It was the realization of months of hard work and planning when the group of 20 Trent University students made the six-hour trek by bus from Peterborough to Montreal to take part in the twenty-first edition of the Model United Nations conference organized by McGill University (McMUN). The conference was held over the last weekend in January 2012. McMUN, which is ranked the fourth most competitive conference and the third largest on the North American circuit, drew participants from many of the Ivy League schools in the United States as well as top universities from across Canada. This was the backdrop against which the revitalization and resurgence of the Model UN group at Trent was spearheaded by fourth-year students Nejat Abdella and Gemma Edwin.

McMUN 2012 offered delegates an opportunity to engage in provocative and substantive debates and simulations around major world issues. Representing different countries or individuals, the delegates argued positions on issues such as human rights, religion, development, and economics. Throughout the process, the representatives learned not only valuable debating and public speaking skills, but also the true nature of diplomacy, as they were forced to work with other model country or company representatives to draft and pass resolutions.

The Trent delegation certainly made its presence felt among over 1300 students at the conference. Trent student and president of the Trent Central Student Association, Sheldon Willerton received an honourable mention at the closing awards ceremony for his representation of Qatar in the Joint Triple Crisis on Libya Committee. One other member of the Trent contingent, Sarah Knowles was part of the team which drafted a resolution that so impressed her committee that they decided it was worthy of forwarding on to the actual UN committee.

There is great enthusiasm on the Trent Model UN team with model delegates currently representing 13 different countries. Such diversity certainly augurs well for the continued success of the group here in Peterborough. The delegates are committed to representing their University well and are proud ambassadors for Trent. Their efforts will continue at the Trent Model UN conference to take place at the University of Toronto later this month. The next major stop will be the National Model UN conference in New York City in April.