United Towards a Better Legacy

Current global challenges beg the question of whether international diplomacy has been effective and, subsequently, how the world will look like for future generations. The Iberian Model United Nations works to bring delegates together to debate resolutions on the 2023 agenda issues. IMUN aims to create a safe space for delegates of different cultures, languages, perspectives, and interests. It promotes cooperation between member states, with the goal of mitigating key global conflicts, human rights violations, and environmental threats.

The theme of the 2023 conference is "united towards a better legacy". The current generation is tired of history repeating itself, they want to change the world for the better. The past generations worked to change the world for the better, paving the way for future generations to take action, change the world we're living in right now, and make history.

IMUN Press had the opportunity to speak to  the director of the Carlucci American International School of Lisbon (CAISL), Mr. Nate Chapman, on his thoughts and feelings about the theme of the conference, “United towards a better legacy”.

"In my welcome speech,” Mr. Chapman said,  “I talked about that [the theme] because as somebody who is part of generation X, I thought of it to some extent as a judgment on the generations that have come before.” 

“Your generation,” Mr. Chapman continued, “ says that mine has failed yours. And I understand that, although you have reasons to feel that way, that you don't take that  as something which you can do nothing about. I hope you take actions, and see this as an opportunity to do a better job than my generation was able to.” 

“I also hope you don't undermine your ideals, because what you have happening here [at the conference] is  a group of young people wanting a better future. Unfortunately, as you grow older and see what money can buy you, you may compromise these ideals and put aside your values, because you want that lifestyles.” 

“When I first read the theme, it kind of knocked me back a little, because when you say 'better than', what do you mean? Better  than what? It's clear that you are saying better than what my generation has done. In a sense, however, it's important to understand that my  generation made the changes we believed were needed when we were your age. We don't know what it's like to be in your world, growing up today, but at the same time you're seeing a different world with different eyes and to me, I do have a lot of hope. I see passion for going through with this change because if you can't do it, then no one else can.” 

United towards a better legacy means that the people participating in IMUN are here in hopes of changing the world and creating a better future for generations to come.