Florence Goodrham : My name is Florence and I am currently in my final year of secondary education at King Edward VI Five Ways School, Birmingham, England. I am hoping to become an undergraduate at University to read History and International Relations next year. I have always been intrigued and fascinated in how countries interact and respond either in harmony or in conflict. I intend to enter into a career relating to or involving disaster, emergency response and aid. I would like to do this through working for an NGO or IGO, particularly the United Nations. In a recent trip to New York, I took a tour around the United Nations headquarters. It was truly a fantastic experience, something I have dreamed about for years and will remember for the rest of my life. My interest and desire to work for the United Nations is something that has inspired me to establish Model United Nations at school. My education is a gift, something I value highly. I intend to use this gift to help other who did not have the same privilege when I am older.

Mawuli Affognon: As a child, I have witnessed the adverse social effects of the Structural Adjustment Programs of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in my country Togo. As a teenager, I questioned the state of socio-economic decline of my country and the African continent and the responsibility of endogenous forces, international organizations and foreign powers that seem to maintain the status quo of dehumanization and plunder Resource. These questions prompted me to seek explanations at the crossroads of the human sciences. After studying Philosophy and Science of Education, I am currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Political Science at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland. I am honored to join the “UN, you know?!” journalists’ team. I would like to share with you my thoughts and ideas about international policy issues, my vision of the world and my opinion on the changes that are shaping the contemporary world.

Nour Honein : I come from Lebanon and I’m currently doing a bachelor in economics and management at the University of Geneva. I’ve always been passionate about human rights and I took every opportunity I could to engage in UN-related programs. I have previously participated in the Model United Nations (MUN) program in my country and I’m currently taking part of the MUN delegation sessions at the university in Switzerland. On the other hand, I’ve always found it fulfilling to express myself through words therefore I feel very honored to be part of the “UNO, you know?” team in hopes of making my voice heard.

Cristina Valdes Arguelles : I was born and grew up in Spain. At a very young age, I started to get very fascinated by languages. Therefore, I decided to study translation in the University of Geneva and, consequently, I am currently coursing my last year of the BA in multilingual communication. Last year, I had the chance to participate in two exchange programmes: first, in Lancaster and then in Vienna, where I studied some aspects of International Law and Economics, in which I have always been interested. Both of them were amazing and got me deeply interested in international affairs. This year, I will have the privilege of sharing some of my thoughts and interests in the blog “UNO, you know?” .

Valentina San Martin : After studying English and Social Sciences at the University of Lausanne, I have decided to focus on Communication Studies during my master. I have a very diverse experience as a journalist: I wrote independent satirical pieces published on the Internet, reports of delegates’ interviews taken during MUN conferences and articles for a few student newspapers. I like to be versatile. I am honoured to join the staff of journalists at “UN, You Know ?!” as this is an opportunity to add another string to my bow.

Camille de Félice : I am enrolled on my last year of master at the University of Geneva. After my BA in Literature, I have started my training in international relations focusing on the Middle East at the Global Studies Institute in Geneva. I am currently on an exchange programme at the Faculty of Political Science at the francophone Galatasaray University in Istanbul. I’m bilingual (French and German), but also speak English and Spanish fluently. My passion for travelling and foreign cultures has lead me to seek adventure as far as South America and the Middle East, where I spent some time improving my language skills. Being a history, politics and philosophy enthusiast, I like to carry out research on today’s society and its functioning, especially through studying and understanding politics and the way people think. I’m particularly interested in radical groups, including nationalist and religious movements such as those rooted in Islamism. I would like to pursue an academic career focusing on topics such as the Middle East, Turkey specifically. Thanks to my knowledge of Turkish, I am trying to work with locals to be able to give voice to a variety of different people. Being a journalist at GIMUN 2015 has been a very rewarding experience which has led me to be involved in writing articles for the blog “UN, You Know ?!” I also had the chance to work at the students’ radio station and to participate in editing the journal of the Faculty of French. These experiences have allowed me to diversify my professional profile and provided me with an insight on arts and culture.

Loubna CHATTA: After graduating from the Geneva school of Journalism and Cinema, I spent 3 years in London, studying Creative Media production. Since a young age I always loved being creative, whether it was through drawing, writing, or dancing. With my studies and the few professional experiences that came with it, I have had the chance to mix my artistic inspiration with the knowledge and information I was interested in. These two different degrees that I achieved in the same field, allowed me to compare two completely different approaches, and left me with an open mind when it comes to writing or producing. What I am the most passionate about in this profession is the journey towards unveiling the truth, of a story, of an interviewee, or simply of a moment. The opportunity to write for a platform such as UNyouknow, is to me a unique occasion to explore ambitious topics related to International affairs, with freedom of angle and originality. So, for that, am very thankful and excited about the possibilities.

Taner Toraman: My parents are from Turkey, but I was born and grew up in Switzerland. I came to Geneva to study International Relations, because it’s an endless source of fascination, or to see how geography, economy, society and politics interact with each other to first form history, then define the present. I think “UN, You Know?!” is a great way to learn more about the world and also share your own discoveries, insights or stories that have not been told elsewhere.

Flavio Baroffio : I was born and raised in Basel, Switzerland. For my studies I moved to Geneva, where I am currently a first year student in International Relations. My interest for MUN was already sparked back in High School where we participated at some conferences. I already knew back then that I wanted to be more involved in an MUN organisation. GIMUN’s blog is a great way for me to achieve that. It offers me the opportunity to dive into the world of the UN and topics concerning international affairs even more.

Didem Eker : I am currently a Master student of “Comparative Turkish and European Politics” at Ankara University. I am from Turkey, living in Ankara. My bachelor degree is in “Radio, Television and Cinema”, and I also took many courses inJournalism studies at Ankara University. I had opportunities to study abroad with a Fulbright Scholarship and ERASMUS student mobility. I was an intern at the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation as Foreign News Jr. Editor, after which, I worked as Editor for a startup website based in Istanbul. I am now glad to be a part of the “UNO, you know!?” team.