The Bucharest Model NATO Conference is a simulation of the proceedings of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization offering the participants from high school and universities the opportunity to study the role and activities of NATO as well as the political, military and economic issues it faces.
It all started one morning last year in October when I came to school and I was told to go down to the library for a surprise. Two very sweet girls came to give a presentation about the conference. Being a person who is incredibly interested in competitions and educational events, their presentation immediately caught my attention. I want to grow up to be a well-rounded person who would be able to discuss any topic and I know that I can’t just be focusing on science in order to be able to do this. The Model NATO Conference was a perfect occasion for me to explore the events in the world and motivate my brain to think creatively. My biggest expectation was to develop myself, learn about different issues discussed in NATO, practice my public speaking skills and get to meet new people who are just as keen to learn as I am.
A four days event at the Palace of the Parliament
On the first day of the conference held between 15th and 18th December 2016 at the Palace of the Parliament, there were presentations about NATO and several experienced guest speakers gave informative speeches. We also got the chance to meet the chairpersons who would be guiding each group.
On the second day, the room was divided into the different committees and each delegate was assigned a seat according to the country they represented. Immediately we started the discussions on the different prescribed topics. We had breaks where there were guest speakers. By the end of the day, we tried to write the resolutions we came up with.
I was the delegate of Turkey in the North Atlantic Committee. This was the most important committee of the conference as the delegates belonging to this committee were the ones taking the final decisions and presenting them. I had to find solutions on the different topics prescribed with the help of NATO from the perspective of Turkey. Therefore, I had to have a very good understanding of Turkey’s position in NATO. As a delegate, I also had the right to cast my vote when there were disputes regarding the solutions.
The most intense moment of the conference
It was my first time participating and I was not aware of the amount of knowledge I had to have. My committee had started to discuss Turkey’s eastern border where I had to be very active as I was the delegate of Turkey. During the discussions, the delegate of Germany asked me a question about NATO’s military base in Turkey which I had absolutely no idea about. At that moment, I was left speechless because of my lack of research. After some seconds of intense eye contact, I blurted out “I will respond after 5 minutes”. Luckily, everyone laughed and then continued the discussions while I was desperately searching for an answer on my phone. This was for me the most meaningful moment of the conference because it made me realise suddenly that I knew a lot less about my country than I thought I did and ever since then I pay closer attention to the news. It also helped me think about methods of tackling questions that I do not know how to answer on the spot which was a major lesson for me.
Crisis simulation: Russia plans to take over Europe
On the third day of the conference, we continued with our discussions but we also had a crisis simulation. All the committees were informed that Russia wanted to take over Europe and everyone had to collaborate in order to solve the problem. My committee was the one responsible of discussing with other committees and making the final decision. During the crisis simulation, I was the one responsible of gathering the solutions provided by the Security Committee.
On the last day, each committee presented their resolutions. I presented the resolution upon “Turkey’s eastern border” which was one of the prescribed topics for the North Atlantic Committee.
A fun moment of the day was reading the gossip box notes, anonymous messages written to the conference participants. Also, those who did not respect the rules had to suffer the consequences and the penalties included singing and dancing in front of everyone.
Lastly, our diplomas were given, we took pictures, said our last goodbyes and the event was closed.
The Conference’s legacy
The biggest impact that the NATO conference had on me was that it made me aware of what was going on in the world. It also made me realise once again that there is an infinite amount of knowledge to be acquired and there is a lot of learning I should be doing besides school. Moreover, I was able to get to know many people ranging from my age to university students and it was a great pleasure to talk to intellectual teenagers and exchange different points of view. I still keep in touch with many of them! Overall, it was an event which I highly enjoyed and I cannot wait to repeat the experience in the upcoming years.
I would definitely recommend other students to attend this event because it is a great way of diversifying your knowledge and improving yourself through an incredibly fun event. It is also an opportunity to socialise with people about the same age as you. Lastly, it is similar to an internship as you get to experience what it is to work as a delegate. The Bucharest model NATO conference is an unforgettable experience which I strongly encourage everyone to take part in.
