Interview with Elisa Niculescu, Secretary General of GoetheMUN and Conference Manager of MiniBYMUN

If you are an old member of the MUN Community, you definitely know or heard about Elisa! If you are a new member of the MUN Community, you must meet Elisa! She is one of the most impactful, inspiring, and dedicated persons I know, and her acceptance to accord an exclusive interview for Delegate Snapshots not only honours the magazine, but also provides captivating insights from her MUN experience for all the ones interested in participating in a conference of this kind in the near future!

As a confession of mine, Elisa has always been present in my MUN journey, from my very first conference, which was the one that she founded (GoetheMUN) and so on! Seeing myself develop so much under her eyes and realising that she was by my side every time make me want to thank Elisa and show her my appreciation by inviting her to the launching interview of Delegate Snapshots!

Q: When did you first find out about Model United Nations Conferences?

Elisa: I’ve heard about the Model United Nations Conferences in the 9th grade, from my English teacher, who told me and my classmates about a MUN in Dublin. All the concept of the activity made me very curious so I signed up and in March 2018 I attended my first MUN Conference, this one from Dublin. After returning from Ireland I found out about Sava MiniMUN in December 2018 and I got excited to continue this journey in Romania too.

Q: How is a MUN Conference abroad?

Elisa: It’s really different from a Romanian MUN. First of all, the procedure is different: there, you only debate on the resolution, not on subtopics related to the main issue presented by the Committee. Second of all, the vibe is more serious, even at the punishments, but I loved the fact that there was a very big diversity because the people were from all around the world! I loved to get along with so many participants and to learn about so many cultures, but I’ve also realised that at Romanian MUNs, thanks to actually knowing the people that participate, I feel more comfortable, like I belong to them.

Q: What more thing or things does the Romanian MUN Community need from your point of view?

Elisa: I think the Romanian MUN Community needs much more of a quality when it comes to the participants. It’s sad when persons register to a MUN to rather attend the socials than the debate. I feel like the vibe and the quality of the Romanian MUNs are decreasing. The way the participants act at the Conferences too.

Q: How was your first-timer experience?

Elisa: It was pretty scaring to be a first-timer at a MUN with experienced participants from all over the world, but I was lucky enough to have some very nice fellow Delegates from Ireland in my Committee who helped me, taught me, and encouraged me to get through those days! Also, my favorite memory is when I spoke for the first time in a Committee Session! At my second MUN, that was also in Dublin, I got in the same committee with some of the Irish Delegates that I spoke about earlier; after a few speeches of mine, they came to me in a break to tell me ”Wow! You changed! You are so confident now!” and that moment proved my evolution!

Q: How did you feel the experience of the first Romanian MUN?

Elisa: Before attending my first Model UN in Romania, I was very judgy and superficial in regards to it, but after that, I realised that there was a good difference between a conference abroad and one in my country. I felt the unexpected on the Saturday morning of my first Romanian conference, and that unexpected radically changed my opinion! Even though the committees were smaller than the ones from Dublin, the debate was better and the Delegates and the Chairs formed me as a person in the field of international relations! The environment was much friendlier because it was a combination of fun, education, people, family, debate, and it felt like the best combination ever! I didn’t feel this at an international Model United Nations Conference.

Q: Which would be the number one tip that you would give to a first timer?

Elisa: Never give up! I also said this as a trainer to a student at a MUN club. Even though I had my moments when I felt discouraged, I said that I will continue, because giving up will never help anybody get the result that he or she wants!

Q: Which is your favorite Committee and why?

Elisa: There are two types of committees that I love, the Security Council and the Humanitarian Committees (SOCHUM, ECOSOC etc.)! I could never choose between them. Thanks to my Chairs I got to love the Security Council so much, because they made me not only understand the purpose, the procedure, and the concept of this committee, but also adore international relations! When it comes to the Humanitarian committees, they are very dear to me because they helped me evolve as a person and MUNer.

Q: Do you believe that everybody should try a MUN at least once?

Elisa: Yes, definitely. I believe that MUNs are pretty much for everybody: if you are passionate about debate, politics, English, negotiations, leadership then you can be a delegate or a chairperson; if you enjoy writing you can be a journalist, if you enjoy photography, you can shoot the most sincere and wonderful memories and smiles at MUNs and be a photographer; if you enjoy volunteering or want to spend the day meeting new people and want to attend socials at the end of the day you can be a volunteer. I like to believe that the MUN community is for a big number of people – teenagers attend MUNs in some countries since the fifth grade until University. I think that MUNs are much more than a simple UN simulation, they are like a short real-life experience of the adult life: they are the perfect combination of fun and education. I think that there is a place for everybody who is trying to challenge himself or herself throughout school or university, during their free time. MUNs help you discover yourself if you attend them regularly.

Q: Which was the most important lesson you learned from your Chairpersons?

Elisa:I don’t think that I learned necessarily a certain lesson from my chairperson to be honest. Not to sound very pretentious and eccentric, what I learned from my chairperson is actually what type of chairperson I want to be and what type of chairperson I do not want to be in front of my delegates: I learned how important the need of a chairperson is when it comes to guiding delegates and supporting them. Being supportive and giving them honest advice is the best way to help someone improve and develop. Therefore, maybe to sum up: the need of other people to guide in becoming someone.

Q: Which was your favourite country to represent at a Model United Nations Conference?

Elisa: Definitely China. I enjoy the fact that China is yes, a P5 member, but also so opposite to my vision and beliefs and I find this truly challenging. I represented China once but it was very meaningful for me, it was the first country I represented in my first Romanian MUN and helped me understand the importance of diplomacy. Representing China, I understood that everything has two sides: that life is not black and white let’s say so, it’s pretty much grey: meaning I understood why some countries act differently from others, but it is very important to understand their perspective in order to achieve what you want. Also, it’s sometimes nice and fun to be the “bad guy”, “the dictator”, “the communist” in the committee – it helps to the flow of the debate and makes it as fruitful as possible due to the controversies. Except China, I like representing small countries that are usually on the topic. My biggest wish is to have the chance to represent Uganda.

Q: What have you learnt from your MUN positions: Delegate, Chairperson, Secretary General, Conference Manager, Trainer?

Elisa: I learned as a delegate about my power to change something; as a chairperson the need of fairness; as a SG the importance of communication and professionalism; as a CM the importance of keeping a balance between private and professional life and choosing what is best for something you care about in order to succeed no matter what; as a trainer the need of other people in our life develop ourselves.

Q: With such an interesting and captivating MUN journey, I'm sure that you are going to motivate and inspire the future "generations" to continue the story of the Romanian MUN Community and to carry on its legacy! Thank you so much for according me this interview, Elisa!

Elisa: Thank you so much for the invitation and for the kind words! This is what I hope too!