Through researching global issues and engaging in debates, participating in the Model United Nations (MUN) Club provides students with great opportunities to explore understanding and dialogue as essential skills and tools for peacebuilding. Grade 12 student Lisa shares her experience and learnings as an active member and participant.

 

Lisa began her MUN journey in Grade 9 at The Hague International Model United Nations (THIMUN), an annual conference that brings together nearly 2,500 students from ASH and over 200 international schools at The Hague’s World Forum Convention Center to discuss pressing political, social, and environmental challenges to which ASH was a founding member of in 1968. “I realized I wanted to do more and be part of the discussions and debates,” she said. “From there, my passion for it grew.”

 

Now serving as President of the Environmental Committee for MiniMUN, Lisa guides new delegates in discussions about sustainability and marine life protection. “You have to understand that even if your views don’t align with that country, you are not yourself at that conference,” she explained. “You’re representing the country—their beliefs and their goals.”

 

MUN challenges students to balance personal experience with the perspectives they must defend. Lisa reflects, “I have my own personal experiences, which influence my standings in some ways, but I also try to consider multiple perspectives in an argument—I see how each side has their reasons. Ultimately, though, it comes down to who you are as a person and what change you want to see.”

 

For Lisa, practicing perspective has become one of the most meaningful aspects of MUN. “It’s really important to understand different international backgrounds,” she said. “MUN encourages multiple understandings. It shows that peace isn’t the absence of disagreement—it’s the ability to connect despite it.”

 

Participation in major conferences – like THIMUN – has also shown her how collaboration can transcend borders. “THIMUN is a reminder that peace isn’t created by governments alone—it’s created by people willing to work together.”

 

Lisa emphasizes that MUN highlights the role and responsibility humans have in shaping a more peaceful world. “At the end of the day, it’s us humans who decide what happens in the world,” she said. “It’s important to stay engaged with humanity—not to please everyone, but to build meaningful relationships and foster cooperation.”