King's Academy, March 1, 2010—Nearly 200 eager students representing 12 of the world's elite secondary institutions from five countries converged upon the Kempinski Ishtar Hotel at the Dead Sea this weekend for the first conference organized by the King's Academy Model United Nations (KAMUN).

Highlights of the conference included three days of fervent debate, compromise and the formation of lasting friendships among the diverse delegates.

The event's inception can be traced back to March 2009 when Model UN officers—seniors Dana Al-Jawamis, Kais Abu-Hussain, Faisal Alhusry and Faisal Kawar—teamed up with MUN Faculty Advisor Fatina Al-Ahmad and Headmaster Dr. Eric Widmer to bring schools from around the world to Jordan for a MUN conference organized by King's.

Participating schools came from both Jordan and around the world and included: King's Academy, Amman Baccalaureate School (ABS), Northfield Mount Hermon, Jerusalem High School, The Doon School, Claremont Prep, Pathways World School, Appleby College, Advanced Learning School for Girls, Advanced Learning School for Boys, St. Peter's College and Prince Sultan University.

HM King Abdullah II joined the international body of delegates for lunch Wednesday to open the conference. Official committee work began the following morning, when the delegates split up to take part in one of five forums: The Economic and Social Forum, the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Arab League and the International Court of Justice.  Each forum was presided over by a president and two chairs who moderated committee debate from the opening speeches to the final vote determining the success or failure of the developed resolutions.

The delegates were assigned their respective countries in December and the depth and breadth of the knowledge that representatives possessed reflected highly upon their commitment to making the KAMUN conference a special one.

Hayat Abu Samra '10, who presided over the International Court of Justice, commented in her closing speech that, "through a commitment to the best aspects of our culture—humor, hospitality and passion—and through loyalty to King's Academy's five guiding principles, KAMUN will be the heart of an emerging generation of future leaders with a voice of pragmatism and fervor."

It was however, not just vigorous debate and fiery intellect that set the KAMUN conference apart from other conferences, but also the recreational activities that delegates had a chance to take part in.

Led by the entertainment organizer, Omar Al Majali '10, King's hosted a fun-filled evening at the Dunes Club in Amman with Play 99.6 host Lee McGregor in which students competed in games for prizes. The second night students had an exceptional and lavish evening at the Adwan Farm where even inclement weather could not stop the delegates from taking to the dance floor and having a great time.  The conference's final night was spent at the Dead Sea where a beach party entertained delegates.

On the final day of the conference, delegates were treated to a keynote speech by Jordanian Prime Minister HE Samir Rifa'i who spoke about Jordan's domestic policy. "King's Academy is a microcosm of what His Majesty envisions Jordan looking like in the future."

King Abdullah, who addressed delegates during the closing ceremony of the conference, expressed his pride in the event. "The new generation of leaders is sitting before me in this room," he said.

Reflecting on the success of the conference, MUN Faculty Advisor Al-Ahmad said: "It was a group effort with many people helping out, going above and beyond all their job descriptions to make this all work. Also, the real stars were the kids who exceeded my very high expectations. I am really proud of them all!"