+MUN. Munning again!

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After OakMUN, I hadn't been to any other MUNs. I got to know about the +MUN about 5 days before it was supposed to take place. So my first instinct was to disregard it because I thought it would be impractical. But then I realized that this was one of the few MUN’s that took place in Hyderabad. So I made an impromptu decision and registered for it. I was asked to opt for a preferred country and I asked for India but I had no hopes of getting it because I was registering late. So I was extremely surprised when I did get it! The notion that “ask and you shall get” became stronger in me.

The previous MUN I took a lot of pressure and stress as I did not know what exactly to expect. This time because I knew what to expect and also told myself it was okay to not do well, I was not stressed. I did not have enough time, but then I knew from my previous experience where to start looking. I did a little research and I felt I was better prepared for my topic than the last time. When I went to the conference, I saw that I knew many people from the last time and I felt very good when all of them talked to me. I am probably a very social person.

Initially the session was very good and I was able to back up the claims I made with actual facts (something I did not do last time). I was surprised that the little research I did actually came in handy. I felt very confident. I also felt experienced though it was only my second time and I gave a few tips to the person beside me.

However as the day progressed, I did not have fun. I was quite bored and this was probably either because I had come with different expectations as I was comparing it to last time or because there were people who were very well researched and after a point I lost track and lost interest. My guess is it is both. So this also taught me that I am very used to being in the lime light and not being a part of what is going on was a new experience.

We ended the day with a crisis situation. Crisis situations are hypothetical situations in which several things go wrong at once that the organizers introduce and expect us to figure out and solve. So that day I went to research a little more and I found that again I was able to make connections very fast. By the end of it I had come up with a version of what caused the crisis that was fit to become a Hollywood movie. It was full of conspiracies. This made me realize that very often I find what I am looking for. While this is generally a good thing, I have to be wary of the confirmation biases it could lead to.

I noticed something else during this MUN. I have a kind of confident charisma. At many points, I did not really have anything to say, but people came to me. They expected me to say something, suggest some ideas. I also learned that sometimes it is okay to not have ideas or have something to say. I learned to listen to others and appreciate them.

I realized again that I generally tend to support the under dogs. This was evident by the way I wanted to support Iran though India shouldn’t! And I realized this is probably one of the reasons I am not great at MUN. My strong beliefs about right and wrong prevent me from thinking and acting as a representative of a country. I thought I wasn’t great during this whole MUN and I felt that others could have done a better job of being India. Initially this bothered me and lowered my self confidence. I felt bad. But then again once I let go of the notion to always be good, I felt better. I was quite surprised when I actually got an award. I also realized I need not always be serious and the one in lime light. During the end of the session, while some were busy writing a resolution, I goofed off a bit and I enjoyed it!

I realized another very important aspect about myself during this MUN. I realized that I was repeatedly telling myself that MUN was something that I ought to enjoy, it was my kind of thing. During this MUN I realized that it wasn’t really something that I enjoyed a lot. The most important part of this MUN was realizing it and letting go of the need to enjoy MUN.

This MUN sensitized me to the effects of money laundering on different countries of the world. However it also taught me a lot about others and a lot more about myself and only as I was writing this reflection did I realize how much it taught me. I am glad I made the impromptu decision.

Learning outcomes achieved:
1. Increased awareness of my strengths and areas of growth
2. Planned and initiated activities
3. Worked collaboratively with others
4. Engaged with issue of global importance