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BIGMUN
BIGMUN 2020: Think Global, Act Local
One of the biggest events of the year at BG is BIGMUN! BIGMUN 2020 was held from the 19th to 23rd of February.
By Olivia Rygaard-Hjalsted, 2u
BIGMUN is Birkerød Gymnasium’s annual Model United Nations conference, and it is the largest MUN conference in all of Scandinavia. In 2020,
BIGMUN celebrated its tenth anniversary, and, in the spirit of celebrating this milestone, had some extra aces up its sleeve. This year’s conference focused on the pressing challenge of anthropogenic climate change and its consequences on a global scale.
Meet the BIG9
BIGMUN is the result of nearly a year of intensive planning by the coordinating team of 9 students, the so-called BIG9, who work tirelessly to prepare for and sort out the logistics of hosting a smoothly-running conference for around 500 students for 4-5 days. In fact, BIGMUN is almost entirely coordinated and run by students, with the help and advice from the teachers in the Board of Directors. And it is no simple task. Delegates must be distributed among host families and across committees, finances must be kept in check and stay within the assigned budget, guest speakers need to be invited, and so the list goes on.
Communication is key
Being part of the BIG9 is a challenging, but rewarding, experience. According to Head of Staff, Andrea Brun Lau, the greatest difficulty lies in communication. To put on a conference like BIGMUN requires the BIG9 to function as one well-oiled machine. Finding a good group dynamic, sharing responsibility, and having each other’s backs is essential, but no small feat.
The BIG9 team for BIGMUN 2020 were: Danya Andrea Novak (Secretary General); Carolina Abeledo Vilariño (Head of Staff); Josefine Møgelvang (Head of Host Accomodations); Andrea Brun Lau (Head of Staff); Arianna May Ponte (Deputy Secretary General); Ana Isabel Jurado (Deputy Secretary General); Corenelius Valentin Hasselris (Deputy Secretary General); Nuka Miettinen Langgård (Head of Registration); Magnus Roskov Hvam (Head of Finance and Deputy Head of Registration).
Compromise and Collaboration
Nevertheless, every February, BG opens its door to a rush of delegates from all over the world. During the week of the conference, delegates debate and build resolutions within around 30 different simulated UN committees. As in the real UN, each delegate represents and voices the opinions of distinct countries, such that the views of all parties involved in resolutions can be heard and taken into consideration. Any meaningful work will thus require compromise and collaboration across nations to reach resolutions that serve the interest of as many countries as possible.
Press and Staff
In addition to participating in BIGMUN as a delegate, BG students can also be members of the press in the staff department. The press team covers the conference’s most important activities on social media and through their daily newspaper, the BIGMONITOR. Meanwhile, student staff function as a support team, that ensures that the conference runs as smoothly as possible by setting up all the committees, distributing food, and helping delegates if any confusion or problem should arise.
