This year we participated to 21st Annual Session of TIMUN conference which was held in Üsküdar American Academy. Our students represented our school as ambassadors, delegates, Advisory Panel experts and ICJ judges. They tell their experiences on TIMUN 2014 conference.

« First day :
Right after our classes finished we rushed to get dressed for TIMUN which is an annual English MUN conference held in Uskudar American High School. When we hopped on the bus to get to the conference, you could feel the tension and excitement in the air. We got to the conference and received our badges and folders. It was time to start the conference. We went to our committee rooms and met up with the fellow delegates who we would be spending 4 days with. Regardless of race, ethnicity or country, the committee rooms were filled with warmth and expectation. After the opening ceremony the committee was adjourned for the day and without noticing, our nervousness was replaced with the burning desire to debate.

Second day :
After taking our exams, the French MUN headed for Saint Joseph whilst we departed for UAA. At the beginning of our session the chair explained to us that today’s program was to lobby and to produce resolutions on our pre-determined topics that would encourage fruitful debates the following day. With that announcement our silent committee room turned into a gigantic space for intellectual ideas. Since the day was devoted to lobbying, we, as the delegates, could focus on a certain resolution for a long period of time to produce the best results possible. (We looked over the resolutions and if the resolution fit with our policies, we co-submitted that resolution so that it could be debated in the house.) After a long day, our committee drafted 10 on 3 topics to be discussed the following day.

Third day :
Today was all about debating. The resolutions, which were drafted yesterday, were debated by the forum. The debates were heated, there was never a dull moment. You could feel the passion and the level of engagement just by listening to the constructive conversations that were being conducted. We spent nearly 8 hours talking and debating on several resolutions. We proposed amendments, made speeches for or against the resolution and urged every present nation to pass or to fail a proposal. Needless to say ; even though the day was hard and tiring, at the end we were all filled with the satisfaction that our actions may change or affect the world of tomorrow for the better.

Last day :
Today was bitter sweet. At the end of the day, we would have to say goodbye to so many people that we grew accustomed to over these 4 short days. The day went by extremely fast but it was a productive one nonetheless. We were able to finish all the resolutions, 3 out of 10 passed, one for each issue. As the light outside grew dimmer, we became sadder. It was time for the last delegate of TIMUN 2014 to take the floor and give a speech. When the delegate finished and the final resolution passed, the house cheered and clapped in unison. Even though 4 days seems short, it was more than enough time for us to form friendships and to share memorable moments. Phone numbers were exchanged and the promise to keep in touch was made.

I believe that behind all of the speeches, the resolutions and the amendments lays the core of MUN, to meet people you would have never met and to talk and think more complexly about issues that wouldn’t have ever crossed your mind. MUN is more than just a conference, it is a life long experience. »
by İdil Kutlu – 9D

« I am new to Sainte Pulchérie French High School this school year and during my previous years in The British School of Brussels, I attended THIMUN (The Hague International Model United Nations) conference for secondary school students, which takes place in the World Forum Convention Center in The Hague. This conference attracts over 3,500 students from approximately 200 schools around the world. During this conference I gained great experiences.
This year the first conference in which I was representing our school was TIMUN conference in Üsküdar American High School, there I spent an awesome period of 4 days.
In THIMUN conferences, there is a topic to be prepared for by writing a resolution to be submitted (if desired) by the delegate and delegates try to convince others into signing the resolution, and the resolutions with the most signatures (max of 3-5) get discussed amongst the committee and if the resolution successfully passes, then the resolution is sent to be discussed over by other committees in the General Assembly.
However, this was not the case in TIMUN. The first day was specifically for the opening ceremony, meeting up in your own committee and getting used to the other honorable delegates of your own house followed by the “official game” of the ice breaker and a feast served for everyone. The following day started with lobbying where each delegate was demanded to share their ideas with others and to gather up in a group to write a resolution by merging each other’s ideas into one document. Later these resolutions were sent to the approval panel to be corrected only if there were some errors and to verify that the resolution was sensible and to be prepared to debate over for the next 2 days. The upcoming day was entirely about debating over the resolutions by the fellow delegates and the final day was the General Assembly where all the branches of GA’s came together and discussed the resolutions chosen by each committee which was followed by a closing ceremony in order to end the conference.
Overall, thanks to this conference, I participated more in the debates and I improved my parliamentary vocabulary. I am, indeed, looking forward to the future conferences. »

by Berk Mankaliye – 10B