TIMUN V Session; Redefining diplomacy, debate and decorum
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In a time where life has come to a halt and many have had to forgo what they have always known, TIMUN V Session was more than successful in its endeavor to bring together the leaders of tomorrow for the fifth consecutive year. The International Model United Nations has always provided its passionate and skilled young participants with an extraordinary simulation of the United Nations and this year too they delivered nothing short of it. Adapting to its circumstances TIMUN partnered with OCULUS a tailor made virtual MUN platform to bring diplomacy, debate and critical thinking to the very homes of the budding diplomats. Coming to a close on the 7th of February the three-day conference hosted delegates and chairs from over ten countries being a global MUN conference.
This was a marvelous opportunity for young students to interact and collaborate with others of their own age but from very different economic, social and political backgrounds. Testimony to this is the feedback received from the participants themselves, “the atmosphere created really helped to make this an enjoyable conference” are the thoughts of Hirupama Bandara of Royal College Colombo 07, while Treasa Adams delegate of the UNEP from Ladies’ College Colombo 07 said “TIMUN was an amazing experience, I really enjoyed it. The Chairs were great and really supportive as well.”
Being presented with issues relevant to problems of the present day the conference had seven committees ranging from the World Trade Organisation to the United Nations Women and even the Indian Ocean Rim Association.
The topics for the committees were well constructed and analysed to ensure that the participants would be taken beyond their everyday textbooks for thorough research and knowledge gathering. Each of these committees saw engaging debate and out of the box critical thinking on the topics “Effect of the Belt Road Initiative on the Different Nations in IORA”, “Mitigations on the Implications of Trade in the Wake of COVID-19” and “Developing National Response Plans to Increase Resilience Against Prospective Climate Change Hazards & Disasters” to name a few.
TIMUN also took great pleasure in partnering with the esteemed organisations locally such as Verité Research, The Institute of Policy Studies, the Law and Society Trust and Helvetas Sri Lanka for a knowledge sharing session with both the delegates and Chairs. Each committee received an informative and insightful presentation relevant to their topic from experts in the field, followed by an engaging Q&A session. This was the perfect opportunity for the young delegates to gain a comprehensive understanding on how the very issues they were debating on are tackled in the real world.
As reputed for, TIMUN’s crisis this year too was most exciting and innovative. Themed “Jumanji” the participants had to solve riddles and complete puzzles relying solely on their creativity and quick thinking. It added an exciting spark to the conference as a whole. “It improved my understanding of global issues and possible solutions that young generatios can bring up to a table. It made me believe that we can be the change that we want to see” shared Nehara Nanayakkara from Ladies’ College.
The enthusiasm of the participants, commendation from the Chairs, guest speakers and the growth in local as well as international recognition that TIMUN has gained over the years is proof enough for it revolutionising the Sri Lankan MUN arena. Knowledge, critical thinking, discipline and oratory were brought together for a one-of-a-kind learning experience at The International Model United Nations Conference V Session.
-Akshie Wickremesinghe
Executive Committee Member of the TIMUN V Session