Hello everyone!
My name is Tobias Vivone, and I am excited to be this year’s Secretary-General. I have lived in Panama since I was 2 years old, making this my 15th year at ISP. I was born in the USA; however, I consider myself Argentinian because of my family heritage and the culture I grew up in. Having two older siblings who thoroughly enjoyed debate, I, in a way, inherited that love from them and have always enjoyed this conference.
Although I live in Panama, my family has been Argentinian for many generations. I visit every year, and because of my strong connection to Argentina, I started playing football, which I have practiced consistently for as long as I can remember. I have made many connections through sports, and it has been a very important part of my life.
Like many others who have been at ISP for a while, my first experience with PANAMUN was in 5th grade, when I represented China. The experience seemed daunting at first—how was I meant to represent an entire country? Not long after, however, I realized just how entertaining and fun it could be. Public speaking, learning about global issues, and exploring different points of view were some of the many things I experienced when first participating in PANAMUN. This experience led me to continue participating throughout Middle School and High School, where I won a research award and later had the opportunity to become a Chair and High School Deputy Secretary General. As I have mentioned, my siblings also enjoyed PANAMUN, and some of you may know my brother as the Secretary-General from a few years ago. I always had amazing experiences at PANAMUN, but even before participating, I knew I would love it from the stories I was told. A crazy crisis where people dressed up and nuked each other, intense debates between delegates—it all sounded thrilling. And to my surprise, it was all true. From the moment I heard those stories up until now, I knew PANAMUN was for me, and I hope to help more people discover just how amazing PANAMUN is.
This year, as I have hoped since I started PANAMUN, I will be working alongside the Secretariat to create an amazing experience for everyone. PANAMUN is an opportunity to unite the ISP community while also welcoming new people and perspectives. I hope to see you all in October, enjoying the results of our hard work.