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Last week, we brought you the news of an outstanding victory for a group of student delegates from the Lahore University of Management Sciences. These eight delegates participated in the Harvard University World Model United Nations conference in Beijing, China and walked away with four Best Delegate Awards, winning their team the highly coveted “Outstanding Delegation” award. Their winning ratio of 0.5 (four out of eight delegates winning diplomacy awards) was tied with the West Point Military Academy of the US, and trailed second to the 0.53 winning ratio of the College of William & Mary in the US.
These students represent a much needed generation of Pakistanis. They are taking precious time out of a high pressure academic environment, where grades mean a lot, to hone their public relations and international diplomacy skills. They are doing it for their own sakes as much as for accomplishing a wider awareness about the true face of Pakistan. Through their international participation at Model UN conferences, these student delegates and their counterparts from across the world are building bridges that will hopefully become strong and visible as they take on influential, leadership roles in tomorrow’s world. The relationships they are fostering and the understanding they are nurturing about each others’ views and issues, will one day become the force that is necessary for achieving global peace and harmony. May be world peace is not just a phrase but an ongoing effort, and gauging from the enthusiasm of these young minds, at least our future generations are beginning to recognize its importance.
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This week, we are bringing you closer to the winning delegates, with a brief introduction to six of the delegation members. (Due to a shortage of time, two of the delegation members could not be reached. Their names are Hassan Akbar and Kazi Afzaluddin Siddiqui.)
We hope you will enjoy reading about the enthusiasm and accomplishments of these bright young minds, who represent the future of our nation, and our world. |
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Winner of the Diplomacy Award in the UNDP
Ammar is a student of the BSc (Hons.) Economics Class of 2007 at LUMS. Before joining LUMS, Ammar had completed his A Levels. Ammar joined LUMUN due to his profound interest in international politics and world affairs. Before the Harvard University World MUN at Beijing, Ammar had also won the Best Delegate Award at the Turkish Model UN, headed a 26 member delegation to the Mumbai MUN and chaired a committee at the All Pakistan MUN.
Speaking of his experience at the World MUN at Beijing Ammar says, “It was an unforgettable learning and social experience, especially due to the exposure that I got in terms of interacting with students from all over the globe." |
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| About the lessons he learned, Ammar has an interesting story, "My most memorable lesson was to never bring up the issue of Kashmir with an Indian, after my closest ally in the committee got enraged at a comment about the Indian barbed wire making the alleged cross-border infiltration virtually impossible.” About how the experience impacted his attitude towards diplomacy, he says “I feel that diplomacy is an art of tactfulness which can be perfected through practice, experience and knowledge. Furthermore, the UN is perhaps the most under-utilized organization in the world.” Ammar’s friends and family were delighted at the unique opportunity he got, and his achievement, “My parents have been a great support; they have backed me up throughout!” |
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Winner of the Diplomacy Award
Hashim is from the BSc (Hons.) Economics Class of 2008. Before joining LUMS, he did his O- and A-Levels from Salamat-ICAS in Lahore. Hashim joined LUMUN because, “I have always been interested in international affairs and public speaking. I also wanted to diversify my extra-curricular activities since I focused on debating throughout my high school.” Hashim’s debating skills were well rewarded. He was ranked 11th in the World Individuals Debating and Public Speaking Championship 2003, held in England. His category rankings were even better. “I have the honor of being the only Pakistani who has ever reached an Impromptu Speaking grand-final and was ranked 2nd. He has also represented Pakistan in South Africa, Germany and Malaysia. Previously, he has represented LUMUN at last year’s World MUN held in Edinburgh, Scotland. About his experience at World MUN, Hashim says “World MUN not only helped me understand pertinent world issues better, but also gave me an opportunity to interact with students belonging to different cultures, races and countries. (Just imagine sitting in a room where people speak up to 25 different languages!) It also allowed me to clarify notions about Pakistan and learn what people think about us. That is why undoubtedly World MUN was the most amazing event I have ever been a part of.” About the impact on his attitude towards diplomacy in general, Hashim says “The will to compromise is an essential component of a successful life. Hardliners and egotistical people have a rather bleak future. The UN has had limited successes, but I still believe that if countries start respecting it then a lot of global problems can be solved.” He believes that member countries have to do away with a culture of disrespect and disregard to international norms and laws if global peace and prosperity are to be attained. On the reaction of his friends and family, Hashim says, “This is the first time ever that random students at LUMS have congratulated me about any achievement. But seriously it was my grandmothers’ and parents’ prayers, encouragement and support that played a pivotal role in helping me achieve this award.” |
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Winner of the Diplomacy Award (Best Delegate) in Social, Cultural and Humanitarian Committee
Hassaan is from the BSc Class of 2007. He is also currently the President of LUMUN and also the founder of LUMS Entrepreneurial Society. Before joining LUMS, Hassaan did his O- and A-Levels from the Beacon House School System. This year’s diplomacy award is the third in a row for Hassaan, making him the 12th person out of 20,000 delegates to attend the World MUN in 15 years to achieve a hatrick. He has also won the Best Delegate Awards at the Mumbai MUN and the Turkish MUN. The reason Hassaan joined LUMUN was because “It is a platform where we can address things that concern us and the world at large, and also share and understand the rich cultural diversity of the human civilization.” Before going to the World MUN, Hassaan was active in debates and youth leadership conference, winning the World Muslim Student Leader Award and Youth Leader Award in 2004 and 2005 respectively.
On the experience of attending the World MUN, Hassaan says, “It has always been an honor to represent our beloved Pakistan, and even more of an honor to hear people say that ‘meeting your team and you, we have come to know that Pakistan is different from what we see in the media.’ You really feel like you’ve accomplished something!”
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| Important lessons he has picked up from his work with the Model United Nations, “I have learned that if you have some biases, other have them too. So take a break and listen to others; perhaps you will reach some consensus. Another important lesson is that most of us share the same vision of a peaceful and poverty free world; it’s just that we speak different languages.” About the impact of this experience on his attitude towards diplomacy and the UN, he says “I feel my attitude towards certain things has changed just by meeting people; we may sit and criticize the UN as a toothless tiger, but this experience tells me that we still need it as an organization that is addressing and supporting many social and welfare issues where governments have failed.” Hassaan’s family is a competitive breeding ground, where “to be an outstanding person is a requirement.” His family and friends have always stood by him and even though he hadn’t informed them of their achievement, the news had reached Lahore before he landed back. “They just said ‘this time we where expecting it’.” |
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Winner of the Diplomacy Award
Rabea is from the BSc Class of 2006, graduating this June. She is majoring in Social Sciences. Before joining LUMS, Rabea did her O- and A-Levels from the Islamabad College of Arts and Sciences. Rabea joined LUMUN at its inception in 2002, “Since it was a new avenue for debating world politics and current issues.”
For Rabea, the trip to Beijing as part of her second World MUN was “An exhilarating experience; from the excitement of visiting a new country to meeting people from diverse backgrounds to winning the Diplomacy Award. Perhaps the best experience was to see the sheer look of surprise on people's faces when they learned we are from Pakistan (we often got confused with Indians) and their ensuing eagerness to visit us.”
On the impact of this experience on her attitude towards diplomacy and the UN, Rabea says, “The World MUN is a culmination of youthful idealism that things can change once we start listening to
others. At the end of the day our success was the result of support from family and friends who were thrilled as well adamant to get a hefty treat out of us!”
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Ahmad is from the BSc Computer Sciences Class of 2009. Before joining LUMS, Ahmad did his O Levels from St. Mary’s Academy and his A-Levels from Roots in Rawalpindi. He joined LUMUN because, “I have always had an interest in History and
International Relations. LUMUN provided me with a chance to translate that interest into something practical and in the process, meet people from across the globe, all of whom had something new to add to my knowledge. This, coupled with a desire to make a positive impact on the world made me join LUMUN.” Before joining LUMUN, Ahmad had won several debating competitions. He has also been running his own IT company for about four years, which has not only completed numerous projects for clients but also won international awards for its work.
On the Beijing World MUN, Ahmad says, “Some things are impossible to express in words; this was one of them. The committee sessions were organized and coordinated, and helped us achieve consensus on all the issues at hand.”
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| On the most memorable lessons from Beijing, Ahmad says, “The World MUN taught me two contrasting lessons that I will never forget. Firstly, I realized how insignificant I was in the whole scheme of things! Secondly, I understood that if a person strives for something, he can definitely achieve it, no matter how grand it may seem and how insignificant he may be. All in all, perseverance is the greatest asset a person can have!” Speaking about the impact of this experience on his views on diplomacy and the UN, Ahmad says, “I never thought my opinions about the UN and its diplomatic activities could change so radically in a matter of 5 days! My faith in the institution and in diplomacy as a solution to the resolution of international conflicts has increased drastically.” Finally, speaking about the support from his family and friends, Ahmad says, “Nothing I say can do justice to how much of this I owe to my family and friends. I believe it’s a person’s environment that shapes them into what they are, and they provided me with the best they could. It’s hard to find people who encourage you when they should and aren't hesitant of criticizing you either! God has blessed me with a whole lot of them!” |
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Sarosh is from the BSc Class of 2008, majoring in accounting and finance. She studied in the US until 11th grade, after which she moved to Pakistan and completed her final year of high school from the Lahore American School. Sarosh joined LUMUN because she wants to work for the UN one day and wants to get some exposure to international diplomacy through LUMUN. Before her participation in the World MUN at Beijing, Sarosh had won Diplomacy Awards at the Mumbai MUN and the Turkish Model UN in 2005. Sarosh found her experience at the World MUN fast-paced and overwhelming, yet indescribably gratifying. “Somewhere between all the activity you realize that you're sitting with people from all over the world, formulating a comprehensive solution to a pressing global issue, and all from the perspective of another country (in our case India!).”
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| Her most memorable lesson from the WorldMUN was that while you should be open to new ideas, you must also be very proud of your own culture. As the only Pakistani delegation, Sarosh and her team showcased Pakistan through bangles, henna, and postcards, and conversation to all the guests. “They all seemed surprised that we weren't gun-toting radicals, that we had a rich history and a promising future. As we cleaned up after the event was over, I realized what an impact our pictures and stories must have made on people who have only heard about Pakistan in connection with terrorism. We made a difference, and all it took was a conversation.” On diplomacy in general, Sarosh says “In recent times, many people have called the effectiveness of the UN into question. I believe in the vision of the United Nations, and my experience at WorldMUN has only bolstered my conviction that only a little reform is needed. Diplomacy works, and cooperation does not mean compromise. These are lessons from WorldMUN I hope to implement at the actual UN when I get there.” Finally, Sarosh says, “WorldMUN is a team effort, and our team was not just the eight people who went to Beijing, but the entire LUMS community. We were honored to represent them, and we were honored to win for them.” |
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Every leading school in the world has a Model United Nations. The Harvard University has organized a World Model United Nations conference in different countries of the world for many decades. The concept is gaining momentum as higher education institutions evolve in lesser developed countries, and people have begun to interact in a relatively borderless world, owing to political changes and the virtual burst of information across physical borders.
The LUMS Model UN (LUMUN) was formed in 2002 as a students' initiative to raise awareness about global issues, governance and the role and functioning of the United Nations, and to teach participants the intricacy of diplomacy and the art of peaceful negotiation. For three consecutive years the society has represented Pakistan in the World Model UN conferences, at Sharm-el Shiek, Egypt in 2004, Edinburgh, Scotland in 2005 and Beijing, China in 2006. Each time the LUMUN delegation has been ranked among the top 10 teams from a pool of more than 185 universities from 50 different countries. LUMUN has also represented Pakistan in Turkey and India. In November 2005, the LUMUN'05 conference at Lahore was host to more than 700 participants from all over Pakistan and about 100 international participants.
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