Building alliances is an amalgamation of negotiation, lobbying, diplomacy, strategy, and much more. Here’s a map of the dos and don’ts to help you navigate alliance-building.
DON’T:
1. Be Afraid To Reach Out First!
Time is of the essence to secure key alliances. Simply waiting for other delegates to reach out disables you from establishing yourself as a key stakeholder and heightens the risk of missing out on pivotal resolutions.
2. Be Inconsistent
Agreeing to an alliance is a bond that will likely last throughout the whole conference. With that, a logical representative would never align themselves with an inconsistent —and therefore, unreliable— delegate. The fatal mistake in alliance-building lies in inconsistency. When you lose someone’s trust, you lose the alliance that makes or breaks your resolution.
For example, in one session, a delegate supports a resolution that promotes strict sanctions against a country, but in another session, they oppose a similar resolution citing the need for diplomatic dialogue and trade. Switching sides suggests a lack of consistency and coherence, two traits that do not make an appealing ally.
3. Be Intimidated
As a novice delegate, it is normal to feel intimidated by the more experienced members of the house. Don’t forget that the entire purpose of the conference was never to compare levels of experience but rather to learn about and debate the issues at hand. It is futile to attempt one-upping other delegates through your words or actions; more so, it is unnecessary. Simply, remember the goal.
DO:
1. Be Strategic
- When offering solutions, ensure that you look beyond your own country’s interests and consider why your potential allies would also support them.
- Highlight how they could benefit from this resolution instead of simply listing all the things you need help with.
- Reframe the solution to cater to the interests of your potential allies otherwise there will be no urgency for them to be involved. Don’t forget: they will be more inclined to help you attain your goals if you reach out to offer them help first!.
2. Find Middle Ground!
All it takes to secure an alliance is a middle ground from which shared goals and solutions can manifest. Never miss an opportunity to build diplomatic connections by finding middle ground, no matter how minuscule.
3. Remember— Lobbying Starts Way Before Roll Call!
From the very second you enter the conference, the margin of possibility that any one person you greet, smile, or offer a seat to, might end up becoming a key ally is high – leading us to the next point!
4. Make Connections!
Take this as an opportunity to build friendships outside of the conference, and allies during. You never know if the person you decide to sit next to during the opening ceremony ends up being a crucial stakeholder in your resolution! On the flip side, they might just know the best place around to get some chicken rice, and just like that, you’ve made yourself an ally—and a dinner mate!
As we reach the end of this series, a hearty congratulations to you for completing the Delegate Starter Pack! This is just the start of an adventure that is sure to linger in the back of your mind for days—if not weeks and month, after the conference closes its doors for the last time this year. THIMUN is so much more than what goes on in the committees. It’s about making friendships without an end in sight, taking your drive for change beyond the conference room and letting it trickle into your life post-THIMUN. It’s a surefire way of knowing that you left the conference better than when you started.
The inventor Alexander Graham Bell once said: “When one door closes, another opens.”. With the same idea in mind, let THIMUN be a prerequisite of all the great changes you have yet to make.
