Thursday night, Director-General Jennifer Martin officially declared open the 6th Radboud International Model United Nations (RiMUN). At De Vereeniging in Nijmegen, a wonderful Opening Ceremony took place in front of delegates, invitees, board members, chairs, volunteers and others. The Opening Ceremony of RiMUN 2010 was attended by several dignitaries, including the Mayor of Nijmegen Thom de Graaf, Rector Magnificus of the Radboud University Bas Kortmann and former Dutch Prime Minister Dries van Agt. In their speeches, they all stimulated the participants of the conference in their own distinctive way. Mayor De Graaf argued that the past could inspire everybody to build a better future and create solutions for all the major challenges that the world currently faces. Furthermore, Mayor De Graaf encouraged the delegates to enjoy Nijmegen, the oldest city of the Netherlands, from an intellectual as well as from a cultural perspective. Rector Magnificus Kortmann spoke about getting to know other cultures and different world views. Mr. Kortmann encouraged all delegates, in his opinion the world leaders and diplomats of tomorrow, to take former President of the European Commission Jacques Delors, who was recently awarded the Treaties of Nijmegen Medal, as an example when problems are discussed.
At RiMUN 2010, delegates have to act in Times of Trial. They have to deal with pressing issues such as climate change, the financial crisis, disarmament matters and global security in general. Now it is up to the delegates to start their discussions and negotiations in order to solve the problems that the world currently faces. As Secretary-General Tom van Assendelft de Coningh said: “Making hard choices has been postponed for too long, now it is time for you as delegates to take action. Now it is time for you to deal with the trials of our time.”
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