Public speaking, debating, critical thinking, and leadership skills — this is what you need to participate in the Model United Nations (MUN). While thousands of students across the country can benefit from MUN conferences in their cities, there are many who aren’t exposed to it. In 2014, in a classic ‘If the mountain won’t come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must go to the mountain’ situation, 23-year-old Mayur Ahuja brought the MUN to Pune through his platform, Pune Model United Nations. We caught up with the young lad to chat about his journey and experience. Excerpts:
Why did you start the Pune MUN?
I was a debater when I was in school, but we never heard about the MUN. When I was studying at College of Engineering, Pune, I realised that almost every Mumbaikar knew about it. This opportunity was missing for the Pune students and there needed to be a platform where they could be exposed to an MUN.
How was your first Pune MUN?
When we started, we set a target of 600 delegates and we got 657. Currently, we are a team of 30 core members, who are the organising committee. They get student delegates on board and organise the conference.
What kind of issues are discussed during the conference?
The issues we discuss vary widely from economics to politics to nuclear science to social welfare, education, technology, political disputes, women rights, and empowerment.
What sets the Pune MUN apart?
We follow the UN4MUN procedure established by the UN Department of Public Information and we are the first in India to follow this procedure. We wanted to mimic the UN conference and the UN4MUN helps us do that. We also donate to charitable organisations. We donated $400 to the World Youth Program and nearly $500 to Nepal during the earthquake.