At APIGA (Asia Pacific Internet Governance Academy), the highlight wasn’t a lecture. It was a game.

We played “Model ICANN.”

It’s like Model UN, but for the internet. I was assigned a role (I won’t say which one, to keep the mystery!) and placed in a room with “Governments,” “Business Leaders,” and “Civil Society Activists”—all played by other students.

Our mission: Agree on a policy for “New Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs)” in 2 days.

I thought it would be easy. Logic wins, right?

I was dead wrong.

Lesson 1: Your “Right” is Someone Else’s “Risk”

I went in with a logical argument. But the “Government” rep shut me down instantly. Not because my logic was flawed, but because he was roleplaying a mandate to protect national security. The “Business” rep agreed with me, but only if it was profitable.

I learned that in global policy, there is no single truth. Every stakeholder has a valid fear and a valid goal. You can’t just prove them wrong; you have to solve their fear.

Lesson 2: The Hallway Track

The real deals didn’t happen at the main table with microphones. They happened during the coffee break. I saw “delegates” huddling over cookies, whispering trades: “If you support my clause on privacy, I’ll support your clause on pricing.”

This is exactly how the real world works. Relationships drive policy. You have to build trust personally before you can get professional agreement.

Lesson 3: Silence is Agreement

In the consensus model, we don’t vote “51% vs 49%”. We look for “No Strong Objection.” I learned that sometimes, the goal isn’t to get everyone to say “I love this.” The goal is to get everyone to say “I can live with this.”

That distinction—between Unanimity and Consensus—is powerful. It stops the perfect from being the enemy of the good.

Why You Should Try It

If you ever get a chance to do a Model UN or Model ICANN (like at Youth IGF Nepal), do it. It forces you to step out of your own shoes. If you are an activist, play the CEO. If you are an engineer, play the Politician. It builds empathy, which is the most underrated skill in the digital age.