| Geneva’s Student League of Nations |
The trip was a once in a life time experience for me. We met at Muscat Airport, me and the three other students, waiting to board the flight to Geneva, Switzerland via Zurich International Airport. As the plane prepared to descend I couldn’t stop thinking of the family that would host me as their guest. Furthermore, I could not stop thinking of the conference; SLN’s General Assembly. I longed to get out of the plane to meet my host family and leave the tight and cramped airport to breathe in the cold and fresh winter air.
I left baggage claim and looked for my host family and a sign that would probably say ‘Hatem Sadek’ on it. There they were, or I should say, there she was. A woman, probably in her late 40s, was holding a sign which had my name on it. She greeted me. She seemed very sweet, I got into her car and while on our way to the apartment she drove me around Geneva showing me all of the bureaucracies and office buildings, the missions to the UN and the district around the apartment. It turns out that the mother was a Swiss Lebanese, the father which I met later was Swiss Moroccan, and they had two daughters of similar age to me who were very sweet too. Both parents worked at UN organizations.
I arrived at the apartment, which was spacious. I had my own bedroom and bathroom, and I was left to unpack and relax. Later that afternoon I met the two girls. Both of them were edgy and shy when it came to conversing in Arabic, but the father kept insisting that I speak to them Arabic although his Arabic was as bad, if not poorer than theirs! I, in turn listened to long conversations of French - due to the fact that they couldn’t stop themselves from slipping into their mother tongue - taking the words that I knew and trying to make sense of what they were saying, and in a way it helped me improve on my French.
Soon after meeting the girls they took me to Geneva’s old town, showing me the Christmas market and the medieval castle and the preparations for the festival that was going to take place. We had some crêpe with marôn from a small kiosk in the Christmas market, and it was outstanding. The city was so vibrant that day and the atmosphere was uplifting. Later on we left to the movies and then we headed back home.
The following day we took off on an excursion to a few places, along with the rest of the international students attending SLN, which included students from Canada, England, Wales, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denmark and Kuwait. I came to know them and to like them very much. We visited The Olympic Museum. Standing as the only Olympic museum in the world it is based in Lausanne, exhibiting many Olympic relics donated by participants themselves such as Michael Jordan’s shoes.
Later on we left for the Christmas market. On display was Swiss traditional fare, as well as delicious snacks and some traditional Swiss mulled wine. A couple of hours later we left to the Chateau'de Chillon, an old medieval summer castle, built by the European Savoy family, which controlled a very strategic location. We enjoyed an informative tour of the castle and then we returned home.
The next couple of days were intense, getting prepared for the general assembly. The debates were great and the mood was ‘UN’ish. Each day consisted of two resolutions presented by 2 delegations and a lunch break. What ensued in the debate was of unmatched experience for me, as the format of the UN helped me to understand the ways in which countries relayed ideas critically, however at the same time respectively and effectively.
The following day, Wednesday the 12th of December, we left our temporary homes and families and were dropped off at the airport bound for Muscat.
To conclude, the trip for me and for my colleagues was a great success and unique experience. The journey - staying with a host family and the conference, as well as making new friends and visiting cultural and historical sites - deeply intrigued me and I enjoyed the entire experience very much.
Hatem Sadek
11White
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On December 8th 2007 we departed Oman heading to Switzerland to participate in an annual summit of students from all around the world in the Students League of Nations.
After doing massive amounts of research on Tuvalu, the country I was representing, and all the other countries taking part, I was anxious and nervous yet excited about the experience as a whole and the conference in particular, which turned out to be one of the most interesting, valuable and memorable experiences I have ever had so far. The fact that during our stay we would be hosted by a Swiss family was daunting, however once we settled in, this aspect of the programme became the highlight of our trip. Not only did we feel welcomed and comfortable as though we were in our own homes, but we also got the privilege of living a completely different lifestyle, taking us out of the box and away from our customary routine to learn about a completely new culture and society, and the beliefs and morals correlated to it. Besides we gained a new family too!
Dazzled and amazed were we on entering The Conference Hall that took place in the United Nations headquarters, making us feel like mature adults because we held the responsibility of representing a country to the best of our ability, defending their rights and owning up to its obligations. The debate was intellectually challenging and required fast thinking; however it built up our political knowledge, self confidence, communication and public speaking skills as we were required to deliver two speeches in front of our fellow delegates.
By the end of the trip we not only made a new family, but also a completely new circle of friends from different parts of the world, making this experience a richer one. However, it was The League of Nations Conference that ultimately made our day, and the sense of authority, responsibility and team work towards finding a resolution that accompanied it made this trip truly unforgettable.
Huwaynaa Al-Yahyai
11 Blue
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