Latest news with #ModelUN
Scoop
29-05-2025
- Science
- Scoop
‘We Are The Present': Tajik Climate Activist Urges Leaders To Include Youth Voices In Dialogue
29 May 2025 At the end of April, Fariza Dzhobirova attended a Model United Nations Conference on Glaciers' Preservation in Tajikistan's capital, Dushanbe, where she represented Switzerland. For Ms. Dzhobirova, it was a rehearsal of sorts for the actual High-level Conference on Glaciers' Preservation which began on Thursday in Dushanbe. There, she will serve as a panel member representing her own country. 'The [Model UN] conference gave me a platform to raise my voice, collaborate with like-minded peers from across the region and develop policy recommendations that we hope will influence real-world decisions,' she said. The High-level Conference on Glaciers' Preservation, hosted by the Government of Tajikistan and supported by variety of United Nations agencies, will work to underline the extreme urgency of melting glaciers, elevating it as a global climate and development challenge. Will glaciers survive the 21st century? Glaciers, alongside ice sheets, account for over 70 per cent of the world's freshwater resources and are integral to many local economies, providing water, sustaining agriculture and generating energy. However, due to the increasing temperature of the planet, glaciers are melting at unprecedented rates – scientists predict that if the current rate of melting continues, many glaciers will not survive the 21st century. In Tajikistan alone, 30 per cent of glaciers have disappeared over the last century, disrupting local and national water supplies and agricultural patterns. And Slovenia and Venezuela have lost all their glaciers. Just yesterday, one day before the conference was set to begin, a partial glacier collapse in Switzerland buried most of a small village, according to news reports. 'The death of a glacier is more than just the loss of ice,' said World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Secretary-General Celeste Saulo. Youth voices are the present and the future Before the conference, Parviz Boboev from the UN ountry team in Tajikistan sat down with Ms. Dzhobirova to discuss what motivates her climate activism. Parviz Boboev: What inspired you to get involved in the climate movement? Fariza Dzhobirova: Growing up in Tajikistan, where more than 90% of our freshwater comes from glaciers, I've seen how climate change is already impacting people's lives. Rivers are shrinking, water is becoming less accessible, and natural disasters like landslides and floods are affecting more and more communities. I've met a family who lost their home because of mudflow. I saw a teenage girl from that family of the same age as me that had totally different problems because of this climate-related disaster. I was thinking about my classes. She was thinking about how to survive. My message is that young people are not just the future — we are the present, and we are ready to contribute today And I know there are many examples similar to this - farmers whose land can no longer be irrigated and children whose futures are at risk. Seeing this pain and injustice made it impossible for me to stay silent or uninvolved. Participating in the upcoming Glaciers' Preservation conference means a lot to me. It's about raising the voices of people who are often left out of global discussions. For me, it's a chance to speak on behalf of my generation and my country, and to show that young people are ready to be part of the solution. Parviz Boboev: What message do you hope to share at the conference about the impact of climate change on your community and generation? Fariza Dzhobirova: Being invited to speak is a great responsibility for me. It's a chance to represent not only Tajikistan, but the voice of a generation. My message is that young people are not just the future — we are the present, and we are ready to contribute today. Climate change is not only about the environment — it's about how we live, how we work, how we learn. It affects our opportunities, our mental health, our ability to plan for the future. And yet, many young people are still excluded from decision-making processes. At the conference, I want to encourage leaders and policymakers to truly listen not just to the facts and data, but to the experiences and hopes of young people. When you give youth a platform, you don't just invest in their potential — you strengthen the resilience and sustainability of entire communities. Parviz Boboev: Youth voices are becoming increasingly important in global climate conversations. How do you see the role of young people in shaping solutions? Fariza Dzhobirova: I truly believe that young people have a unique role to play in shaping more just, inclusive and forward-looking climate solutions. We bring fresh ideas, the courage to question outdated systems and a strong sense of responsibility for the future. In countries like Tajikistan, where glaciers are directly connected to people's livelihoods, youth are already stepping up. What we need now is more trust and investment in young people. We don't expect to solve everything alone, but we do hope to be included — in dialogue, in decision-making, and in designing real solutions. Protecting glaciers and water resources is not just a technical challenge; it's a human one. By working together — across generations and borders — we can make our region stronger, more resilient, and more united in the face of climate change.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Learning world affairs
May 17—ESC hosts Model UN event Students from county middle schools came together on Friday, May 9 for the annual Model UN event, hosted by the Lawrence County Educational Service Center. Dressed in costumes representing their assigned countries, the students conduct a facsimile of a United Nations session, with countries putting forth resolutions for business such as aid to areas impacted by earthquakes, then making the case for their request, while taking questions on the matters. After discussion is complete, the entire session votes on the resolutions. Gretta Taylor, student services coordinator for the ESC, who organizes the event, traditionally the last countywide event for the agency in each academic year, said months of work go into to the event for students. "After Christmas, they begin planning for their countries," she said. The presentations are judged by a panel of teachers form the schools. Altogether, more than 90 students took part in the event, Taylor said. Award were given as follows: Top counties —Haiti — Rock Hill —Brazil — Dawson-Bryant —Ethiopia — Symmes Valley Top resolution —Egypt — Ironton —Democratic Republic of Congo — Ironton —Madagascar — Chesapeake Awards were also given for top delegates. Chesapeake, Dawson-Bryant, Ironton, St. Joseph, Symmes Valley and Rock Hill middle schools took part in the event. You Might Like Education Meet the Class — Open Door School Education Meet the class: Logan Scott Coffman Education Top of the top Education SV guidance counselor runs in Boston marathon
Fast Company
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Fast Company
I'm a high schooler who does Model U.N. Trump's America First ‘diplomacy' is ruining the experience
The United Nations was in a crisis: Elon Musk had taken control of the European Space Agency and all of its outposts in space to further the development of Starlink. Delegates to the U.N., already in a special committee discussing equitable ways to militarize outer space, discovered Musk's plans. Hurriedly, the representatives from Japan, Germany, and Egypt came up with a way to rein in the rogue billionaire: kidnap him. Musk, ever noncompliant, hid out on the moon, took several ESA scientists hostage, and lobbed threats at the U.N. After a day-long stalemate, the delegates found a way to bring Musk safely down to Earth, regaining control of the ESA. The diplomats negotiating in this outlandish scenario weren't professionals, and didn't have long and storied careers. Most of them weren't even adults. They were high schoolers from around the world, and they'd come to Geneva, Switzerland, in mid-March for the 14th annual Yale Model United Nations Conference, Europe, looking to have a say in the future of global politics. But even in sessions where they role-played imagined, futuristic scenarios, this year's Model U.N. attendees couldn't escape the present. The teen from New York who had played the role of the Egyptian delegate in the space-focused committee said it was funny that in their fictional world of outer space, which even included alien encounters, 'Elon Musk is still the corrupt figure, kind of pulling the strings behind an elected body that he's not really supposed to have control of.' A common extracurricular for high school students with an interest in international relations, Model U.N. mirrors the procedure of real U.N. meetings. For the three-day YMUNE conference in March, hundreds of student delegates came from countries in Europe, Asia, and the Americas, traveling up to 6,000 miles with their schools to participate. Once there, students broke into committees, focusing on a topic of their choice for the duration of the conference. Some students attended General Assembly (GA) committees, exploring contemporary issues, such as nuclear energy, equitable internet access, and cryptocurrencies. Model U.N. deviates from the U.N. in that it often has faster-paced 'crisis' committees that involve more direct action from participants; assassination attempts and other acts of sabotage are common. Other committees at this year's YMUNE focused on historical and fictional events, like outer space colonization or the ethical struggles in Charlotte Brontë's Wuthering Heights. I attended a specialized committee on the Paris Commune of 1871, where I worked with other delegates to create a stable and autonomous communist government. Delegates are expected to come to these conferences with some research done and a write-up of their assigned countries' position. But once a committee starts, things tend to get chaotic, as teenagers in business attire fight for global influence. And this year, they were fighting for influence in the shadow cast by President Donald Trump's 'America First' brand of diplomacy. The White House meeting heard round the world Model U.N. trains students to be the future of international diplomacy, an objective that feels more complex than ever. This year's YMUNE conference took place two months after Trump's inauguration and just two weeks after his now infamous Oval Office meeting with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump's approach to politics spilled into many of the committees, no matter the topic, and lingered in the minds of the student delegates. When asked about Trump's approach to foreign policy, many of the international students I spoke with expressed concern and outrage over his treatment of Zelenskyy. A group of girls from Germany had strong opinions on the issue, saying that Trump was selfish and impeding on democracy. One of the girls called the Oval Office meeting 'horrible to watch,' adding that 'all [Trump] wanted to do was belittle [Zelenskyy] and make a fool of him in front of international television.' Trump 'clearly doesn't want to work with [any] country,' she said. 'He lies and says he wants to work with them, but in the end, it's just for his own benefit.' She was aware of Elon Musk's interaction with far-right political parties in Germany, such as the AFD, and noted it was 'scary to see how such a far-right party is slowly gaining popularity in Germany.' All the German girls seemed to agree that the U.N. had a mandate to fight undue U.S. influence. Even students who admired Trump seemed put off by the Oval Office meeting. A Brazilian student who voiced support for Trump's 'firm' approach to foreign policy and appreciated his 'strong' persona said, 'It's a little bit too radical to just lash out on Zelenskyy in the White House.' As many of the delegates at YMUNE were European, they were all too aware of Trump's disdain for established alliances and his desire to limit military funding to Europe. A different pair of German students said they had an initial interest in some of Trump's more moderate policies, as they were similar to reforms they would have liked to see implemented in Germany. But now, one said: 'He's quite literally going against the entire EU.' The cloud of America First nationalism At the same time that the space committee was negotiating with Musk over his hostages, a different group of delegates gathered in a GA committee to discuss the uses of science and technology in international development. As the delegates looked for funding to support their proposals for nuclear energy and expanded internet access, a theme emerged: They were all wary of making alliances with the United States. According to the delegate representing Malaysia (a classmate of mine from New York City), the students representing developing nations were afraid the U.S. would try to monopolize the funding for their projects to have outsize influence over their countries. If the U.S. paid for cell towers and satellites, they reasoned, it could try to wrest control of them in the future. The delegate representing Iran remarked that the allies should quickly try to make a deal with the U.S. before Trump attaches strings to the money, seizes control of projects, and 'capitalizes on all of our collaboration.' The cloud of American nationalism hung over the room, threatening tenuous collaborations. The delegate of Malaysia told me that all the delegates were aware of a shifting world order, and were cracking jokes about current events without ever saying explicitly that Trump was the biggest threat to the success of their proposals. Throughout the entire conference, delegates were finding that Trump wasn't just affecting the substance of YMUNE negotiations, he was alteringthe style of them. Some attendees felt they were witnessing a cultural shift. The usual schmoozing between delegates trying to make alliances was turning into something more sinister, as some students took on the personas and negotiating tactics of Trump and his allies. The positions taken by delegates in Model U.N. are just assumed for a few days. We are all essentially just playing a role. But the tactics that work for politicians in the real world also work for these delegates. Many saw strongman personas to be less palatable, but more effective, in getting peers on their side. I spoke with a girl from India who observed that many delegates this year believed they had 'the power to act or behave like Trump.' She saw them 'using his policies to take really radical action that we have not seen before as well,' pushing for more extreme proposals in direct contradiction of the collaborative purpose of Model U.N. She said some sessions were more about 'showing your personality' than working together. A group of girls from Franconia, Germany, also had thoughts about the way delegates' personas were changing in response to these politicians. They sensed that delegates were becoming more entitled and assertive, and that normally collaborative committee sessions were turning into power struggles. 'It's interesting to see other delegates embody a persona that is similar to Trump,' said one of the girls, who was originally from the United Kingdom. She saw people dropping some of the refinement that negotiations are supposed to have in favor of louder and more aggressive posturing. She called this a 'risky game.' Usually in YMUNE, delegates try to balance the complexities of global politics, humanitarian crises, and the diverse perspectives of the other delegates with the goals of the country or person they are representing. Even delegates representing more politically contentious countries don't want to make real enemies. But this year, most of the students I spoke with seemed to believe that diplomatic niceties were being lost, and that Trump was the main reason why. Politics or Puns? YMUNE is traditionally a place where delegate-students can build their public speaking skills, develop their ability to compromise, practice formal academic writing, and meet new people from around the world. It's also a place where they can practice real diplomacy. I, like many students, joined Model U.N. because I care about global political issues and want to feel like I am making a difference to solve them—and because I like the idea of a career as a diplomat. But some delegates felt the connection between Model U.N. and the real U.N. had been severed with Trump undermining the U.N.'s work. The delegate from the committee on outer space, who joined Model U.N. because he appreciated the chance to address world issues and to work toward 'real change,' remarked that Model U.N. has started to feel 'less like a simulation of the U.N.,' and more like a fun activity to do, influenced by the news but removed of its broader significance. He had started to lose faith in the real U.N., too. He told me that 'if a president can push aside decades of good will' as easily as Trump has, then international relations begins to feel like a 'futile field.' He seemed to think that learning how to participate in real diplomacy through Model U.N. was no longer possible. I agreed with him. During this year's meeting, I often felt shut down in committee sessions by the kinds of delegates who like to imitate Trump's behavior, and was treated differently by some of them because of my gender. I still care passionately about global politics, but am unsure if I will continue doing Model U.N. in college. It's frustrating to put work into conferences and feel as though my research is pointless, that I won't be listened to simply because I refuse to adopt the brashness of other delegates. I feel like my time is better spent addressing politics in other ways—like by writing articles. One evening, during a break in the conference, I stepped out of the hotel where the sessions were being held to buy some food at a nearby grocery store. On my way out, I was confronted with a large crowd of students. In the middle stood a boy from Massachusetts, engaged in a spirited impression of Trump. I fought my way to the center of the circle and introduced myself, asking for his name. 'My name is Donald J. Trump,' he replied in a perfect imitation of the president's drawl. I asked him for his stance on international policy. 'No one knows international policy better than Donald Trump,' he responded. 'We love policy, and we love internationals, too.' The crowd tittered. The boy absorbed the energy of his audience, growing bolder, matching the cadence of the president. 'What a great question. We love these questions,' he went on. He kept it up for a few more minutes, the audience hanging on to every word. For the moment, at least, no one seemed too concerned with what the real Trump's policies meant for their futures. And then it was over. The crowd dispersed, meandering through the misty night back to the hotel, ready to engage in another two hours of committee sessions.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Teen sets up Model UN Academy site to help thousands of students find success
CHICAGO -- Sixteen-year-old Momin Ahmed, a member of Hinsdale Central High School's Model UN Club, is finding great satisfaction in using his own experiences and advantages to help others find similar success. Near the end of his sophomore year, Ahmed, now a junior, started Model UN Academy, a free online resource that has helped more than 10,000 students from about 150 high schools — reaching almost all 50 states and more than 30 countries — enhance their own Model UN experiences. Model UN is a simulation of the real United Nations that takes place in schools around the globe and teaches students how the international organization works while challenging the youths to tackle real-world issues with diplomacy. Ahmed's Model UN Academy website instructs students on how to navigate the general assembly and different committees, offers tips and tricks for conferences and serves as a guide to help win awards. Ahmed, who lives in Hinsdale, created the academy with the goal of sharing his expertise. He started by building the website then sent it to a few local Model UN programs last summer to get feedback, which he said was 'really good and supportive.' 'People were telling me it's a great resource for our newer delegates and the awards section is great for even experienced delegates to become the best delegates they can be,' Ahmed said. Over the next few months, he got the website in front of more and more people, and a few even began to offer their own contributions for how-tos and the do's and don'ts, he said. Ahmed, who recently joined the executive board of Hinsdale Central's Model UN Club, used Google translate to send the website to schools around the world, and Model UN Academy is now available in over 100 languages. 'It's been such a cool way to impact the global Model UN community,' Ahmed said. 'It's a really beneficial experience for students professionally but also personally.' Ahmed, who also plays violin and runs cross country and track, said Model UN is what he is 'most passionate about.' 'I've met a lot of people through it, and I have some of my closest friends from Model UN,' he said. Ahmed's involvement with Model UN started the summer of sixth grade, he said, when his mom signed him up for a weeklong Model UN camp that had high schoolers working with younger students to teach the basics and practice discussions. Ahmed said the experience helped him grow as a public speaker and communicator. He knew by the end of the camp that this would be something he wanted to continue. He participated in the Model UN summer camp for the rest of middle school and joined the club 'right when I got to high school,' he said. His public speaking and communication skills soared, he said, along with his ability to think on his feet and collaborate with large groups of people. 'The coolest thing to me about Model UN is how different people from different backgrounds and different perspectives can come together, disagreeing on things and agreeing on other things, and they come together to make solutions that are really creative and innovative and real world,' Ahmed said. Sanskruti Patel is a social studies teacher at Hinsdale Central and a faculty sponsor of the school's Model UN club. She said Ahmed 'stood out from the get-go.' As for Ahmed's Model UN Academy, she said it's 'really impressive how he's led this as a grassroots initiative.' She said the academy makes Model UN more approachable when the club may feel daunting at times to newcomers. 'Model UN Academy is so incredible because of the way that it's accessible,' Patel said. 'And if you've never done Model UN before it's a great way to not just be introduced to it but really get skills that are going to help you be successful in and outside of the club.' Ahmed said he's been to 10 conferences and qualified four times for international conferences. Conferences typically consist of one or two topics to be discussed, such as world hunger, nuclear weapons or refugee crises. Each student or delegate is assigned a country to represent at the conference and must relay that country's opinions and interests. Throughout the conference, delegates deliberate with each other and their committees, give speeches and ultimately come up with solutions for the assembly as a whole to vote on. 'That's my favorite part: coming up with the solutions and everyone working together,' Ahmed said. 'Even if you have different perspectives, you know that, just like in the real United Nations, you need to work together to make progress on the problem.' Conferences take place throughout the school year and range from smaller, local events to state, national and international events with anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand students. Ahmed said he has met students from across Illinois, the country and the world — and still keeps in touch with some of them. His first conference in high school was an international one in Chicago, and he recalled meeting people from around the world, from Florida and New York to Jamaica and Japan. One of Ahmed's most memorable experiences was at an international conference at the University of Chicago during Ahmed's sophomore year, when he was representing Timor-Leste, a country in southeast Asia. It was his first time having been assigned a country he didn't know about, and he said he 'kind of panicked' while doing his research leading up to the conference because he thought no one would take him seriously for representing a smaller country. 'I realized that even in the real United Nations, similar things happen, like the smaller countries get overshadowed by larger powers; but in the end it all worked out,' Ahmed said. 'I was able to align myself with stronger countries and use that to propel myself to the front of the room and get speaking positions.' Ahmed ultimately received an honorable delegate award at the conference, placing second overall. 'Even though I was worried at first, I enjoyed the process of learning how to be a small fish in a big pond and learning how to move up and be heard,' Ahmed said, 'even if I wasn't set up to be heard; and earning that award was really a great moment for me.' Brad Donaldson, a social studies teacher at Addison Trail High School, is faculty sponsor of his school's Model UN club. He said he first heard about the academy during the fall and found it to be an 'amazing resource for us.' 'For those who aren't familiar with politics and government and how that all works, I think having a resource that lays out how things operate and how each part works makes kids more comfortable,' Donaldson said. Other resources similar to the academy are out there, he said, but some require payment to use and are too complex. Donaldson said he will continue using Model UN Academy as a resource for his club. 'It's dialed in to what the point of Model UN and the (real) UN are about in terms of trying to problem solve and share the wealth and lift everyone up instead of using your own advantages to your own advantage,' Donaldson said. 'It's very laudable.' Ahmed said that, in the beginning when he was creating Model UN Academy, it was 'very laborious' and he wasn't hearing back from people right away. He considered abandoning the project at times and focusing on himself, but chose to push through. 'Now, when I get emails thanking me and telling me how much it's helped the students and telling me about the awards students have gotten or how well they did at a conference, that feedback is one of the most motivating things,' Ahmed said. A lot of Ahmed's work still consists of outreach and trying to widen the net as much as possible, he said. As he continues his academic journey, he hopes to grow the academy, he said. He also wants to expand to the college level. 'If anything, the community just grows as I get older,' he said. 'It's a pretty cool journey that I've had going from the kid who just got signed up by their mom for a middle school summer camp to someone teaching other students how to do Model UN and be successful,' Ahmed said. 'I think it's super important, especially in today's era with everything going on, that young people … are educated about worldly topics and just have a general understanding of what's going on,' he said. ___
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Hinsdale Central teen sets up Model UN Academy site to help thousands of students find success
Sixteen-year-old Momin Ahmed, a member of Hinsdale Central High School's Model UN Club, is finding great satisfaction in using his own experiences and advantages to help others find similar success. Near the end of his sophomore year, Ahmed, now a junior, started Model UN Academy, a free online resource that has helped more than 10,000 students from about 150 high schools — reaching almost all 50 states and more than 30 countries — enhance their own Model UN experiences. Model UN is a simulation of the real United Nations that takes place in schools around the globe and teaches students how the international organization works while challenging the youths to tackle real-world issues with diplomacy. Ahmed's Model UN Academy website instructs students on how to navigate the general assembly and different committees, offers tips and tricks for conferences and serves as a guide to help win awards. Ahmed, who lives in Hinsdale, created the academy with the goal of sharing his expertise. He started by building the website then sent it to a few local Model UN programs last summer to get feedback, which he said was 'really good and supportive.' 'People were telling me it's a great resource for our newer delegates and the awards section is great for even experienced delegates to become the best delegates they can be,' Ahmed said. Over the next few months, he got the website in front of more and more people, and a few even began to offer their own contributions for how-tos and the do's and don'ts, he said. Ahmed, who recently joined the executive board of Hinsdale Central's Model UN Club, used Google translate to send the website to schools around the world, and Model UN Academy is now available in over 100 languages. 'It's been such a cool way to impact the global Model UN community,' Ahmed said. 'It's a really beneficial experience for students professionally but also personally.' Ahmed, who also plays violin and runs cross country and track, said Model UN is what he is 'most passionate about.' 'I've met a lot of people through it, and I have some of my closest friends from Model UN,' he said. Ahmed's involvement with Model UN started the summer of sixth grade, he said, when his mom signed him up for a weeklong Model UN camp that had high schoolers working with younger students to teach the basics and practice discussions. Ahmed said the experience helped him grow as a public speaker and communicator. He knew by the end of the camp that this would be something he wanted to continue. He participated in the Model UN summer camp for the rest of middle school and joined the club 'right when I got to high school,' he said. His public speaking and communication skills soared, he said, along with his ability to think on his feet and collaborate with large groups of people. 'The coolest thing to me about Model UN is how different people from different backgrounds and different perspectives can come together, disagreeing on things and agreeing on other things, and they come together to make solutions that are really creative and innovative and real world,' Ahmed said. Sanskruti Patel is a social studies teacher at Hinsdale Central and a faculty sponsor of the school's Model UN club. She said Ahmed 'stood out from the get-go.' As for Ahmed's Model UN Academy, she said it's 'really impressive how he's led this as a grassroots initiative.' She said the academy makes Model UN more approachable when the club may feel daunting at times to newcomers. 'Model UN Academy is so incredible because of the way that it's accessible,' Patel said. 'And if you've never done Model UN before it's a great way to not just be introduced to it but really get skills that are going to help you be successful in and outside of the club.' Ahmed said he's been to 10 conferences and qualified four times for international conferences. Conferences typically consist of one or two topics to be discussed, such as world hunger, nuclear weapons or refugee crises. Each student or delegate is assigned a country to represent at the conference and must relay that country's opinions and interests. Throughout the conference, delegates deliberate with each other and their committees, give speeches and ultimately come up with solutions for the assembly as a whole to vote on. 'That's my favorite part: coming up with the solutions and everyone working together,' Ahmed said. 'Even if you have different perspectives, you know that, just like in the real United Nations, you need to work together to make progress on the problem.' Conferences take place throughout the school year and range from smaller, local events to state, national and international events with anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand students. Ahmed said he has met students from across Illinois, the country and the world — and still keeps in touch with some of them. His first conference in high school was an international one in Chicago, and he recalled meeting people from around the world, from Florida and New York to Jamaica and Japan. One of Ahmed's most memorable experiences was at an international conference at the University of Chicago during Ahmed's sophomore year, when he was representing Timor-Leste, a country in southeast Asia. It was his first time having been assigned a country he didn't know about, and he said he 'kind of panicked' while doing his research leading up to the conference because he thought no one would take him seriously for representing a smaller country. 'I realized that even in the real United Nations, similar things happen, like the smaller countries get overshadowed by larger powers; but in the end it all worked out,' Ahmed said. 'I was able to align myself with stronger countries and use that to propel myself to the front of the room and get speaking positions.' Ahmed ultimately received an honorable delegate award at the conference, placing second overall. 'Even though I was worried at first, I enjoyed the process of learning how to be a small fish in a big pond and learning how to move up and be heard,' Ahmed said, 'even if I wasn't set up to be heard; and earning that award was really a great moment for me.' Brad Donaldson, a social studies teacher at Addison Trail High School, is faculty sponsor of his school's Model UN club. He said he first heard about the academy during the fall and found it to be an 'amazing resource for us.' 'For those who aren't familiar with politics and government and how that all works, I think having a resource that lays out how things operate and how each part works makes kids more comfortable,' Donaldson said. Other resources similar to the academy are out there, he said, but some require payment to use and are too complex. Donaldson said he will continue using Model UN Academy as a resource for his club. 'It's dialed in to what the point of Model UN and the (real) UN are about in terms of trying to problem solve and share the wealth and lift everyone up instead of using your own advantages to your own advantage,' Donaldson said. 'It's very laudable.' Ahmed said that, in the beginning when he was creating Model UN Academy, it was 'very laborious' and he wasn't hearing back from people right away. He considered abandoning the project at times and focusing on himself, but chose to push through. 'Now, when I get emails thanking me and telling me how much it's helped the students and telling me about the awards students have gotten or how well they did at a conference, that feedback is one of the most motivating things,' Ahmed said. A lot of Ahmed's work still consists of outreach and trying to widen the net as much as possible, he said. As he continues his academic journey, he hopes to grow the academy, he said. He also wants to expand to the college level. 'If anything, the community just grows as I get older,' he said. 'It's a pretty cool journey that I've had going from the kid who just got signed up by their mom for a middle school summer camp to someone teaching other students how to do Model UN and be successful,' Ahmed said. 'I think it's super important, especially in today's era with everything going on, that young people … are educated about worldly topics and just have a general understanding of what's going on,' he said.
