Kabya Adhikari

"Diplomacy is the art of telling people to go to hell in such a way that they ask for directions."
— Winston Churchill

Seated behind a screen three years ago, I painted moments in ink, turning chaos into clarity, smiling into caricatures, and diplomacy into visuals. Back then, I worked as a cartoonist and watched the argument flame from a distance. I am here today as your Secretary-General because I always listened, not because I always spoke. 

Since then, I've worked in every role this conference provides, including chief advisor, delegate, press, and now the individual who is getting to greet you. Not only did TESMUN taught me about diplomacy, but it additionally helped me become a diplomat.

And that's the problem with this area. How you enter is irrelevant; what serves is how it changes you. No matter how you enter; writing, speaking, watching, or shaking with anxiety, you will emerge with character, courage, and clarity.

Even though I've participated in 11 MUNs, TESMUN will always be where I call home. Because it was at this point that I realized diplomacy is about communication, not power, that understanding is more effective than being accurate. That every voice matters, even the unstable ones, and that a cartoon's well-drawn line can express what a thousand words cannot.

Therefore, keep in mind that you are representing more than just a nation or a party member this year as you raise your placard. Each narrative that the country has to tell is represented by you. Every famine. Every conflict. Every struggle for liberty. The voice of the voiceless is you. The conscience among the chaos.

A simulation is not all that TESMUN is. It's a forge. You will stumble, you will get back up, and you will discover elements of yourself that you had been unconscious of.

I do not expect you to be fearless in my position as your Secretary-General. Please have the courage to care. To talk when it is uncomfortable. To pay attention when it is difficult. To choose diplomacy when it is easier to argue.

Make your compassion and diplomacy heightened. Above all, let this conference be more than just an event; let it be a time you will never forget as the beginning of your voice. 

So welcome, delegates, to TESMUN 2025!
Where dialogue meets legacy, and diplomacy begins with you.

-Kabya Adhikari
Secretary-General
TESMUN 2025