The first Alexandria International Model United Nations (AIMUN 2005) is a student-to-student simulation model of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) with the theme of “Re-evaluation of the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) Region Performance towards the Achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)… A Youth Perspective”. The Model was fully run by an Egyptian NGO, Sustainable Development Association (SDA) - a youth- empowered NGO with a board considered to be the youngest in Egypt – in collaboration with the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, YES Country Network Egypt and the Russian Center for Science and Culture in Alexandria. Twenty five active young SDA members organized the event, being the backbone of the model project. The working team was divided into: Academic Committee (AC) which consisted of the Secretary General of the project, the Research Assistant, the president, and the Vice President. The AC was responsible about the preparation of the project content. The Organizing Committee (OC) included: Head of OC, Coordination Manager, Newsletter Team, Public Relation Team, Logistics Team and Innovation Team. The OC was given the task of running the project smoothly, each team with its assigned missions.
The AIMUN was carried out in two phases: the first phase was a one-month intensive training to the chosen delegates on debating, negotiating and most importantly on how to draw effectively a practical and comprehensive plan to put the MENA region on the track towards achieving the MDGs. The delegates were given various channels of communication and expression through: live discussions during the training sessions, online discussions and a weekly printed/electronic Horizons newsletter highlighting their thoughts and ideas. The second phase was the conference where the representatives of selected 15 MENA countries debated the barriers to eradicating poverty, achieving primary education, attaining gender equality and empowering women, reducing child mortality, raising the awareness of maternal health, combating HIV/AIDS and other diseases, ensuring environmental sustainability and creating a worldwide network of action for establishing a global partnership. The enthusiastic delegates, during the 4-day conference, negotiated the suggestions so as to reach the best solutions. One of the conference outputs was the AIMUN 2005 book tackling the MDGs in relation to the MENA region as well as the role of the civil society organizations (CSOs) with a special focus on the region demanding need of Good Governance.
The model came as a turning point in the lives of so many of the active participants. They have discovered hidden talents, acquired basic skills, explored new horizons, involved positively in developmental issues and had a clearer vision about the status of the MENA region. These were all reflected in their cumulative work and efforts to issue a final resolution summing up their first encounter with the MDGs and the MENA region.
“Witnessing such a youth engagement has been quite so promising. Youth, as catalysts for development, in the MENA region are hardly aware of the MDGs. They should know that they have only one decade, 2015, to go to meet the goals, and AIMUN was just the first step. It is the first time in history that the world with its current resources capable of achieving development so I, personally, see the MDGs as a universal frame, highly flexible to be adapted differently in each and every country, but the outcome will be just the same all over.” said Moustafa M. Hussein, AIMUN 2005 Vice President.
For more information, visit
http://aimun.takingitglobal.org
