Warren Steele and Nick Catherall received Best Delegate Awards.
This February, College of Charleston students participated in the fourteenth annual session of the National Model African Union, which took place at Howard University in Washington, D.C. For a few days, we took on the roles of diplomats from African countries and attempted to find effective solutions for contemporary problems of the continent. To prepare for the conference and practice our diplomatic skills, we participated in the Model African Union class led by Dr. Chris Day, an expert in the field of African studies.
This year, our delegates represented the Central African Republic and Sudan in six committees and the Executive Council. While the committee work centered around issues such as democracy, social and economic matters, and peace and security, the Executive Council was dealing with a crisis involving the kidnapping of 10,000 girls by the terrorist groups, Al-Shabaab and Boko Haram, in multiple African countries. In recognition of their outstanding performance in the committee sessions, two of our fellow students, Warren Steele and Nick Catherall, received awards as best delegates.
One of the most enriching experiences of the weekend was visiting the embassies of the Central African Republic and Sudan, where we met with diplomats and had an opportunity to ask questions and learn more about the countries we represented. Diplomats discussed burgeoning issues in their countries and helped us to formulate our positions on subjects such as refugees, human rights, and economic development. After committee meetings adjourned on Saturday, we had the afternoon to explore the capital! Some of us visited the monuments and others went to explore the National Gallery and the Smithsonian Museum. After a long day of exploring, we found ourselves watching the sunset at the Capitol and the Washington Monument. We ended the evening celebrating our success at the conference with a delicious dinner at an Ethiopian restaurant.
Overall, our experience in Model African Union was fun and immersive. Not only did we learn a lot about our countries and master skills in diplomacy and conflict resolution, we also had a great time and made many new friends. Each of us will surely count this experience as one of the most valuable and memorable in our time at the College of Charleston.
By Claire Bjerke and Natalia Hardee