Camilo Dugand - the visiting chair who just can’t get enough of PANAMUN

Starting last year, PANAMUN opened chairing spots for students from visiting schools. This has led to a more diverse group of chairs and has therefore increased the variety of cultures and beliefs present between the chairs. It has allowed individuals to meet people from different countries, improving their ability to work collaboratively with new people and widening their viewpoints on different topics. This year, one of the individuals that will be filling these spots is ex-ISP student Camilo Dugand.

Dugand had participated in all PANAMUN conferences since PANAMUN XXII, both as a delegate and as a chair, and moving to Ecuador did not stop him from participating in this year’s 25th anniversary conference. He explained how, when he left Panama, he missed “organizing PANAMUN and helping it grow”, which is what led him to apply for the position.

This year, he will be the chair, along with ISP student Sofia Cardenas, for the “Comisión Política Especial y de Descolonizacion, which focuses on addressing issues that cause political instability.” Dugand explained how he is very excited to be a chair for this committee since he was a delegate of the committee on his second year in PANAMUN and therefore knows “it is a committee where debate is intense.” He also commented how his “favorite MUN experience was chairing PANAMUN XXIV”, which is also another reason why he is looking forward to being a chair in this conference.

Since Dugand’s “favorite part about chairing is helping delegates reach their highest potential”, he believes the best tips they should follow should be to “be creative with [their] resolutions, look at all the viewpoints on the issue, and debate with passion.” With PANAMUN only a week away, Dugand is “look[ing] forward to returning to the conference that made [him] passionate about MUN.”