The Aga Khan Mzizima Secondary School,
Dar es Salaam

This year’s DARMUN was the 9th annual event and was attended by 190 delegates from schools in the region. Aga Khan Mzizima Secondary School (AKMSS) sent a team of 25 strong delegates to the conference. 

DARMUN is a platform for students to simulate the role of a diplomat and act as a delegate of a country of one of the 193 member states of the United Nations (UN). The countries are chosen at random and allocated to students.  Students or ‘delegates’ have to research the policies and stance of their appointed country pertaining to development and sustainability issues.  

DARMUN is a forum where delegates interact, lobby, negotiate and think critically about decisions that affect our world at large. DARMUN, like all MUN conferences, open students’ eyes to a myriad of global issues bringing to life the concept of interdisciplinary learning. This conference gave a voice to the students and further strengthened their skills of research, communication, critical thinking and self-management. This forum supports the student in developing international mindedness as they research and provide solutions for real-world global issues.  

Prior to the conference, the students conducted a lot of preliminary work in researching, writing resolutions and practicing their speeches. The students met every Monday after school to discuss and fine tune their opening speeches and resolutions. They explored solutions on issues such as ‘Preventing Food Waste’ and ‘Issues of the Syrian Conflict.’

The conference also gave students a chance to take up leadership roles. Of the five student applicants of AKMSS, two were selected to act as ‘chairs’ of the different conferences taking place that day: Dev Pattani was selected as the chair of the Security Council and Mariam Ramy was selected as the Chair of the General Assembly.  The main forums that IST hosts in the DARMUN include the Security Council, Economic and Social commission, the General Assembly, the Human Rights commission, the Disarmament commission and Environmental Commission.  The students were spread across these groups and each came up with recommendations and debated well in their respective forums.

Finally, DARMUN gave the AKMSS team a chance to shine: Miriam Ramy was selected as the best chairperson of twelve competent contenders, Abdillahi Masood was selected as the best delegate in the Human Rights commission, and Pranav Rughani was selected as the best delegate in the Security Council.  

Congratulations to all participating AKMSS students!