Every year, hundreds of brilliant individuals gather in Johannesburg to take part in the African Leadership Academy Model African Union (ALAMAU) conference. The year 2019 will mark the sixth session of ALAMAU, and we wholeheartedly welcome both school delegations and independent delegates to participate in this year’s conference.

At ALAMAU, we simulate the African Union (AU) and give delegates the chance to tackle real issues that the continent faces. Over the course of five days, delegates will be able to navigate some of these issues through rigorous debate, resolution drafting, and creating action plans that make their resolutions come to life. It is an experience that allows delegates to better understand the mechanisms of international bodies such as the AU, and further permits them to unravel the complexities of diplomacy. Apart from growing their wider understanding on international relations, delegates also get the opportunity to grow as individuals as the conference allows them to strengthen their research skills, public speaking skills and strategic thinking, to name but a few. Their individual growth journey is facilitated by our ALAMAU staff who produce individualised feedback reports on each delegate’s performance in their respective committees.

Not only is our delegate experience built around committee sessions, but it is also constructed upon the opportunities in which delegates get to interact with one another and the city of Johannesburg.

We commence with the Opening Ceremony, it is an event that is marked by numerous musical performances and high-profile speakers. Soon after, delegates get a chance to attend the Diplomatic Reception and Roundtable, where diplomats and representatives of international organisations hold interactive panel discussions on topics that are relevant to today’s Africa. A Cultural Night will also be held. It is a night where delegates get a chance to showcase their diverse cultural backgrounds whilst they dine and enjoy a variety of music, dance and drama performances. Delegates and advisors will also be able to visit destinations across the city of Johannesburg, to give us all a chance to explore the beautiful city. Towards the end, we will have our Gala Night and Delegates’ Dance to enjoy and commemorate our final moments of ALAMAU, and lastly we will celebrate those who have worked outstandingly throughout the conference during the Closing Ceremony.

In ALAMAU 2018, we celebrated the 5th anniversary of ALAMAU. That is to say that we have celebrated five years of coming up with African solutions to solve African problems, five years of building strong and long lasting relationships, and five years of getting to bring together passionate and driven youth from across the African continent and beyond.

I look forward to continuing this progress alongside you so that we can set new milestones in ALAMAU 2019 and explore even higher stakes.

Asha Guled

Chairperson, ALA Model African Union 2019