After weeks of preparation and countless attempts at understanding parliamentary procedure, the College of Charleston Model African Union team piled into a convoy of minivans and embarked on the journey to Washington, D.C. for the annual Model AU simulation. We arrived at the hotel not quite sure what to expect, who we were going to meet, or how this experience was going to affect us.
The plan for Thursday was for both the delegations, Sierra Leone and Sudan, to visit their respective embassies. We were quickly introduced to the African political world, which included an impromptu visit for Sierra Leone and an unexpected one for Sudan. We all made it to our countries’ embassies where we got brief overviews from the kind and welcoming representatives and citizens of Sierra Leone and Sudan.
After a riveting speech by her Excellency, Amina Salum Ali, Ambasssador of the African Union to the United States, we were almost immediately thrown into the Model AU groove. Along with getting to know the other delegations we also had to form alliances and gather support for our resolutions. We left the briefing feeling excited, mildly terrified, and determined to represent our countries well during the simulation.
The Model itself was full of energy, tension, and emotions as each committee delved into their respective debates. Within the committees, College of Charleston did an exceptional job passing all of its resolutions and earned many awards. Chris Jackson and Amber Hayward both received the honor of Best Delegate in their committees and the team as a whole showed immense leadership and perseverance.
The two of us served on the Executive Council, and were charged with crisis management which we found a complex issue to solve. With the combined threat of Ebola and the terrorist group, Boko Haram, the Council had to think on their feet because “people were dying!” We tasked the other committees with providing us with information and after a weekend of intense debate we finally agreed upon a communiqué outlining our resolution to the crisis.
This experience extended beyond class time and preparation and we as a group grew closer and made lasting connections. Throughout the simulation we met so many smart, funny, and incredible people from around the world.
In the words of our fearless leader, Dr. Christopher Day, “you all did amazingly.” We could not have been happier with the experience and learned so much about what it means to lead, represent, and understand our specific countries as well as the continent of Africa as a whole.
Written by Political Science Majors Teddi Aaron and Bianca Hankinson