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A note from the Secretary General
BIGMUN is a place where you can grow, learn, and expand your horizons. It is a place of empathy, understanding, and laughter. Or at the very least, it was for me.
Ameerah A. Chaudhry
My name is Ameerah Chaudhry, and I was so fortunate to be the Secretary General for BIGMUN 2021. BIGMUN is a conference which has been hosted at Birkerød Gymnasium for the past 10 years and has brought students together from all over the world to debate topics of global importance, ranging from the fast fashion industry to the situation in Palestine. But BIGMUN is so much more than just a simulation of the
United Nations. It has impacted people in a very real way, including me.
I participated in BIGMUN in my very first year at BG, and then every year since. I was grasped by the atmosphere for making a positive change. And although this change was only “play-pretend” and not actually implemented in the real world, it illustrated the dire need for the youth to engage in the debate regarding our common future. It showed a willingness to create a greener, more peaceful, and equal world. I think this speaks to the importance of BIGMUN, because despite it just being a simulation, it teaches invaluable skills which the leaders of tomorrow must master. It teaches us to challenge ourselves, explore what is happening beyond the borders of our own country, but most importantly, it provides an opportunity for us to become more empathetic and open-minded people. In my final year at the school, I had the responsibility of leading the team that were to organise the conference I had come to love so much. It was therefore a huge disappointment when the global pandemic hindered the conference from happening. It was months of hard work, passion, and literal sweat and tears which I thought had gone to waste. However, I later realised that it had not actually been wasted. We still engaged in dialogue with other students on issues of international importance. We still shared our dreams of a world where different cultural, religious, and social backgrounds are not just accepted, but celebrated. And we still managed to gather BG’s students around the common goal of creating an open forum that would support solution-oriented young people. I think I speak for the whole BIGMUN 2021 organising team when I say that I am immensely proud of having been a part of shaping the BIGMUN legacy, and my hope for future BIGMUNs is that this vision we created in 2021 will be implemented and expanded.
Although this could be perceived as a perception of BIGMUN through rose-coloured glasses, this was what my experience meant to me. I urge all future BG students to participate in BIGMUN, to see what it could mean for you.
