutes of open-mouthed gaping and shouts of, “Over here, mate, Hillary Clinton’s standing next to me!” we walked out, a little dazed and shell-shocked, but with some footage that any documentary maker would die for. Needless to say, it was the much-needed entertainment that our tired delegation needed. Diplomacy met politics last night, and left us all excited for more.
Cheers then, to hope, but above all, to the young human spirit.
We’re leaving tomorrow!!
The Model United Nations delegation is on its way tomorrow morning at the crack of dawn, braving rainstorms, gas station food and Manhattan traffic. Diplomats unite, we’re off to change the world, or so we sincerely hope.
There’s plenty more to come, so watch this space…
R-MWC students attended the 2007 National Model United Nations Conference (www.nmun.org) in New York City. Delegates Matea Osti ‘08 and Mekhala Chaubal ‘08 kept a journal of the group’s experiences.