A platform for newMUNers

MUN minutes, a collaborative effort from Advent Initiative and PAUDCs (Primeasia University Debate Club) event titled MUN minutes took place in the university premises on November 12 this year. The event was a combined workshop and practice of MUN (Model United Nation) that helped new MUNers to learn the articulation of MUN to a great extent. The ceremony was officially inaugurated by A.K.M. Ashraful Haque, the treasurer of Prime Asia University. The conference also had the pleasure to be blessed with the presence of experienced MUN trainers such as Ratul Dev (former secretary general of BUGMUN 14), Asif Ahmed Tonmoy (Secretary General of BUPMUN 16), Wahid Hossain (Founder and CEO of Tiger Bow) and Shehreen Ataur Khan (lecturer of Jagannath University). Along with the MUN trainers there were also guests such as Registrar of Prime Asia University Abul Kashem Molla and  Professor Mostafizur Rahman.  Chief guest was Prof. Dr. Gias Uddin Ahmad, vice chancellor of Primeasia University.
After the opening ceremony, the workshop began where all present were soon eagerly listening to all the MUN trainers had to say and they were well rewarded for their attention. The trainers taught those present the rules, regulations, ins and outs and the dos and don'ts of an MUN while also recalling their past MUN experiences explaining how MUNs helped them out all done in an enthusiastic manner and determined approach. MUN trainer Wahid Hossain stated, "I couldn't speak or even write English properly but Model United Nations helped me to learn how to properly perform these acts." Asif Ahmed Tonmoy, while conducting a very interactive training session encouraged the beginners to value the importance of debate over anything in a MUN.
Having absorbed all the knowledge the trainers had bestowed upon them, the participants quickly found themselves being called delegates as they prepared themselves for a Mock MUN. The Mock MUN represented 4 different committees with 9 agendas such as Violent Extremism in Asia (UNHRC) and Countering the Consequences of Unplanned Urbanization (UNDP).
United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) worked on violent extremism in Asia. Chair of the committee Mrittunjoy Das was overwhelmed by the amazing effort put  by the delegates and especially praised the draft paper saying, "It was inspirational how much they pulled off in the constricted time frame. It had the aim and the depth which was not expected by such novices."
The Security Council, arguably one of the harder committees in an MUN, worked on resolving the conflicts taking place in Kashmir. A working paper crafted by the delegates earned high praise from their chair and showed everyone that despite being novices, they were well rehearsed in the MUN ways and were sure to make an impact on the MUN world. MUN minutes was a huge success and it shows how much our country has progressed in recent years as barely a decade ago nobody even knew what an MUN was. For youngsters who want to get into MUNs or anybody who is curious about MUN should follow workshops like MUN minutes as such events have paved the way for many more workshops and MUNs to happen in the foreseeable future.
The writer is a participant of MUN Minutes and 9th grader at Scholastica Pvt School, email: [email protected]