Thimun HAGUE 2016

The Hague International Model United Nations (THIMUN) conference 2016 can simply be described as one of the most energizing and stimulating experiences any of us have ever had; not only because it encouraged us to challenge ourselves and think differently, but also because it changed the way we perceived internationalism and global interactions. THIMUN 2016 proved to be more than just another MUN conference.

Our journey began almost two months before the actual conference when we started researching on our topics for our respective comittees, lobbying with other delegates via Facebook, and preparing our resolutions. Two weeks before we left for the conference we formed groups and debated amongst ourselves to help improve all the resolutions we had prepared.

The theme for this year’s conference was ‘Sustainable Urbanisation’. While every topic in each of the committees may not have been directly related to this issue, the essence of the theme reverberated in all the committees. From discussing demilitarizion of the Arctic Region in the First Committee of the General Assembly to debating over the disputed Kurdistan Region in the Advisory Panel, almost every issue reflected the need for the present generation to look deeply into the challenges of the future. This theme entailed the neccessity for us to become more responsible and considerate citizens of the world.

The Hague serves as an ideal location for such a conference. Home to the International Court of Justice, the Panorama Mesdaq and many internationally reputed museums, ‘Den Haag’ is the perfect localé for students all over to world to come together and discuss issues of global stature. The third largest city in the Netherlands, the Hague proudly stands as an icon of culture and politcs in today’s international frontier.

THIMUN is one of the largest delegate gatherings in the world. The massiveness of this conference is impossible for someone to fathom in an instant. What we witnessed when we first stepped into the World Forum Theatre for the Opening Ceremony made us forget any other conference we had attended before. The General Assembly committees had close to two hundred delegates each. Lobbying and proposing resolutions on such an enormous scale was new to us. We were intimated. But we felt challenged. We instantly knew that we had to put it all in to succeed. And we did.

THIMUN Hague isn’t just a conference. It’s an institution. It is more than just debating resolutions and discussing world issues. It is about wolfing down warm, delicate stroopwaffels. It is about standing in front of the ICJ and dreaming of speaking inside there one day. It is about meeting students with an extraordinary perspective. It is about stepping into an global community, a world of proffessionalism and internationalism. We take back from THIMUN so much more than just a debate. We take back stunning visuals of a hundred and eighty nine flags swaying in a chatic harmony at the World Forum Theatre. We come back home not only as better delegates, but as better people. We come home knowing that everything we saw, heard and felt had a purpose. A purpose of transforing our hearts into a home for unforgettable memories

 Shaurya Garg