By Merle Must
“The Hamburg Model United Nations 2013 will be just as good as we make it to be,” announced the organizers of the biggest German MUN. This year’s conference has reached 500 participants. HamMUN is taking place since 1998 and the 2013 theme is “Taking Sustainability Seriously – Resolutions for Environmental Balance, Peace and Social Justice”.
The guest speakers and organizers focused on this and many other issues in their welcoming words. The former Senator at the Government of Hamburg, Ian Kiru Karan encouraged the young participants: “My story is a confirmation that everyone can succeed if they have the skills.” Karan, originally from Sri Lanka, described his childhood and studies in Girls Boys College, and said that in addition to skills, sometimes luck is also needed to succeed. “But looking at these bright faces here, I don’t doubt that you will succeed. Otherwise you wouldn’t be here,” said Karan.
The next speaker was professor Alexander Bassen, who is responsible for developing the sustainable program in Hamburg University. “Is there anybody who thinks that sustainability isn’t important?” asked Bassen. When no hands were raised, he explained that although many people are trying to have an environmentally friendly life, this is goal that is actually hard to achieve, as there are many different perceptions of sustainability. His best definition of sustainability was related with the Mark Twain’s quote “Never put off untill tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow”. Bassen also pointed out that it is essential to think how sustainability can be integrated into financial decision-making, so that companies would make environmentally beneficial choices. “There are relations between sustainable action and financial achievements,” and he added: “Everybody should think what is their little piece of puzzle that they could put together to make the world more sustainable.”
The Secretary General Stella Schaller closed the ceremony with the point: “While we can’t change the actions of past generations, we can take responsibility for our owns decisions.” And with this statement, the two Secretary Generals Lars Brandt and Stella Schaller opened the Hamburg Model United Nations 2013.
Did you know?
HamMUN 2013 is the most international and largest Model UN conference held in Germany.
HamMUN takes sustainability seriously not only in the discussions, but also with the management by promoting non-governmental organizations and serving local food. HamMUN also plants 500 new trees this spring – one for every participant!
