Model African Union
8 April 2019 Model African Union
Representing delegations from Botswana and Mozambique, 12 students from the HWS chapter of the Model African Union participated in simulated proceedings during the 2019 Model African Union Conference at Howard University in February. For their performance in the Social Matters Committee representing Botswana, Ethan Brown 20 and Mouhamed Thiam 20 were awarded the Most Outstanding Delegate(s) award.
The Model African Union Conference provides students with the unique opportunity to study the role, activities and structure of the African Union. In preparation for the 2019 Conference, HWS students arrived early in Washington, D.C. to meet with ambassadors from the Botswana and Mozambique embassies to discuss current events affecting their countries as well as their long-term policy goals. Students were accompanied on the trip by Assistant Professor of Economics Keoka Grayson.
Meeting the Botswana ambassadors before the Model African Union Conference helped me approach my role as a delegate, says Yalemwork Teferra 20. For Teferra, having conversations with the ambassadors gave her insight to the countrys long-term infrastructure, trade and diplomacy goals as well as how to accurately represent the nations interests during committee.
The Conference also included a keynote address from H.E. Edward Yakobe Sawerengera, Ambassador from the Republic of Malawi to the United States.
Donovan Hayden 19, who helped found the HWS chapter along with Pamela Icyeza 19, was proud of how HWS students represented their nations and performed during the Conference.
It was incredible to watch students discover the same passion and interest that had captivated me four years ago. Now, those students surpass me in knowledge and responsibility, Hayden says.
Icyeza, who was instrumental in planning the groups trip, says the experience provided an opportunity to network with peers from around the world who are also interested in policy, diplomacy and African politics.
The Model African Union is always an amazing opportunity for students to apply their knowledge in a setting of other passionate students with similar interests, Icyeza says.