THE INDIAN PUBLIC SCHOOL

CREATIVITY ACTIVITY SERVICE - LOG

Full Name: SriVishnu Prabhakar

I.D No: IH-05-150

Class: IB-DP Year 1

Section: _________

Location: ___________________

Name of the CAS Experience/ Project: Harvard Model United Nations India 2016
Activity Supervisor Name: Mr. Rolf Swaminathan
Evidence:
Letter

Picture

Video

Certificate

Category of the Experience: Creativity / Activity / Service

Approximate Number of Hours: C____ / A

65

/ S_____

Total Number of Hours: 65 hours

Learning Outcomes achieved while doing this activity over a period of time:

Increased their awareness of their own strengths and areas for growth
Undertaken new challenges
Planned and initiated activities
Shown perseverance and commitment in their activities
Engaged with issues of global importance
Considered the ethical implications of their actions
Work collaboratively with others
Develop new skills

N.A

Others _______

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12/08/2016

Reflection:
Soon after my first MUN
experience
was

(IIMUN),

keen

to

very

participate

in

another

MUN conference. So, my

friends and I decided to
take part in one of the
most

prestigious

conferences

MUN

in

India,

Harvard MUN, held at

Hyderabad. This
conference
together

MUN
brought

thousands

of

delegates from across the world, to debate and discuss major issues in international affairs, by simulating
committees of the United Nations and other international bodies. Moreover, it is held only once every year,
so I didnt want to miss this opportunity to improve on my communication, debating and diplomatic skills.
Speaking in front of a huge crowd is a vital life skill, and through this invaluable experience I have become
more confident in doing so, by voicing out my opinions in front of several people. My perception of MUNs
has totally changed after going to HMUN, as it was on a much larger scale and much more professional
compared to IIMUN, and made it seem trivial when compared to HMUN. I have also learnt that
communicating with new people (lobbying in short) is crucial in order to become a successful delegate. I
have realised that this is also a skill very much needed for our future, when we will have to work
constructively and make contacts with unknown people.
From this MUN, I have also become more cognizant of important world issues which are happening at
present, as well as issues we might face as global citizens in the future. In order to find a possible solution
for these issues at a MUN, we have to establish a group of people with similar views, and form a reasonable
solution as a consequence. I have learnt this does not only apply for MUNs, but it also applies for real life
situations, to listen to others and work together in order to form an appropriate resolution for the issue.

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Altogether, I have to say that HMUN was an exhilarating experience, where I was able to acquire
indispensable communicating and debating skills, as well as have loads of fun at the same time. (Did I forget
to mention about the scrumptious food provided for every meal?)
Journal 1 - 01/08/2016
After my first MUN experience at IIMUN Coimbatore, our CAS teacher Mr. Rolf had informed us that
another MUN conference called Harvard Model United Nations (HMUN) was coming up, and it was to be
held at Hyderabad International Convention Centre. HMUN is a prestigious conference bringing students
from across the world to discuss and debate about critical world issues which we might face as global
citizens of the next generation. When we were informed about HMUN, I knew that I shouldn't miss this
golden opportunity, as it is organised only once every year in India, and moreover this year it is held in
India's best convention centre.
So today, I started researching for this grand scale conference. I was the delegate of Belgium in the 130th
session of the International Olympic Committee, and our topic was the future of the Olympic Movement,
where we had to discuss our views in electing a host city for 2024 Olympics. My good friends Abhishek and
Hariharan were also participating in the IOC along with me, so it was great because we could enjoy this
experience together. I had to submit my position paper tomorrow, so I hurriedly started my research to give
the stance of Belgium on the agenda.
Journal 2 - 11/08/2016
Tomorrow is going to be the first day of HMUN. I am at a loss of words to express my excitement. Almost
the entire day I had spent researching on the problems of the Olympic movement, as well as the possible
solutions for them. I did not prepare my opening speech yet, but I think I can frame it during my flight
tomorrow, as it is just going to be a concise version of my position paper, giving the stances of Belgium on
the agenda. I had taken print outs of necessary documents and filed them in a research binder. Now, all that
is left is to pack for the 4-day trip to Hyderabad, and I am ready for HMUN!
Journal 3 - 12/08/2016 (HMUN Day 1)
I had woken up early in the morning, and my dad had dropped me off at the airport. I re-joined with my
friends waiting outside the terminal with our luggage for Mr. Rolf. In total, there were 30 of us from our
school (DP 1 and DP 2) participating in HMUN. Once all of us had reached the airport, we finished the
checking in and immigration formalities, and we bought ourselves some snacks for breakfast in the airport.
By the time we knew it, we were already boarding the aircraft, ready for take-off. In the one hour of journey
time we had, I finished penning down my opening speech, and brushed through my research binder.

SriVishnu

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12/08/2016
Once we had reached Hyderabad, and checked out of the airport, we boarded
a bus (provided by HMUN) which brought us to our hotel - Formulae 1, and
we were graciously given double occupancy for each room. My good friend
Abhishek and I were allocated in the same room, so we were elated. The
rooms were pretty decent, and moreover we were given free WiFi! We
freshened up for a while, and then we had to get ready to board the bus
again, to get to the convention centre for our first day of HMUN.
When we reached the place, my eyes widened with wonder and amaze as I
stepped out of the bus. The surroundings were so neat and clean that I had
almost forgotten that we were in India. We were standing outside the

convention centre, and it was amazing to view the architecture and elevation of the building, as well as the
surrounding environment. As we were quite late for the explanation of the Rules of Procedure (ROP), we
decided to take photos tomorrow, and we finally entered the centre. The convention centre was posh and
lavish, and it was truly one of the most spectacular places I have been to. It was then I actually realised the
heat of the competition, where everyone seemed to be professional and experienced. My hands were actually
trembling of nervousness (and also partially because of the cold atmosphere in there!). The only thing which
lightened me up was the food available at the cafe, but it was really overpriced (I pity Mr. Rolf, who had
bought all 30 of us lunch there!).
We then attended the ROP event from 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm, where the various points and motions to open
caucuses were explained, so that we know how to effectively participate in our committees. After that, we
had a short break, where we saw the committee halls in each level of the centre. Each hall had almost around
200 seats, and there were several of these halls in each level for each committee in the UN. The opening
ceremony of HMUN had commenced in the largest hall (which could seat around 2000 people) in the centre
from 4 to 5:30 pm, where we enjoyed a few versatile dance performances, followed by speeches given by
the chief director and the secretary general.
At 6:00 pm, we had our first committee session until around 8:30 pm. There were about 200 people
participating in the IOC, and in 3 delegates were seated in every table. That was perfect for the 3 of us
(Abhishek, Hariharan and I) to sit with each other. The chair first introduced himself, then explained the
ROP brie fly for the first half an hour. Taking the attendance of all the delegates present in the hall, and
receiving our placards took up so much time that we only had about 45 minutes of committee session left. A
few delegates were recognized to present their opening speeches, but due to the lack of time and my
nervousness, I decided to give my speech tomorrow. At the end of the committee session, many experienced
delegates were already forming lobbying around to form potential blocs with the delegates. A few of them
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approached me as well, and by conversing with them
I came to know that these delegates had been to
various MUNs abroad as well.

At around 9:00 pm, it was dinner time. The aroma of

scrumptious food led me into the dining hall. There,
we rejoined with our friends (from our school) from
different committees, and we started helping ourselves
with heaps of food on our plates. The dinner was absolutely splendid, with various varieties of food for nonvegetarians, as well as for vegetarians, and there were deserts too. In fact, I would say that the dinner was
the best part of the day, because I really did not expect the food to be of such divine standards. After dinner,
we boarded our bus (after a long wait, of course) to go back to the hotel. I was too tired to think of preparing
for tomorrow's committee sessions as my eyelids drooped down to force my eyes shut.
Journal 4 - 13/08/2016 (HMUN Day 2)
Today I had woken up at about 7:40 am, and
had a delicious breakfast provided by the hotel.
We had to board the bus by 8:30 am, and as I
was a bit late, I hurriedly stuffed a few muffins
in my bag and off we went to the convention
centre. It was a picture perfect day, and all 30
of us posed for photos in our respective
committees that morning, dressed up in our
formal attire for the 2nd committee session at
9:30. Even for a few minutes before the committee session started, many of the delegates had formed groups
and were lobbying around with each other. Soon, the chair had arrived, and the roll call (attendance list)
began.
After several attempts of raising my placard, I was finally recognized by the chair to give my opening
speech. As I started off my opening speech, I could hear myself stuttering because of nervousness, but as I
went on, I felt I became more consistent and I ended my speech well. But the main highlight of the 2nd
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12/08/2016

session was that motions for moderated caucuses had started, and the delegates were recognized to discuss
and debate about certain aspects of the problems of the Olympic Movement, for example, discussing about
the politicization of the movement in the recent years. I realised that getting recognised in such a big
committee was VERY difficult, as the chair had to choose random placards, and give chances to those who
hadn't spoken yet.
The 2nd session had ended at around 12:30, and we had lunch soon after that. I don't think I have to tell you
how scrumptious our lunch was, and it just seemed as if the food got better and better every meal. We had a
HMUN Leadership Forum and a few other minor events till 4:00 pm, and we had our 3rd committee session
from 4:30 to 7:00 pm. We continued
with moderated caucuses, but I didn't
get recognised at all throughout the
entire session. From then, I made a
decision to raise my placard for every
moderated caucus, so that I can get a
chance to involve in the debate. But
in that session during unmoderated
caucuses, I went around to different
blocs and gave my signatory to Draft
Resolution 1.3 which had taken into account most of the problems faced by the Olympics, and the solutions
stated in it also seemed to be reasonable. After the session, we had an appetizing dinner, with some sort of
mango dessert which was impeccable.
From 8:30 pm to 10:30 pm, all HMUN delegates were invited to an event called HMUN India's Got Talent.
Quite a few delegates showcased their wide range of talents (such as beat boxing, dancing, singing, mimicry,
comedy, magic), and we even had a special dance performance from the directors of the event, as well as the
chairs of each committee! A few of the performances (which were the dance and the beat boxing) were
captivating, while the rest were somewhat entertaining. After the event, we went back to our hotel by bus,
and I reflected on how I could learn from my experience during the committee sessions in the morning and
evening.
Journal 5 - 14/08/2016 (HMUN Day 3)
Today we had three committee sessions, and I was delighted with my performance today. I was lucky to be
recognized twice during the 3 committee sessions. By the time we were in the third committee session, we
had already finished discussing about the problems of the Olympics, and moved on to select a host city for
2024 Olympics based on current issues and affairs. There were 4 blocs formed, hence 4 cities proposed 6

SriVishnu

HMUN India 2016

12/08/2016
New York, Lisbon, Buenos Aires and Athens. I found
Buenos Aires to be the most logical choice among the
cities, as they have already hosted the Youth Olympic
Games and hence they would already have the
facilities to host the Olympics, drastically reducing the
cost of the Games. So, I joined their bloc, and so did
my friends Abhishek and Hariharan.
Each bloc had to present in front of the hall to

convince the delegates why their proposed city is the best for hosting the Olympics, with 5 representatives
from the bloc. After the presentation, the other delegates could pose questions to the representatives if
recognised by the chair. I raised my placard to ask a question for Lisbon, the only bloc which seemed to
threaten our chances of hosting the Olympics in 2024. Luckily, I was the last delegate to get recognized by
the chair for the day, and I confidently stood up, and posed my question to them. I was on cloud nine when
all the other delegates in the hall had heard my question, and applauded when I had finished asking. It felt
like a remarkable feat for me, that too in such a huge event such as HMUN. It was really a confidence
booster, and I had a whole-hearted dinner after that session with a huge smile beaming on my face.
At 9:30 pm, we had delegate dance! All of us from different committees rejoiced and started dancing
excitedly to the beat drops. It was great to see a few random people all of a sudden joining our group and
dancing with us, and we had a great deal of fun. That night, we reached our hotel rooms at around 11:30 pm
or 12:00 am. Since that was our last night, we were allowed to stay up late till 2 am and have anyone over to
our room till then. My friend Reshma had invited me and a few other friends over to her room, and there
were 9 of us: Anushka, Nivetha, Mariza, Deeksha, Hariharan, Shreepathi, Kavya, Reshma and I. At first, we
spent our time watching a movie on TV, then we decided to have a bit more fun and we started playing
"Truth or Dare". Whatever we heard in that room, remained within those four walls, and we enjoyed
ourselves staying up till 2:30 or so. Tomorrow is the last day of HMUN, so we didn't mind sacrificing a few
hours of sleep to enjoy our final moments of this wonderful experience.
Journal 6 - 15/08/2016 (HMUN Day 4)
Today was the last day of HMUN... and we checked out of our hotel in the morning and went to the
convention centre with our luggage. We had one final committee session left, that was to vote for the host
city for 2024 Olympics. New York and Athens were eliminated due to very little support, and the final
voting for each delegate was either for Buenos Aires or Lisbon. It was a thrilling and a close contest... and it
ended up in Messi (Argentina) vs Ronaldo (Portugal)! And in the end, after the dramatic drum rolls (by
banging the table), the chair had announced the final votes: Buenos Aires - 84 and Lisbon - 91. We had lost
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by 7 votes... and it was hard to accept defeat. But, I was content that being one of the proactive members of
the bloc, we gave a close fight to Lisbon.
In the last few minutes, we ended up taking pictures with the chair, and as well as adding our new friends
from our committee in social media. We bid our final good byes to most of the delegates in the committee,
and off we went to have our last lunch of HMUN. "I am going to miss this food so much" I thought to
myself as I savoured my final spoon of ice cream. We had the closing ceremony from 12:30 to 2:00 pm,
where a few speeches given by the director and secretary general, and the award winners of each committee
was then announced. None of us from our school received any delegation awards, but nevertheless it is the
journey of the experience, not the destination that counts. Moreover, we were amateurs compared to
professional delegates who had several international experiences of MUN.
HMUN had officially ended. All of us had changed into our normal clothes and boarded the bus to go to the
airport. Our flight was at 7 pm but we reached very early, at around 5 pm. My uncle who was living in
Hyderabad came to the airport to send me off, before I departed to Coimbatore. I was able to spend about
half an hour with my uncle (with Rolf sir's permission), and later on I cleared through the check in and
immigration process on my own. I rejoined the 29 others at KFC in the airport, where Rolf sir had
generously bought each of us a meal. After we had suppressed our appetite with the KFC meals, it was time
for us to board the flight, and within no time we had reached Coimbatore. My dad picked me up from the
airport, and I eventually reached home at around 10:00 pm. What a journey this has been!

SriVishnu