Dennis Penu
Hello, my name is Dennis Penu and it is a pleasure for me to serve as the Media Chair for Southern Africa, which covers the sub-Saharan region. Over the past eight years I have enjoyed the experiences that accompany my participation in various Model UN conferences and workshops, especially the opportunity to meet other passionate youth eager to see the United Nations succeed. Currently I serve as the Director of Programs for a Model UN organization in Ghana called Life-link Friendships Schools, Ghana, organizing annual MUN conferences for basic, senior high and tertiary school students.
It is a pleasure for me to serve for the first time in the forefront of the Best Delegate family and to share my experiences for the development of other delegates around the world. During my time on the secretariat of the United Nations’ first Global Model UN in New York and Geneva 2009, I met and worked with various African delegates from Tanzania, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa and my home country, Ghana. I was delighted by the passion and insight with which my colleagues discussed the Millennium Development Goals; the UN’s primary development drive in recent times. As youth in Africa, we believe that Africa’s success translates into the UN’s success. That is why I believe that a global partnership for Model United Nations will become a huge boost to our development as UN youth. Model UN is increasingly becoming popular among many African youth across many countries in the region and there is the need to highlight the energies that such initiatives in Africa provide for the UN and its work.
My objective therefore, as the chair for the sub-Saharan Africa region will be to reach out to as many Model UN groups in the region as possible and try to look at this campaign for a UN-youth drive from the African perspective. What does Model UN mean to the African youth? What unique Model UN features exist in the region? How can we catch up with the rest of the world in this practice? How can the youth in Africa derive maximum benefit from Model UN? These are the issues I intend to write about and bring into the inner circle of discussions within the Best Delegate family. Having served with the Global Model UN (what is now sometimes termed UN4MUN) I am aware that there is a new wave of change softly blowing across the Model UN horizon. For this reason, I believe that African MUN organisations can benefit from partnerships with Best Delegate to keep abreast with such dynamics.
I am excited by this opportunity to serve with Best Delegate. I am privileged to be working with a wonderful team of experienced and passionate fellows. I am encouraged by the wide range of opportunities available in sub-Saharan Africa. I am motivated by the track record of icons such as Kofi Annan, a former UN Secretary-General. All these make me confident about the role of youth in making the UN what it ought to be in our time. I look forward to working with everyone to make this possible. Every Model UN session held keeps the UN alive in the minds of succeeding generations.
I welcome your email and feedback through dennispenu@bestdelegate.com
Thanks,
Dennis Korbla Amego Penu
Media Chair, Southern (sub-Saharan) Africa
