May 2015
Joe is International Student UN ambassador
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Joe Margetts travelled to The University of Macedonia in Greece to take part in the Thessaloniki International Student Model United Nations (ThessISMUN), where graduates from around the world got together for a five-day summit to represent their country and share opinions and perspectives.
Invited to the UN summit through the contacts he made from the La MANCHE project, Joe attended to enhance his communication skills, learn about other countries, promote democracy, explore conflict resolutions and develop negotiations.
Topics up for discussion at the summit were the protracted conflicts in the Georgia-Ukraine-Azerbaijan-Moldova (GUAM) area and their international peace, security and development. They also debated the militarisation of the Arctic and how countries are building their military forces and capabilities in order to operate in the region.
As the Swiss ambassador I guided the other Swiss delegates in the course of action they will take in their respective committees. I had to do a speech in front of over 600 people, which was utterly terrifying and certainly took me out of my comfort zone, but the experience has made me a better and more confident public speaker. It was a truly unique experience. It enabled me to not only make some international contacts, but it broadened my horizons and I got to make friends with people from all around the world. When I came to university I didn’t believe that I would have the opportunity to work with the United Nations. I am the first UCB student to take part in this project and I would recommend this experience to any other students who have an interest in the United Nations and international politics. Working with students from all over the world and generating ideas with them can make a real difference.
For more information on the ThessISMUN conference and La MANCHE project, please refer to the following websites: