Student Activities: Model UN Gets off the Ground

AUAF’s Model United Nations (MUN) club is giving students a taste of global politics while still in Kabul.

In a Model United Nations, participants simulate United Nations proceedings in an attempt to resolve real life and or fictional conflicts through research, consultation, and negotiation.

By joining the club, AUAF students join an elite group of 60,000 "MUN-ers" from around the world.

The United Nations promotes consultation and cooperation amongst its member countries to resolve issues of international significance. It currently counts 192 of the world’s countries amongst its membership.

Simulating the United Nations acquaints students with current affairs and different countries’ foreign policies.

Students also learn valuable skills such as conducting effective research, writing, public speaking, cooperation, and compromise, which will serve them in their academic careers and well beyond.

The club was established in the spring semester of the 2007-08 academic year, and has shown popularity during the new academic year.

When asked why he chose to establish a MUN club as opposed to other scholarly activities, the club's founder, Ali Babur, said: "I think the club is a perfect fit for Afghanistan. It requires the participants cooperate within a larger network of entities and representatives in order to work towards a peaceful resolution of a conflict."  

"It helps you to see various people’s views and think outside the box," said Dr. Joyce Killen Shah, the club’s advisor. "It is a good academic exercise. Students can put themselves in another’s place and by that expand their point of view."

On any given Saturday you may find student "ambassadors" rebutting each other on the legitimacy of one course of action over another. It makes for an entertaining debate, either as a spectator or member.

Club members must overcome fear of public speaking by defending their stance to a room full of "political opponents."

Ali Babur hopes that the AUAF students, who are working hard to build successful futures, will learn a valuable lesson on the path to becoming Afghanistan's future leaders. "In order to have a successful MUN, its participants need to know themselves and most importantly the party whom they are in conflict with."

He adds, "This will enable both parties to learn from one another and perhaps realize that the two are not so different."