The International Relations Organization hosted its 11th annual Virginia Inter-Generational Model United Nations Conference, colloquially referred to as — VIGMUN — Feb. 7 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Student Health and Wellness Center. This day-long conference invited middle and high-school students, University students, alumni, professors and all members of the Charlottesville community to come together to discuss solutions to various international problems. This year’s conference centered around digital espionage and state-sponsored hacking.
VIGMUN is a unique spin on a Model UN conference, an extracurricular activity designed to stimulate debate as delegates of the United Nations organization. Yet unlike other MUN conferences in middle school, high school and college settings where participants of similar ages debate in a competitive setting, VIGMUN fosters a low-stakes, intergenerational learning environment.
Siddarth Rekhi, VIGMUN’s Secretary General and second-year Commerce student, shared that he really fell in love with VIGMUN after being able to meet new people from various universities and walks of life. He said that sometimes, MUN delegates can become distracted with winning awards and forget what it is really about — unifying different countries and creating solutions to global problems.
When participants arrived, they flooded into the Student Health building to check in and met their pre-assigned partner. As the internal charge d’affaires, Schaefer was in charge of recruiting community members for the conference and partnering them with current University MUN members. To get matched, participants filled out a brief questionnaire about their skill level. A few weeks prior to the conference, partners received each other's contact information so they could begin to brainstorm their ideas on this year’s topic of discussion.
Before the conference began, the VIGMUN director general ran a MUN crash course, catching the first-time delegates up to speed on parliamentary procedure, conference structure, resolution writing and modes of debate. Then, the conference itself kicked off with opening ceremonies, where Rekhi gave a speech and welcomed the participants to the conference.
Ingrid Schaefer, VIGMUN’s internal charge d’affaires and second-year College student, expressed her appreciation for how VIGMUN prioritizes learning and community-building over competition. Schaefer explained how VIGMUN offers a unique opportunity for participants to interact with others outside of their age range, cultivating an environment where all participants are treated as equals — regardless of gaps in age and experience.
“People don't really interact with people outside of their age range that much … and so it puts everybody on an even playing field. There's gonna be a professor that has to negotiate with a middle schooler to solve problems … and I think that’s a really amazing part of it,” Schaefer said.
During the first two-hour session, participants gave speeches detailing their country's stance on digital espionage and hacking. Then, the participants formed “blocs” to begin drafting resolutions. After a lunch break, the second session began, where delegates finished their resolutions, collaborated with other blocs and presented their papers in hopes of securing votes.
For the past two years, fourth-year College student William Hancock has been partnered with a middle schooler. Like Schaefer, he enjoys the intergenerational aspect of VIGMUN, and finds it enriching to be partnered with someone younger than him, as they bring fresh perspectives to the conference.
“We're both bringing our ideas together as equal partners, even though we're completely different walks of life,” Hancock said. “It’s fun and impactful … to be able to see this wide range of both expertise on topics [and] how people approach things, how people view the international order.”
The experience that Hancock described reflected Rekhi’s exact hopes for this conference. He did not just want the more experienced participants to teach their middle school partners, but rather, he hoped they would gain creativity and new insight from their younger partners in return.
Once the second session ended, closing ceremonies began and awards were presented by the director general, including a Best Delegate Award, Outstanding and Honorable Award, as well as the Spirit of VIGMUN Award, given to a pairing that exemplified strong intergenerational collaboration. After a closing speech from Rekhi, the day officially wrapped up.
History and political theory professor David Walsh participated in this year’s VIGMUN as a delegate. He explained how, as a child, he did not get the chance to be introduced to the way institutions worked, and so he hopes that the younger students attending VIGMUN can grow a deeper interest in understanding institutions now that they have been exposed.
“I think that VIGMUN is part of a tradition here at U.Va. towards gearing students towards careers in public service, government, diplomacy and politics,” Walsh said. “What I really like about what they've done here is [how] they thought of ways to incorporate the broader community, [it’s] not just U.Va students.”
For facilitators and participants alike, MUN and VIGMUN create an environment where individuals can learn and grow together.
“I'm so aligned with the VIGMUN mission that it is part of what I associate all of Model UN with now,” Rekhi said. “I think that’s the way it’s going to be throughout the rest of my time at U.Va. and the rest of my time through Model UN.”
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