I Model UN because. . .

The AMUN Secretariat is a 100% volunteer staff. None of us get paid to help run AMUN each year, so one of the questions we get asked a lot is, “Why do you spend time doing this?” It’s usually the question we get right after we have to explain what Model United Nations actually is. It’s a fair one. Everyone has busy lives—work or school or families take up a lot of our bandwidth—so when you have extra time you can use to volunteer somewhere, why choose Model United Nations? Some of our staff have been volunteering with AMUN for a few years, and some for more than a decade (and some for much more than that). What is it about Model UN and AMUN  that inspires such commitment?

So we asked our staff, “Why do YOU Model UN?” Here’s what they told us.

I Model UN because it teaches us how to communicate with people even when we’re on different sides of an issue. Its okay to disagree its not okay to be discourteous and I think we try and teach that.

~Megan Wiley

Model UN gave me, a girl from the central US, a world view that’s taken me all over the world. I support MUN because it teaches you to see the world from other people’s views – avoiding things like this.

~Mary Beth Brennan Seng

I started doing it because I loved the idea of being tasked with solving world problems and trying to think from a different perspective. The fun I had and the people I met along the way convinced me that I love this. Why can’t I get a job doing this?

~Derek Lumsden

For me, it’s a continuing connection to a subject I love, international relations. In my everyday life, I don’t deal with IR and global politics, even though they are things I love to study and learn more about. Doing MUN helps me stay in touch and gives me a great opportunity to geek out. And I also get to help broaden young people’s minds, making better global citizens. It’s a win win!

~Nia Indelicato

For me, it was always about the people and what happens when you challenge smart people to solve difficult problems. I met life long best friends through MUN and I never stopped learning through this process.

~ Ryan Donovan

Model UN has genuinely shaped who I am. I’ve done it every year from sixth grade through college, and now as staff. I started initially because I wanted to become a better public speaker, and a more informed global citizen. But as I got older, I realized that Model UN gave me hope. Too many people are quick to discount diplomacy, and seeing it in action is encouraging. As our international relations continue to shift, diplomacy will always be a constant. It’s the ultimate embodiment of teamwork. Plus, that’s pretty good job security for someone with an IR degree.

~Janie Sanford

I Model UN because I dream of a world where we seek constructive engagement from all peoples to solve the greatest regional and global challenges… It has helped me refine [skills]: public speaking, leadership, critical thinking, and persuasion. I keep Model UN-ing because of AMUN’s incredible investment in our staff, building my skills and confidence as a trainer, mediator, and moderator.

~Gavin Way

That’s why some of us do it. Why do YOU Model UN?