Gracie Fuhrman speaking at the Model United Nations Conference in Washington D.C. (2022)

Author: Gracie Fuhrman | Major: International Studies & Economics | Semester: Fall 2022

My name is Gracie Fuhrman and I am a senior international studies and economics student at the Fulbright College of Art and Sciences at the University of Arkansas. I recently received an Honor College Workshop/Conference Grant to travel to Washington D.C. for the National Model U.N. Conference. Through a fall course taught by Dr. Robert Stapp, a group of students including myself got the opportunity to showcase our public speaking, research, and collaboration skills through a three-day simulation of the United Nations. I, alongside my partner Julianna Kantner, worked on the Security Council representing China.
At first glance into our Tuesday classroom, one may think we are not doing much of anything. On a day-to-day basis, we could be seen giving speeches to walls, sneaking into empty classes to practice networking, and parading around Kimpel Hall in groups of five to six. Every day of class was full of new ideas and activities. What this eventually taught us is how to become adaptable and quick on our feet in debate. Ultimately, in a roundabout way, it was full of practice to become confident and informed leaders. In our preparation to be delegates from China, Julianna and I read resolutions passed by current Ambassador Zhang Ju, kept up with ongoing global crises such as Afghanistan, Ukraine, and the Uyghur population in China. All of this made us able to contextualize the mission and history of the United Nations quickly and without any doubt as to our knowledge on it.

Above all, this experience has taught me negotiation and communications skills that are invaluable to my future as an academic and lawyer. It has provided me a platform to apply and understand international legal theory and politics in practice. Through lots of compromise and revision, the Security Council was able to pass four resolutions on continuing humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, revitalizing the Afghan economy and Da Afghanistan Bank, and offering humanitarian aid and peacekeeping troops to Nigeria during a civil conflict, and giving the decision of recognizing the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to the general assemblies. Julianna and I were also recognized as Outstanding Delegates, a decision voted on by fellow security council members. Further, both our delegations from China and the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea were recognized as one of the outstanding delegations at the conference overall.

My time at this conference exemplified how significant international diplomacy and participation are in real world contexts. As I bounced from group to group each day, I discovered how much simple kindness can go a long way in getting someone to understand your, or in my case China’s, perspective and constraints. At the opening ceremonies, we watched a welcoming video from the United States Ambassador Linda-Thomas Greenfield where her parting words were to always remember the most important thing one can do is be kind. As I negotiated with nations like the United Kingdom and the United States, I found that being kind and yourself were the best way to build sustainable resolutions and bring everyone’s ideas to the table.

I have built lasting friendships with many of my classmates and peers from the conference. In fact, many of us enjoyed it so much we plan on doing it again at the New York City conference in the spring. While it is just generally enjoyable, it is rare that an experience can simultaneously showcase public speaking, communication, and research skills. However, each of these skills is vital to building a successful career and highlights skills that build a leadership style. This has undoubtedly made me a better leader, speaker, and listener. As I am beginning to prepare my first position paper draft for the next conference, I know it will be far from my last. I also know that I still have so much to learn and cannot wait to continue growing my skills in international diplomacy.