A new Board for a new ambition
Following the undeniable success of FerMUN 2025, which brought together nearly 700 students from the four corners of the world to the International Labour Organisation to debate diplomatic issues related to work, FerMUN 2026 is now getting underway. The first essential step: the formation of its new Board of students. Made up of nine determined members, this council is ready to mobilise all its skills to make the 2026 edition as memorable as its predecessor. Let’s find out more about this new team!
At just 16, Abdul-Salam Antwi is the Secretary General of FerMUN 2026. He is a student at the Lycée International de Ferney-Voltaire, where he is studying Mathematics, Physics and NSI. A football fan since childhood, he has followed Arsenal’s performances faithfully.
What drew him to join the board was the desire to play an active part in organising a major event. He was deeply inspired by the emotion felt by the members of the 2025 board at the closing ceremony. It convinced him to get involved in this ambitious project.
For this edition, he wants to create a dynamic, friendly and enriching atmosphere. His main objective is to make FerMUN 2026 a fully trilingual event. As general coordinator, he will ensure that all the teams function smoothly and that every participant has a memorable experience.
Finally, Abdul is keen to encourage delegates to get fully involved in the debates. For him, FerMUN is a truly international stage, where every speech is a stone added to the edifice of global dialogue.
Manon Grivotet, 16, a student in 11th grade at Ferney-Voltaire high school, is Deputy Secretary General in charge of the Presidents. As a Franco-Japanese student, she grew up in Japan and Hong Kong. A keen dancer, musician and debater, she discovered FerMUN as a translator in 2024, before becoming Chair in a committee in 2025.
This experience convinced her to join the board. Inspired by the speeches of former SGs and the team spirit of the board, she sees FerMUN as a space for personal growth. She wants to form a close-knit, motivated and confident team of chairmen capable of leading high-quality debates.
Manon also wants to strengthen the Jean Calas initiative, which raises awareness of international issues among primary school students, by adding rules for debate and more interactive exchanges.
Available, a good listener and committed, she wants to act as a guide for the presidents, supporting them in their doubts, organising exchanges with external presidents, and making FerMUN 2026 a learning experience as rich as it is unforgettable.
Manon Wolniak is this year’s Deputy Secretary General in charge of the delegates for FerMUN 2026. A student at the lycée in Saint-Genis-Pouilly, she is passionate about sport, travel and reading. Above all, she loves discovering new experiences, and FerMUN is one that she considers to be particularly memorable and rewarding.
From the very first time she attended, she was won over by the unique atmosphere of the conference, the open-mindedness of the participants and the diversity of the debates. Joining the board was an opportunity for her to become more actively involved in a large-scale collective project, while developing her own skills.
Convinced that FerMUN is above all a place for exchange, dialogue and human relations, she wanted to focus on developing the delegates’ oral skills. Her ambition is that each participant should feel comfortable expressing themselves, debating with confidence and asserting themselves within the debates. She also aims to create a caring environment where all delegates, whatever their level of experience, can progress and enjoy debating. She plans to organise dynamic training sessions, to encourage delegates to help each other and to ensure that everyone finds their place in the FerMUN adventure.
For Manon, dialogue and listening are essential elements, more necessary than ever to build a better world. By joining the Board, she hopes to pass on her passion and provide the best possible support for future delegates.
Léna Seidenbinder, 16, is this year’s head of admins and the solidarity fund for FerMUN 2026, working alongside Adèle Philippon. Passionate about climbing, motocross and music, she enjoys taking on new challenges and getting fully involved in her projects. Inspired by her predecessors on the boards, she wanted to take her turn in organising such a demanding and rewarding conference.
Her vision for this year’s conference is one of kindness, openness and respect, all of which are fundamental values at FerMUN. A key objective for her this year is to increase recognition of the role of the admins, who are often underestimated even though they are essential to the smooth running of the event.
She sees herself as a mentor for new admins, ensuring that they have a stimulating and rewarding first experience. She is also actively involved in the solidarity fund, organising sales and actions to facilitate access to the conference. For Léna, every member deserves full recognition, because it’s together that FerMUN can shine.
Adèle Philipon, student at the Saint-Genis site, is head of admins and the solidarity fund this year, alongside Léna Seidenbinder. A keen traveller, reader, skier and dancer, she enjoys sharing her time with others. Once held back by her shyness, she gradually gained confidence through FerMUN, culminating in joining the board, which represented a real personal challenge.
She has explored a number of roles in previous editions, and joining the board was the ultimate experience for her. This edition is an opportunity for her to contribute to in-depth debates, while cultivating the conviviality that is FerMUN’s strength.
Together with Léna, she wants to raise the profile of the admins and make the conference more accessible thanks to the solidarity fund. She sees the admins as the future pillars of FerMUN, and wants to offer them an unforgettable first experience, full of learning, laughter and discovery.
Ruben Buchot, 17, is a Year 11 student at Ferney-Voltaire high school, and is FerMUN 2026’s head of press and communications. A theatre fan for over ten years, he is also interested in literature, geopolitics, swimming and writing. It was this last passion, combined with an interest in computing, that led him to consider a career in journalism.
Fascinated by the press team from the moment he first joined FerMUN, he has followed its development with admiration. Today, he wants to bring his own vision to FerMUN: a press that is committed, creative and rigorous.
His aim is to produce quality articles that faithfully reflect the intensity of the debates and the richness of the conference. He also wants to spread the word about FerMUN beyond its walls through a variety of media: articles, videos and social networks.
For Ruben, the press plays an essential role: a discreet but omnipresent witness, it immortalises the event and transmits its spirit, enabling everyone to keep a living record of it.
Charlotte Brandon is the Head of interpretation for FerMUN 2026. Enthusiastic, open-minded and curious, she loves getting involved in collective projects where exchange, respect and the desire to progress together reign supreme. Joining the Board was a unique opportunity for her to become more involved in a conference that she has long admired.
Her objective is clear: to offer interpreters a caring and stimulating environment, where everyone can develop their skills and gain confidence. She wants to maximise the team’s efficiency while introducing Spanish as a third official language, alongside English and French. In her view, this would enhance inclusion and open FerMUN up to a wider audience.
Charlotte also wants to encourage the interpreters to push themselves to the limit, in a motivating and supportive atmosphere. Outside FerMUN, she is passionate about skiing and trains regularly at Villard, with the ambition of becoming an instructor. As in the mountains, she sees FerMUN as a human adventure where you learn to progress together, step by step.
Livia Cauderan, a French-Americain student at the International school of Ferney-Voltaire, is head of translation in English for FerMUN 2026. Passionate about languages and convinced of the crucial role of communication in an international event, she is determined to deliver a quality translation and ensure a smooth experience for all.
Livia joined the board to contribute to the success of FerMUN and to be part of an event that goes beyond the borders of Ferney-Voltaire to bring together delegates from all over the world. She wants every participant, whether they’re a delegate, interpreter, translator or admin, to be well prepared and involved.
She makes it a point of honour to ensure that exchanges take place in a clear and precise environment, while ensuring that translation teams are supported and trained.
Convinced that trilingualism is the key to inclusion, Livia hopes that this edition will encourage a truly international dialogue. Her mission is to ensure that the debates flow smoothly, so that every voice can be heard, whatever the language.
Octave Nesme Jacolino is head of Translation in Spanish for FerMUN 2026. He has a passion for Spanish and decided to join the board to strengthen the trilingual dimension of the conference and increase the representation of Spanish-speaking countries, which are still under-represented. For him, this commitment represents the culmination of his learning of the language, in which he has invested a great deal of time and effort.
His aim is to provide a fluid and accessible translation for participants, to ensure quality exchanges. As head of translation, he wants to encourage translators to work together in a supportive and collaborative atmosphere.
Outside of FerMUN, Octave enjoys tennis, drawing and photography – passions that fuel his creativity and sense of observation. For him, each project is an opportunity to push his limits and explore new perspectives, just as in translation, where he seeks to make each text a bridge between cultures.
