On April 12, Cultural Attaché Dan Hastings gave the keynote speech at the 1st Annual ZYGMUN Model United Nations Conference hosted by the American School of Warsaw. Polish and international students based in Poland attended the conference, as did student delegations from Greece and Norway. The theme of the conference was “Unity – the Key to Maintaining Peace, Prosperity and Security.” In his remarks, Hastings drew upon his 30 years of international experience as a diplomat, Peace Corps volunteer, foreign exchange student, student intern and English teacher, urging students to make unity “their default setting” when living and working overseas in any field or sector. Hastings highlighted that global issues require global responses and the best way to do that is through fostering cooperation based on shared values, mutual understanding and appreciating diversity of opinions. He also encouraged students to dream big, be persistent pursuing their goals, and be confident, noting that these attributes would be pivotal to their life journeys and impact on the world.
