Model Arab League: A Life Changing Experience

This past week was the 2017 Southwest Regional Model Arab League Conference. It was hosted at my University: Texas A&M University-Commerce.

For those of you who don't know, Model Arab League is similar to Model United Nations (U.N.). The Parliamentary Procedure is a bit different, however, and the topics are obviously geared towards the crises facing the Middle East.

This semester was my first semester to participate in this event. The "team" takes the form of an upper-level Political Science class. We met every Wednesday for 2 and a half hours, researching the history of the Middle East, practicing Parliamentary Procedure, and honing our Public Speaking skills. This class is one of the few that I truly feel is actually purposed to allow students to learn.

This blog post is an argument for why this class and conference are so important.

First of all, as I already mentioned, the "class" itself is so refreshing. We actually learned. I did not feel like I was there to be indoctrinated. I was not forced to listen to hours of lecture material and then regurgitate it on a multiple-choice test. Why? Because the purpose of the "class" was to prepare us to compete and debate in the Model Arab League Conference. The purpose was not to get an A in the class, perform perfectly, or pretend like we were interested in the material. It was to better ourselves so that we could debate with other students from other Universities about real-life issues.

Second of all, the students in the class (with the help of our awesome Advisor, Secretary General, Assistant Secretary General, and Chairs) were responsible for putting on the conference itself. The expectation of excellence is powerful. When you treat someone with the honor and respect that they deserve, you will see them blossom in amazing ways. By not only preparing as Delegates representing a country in the Middle East, but also leaders and students representing TAMU-C, I was given the opportunity to lead and serve. What a gift!

Lastly, this Conference better prepared me for the world in which I am blessed to live. This was my first year to participate in this activity, and I was assigned to the Special Council on Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons. I acted as a Delegate from the country of Yemen.

Me as a Yemeni Delegate!

Education at its finest!

Some of the topics which we addressed were the current threats to official refugee settlements, increasing the economic agency of refugees, mitigating the current issues surrounding internally displaced persons, and many more. I prepared for weeks beforehand: writing position papers, practicing typing up resolutions (you cannot bring pre-written resolutions into the conference), and deciding how the country of Yemen stood politically with the other countries in the Middle East. I had to put aside my Western view of the world and put myself in someone else's shoes. What would the Yemeni delegate do? How could I negotiate for the safety of my people when the country of Yemen is so poor? How can I remain in good favor with Saudi Arabia? How do I help my Muslim brothers and sisters? 

I had never thought about these things. The reality of the strife in the Middle East cannot be ignored. Right now, while you sit in front of your computer screen, having had a decent meal today, a roof over your head, and people you call friends, a Yemeni child has gone three days without food or water because her home was bombed and her family killed. She has been displaced so many times that her country now labels her as an "internally displaced person." She is now one among 2.1 million. She did not choose to live in an active conflict zone, and she possesses the same intrinsic worth that you possess. But she is starving. She is needy. She is perishing.

This conference allowed me to better understand the powers which govern the Middle East. The educational value was without comparison. The leadership opportunities are vast.

Stepping outside of your comfort zone and putting yourself in another's shoes does wonders. We are naturally so egotistical and selfish that, if we are not careful, we will spend our whole lives trying to live as comfortably as possible. The United States is guilty of forcing this lie down our throats: doing whatever makes you happy is the purpose of life. 

Wrong.

 I propose to you that the purpose of your life is greater than living comfortably. You are worth more! You have more potential than that! Model Arab League opened my eyes to the uncomfortable realities of my world. Reality is where we live, though, and where we are called to make a difference. 

If you attend Texas A&M University-Commerce, I would urge you to take this class in the Spring of 2018. You do not have to be a Political Science major to participate. I will be the Secretary General this coming year and would love to be able to dive into these issues with you. 


John Piper once said, "You don’t have to know a lot of things for your life to make a lasting difference in the world. But you do have to know the few great things that matter, perhaps just one, and then be willing to live for them and die for them." 

Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior. He saved me from eternal death and destruction and causes me to grow closer and closer to Him each day. This is my simple, short, but extraordinary story. This causes me to want to know, respect, and love people from all different backgrounds of life because they are made in the image of a most Holy God. This causes me to want to advocate for people who are oppressed. This lifestyle includes rejection, strife, hardship, and struggles of all kinds.

But do you know what comes along with that kind of lifestyle? Joy. Not fleeting happiness. But joy and abundance of life.