JEDDAH: Delegates representing Venezuela, Algeria and Qatar won the “best delegate” awards at a ceremony signaling the end of the second annual Dar Al-Hekma Model United Nations (DAHMUN) conference, Thursday. Malak Beydoun, 16, from Al-Hamraa Girls' School, represented Algeria and won the award for the Human Rights Council (HRC); Rabeeha Abdurehim, 18, represented Qatar and won the award for the General Assembly (GA); and Ayah Farsi, 17, represented Venezuela and won the award for the Security Council (SC). The “best delegation” award went to the participants from Jeddah Knowledge International School, who were participating in an MUN conference for the first time. The awards ceremony was held at the Movenpick Hotel in Jeddah and celebrated the efforts of delegates and DAHMUN officers over the past four days. The theme for this year's conference was “Shifting Sands: A Wave of Change”, referring to the recent uprisings in the Arab world. Participants spent the past three days role-playing as diplomatic delegates representing a nation in a simulated session of a committee of the United Nations. They were expected to research a country, take on roles as diplomats, investigate international issues, debate, deliberate, consult, and then develop solutions to world problems by drafting a resolution collectively. GA delegates debated the impact of declaring states of emergency in the region, HRC delegates discussed the role and impact of social media and freedom of expression while SC delegates debated the status of the no-fly zone within the Libyan uprising. Committees were chaired by DAHMUN officers and former DAHMUN alumni, who presented light-hearted tributes to the past three days, commenting on highlights from their committee sessions and recognizing the most active participants. Layan Al-Khouli, DAHMUN Under-Secretary-General for Social Affairs and Rawaa Abdulkarim, DAHMUN Assistant Secretary-General, chaired the HRC sessions and they spoke about the camaraderie they observed over the past few days, including a touching note of encouragement the delegate of North Korea sent the delegate of Indonesia. DAHMUN Undersecretary General for Financial Affairs, Faiza Rizvi, chaired the SC sessions and her presentation focused on the committee's lack of arguments. To widespread laughter, she recalled passing a note in desperation to the delegates after the first day, requesting them to “please argue”. Former DAHMUN member and co-chair of the GA, Shaima Alhaj, presented the committee's segment. She remarked that the absence of a delegate from the United States in the General Assembly showed that the MUN is inspired by the UN, but has a very different reality. All committees presented their own informal awards including the “best dressed”, “best sense of humor”, “most serious” and ultimately, “best delegate”. Participants were given the opportunity at the start of the event to say a few words about their experience of the conference. Many girls, especially the youngest ones, who had been too shy to even speak up during debates on the first day of the conference, calmly spoke at length about how much they had enjoyed the whole experience. Most remarked that the conference had allowed them to speak and think about politics. “Teenagers never talk about politics but MUN gave us the opportunity to discuss current affairs and social media,” remarked one participant from Dar Al-Fikr. “It's been a great experience. We've been trained in debating and negotiating like proper diplomats,” said another participant from Al Falah International School (DPS). Others commented that they had learnt a great deal about other nations without even leaving the country. The Liberian delegate from the General Assembly confessed that she hadn't even known that such a country even existed but that the MUN experience made her appreciate global governance and diplomacy. Founder and head of DAHMUN, Dr. Chaman Rahim, presented mementos to all the officers and former DAHMUN members involved in this year's conference. “If you wish to receive more MUN coaching or help in starting an MUN club at your school, please do get in touch with us,” remarked DAHMUN Undersecretary General for Operations, Nada Rizwan, at the end of the event. She noted that participants were welcome to apply for and participate in next year's conference. A student from Jeddah Knowledge International School summed it up superbly when she remarked: “This is only a stepping stone for what is to come.”
