In both of the MUN conferences i took part in i played a different role with different responsibilities, and in each conference i learnt new things. In the 2012 Conference, as a Delegate, my role in debating and discussing current world crisis's and planing the development of the world as a whole, helped me gain a greater understanding of the world today and allowed me to engage with issues of global importance. I developed my public speaking and debating skills, and also worked collaboratively with others well. In MUN, compromise and diplomacy is important in order to meet the goals of the majority, especially when there is conflict. The 2013 conference, where i took on a leadership role as Vice-President of the ECOSOC, developed my skills as a leader during conference, and also in organization and administration during the preparation in the weeks leading up to conference. The 2 years of MUN have taught me a great deal, developing skills and my understanding of the world.
Like with MUN, i have stuck with Habitat for Humanity the whole 2 years. The habitat builds, in addition to being a great workout, have given me a greater understanding of the housing issues in Sri Lanka, taught me about construction and building techniques and allowed us to interact with the people we are helping. The knowledge i have gained over these 2 years, both about the socio-economic circumstances of many people in the country, and about mixing cement, laying bricks and roof tiles and flooring, will stick with me into the future. The feeling of seeing our completed work, and especially when we return to previous build sites and see families living in the houses we helped build is so amazing. And their overwhelming gratitude, even though we made such a small contribution compared to the professional builders, is just heartwarming. Habitat has been such a enjoyable and fulfilling experience that i seriously consider doing more work with them during my gap year.
