Dear delegates, partners, and collaborators,
It is my distinct honour and pleasure to welcome you to the sixth edition of the Yale Model African Union conference, taking place from 15-17 March 2027 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Since its inception in 2021, YMAU has provided African youth with realistic and engaging simulations of the African Union and its associated agencies. Our inaugural conference, held in Kigali, Rwanda, was attended by only 121 students. Over half a decade later, YMAU has amassed a community of over 1,000 alumni. As the largest Ivy League Model African Union simulation to take place on the continent, YMAU has earned a reputation for providing an enriching, pre-professional experience for youth passionate about diplomacy, African affairs, and, most of all, taking charge of shaping the future of the Africa we want.
This year, the YMAU Secretariat is especially excited to continue this legacy by bringing the experience home to our mother organization’s headquarters city of Addis Ababa, in partnership with the African Union Commission’s Youth Division through the Women, Gender, and Youth Directorate. Translating to “new flower” from Amharic, Addis continues to prove itself a city creating itself anew, on a pathway to becoming the continent’s hub for diplomacy, infrastructure development, and economic growth. We are excited to immerse our students in that atmosphere, and to bring delegates closer than ever to the institutions and conversations they’ve spent years simulating.
Our programme reflects this ambition: 10 diverse and innovative committees, a full slate of speaker programming and networking events, and the second edition of our Mandate to Market pitch contest, all returning home to Addis.
We plan to convene our conference under the theme “Our Vision, Our Victory: Championing African Success on African Terms,” reflecting the inflection point at which youth stand within Africa’s history as a continent. Our countries’ economies are growing. Our infrastructure is developing. Our technologies are advancing. And to ensure that growth is sustained and owned by the people driving it, we need youth in the room: not just observing Africa’s institutions, but shaping how they work.
As such, as we continue to plan and coordinate our conference programming for 2027, we encourage you to stay involved in our programming throughout the year, helping us turn this vision into a needed reality. Join us in Addis, and help write this next chapter.
Once again, welcome to Yale Model African Union VI. If you have any questions or concerns regarding our conference, please do not hesitate to contact me at president@yalemodelau.org.
On behalf of our Secretariat team, we look forward to seeing you in Addis this March.
Sincerely,
