On March 30 – April 2, DiliMUN’18, the first international Model United Nations conference in Armenia, took place in Dilijan with dynamic discussions shared by all. Initiated by students from UWC Dilijan, the conference welcomed over 70 delegates from Armenia, Georgia, Belarus, India, Russia and Syria. The conference highlighted the most sensitive international issues united around the main theme of ‘Diaspora’, with attendance from youngsters aged 13-18 years representing the perspectives of different countries around the world.
Giving a keynote address to the conference, Boghos, UWCD’19, Lebanon, a member of the Armenian diaspora, said, “Diasporas can be considered to be the essential and vital veins that strengthen and empower the flourishing and beating heart of a nation”.
Over the course of three days, DiliMUN delegates discussed a range of topics including the refugee crisis, the rights of women, the LGBTQ+ community, the unrecognized genocides, the proliferation of the development of nuclear weaponry, the South China dispute, and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Despite the time limitations and complexity of topics, young delegates managed to offer constructive resolutions on these most pressing world problems.
The conference’s secretary general, Rayan, UWCD’18, Sudan, said “It was very important to bring a MUN conference to UWC Dilijan as such initiatives raise awareness among young people for the priorities of the international political agenda. They engage students with the Armenian community and help the college live up to the UWC mission”.
The delegates worked in four committees – two general assemblies, human rights council, and security council. They also took part in a TEDx-like event where students of UWC Dilijan and the delegates shared their reflections on identity, enjoyed organized parties and quizzes, and formed new friendships.
Head of the College, Denise Davidson, praised the organizational skills of the students and addressed the delegates, “No matter what happens, you will always keep what you have in your hearts today – a determination that we will come together and we will help to make the world a better place to live”.
Since its inception in 2014, UWC Dilijan has had a MUN Club and students involved were regularly participating in the MUN conferences in Armenia and abroad. However, it was always an ambition to hold such a conference in their own college. DiliMUN’18 has laid the foundation for making the UWC Dilijan conference an annual event.
