It is an indisputable fact that the key to change is communication. What ideas lie in the minds of every delegate to stimulate the aforementioned change, are futile, if not presented in its best light. This article is all about helping you perfect public speaking to make the most out of the resolutions you have prepared, taking committee development to the next level.
How can we structure our speech?
Remember, if short on time (which we usually are), prioritise the introduction and conclusion of your speech to end as strongly as you started!
A basic speech layout could be as simple as the following:
- Address the room: “Honorable chairs and fellow delegates..”
- State your main intention in making the speech: “The Delegate of x strongly believes that..”
- Give supporting arguments, and provide statistics to legitimize your claims: “According to ___, 99% of people are…
- End with a bang!
How to optimise your ending?
First impressions matter but how you end it is what will stay in the heads of your fellow delegates and chairs. Here is how you can optimise your ending to ensure that you leave a lasting impression!
- Evoking action – Motivate delegates to either support or oppose the resolution: “It is our collective responsibility to take action now, before it is too late. Therefore, we strongly urge the house to vote in favour of this resolution.”
- Posing a rhetorical question – Leave a lasting impression by ending with a thought-evoking question: “If we fail to implement these solutions, what kind of a world will we be for future generations? The delegate urges the House to consider this question with care as we move forward with this resolution.
- Let things get personal. Use pathos to play directly within the delegates’ interests and secure their alliance: “As young leaders of tomorrow, it is our duty to ensure a future that we can all be proud of—a future that will only be possible with this resolution.”
- Summarise the key points! A classic strategy—and for good reason! It dilutes your whole speech into one sweet and short line: “In conclusion, we must…, to…” / “In conclusion, if we do/do not…, it will…”
- Restate your stance—re-emphasise why your speech had to be made and why the other delegates should care: “We firmly believe that this resolution is essential for protecting our future, and we strongly urge the house to vote in favour.”
Manage time wisely!
Time is of the essence when it comes to MUN. So, make the most of it! It can be overwhelming at times for sure, but take our advice and hopefully, it will make just the difference you’re looking for:
- Don’t allocate too much time and focus during the debate working on your speech. Listen closely to the other delegates’ key points to identify potential allies and otherwise.
- Apart from making a strong opening and closing statement, condense your key points into bullet points, which should consist of the key arguments and data.
- Determine which countries are best suited to assist you in writing resolutions is crucial. A method you may use to keep track of what the other delegates are saying is:
- Take a new sheet of paper to distinguish from your other notes
- Make three columns
- The first column should be the speaker (i.e. Russia)
- The second column should be their key points
- The third column should be whether their points are mostly agreed or disagreed upon
Allies are key to turning your best resolutions into a better reality. This is why, securing key alliances is no less pivotal for the success of your resolution, than knowing how to present it.
Understand the most important facets of lobbying in Part 4 of the series!
