Marvellous MALIGNANI at MUN in Bilbao
What an experience! Three intense days of debating and socializing: 396 students, 45 teachers, from 23 schools across 7 countries. All involved in the prestigious MUN (Model United Nations) conference in Bilbao from 30th January to 2nd February 2020.
The novelty of Bilbao was that the 57 delegations of MUN were enriched by the indigenous people of the Model Arctic Council (MAC). We are proud to announce that two of our students worked hard in this council to reach consensus. Besides, the conference was made even more interesting by the participation of outstanding guests. Evan Wesley, a charismatic American young man, working for the THIRST Project to tackle water crisis in Africa. Kudzai Mukaratirwa, an enthusiastic African man running a UN Youth Program (Education for Justice) in Kenya. Andrew Newman, a devoted university researcher facing the issue of plastic in the ocean.
The settings of the MUN Bilbao were awesome. Hotel Seminario was the perfect location for getting to know each other: teenagers from Spain, Germany, Hungary, France, Italy, Belgium and Uk all accommodated under the same roof compared lifestyles and discovered similarities. Ayalde College was the modern and comfortable female school which hosted the committee works and the general assembly. Deusto University was the place chosen for the solemn opening ceremony in the elegant frescoed Assembly Room whereas the Gala night took place in the exclusive Sailing Club: a sensorial experience of delicious Spanish food and enthralling music and dancing.
Committee work was active and productive: moments of informal discussion (lobbying) alternated with moments of formal debate and voting. The art of diplomacy was practised by motivated delegates who wanted to reach wide agreement. It was challenging for Malignani students to compete with English mother tongue speakers as bright as the Eton College students.
And yet we won thanks to Lara, who was recognized as the author of the best position paper in her SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) committee. As representative of Ethiopia she distinguished herself for her passionate debates and for her Ambassador’s speech. The other participants did their best to enrich the collective discussions and suggest innovative proposals.
MUN Bilbao was certainly worth living for its international dimension, its cooperative spirit, its excellent organization. The sunny and warm weather contributed to the enjoyment of every moment, including the final sightseeing tour of Bilbao, a town of extraordinary architecture and lively human touch.
The Malignani MUN Club
Dalila Decorte, Caterina Asquini, Lara Blasoni, Julia Qiu, Angelica Rerecich, Federico Tomada, Francesco Tonelli, Marco Pascolat, Daniel Sferragatta, Francesco Cerroni, Jacopo Sorti
