The Ivy League Model United Nations Conference (ILMUNC) hosted by the Penn International Affairs Association (Penn IAA) celebrated its 30th anniversary this past weekend by welcoming 2700 delegates to the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown. ILMUNC is known for its balanced between substantive quality inside the committees as well as social and educational programming outside the committees, and the conference emphasized its billing as “the championship conference.” The conference was praised by advisors for its professionalism and quickness in responding to questions, and students who had not previously attended ILMUNC noted the high level of competition at the conference relative to other conferences of similar size.

This year’s Franklin Legacy program benefited Room to Read and the conference raised over $2600 for charity. John Wood, the CEO of Room to Read, was the keynote speaker and spoke about Room to Read’s goal of reaching 10 million kids by 2015. The organization has already built 1725 schools and 16,300 libraries filled with 13.3 million books.

ILMUNC Opening Ceremonies featured the Founder of Room to Read.

Delegates spent four days making speeches, participating in moderated caucus, negotiating during unmoderated caucus, and ultimately merging and voting on draft resolutions on a variety of twenty-four UN committees and crisis committees. Here are some photos of delegates in action from the conference. However, readers can find many more photos at the ILMUNC Photo Album on the Best Delegate Facebook page.

Delegates collaborate on resolutions during unmoderated caucus.

Press Corps delegates smile for the camera. The Press Corps is one of the new committees at ILMUNC this year. We also engaged in an interesting conversation about the Best Delegate rankings.

A delegate makes a speech in committee.

Best Delegate Summer Programs alumni! Plus a delegate who really wanted to be featured online.

Delegates take a photo together after an exhausting day of committee sessions.

Delegates in the ILO.

Co-delegates in the OAS make their comments during moderated caucus.

Delegates laugh at a hilarious guest speaker/crisis update in the Kashmir 2020 crisis.

Delegates in the General Assembly committees spend a lot of time caucusing outside the room.

It’s wonderful seeing former high school superstars now serving as ASGs at ILMUNC!

A delegate gave out 100 roses and 20 teddy bears to another delegate.

During Closing Ceremonies, Director-General Stephanie Vabre reflected on how she was at the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown just 3 months and 17 days ago for Penn IAA’s college conference, UPMUNC, and how in 3 months and 17 days later her senior class will be graduating together. Personally, this was a touching moment as I had “grown up” in my role at Best Delegate with this class; Stephanie was a freshman ASG with the conference during the first time I liveblogged ILMUNC and I still remember her holding the camera when I was interviewing then Secretary-General Zach Stone. It may be a bit early, but shout out to the Penn class of 2014 on your upcoming graduation!

Of course, Model UN is a cycle where young delegates grow into positions of leadership, and it is very rewarding to see that process. Several delegates who I had met while liveblogging high school conferences are now ASGs for the conference. Best Delegate Media Associates Julian Bava and Shreshta Balanchandar are now participating at ILMUNC as a delegate and staffer, respectively. Nine Best Delegate Summer Programs alumni were in attendance at this conference, and it was great to see everyone again. And of course, it was great to catch up and meet all the ILMUNC staffers and high school delegates who were also at this conference last year.

Awards

Best Large Delegation: Horace Mann School
Outstanding Large Delegation: J.P. Stevens High School
Best Small Delegation: Choate Rosemary Hall
Outstanding Small Delegation: Jackson High School
Best International Delegation: Colegio Puertorriqueño de Niñas

Analysis

Horace Mann defended their Best Large Delegation award

Horace Mann defended their Best Large Delegation award at ILMUNC by winning the most gavels of any team. Horace Mann was particularly strong in the General Assembly committees. With Horace Mann’s win at ILMUNC and Dalton’s win at HMUN on the same weekend (we liveblogged HMUN as well), the attention now turns to NAIMUN where the two New York City rivals will finally get a chance meet head-to-head this season.

J.P. Stevens attended ILMUNC for the first time as they have traditionally spent this weekend at HMUN. Therefore, it was the first time for many of the Mid-Atlantic schools to meet J.P. Stevens even though they are based in New Jersey. The team finished with the most Outstanding Delegate awards of any team and got some help with a good delegate-to-awards ratio to capture the Outstanding Large Delegation.

Several traditional powerhouses that have attended ILMUNC for many years also performed well. The Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology performed particularly well — their Head Delegate remarked it was their best performance since the 1990s — and in fact TJ had the highest weighted score and second most gavels of any team at ILMUNC. Langley High School and West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South also contended for a delegation award. Huntington Beach High School did well with a smaller team as most of their team was back home hosting their 900-delegate Surf City MUN conference the same weekend (we liveblogged Surf City as well). Langley and Huntington Beach notably sent balanced teams as both teams’ two countries scored equally well. Franklin High School and Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School also had solid performances with multiple individual awards.

Choate Rosemary Hall has improved against increased competition and took home the Best Small Delegation award this year. Jackson High School flew in from Wyoming to ILMUNC for the first time and put on a good performance to capture the Outstanding Small Delegation award. Colegio Puertorriqueño de Niñas has been attending ILMUNC for several years — they were joined by many other fellow Puerto Rican schools this year that decided to switch to ILMUNC — and was able to reclaim the Best International School award this year. Other teams that did well include the Trinity School, Brooklyn Friends School, and Richard Montgomery High School.

Choate Rosemary Hall received the Best Small Delegation award

Jackson High School captured the Outstanding Small Delegation award

Colegio Puertorriqueño de Niñas reclaimed the Best International Delegation award

Langley High School performed well at ILMUNC

Congratulations to the entire ILMUNC team for putting on a great conference! Thank you to Devin DiSabatino, Stephanie Vabre, Jeffrey Nadel, and the entire ILMUNC team for having me visit.

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This is the first article in our NAIMUN Featured Series. For more information on the series, check out our kickoff article!

Delegates in committee at NAIMUN 50.

While the NAIMUN conference takes place over President’s Day weekend, planning begins almost a year earlier. After deciding on a vision for the conference and picking a Senior Staff, conference executives tackle on the of the most pivotal parts of any conference’s planning: the selection of staff and committees.  How does the staff choose 38 committees from a pool of almost 100 options?

First, the Secretariat considers the educational value of a simulation. Model UN committees, especially at the high school level, should always have educational value and as a rule, NAIMUN does not run fantasy committees.  Rather than limiting educational value to factual accuracy and historical rigor, NAIMUN committees force delegates to ask “so what?” Ideally, each delegate should come away from committee being able to summarize it in a 1-2 sentence lesson about international affairs. Finally, and most importantly, committees must be fun in addition to being substantively rigorous! In late April, NAIMUN’s Secretariat huddles in a room to conduct “Chair Draft.” This process runs just as it sounds, as undersecretaries-general take turn selecting chairs and proposals for their respective organs.  For weeks before the process, the Secretariat is subject to intense lobbying from potential staffers, who pitch their committee proposals.

This year’s overall vision for committee selection focused on choosing committees that forced delegates to think about conventional issues in unconventional and realistic ways. The first major committee selection came with the proposal of a return to the independent U.S. National Security Apparatus featured at NAIMUN XLIX. Inspired by renewed efforts by academics nationwide to teach principles of grand strategy to the next generation of leaders, the simulation will explore the foundations of contemporary American foreign policy during the Cold War and the moral and ethical dilemmas faced by all strategists.

Similarly, Renegotiating the ANZUS Treaty will teach delegates how diplomats balance the interests of their government against collective ones in treaty negotiation. Rather than simply exploring normative questions like many human rights-based GAs, the Executive Board of Human Rights Watch will force delegates to consider human rights issues in an environment of scarce resources. In larger committees, the French National Assembly and the Constituent Assembly of Tunisia will force delegates to reckon with the challenges of turning political philosophy into direct action in states undergoing rapid transitions. The UN Millennium Summit, the NATO Washington Summit, and the Conference of Berlin force delegates to reevaluate fundamental principles that guide the international system today with the benefit of some hindsight.

The most intense lobbying for committees came from proposals that did not fit NAIMUN’s traditional simulations. For the first time, NAIMUN chose to run a committee based on alternate history while sticking to its core educational values in the Operation Downfall committee, which imagines a world without nuclear weapons or deterrence. The Winning the West JCC began as a joke between friends but developed into a very serious proposal for one of the first business-based joint crises at the high school level set amidst the backdrop of a rapidly-developing American nation.

Ultimately, Model UN is about teaching future leaders valuable skills while allowing them to tackle complex issues in a fun and engaging way. Rather than viewing the recent push towards nontraditional committees and competitiveness in a bad light, NAIMUN has incorporated the changes without jettisoning the core educational values upon which the activity is based.

For more information on NAIMUN, check out their website and Facebook page! 

The Model United Nations of the University of Chicago (MUNUC) 2014 welcomed 2500 delegates and 230 staff from throughout the Midwest, the United States, China, and beyond to the historically beautiful Palmer House Hilton in Chicago this past weekend. MUNUC is the largest conference in the Midwest, and advisors continued to praise the conference for setting the standard for academic rigor and fostering an educational environment for high school conferences. Advisors cited four examples that really emphasize MUNUC’s academic and educational focus.

MUNUC 2014 Opening Ceremonies

1. Lengthy background guides. Advisors appreciated the 70-page background guides as it encouraged students to read and do rigorous research instead of spending time on their electronic devices and doing simple searches on Wikipedia. Educators cited how at the end of the day, their job at their schools is to help improve the students’ literacy skills and lengthy background guides help them achieve this goal.

2. Facilitating an educational environment. Advisors praised MUNUC for continuing to emphasize that electronic devices and pre-written resolutions are not allowed in committee. This causes students to bring more books or printed research to committee and to actually collaborate during the conference instead of competing for resolution authorship. The unmoderated caucus environment at MUNUC is significantly more cordial than at conferences of similar size. Also, Chairs would continually encourage delegates who have not spoken yet to raise their placards.

3. Explanation of complex concepts. Chairs would suspend the rules of procedure, particularly on the first day of committee, to explain complex concepts or terms that delegates seemed to be throwing around at the beginning of committee. This sets the tone that students should not be “BS-ing” and gives a better understanding of which solutions are realistic. It also allows a better academic understanding of the concepts as opposed to a surface-level one.

4. Book Awards and no Best Delegates. MUNUC’s awards policy is to “create a learning environment for all delegates and not a competitive stage for a few.” MUNUC gives out Verbal Commendations, Honorable Mentions, and Outstanding Awards. In the largest committees, there are multiple Outstanding awards given. There is no Best Delegate. The delegates who are given Outstanding awards are given a book selected by the chairs that corresponds with the topic that was debated on that weekend instead of a gavel. This is a nice touch to MUNUC’s academic focus. Furthermore, there are no delegation or school awards. Overall, the awards system reflect’s MUNUC’s emphasis on fostering an educational environment and continuous academic learning after the conference is over.

MUNUC has an academic focus, and Outstanding Delegates receive a book instead of a gavel.

MUNUC Opening Ceremonies coincided with the Opening Ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, so the keynote speaker Ian Solomon asked, “What can you do to be a gold medal global citizen?” Delegates participated in a variety of 26 committees throughout the weekend. Delegates also enjoyed several University of Chicago admissions information sessions made by admissions officers, delivering both heartwarming and hilarious Gavel Grams to each other, the delegate dance, and exploring the exciting city of Chicago.

Personally, it was also nice to see many alumni from the Best Delegate Model UN Summer Programs at MUNUC. In fact, MUNUC had the most diversity among Summer Programs alumni as we had students from our programs at Georgetown, Florida, Berkeley, and UCLA participating at this conference. In addition, it was great seeing Best Delegate Media Manager and Summer Programs counselor Jullian Bao now chairing at MUNUC.

Here are some photos from the conference. More photos can be found on the Best Delegate Facebook page!

Colegio Marista de Guaynabo from Puerto Rico

Edina High School from Minnesota

Israel (Lincoln Park High School) makes a speech in ECOFIN

Delegates participating during unmoderated caucus

The UN Population Fund dais did a great job explaining complex concepts to delegates.

Nigeria (Edina High School) speaks with another delegate during unmoderated caucus in the African Union.

Delegates negotiate their resolution outside the DISEC room

Delegates in IAEA listen during committee session in the beautiful Red Laquer room at the Palmer House Hilton.

Co-delegates deliver a speech together in the UN Population Fund

Two delegates lead the discussion about China’s interests in Southeast Asia in ASEAN

Delegates received a lot of notes during the weekend

Two Chicagoland MUN Club delegates smile for the camera!

Delegates answer questions about their resolution in ECOFIN

Delegates are enjoying their time at MUNUC

The UN Security Council dais at MUNUC 2014

Delegates seek some feedback on the resolutions merger process from their chairs

India (Glenbrook South High School) makes a speech in the FAO

The committee environment is cordial at MUNUC and delegates from different schools embraced during the awards ceremony

Delegates receiving their awards during Closing Ceremonies

MUNUC Secretary-General Parker DeRensis encouraged delegates to take this viewpoint on the purpose of Closing Ceremonies: “Let this be the beginning of your drive to become a better person.”

Congratulations to all the delegates, teachers, and staff on a successful MUNUC 2014! Thank you to Secretary-General Parker DeRensis for having me visit. The MUNUC Photo Album can be found here!

MUNUC Executive Committee shares a moment after Closing Ceremonies

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This Recap was shared by Adam Gerard ASG of Outreach at YMUN XL

YMUN XL had another successful year last week, and as the conference came to a close, over 1,600 delegates from around the world returned to their hometowns with a renewed sense of responsibility, empowerment, and optimism about our future. The weekend started off with Mr. Richard Goldstone, the former prosector for the ICC and a current leader in international law, speaking to delegates about the important duty they had to fix the most pressing problems facing the world. Directly after his speech, the students went directly to facing simulations of the very problems Goldstone discussed.

A new and exciting facet of the YMUN this year was the addition of a Regional Bodies set of committees. These Regional Bodies included groups such as the Antebellum Congress, the Arab League, and the Nuremberg Trials 1945 Ad-Hoc Committee. We continued to update and revise the committee experience in other committees as well. For example, in one committee Roma Eterna, delegates simulate crisis battles through a video game computer simulation, adding an entire extra layer to the crisis experience.

However, YMUN XL went beyond the committee room. Events hosted with support of the Yale administration, faculty and student body gave YMUN XL delegates unprecedented access to life on Yale’s campus and the academic vitality one can find here. Students exchanged ideas with prestigious professors, were entertained by some of Yale’s most popular performance groups, and all got a taste of the campus via committee session held in classrooms.

We congratulate the Buckingham Browne and Nichols School (Best New Delegation), the Collegiate School (Outstanding Small Delegation), New Canaan High School (Outstanding Large Delegation), Elmont Memorial High School (Best Small Delegation) and The Hotchkiss School (Best Large Delegation). However, we know all schools benefited from their YMUN XL experience and we look forward to seeing them again next year.

“It was amazing to see students from around the world interact with each other to tackle complex and difficult topics in unique ways. It was equally inspiring to see the support the YMUN XL Secretariat received from the Yale student body, faculty, and administration. These two powerful forces, acting together, guaranteed a rewarding weekend for all those involved.” said Adam Gerard, the ASG of Outreach at YMUN XL.

Attached are some photos from the conference:

This is the second article in our NAIMUN Featured Series. For more information on the series, check out our kickoff article!

NAIMUN 50 was known for its excellence in integrating philanthropy in all aspects of the committee experience.

Many Model UN conferences offer competitive debate, but NAIMUN takes advantage of its Washington DC location and the resources of Georgetown University’s significant policy community to link the debates in committee to real-world challenges and broader debates and prepare them for careers in public service, and improve the standards of citizenship at home and abroad.

To begin with, NAIMUN will be continuing previous programming initiatives to promote a high conception of the duties of those engaged in foreign service – for example, the conference is proud to host the Director-General of the Foreign Service. On Friday morning, delegates take a break from committee to experience all that the American capital has to offer. Delegates will participate in student-led tours of various embassies, Washington monuments like the Capitol, State Department, Pentagon, and of course, Georgetown University itself.

Through this programming, delegates can link debates in committee to real-world issues. Delegates in the State Department, for example, can see the ways in which the foreign policy-making process has evolved since 1947, while delegates representing Saudi Arabia can visit the embassy of that country and meet real-world diplomats. Similarly, NAIMUN will continue to offer a Social Justice Roundtable, although rather than simply inviting representatives from area NGOs and charities, actual Georgetown students will talk about their experiences in enacting social change as students, empowering delegates to seek similar strategies in applying their experiences from committee to the real world.

NAIMUN 50 featured innovative programming, including a briefing from the US Department of State, above.

NAIMUN has also revamped its philanthropic efforts. Rather than simply collecting charity, as other conferences do, NAIMUN is finding new ways to link delegate involvement with on-the-ground outcomes. Working side-by-side with Room to Read, a reputed charity known for improving literacy and educational gender equality in the developing world, NAIMUN delegates will actually choose the projects to which the conference will contribute. Each time delegates contribute at the fundraising table, they can “tip their vote” towards library, school, or scholarship.  They will also have a chance to meet with the charity’s founder, John Wood, who will be coming in to give a special speech on Friday evening.

Moreover, members of the NAIMUN Secretariat recently have begun accepting cryptocurrency donations for their philanthropic partner, Dogecoin, a Bitcoin-like cryptocurrency has been affectionately dubbed “the currency of the Internet” for its role in several high-profile charitable initiatives, among which include sending the Jamaican bobsled team to the Sochi Olympics. Ryan Cunningham, Director of Media & Technology and self-described ‘shibe,’ felt that accepting Room to Read donations in Dogecoin would be a fun way of integrating new developments in international finance with doge memes and traditional philanthropy. So far, several delegates and outside supporters have used the platform to support NAIMUN’s charitable efforts.

Ultimately, Model UN is about developing the skills of future leaders and public servants in a fun and engaging way. By taking advantage of the resources around it, NAIMUN can make sure that the conference experience transcends each committee session.

For more information on NAIMUN, check out their website and Facebook page. We’re also going to be Liveblogging throughout the conference, so make sure to look out for us!

Carmen Ana Nieto, local MUN Conference, Puerto Rico circuit (Civil Rights Movement)

Article submitted by Carmen Ana Nieto*

*Carmen Ana Nieto is a Junior at Colegio Puertorriqueño de Niñas in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, and the recipient of the Best Delegate award in the Joint Crisis Committee (JCC): Hezbollah at ILMUNC XXX. Colegio Puertorriqueño de Niñas received the Best International Delegation award in ILMUNC XXX.

Model UN has shaped the way in which I see and think about the world. My journey in Model UN began four years ago, when I was thirteen. Unlike many places in the United States, Model UN clubs in Puerto Rico belong to local associations that hold competitions throughout the year. My school belongs to an association called the Federation (“La Federación” in Spanish). “La Federación” is comprised of seven member schools and holds five local competitions every school year. In these competitions, Model UN club members have the opportunity to compete as delegates and are also given the chance to serve as chairs of the various committees.

Having local competitions on a regular basis gives delegates the chance to practice and improve their skills. The benefits of this structure were recognized by Best Delegate co-founder Kevin Felix Chan in an article he wrote on Model UN in Puerto Rico where he stated: “the development of a local circuit is something that can greatly benefit other local Model UN communities if they emulate it” (The Only Formal Circuit in the World: Structural and Cultural Lessons from La Federación in Puerto Rico by KFC on October 15, 2012).

In addition to these local conferences, Model UN clubs in Puerto Rico also participate in competitions in the United States. The schools that belong to “La Federación” usually attend the Ivy League Model United Nations Conference (ILMUNC) hosted by The University of Pennsylvania.

My experiences with ILMUNC began when I was in the 8th grade, when I was the youngest student to attend from my school. During my first competition in 2011, I participated in ILMUNC’s first Historical General Assembly (HGA), a humanitarian, single-delegation committee. My second and third year, I participated in UNESCO and ECOFIN, both of which were single-delegation committees.

Although the debates in the committees I participated in during my first three ILMUNC’s were very different, they all shared the same structure and protocol. In these “classic committees” the main objective is to pass resolutions. Delegates must come prepared to offer specific solutions to solve the issue at hand. The real challenge that delegates face in these committees is the difficulty with the presentation of their ideas and the building of support from the international community in order to pass a resolution.

Carmen Ana Nieto, local MUN Conference, Puerto Rico circuit (Catalonia’s Independence Debate)

For all Model UN competitions, the chairs and moderators of each committee prepare detailed background material for the delegates participating in that committee. These materials are essential to guide the research that every delegate will conduct in preparation for the competition.

Unlike competitions in classic committees where delegates represent countries and follow a well-established policy, crisis simulation committees have delegates that usually represent high-ranking individuals such as presidents and cabinet members.

Crisis committees are smaller in size than traditional committees and this enables the chair to prepare a general description on each “person” (or delegation) within the background guide. These profiles establish the delegate’s portfolio powers within the committee. Portfolio powers are the functions and responsibilities that each person in the committee can perform. For example, if you are participating in a Cold War Crisis committee and you are the head of the intelligence division, your portfolio powers enable you to contact the KGB and work with undercover spies. Yet, if you represent the Soviet Prime Minister, your powers do not enable you to do such things.

While portfolio powers establish each delegate’s role and limitations in the committee, they should never affect a delegate’s ability to draft plans and strategies that could be supported later on by other delegates who have different portfolio powers, including those powers that are actually necessary to perform specific actions.

The overall purpose of crisis committees is to create and accelerate a sequence of events that delegates will deal with through directives, press releases, and communiqués. Directives are documents that are drafted by delegates in the committee to call for action. For example, a group of delegates can draft a directive specifying how many soldiers and weapons are being mobilized towards a given region. If this directive is voted on by the majority of the committee, it passes and events begin to occur. Press releases are documents that are drafted to notify, via the press (CNN, BBC, Al Jezeera, etc.), any statements that the delegates wish to make public. Finally, communiqués are documents that inform direct information to the crisis staff, to the second cabinet of a JCC, or to another entity, that could be made public at the discretion of the chair.

The skills that delegates need to develop in regular committees are somewhat different from those required of crisis committee delegates. In regular committees, delegates must be approachable, yet firm in their leadership. They must have strong control over their group and at the same time be inclusive of all delegates who wish to participate. They have to be devoted and persistent with their ideas in order to demonstrate that they know and follow their country’s policy.

On the other hand, delegates who compete in crisis committees need to be fast-thinkers and they need to learn how to balance and manage their time. Delegates tend to get involved in the committee’s debate and they forget the presence of the crisis staff, or vice versa. It is imperative for delegates to be constantly sending questions or communiqués to the crisis staff, while at the same time, staying involved in the current debate and what is taking place at the time. This balance ensures that the delegate is active on both sides of the crisis simulation.

Members of the JCC: Hezbollah crisis simulation, ILMUNC XXX

I had the opportunity to participate in this type of committee for the first time this year, during ILMUNC XXX, on the Joint Crisis Committee (JCC): Hezbollah. A JCC is a committee that is divided in two independent cabinets while a crisis staff coordinates their interactions. Although both committees run at their own pace, the decisions and actions made in each committee affect the crisis that is being developed “behind the scenes”. Thus the committees tend to be unpredictable, Machiavellian, volatile, and all-around exhilarating. The participants in this years’ JCC at ILMUNC were the Israeli cabinet and Hezbollah during the 2006 war in Lebanon.

This JCC in particular was very military-oriented. Us delegates had to prepare on military tactics and strategies, weapon use and implementation, a clear geographic perspective on the region, and a specific understanding of the political and religious disputes between both sides. As a result of the radical nature of the Hezbollah cabinet members and of the western influence of the Israeli, the delegates faced a dynamic and fast-paced committee that required lots of quick critical thinking.

From the beginning of the crisis committee, the most important factor was establishing and recognizing the delegates’ portfolio powers and to assess to what extent they could be used to take an advantage in the conflict. As events developed through comprehensive directives, detailed press releases, and, on certain occasions, covert communiqués, the crisis staff created multiple crises that delegates had to respond to, challenging our ability to think on our feet and work collectively to get ahead.

It was very exciting to be in a room surrounded by a group of passionate and devoted delegates, a feeling that is not usually present in regular committees. It was interesting to see how we fed off of each other’s energy and got so intensely into the situations that were taking place. Because of the small size of crisis committees, every delegate in the room got to showcase his or her opinion and ability to react under pressure.

One of the things I liked the most about crisis simulations is the independent (or collective) covert operations. You cannot fully trust anyone in the committee setting, for delegates could be planning something completely undercover that will eventually surface during the course of the conference. From planned assassinations, to the infiltration of “quadruple spies”, JCC: Hezbollah proved to be a stimulating and thought-provoking committee. As delegates, we were always busy and had to think three steps in advanced in order to keep up with the crisis staff and the hectic atmosphere that surrounded us.

Throughout the course of the committee, and as the war began to intensify, directives became an essential tool. At first, the delegates would draft individual directives containing the minimum amount of sponsors required. But with the help of our chair, we learned that it is more important to invest time in drafting directives collectively that can be sponsored by the entire committee. Such directives show that everyone in the committee favors the course of action taken and that all delegates had an active role in achieving the established goals. “That is what impresses me” said the Chair of JCC: Hezbollah, Theodore Schneider.

My overall feedback on crisis committees, specifically JCC’s, is that they are a very valuable for experienced delegates; it takes them to the next level. Crisis Simulation Committees force delegates to think about the issues they have researched and to use their creativity and ingenuity. I hope to participate in more JCC’s and Crisis Simulations in the remainder of my high school career, in order to grow and expand my abilities as a Model United Nations delegate.

Carmen Ana Nieto, Best Delegate Award, JCC: Hezbollah (ILMUNC XXX)

Over 2,000 high school delegates attended this past weekend’s Johns Hopkins University Model United Nations Conference (JHUMUNC) in Baltimore, Maryland, from February 6-9, 2014.

This year marked an important milestone in the history of the conference, with the largest number of delegates ever in attendance. The conference moved to a new venue, the Hilton Baltimore. And this conference had more international attendance compared to prior years, including a large delegation from China.

Co-Secretaries-General Ian Hooley and Kithmina Hewage led a staff of over 100 Johns Hopkins undergraduates. JHUMUNC has a tradition having two Secretaries-General serving together, and throughout the conference I adored Ian’s and Kith’s budding bromance. In his closing ceremonies speech, Kith proudly told everyone he and Ian experienced the same dreams — and nightmares! — leading up to the conference.

After closing ceremonies, I asked Ian and Kith what they hoped delegates learned from the conference. Ian hoped the the conference facilitated cross-cultural dialogue. “We have such a great diversity of delegates,” said Ian, “not only in terms of geographical diversity — schools all over the US and all over the world — but also in terms of delegates’ backgrounds and their particular interests.” Ian explained that different types of students and schools attend the conference, from those interested in the sciences to those interested in the humanities, but “the great thing about JHUMUNC is that it brings them all together.”

Kith shared with me how he comes from Sri Lanka, where “Model UN is used as a tool of reconciliation.” Kith explained that “people from the northern province and the southern province get together at the Sri Lankan Model United Nations.”He hoped that this spirit of reconciliation was also found at JHUMUNC, and that “students took the opportunity to make long-lasting friendships.”

JHUMUNC ran 29 committees. Despite the increased size of the conference, the large GA committees that I observed seemed fairly manageable with around 120 delegates. Committees included a historical Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) set in 2002, which discussed the topic of terrorism in a post-9/11 world. Soccer fans were able to participate in a simulation of the FIFA Congress.

But my favorite committee was the historical Financial Crisis 2008 committee. Delegates role-played Wall Street CEOs (including Goldman Sachs’ Lloyd Blankfein, JP Morgan’s Jamie Dimon, and the man of honor, Lehman Brothers’ Dick Fuld), public servants (Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson and Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke), and even “doomsday economist” Nouriel Roubini.

The committee heatedly debated whether or not to bail out Lehman Brothers, and in a departure from history, delegates agreed to seek a bailout from Congress in order to avoid collapsing the global financial system — which sparked public outrage and hastened the protests of Occupy Wall Street.

After voting for the bailout, USG Crisis Robert Locke brought me in as a guest speaker and I shared my experience working at Goldman Sachs from 2008 to 2010. I had a lot of fun answering delegates’ questions, and I got a chance to grill them too about their decisions. Overall I was very impressed with delegates’ questions and their understanding of the financial crisis.

Delegation awards went to Bishop Ireton for Best Small Delegation and Stuyvsant High School for Best Large delegation.

Congratulations to all delegates, advisors, and staff on a great conference! And thank you to Ian and Kith for having me visit!

Check out our JHUMUNC 2014 Facebook album!

This is the third and final article in our NAIMUN Featured Series. For more information on the series, check out our kickoff article!

The General Staff of NAIMUN LI

Like many of its peer conferences on the high school Model United Nations circuit, NAIMUN’s core mission is to provide its delegates an educational experience and to help prepare them to be the next generation of leaders and diplomats. NAIMUN has earned its status as a top conference on the high school circuit in no small part because it reaches this goal consistently year after year, providing an experience unrivaled by any other conference.

NAIMUN owes its success in part to the high quality of simulations it offers year in and year out, all of which impart knowledge of both current and historical international political issues. NAIMUN also places tremendous emphasis on teaching delegates how to debate, negotiate, and collaborate to solve such issues. However, NAIMUN also distinguishes itself by making robust training programs available for both delegates and its own staffers.

The NAIMUN philosophy centers on the versatility of Model United Nations as a pedagogical tool—a concept which only holds if both delegates and staffers understand the activity at an advanced level. NAIMUN’s secretariat has kept this premise in mind when it revamped NAIMUN’s staff training programs this year to make them more engaging.

Secretary General Pavan Rajgopal and other leaders within both NAIMUN and Georgetown’s collegiate Model UN program presented scenarios staffers will likely confront over the course of the conference and asked staffers how they would address them. For example, Crisis committee staffers were presented with a series of hypothetical individual directives they might receive from delegates, each varying in quality and substance. The staffers were then asked how they would evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of those portfolio actions, and then were prompted to explain how they would respond. A panel of NAIMUN’s most experienced Chairs was also held to give leaders within the conference the opportunity to impart lessons from their personal experiences to Chairs, Directors, and Rapporteurs. As a result of this training, NAIMUN staffers will be prepared for the conference and will be able to provide an enhanced experience for delegates.

However, NAIMUN’s training does not end with its staffers. NAIMUN strives to teach delegates the myriad of lessons to be found in international politics, but NAIMUN also works hard to make sure delegates leave the conference with a better understanding of how to compete successfully in Model UN. To that end, NAIMUN will provide a detailed Parliamentary Procedure presentation the first day of the conference, followed by an informative presentation tailored specifically for delegates in Crisis committees. These presentations will both help expedite the flow of debate during committee and additionally help delegates engage at a higher substantive level with committee and ultimately have a more fulfilling NAIMUN experience.

NAIMUN has long been a model of professionalism and excellence on the circuit, and its revitalized staff and delegate training efforts can only help bolster its standing as the nation’s premier high-school Model United Nations conference.

For more information on NAIMUN, check out their website and Facebook page. We’re also going to be Liveblogging throughout the conference, so make sure to look out for us!

Over 1,400 high school delegates visited The Hague International Model United Nations – Qatar conference from January 28-31, 2014. A program of the Qatar Foundation and Qatar Academy, THIMUN Qatar is one of the premiere MUN conferences in the Middle East region.

THIMUN Qatar is held at the Qatar National Convention Center, which is one of the nicest venues I’ve ever seen for a Model UN conference: marble walls and floors, high ceilings, lots of natural light. There’s a reflecting pool next to the coffee bar and the auditorium seats are made of Bentley leather. But the first thing you notice when you walk in is the gigantic spider.

The conference was led by Secretary-General Wessam Kanes, a senior at Qatar Academy who has a “genuine passion for MUN” and is apparently a fan of classic rock music.

Wessam impressed me with her mission for the conference: to “create global citizens and future world leaders” through Model United Nations. She sees Model UN as a way to create “international awareness and understanding,” to “facilitate change and give perspective.”

The theme of the conference was sustainable development, which Wessam explained was an important driver for this year’s conference. “A lot of people think of Model UN as the political side: conflicts, wars, etc.,” said Wessam, “but the sustainable development side tends to get overlooked, like clean water, renewable resources, and being environmentally friendly.”

I asked Wessam one of my favorite questions to ask MUNers: “What does Model UN mean to you?” And she told me:

“Model UN is a source of inspiration because it has allowed me to discover my leadership capabilities. MUN is a very comfortable atmosphere, a very familiar place. You feel like you’re part of some thing so grand, but you’re all in this together. I don’t consider this an extracurricular — it’s a part time job — I’m in the THIMUN office before school and after school. It’s unity with diversity.”

This year’s conference was also the last THIMUN Qatar for outgoing Executive Director Cameron Janzen and Conferences Coordinator Ann Rogers. Over the past two years, KFC and I have been working with Cameron and Ann to promote Model UN throughout the Middle East. They have been MUN pioneers, working with hundreds of students to organize THIMUN Qatar and the Qatar Film Festival, and to launch the Qatar Leadership Conference.

I was particularly touched by Cameron’s speech at opening ceremonies. He opened up to a captive audience of students and teachers by sharing his own family history. His grandparents lived through war and famine in early 20th century Russia that killed 6 million people. They would have died if not for the work of a group of dedicated individuals who managed to bring the family to Canada. And as Cameron shared, those heroic efforts reflect one of the biggest lessons that students learn through Model UN:

“It’s always very easy when we’re facing massive problems that seem insurmountable to become discouraged and do nothing. Cynics may point out that this group really didn’t do very much — 6 million people still died, the civil war raged on — on a macro level, they did nothing — they didn’t solve the problem.

But they did save my grandparents. And they are our heroes.

We may not solve the world’s problems, but each and every one of us can make an incredible difference in the lives of others. This is what MUN is all about — it’s about forming people who have empathy towards others, who have the skills to engage in purposeful, peaceful, but well-organized action.”

Schools and delegations came from all over the Middle East region to attend THIMUN Qatar. But one of the most interesting and unusual delegations was not a school — it was the Online MUN delegation, most of whose delegates had never met before coming to the conference!

These delegates had met through online monthly debates organized by THIMUN O-MUN. Through fundraising, sponsorship, the work of partners around the world, and the efforts of founder Lisa Martin, THIMUN O-MUN sent delegations to both THIMUN Qatar and THIMUN Hague, which took place at the same time.

Lisa shared with me her belief that “part of the power of MUN is allowing students to develop the confidence of their own voice and their own leadership.” This is a belief that drives Online MUN and reflects on the entire THIMUN organization, which strongly believes in giving students ownership over the conference organizing and committee management process.

Lisa is also the incoming Executive Director for THIMUN Qatar, and KFC and I have also been working with her over the past couple years to build up Model UN in the Middle East, especially with the launch of the Olive Branch newsletter.

Lisa shared with me her hopes and vision for THIMUN Qatar going forward:

“Whether you are a new delegate or a very experienced student officer, I hope participants of THIMUN Qatar will feel empowered: empowered to act, to speak, and to feel confident enough tackle serious issues. And of course, to have a GREAT time doing it!”

Congratulations to all delegates, advisors, secretariat, and student officers on a great conference! And thank you to Cameron and Ann for having me visit — KFC and I are going to miss you!

For more pictures, check out our Facebook album!

As this season is heating up with Harvard National Model United Nations will be around the corner, I have a wonderful opportunity to talk to Head Delegate of Universitas Indonesia (UI) for Harvard National Model United Nations 2014, Rangga Husnaprawira. It is interesting to know how the top universities in Indonesia prepare for ‘the Olympic’ of Model UN and what they aspire to learn and achieve in this conference.

This article is a part of Best Delegate’s coverage on Indonesian delegation preparation to major Model UN conferences around the world.

Universitas Indonesia for Harvard National Model UN

Hi, what is your name? What do you study? And how many times you have participated Model UN?

I am Rangga Husnaprawira. I am a junior student of Management at Faculty of Economics, Universitas Indonesia. I joined some Model UN conferences,. Last year I also won two awards, which are Best Delegate at Asia-Pacific Model UN (AMUNC) 2013 in Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand, representing Canada, and Best Delegate in IndonesiaMUN 2013, representing President Soekarno of Indonesia at Historical Council of the 1995 Asia-African Conference.

Rangga Husnaprawira, Head Delegate of UI for HNMUN 2014

How did you know about Model UN and what was your first impression about it?

I firstly knew about Model UN during high school, when I participated at a high school level Model UN at Universitas Parahyangan  in 2011. I’m interested about global issues so I decided to join Universitas Indonesia Model UN Club (UI MUN Club). I found MUN really interesting since we can have a unique perspective upon a particular issue, representing a country different than our original nationality, so we need to keep updated with the topic.

UI Delegation representing Uganda at HNMUN 2013

Why do you participate in HNMUN? What country does your delegation represent and in what council?

Because HNMUN is a really prestigious, yet challenging varsity-level MUN that will really test our skill in MUN. Many top students from top universities around the world that will open our perspectives. HNMUN also tests our perseverance and energy as we will spend days of challenging negotiation in finding a resolution altogether upon world issues.

We will represent Latvia, an Eastern European country.  We will be divided into 5 committees:
1.Special Political and Decolonization Committee: Rangga Husnaprawira & Naomi Junita

2. Disarmament and International Security: Benjamin Harahap & Egalita Irfan

3. Legal Committee: Irfan Prawiradinata & Vera Ruth Angelina Sihombing

4. World Health Organization: Syarifuddin Anzari Santoso & Stella Kusumawardhani

5. Special Summit of Sustainable Development: Andhika Putra Sudarman

How Universitas Indonesia delegation prepares and funds for HNMUN?

We have done selection in April 2013, 3-phase of selection from CV and written test, simulation, and interview. We have been training for 8 months. Firstly, we have probation period in which we make sure that every single delegate are in the same playing field in English speaking manner, negotiation, drafting, and research. It was the thoughest one because it is a weekly drilling on every Saturday. Some of our Coaches are Dian Aditya Ning Lestari, Best Delegate of Historical Council at The European International MUN 2011 & UI for HNMUN Delegate 2012, and Hanifah Ahmad, Best Delegate at General Assembly at The European International MUN 2011 & Head Delegate of UI for HNMUN 2013. Secondly, we move to Advance Training in which we drill on substance, strategy, negotiation, research, double delegate, and position paper.

We fund by finding sponsorship, proceeding grant from Rector, and trying to apply for HNMUN financial assistance.

UI Delegation for HNMUN 2013

In your opinion, what are the opportunities and challenges for Indonesians to participate Model UN overseas?
It is a groundbreaking opportunity to learn about how MUN experience is combined with cultural experience since how people think, act, speak, and respond certain problem may vary based on their background. It gives us chance to test the skills we have prepared well from Jakarta, and especially to gain insights in interacting and working together with different varieties of people that will undoubtedly shape our way of thinking, we will also be more motivated because it is going to be a high quality debate.

There are two main challenges. First, since English is our foreign language, its very challenging to interact and especially debate with first speaker of English since for us we need to not only think about the topic but also work on our English fluency and clarity. Second, the financial sources are still very limited. We have tried our best to offer sponsorship support to various companies, organizations, and foundations; however there are still really few companies that understand about our program of Model UN, and the benefits of supporting us, so I think Indonesian delegates need to prove more to those companies with good portfolio such as awards.

Additionally, it is a special challenge for this year as we are the 7^th generation of UI Delegation to compete, and we have responsibility to snatch at least an award. We have a very progressive performance year by year, and the peak was last year when Hanifah Ahmad, our coach represented her Draft Resolution at Legal Committee, and being the only representative from Asian universities to do so. We are very excited yet nervous for this year’s HNMUN.

Training for HNMUN 2014

Based on your experiences, do you have any suggestion to develop Model UN and Model UN culture in Indonesia?
Firstly, we need to increase the quantity of Model UN conferences in Indonesia. More conferences, more participation and proliferation. Also, we can adopt Model UN into varsity and high school extracuricullar activities as capacity building for Indonesian students in public speaking and negotiation. Therefore, we need also increase the coach supply, not only in Jakarta and Java region, but also in other regions of Indonesia, such as Sumatra, Sulawesi, Bali and Nusa Tenggara, Kalimantan, and Papua. Coach is is the key of delegation performance in Model UN.

Secondly, we need more voluntary work from larger Model UN communities to develop Model UN culture in Indonesia. We already have IndoDelegates, initiated by students of Padjajaran University. I and some of my friends are developing a Model UN organization called “Hi Diplomacy”, which will run in four division, which are coaching services, Model UN consulting, resource website, and Model UN conference. We plan to conduct “Hi Diplomacy MUN” in 2015, in which we will also introduce crisis committee, such as ‘Meeting of District 13 Council of Panem’ in Hunger Games movies or ‘Meeting of House of Gryffindor’ in Harry Potter movies. So, I hope this initiative can further develop Model UN in Indonesia.

From January 31 to February 2, 2014, Gator Model United Nations (GatorMUN) hosted its eleventh annual conference at the University of Florida. This year GatorMUN played host to over 450 high school delegates from over 30 high schools who attended from Florida, Georgia and Mississippi. 

This year’s GatorMUN kicked off with its keynote speaker, Jacob Atem, one of the “Lost Boys of Sudan.” Jacob spoke about his experience of leaving Sudan and coming to the United States. After graduating from the University of Florida with his PhD in Health Services, he co-founded the Southern Sudan Healthcare Organization (SSHCO). SSHCO’s purpose is to provide medical clinics that serve South Sudanese citizens in order to promote a safer country, and it served as this year’s conference charity. While delivering the keynote, Jacob astutely reminded delegates that by participating in GatorMUN and other Model United Nations conferences, they were “tying the world together, one knot at a time.”

GatorMUN Secretary-General Aaron Kalafarski calls the conference into session.

GatorMUN offered 10 Crisis-style and 10 Assembly-style committees in order to target novice and experienced delegates. Each committee ranged from 15 to 40 delegates to ensure that each delegate was given to opportunity to be actively engaged in understanding and debating global issues.

Delegates from the United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) discuss ideas regarding educational opportunities for girls.

Encompassing its theme of “The Changing International System,” GatorMUN’s committee selection ranged from United Nations-centric topics to global art heists. The exciting batch of committees included the World Food Program, Supreme Court of the United States, League of Arab States, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Israeli Cabinet 2020, and the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Delegates were tasked with addressing complex global issues including the upholding of human rights, expanding internet access, refugees, controlling the spread of disease, the situation in Venezuela and more. Through the committees and topics, GatorMUN gave delegates an opportunity to experience a wide array of issues tasking the world today.

With its largest staff to date of over 100 staffers from the University of Florida and a handful of staffers coming from the University of North Florida, Florida State University and Eckerd’s College, GatorMUN was the largest student run conference in the South Eastern United States. Furthermore, GatorMUN opened up registration to individual delegates for the first time in order to target schools and students that were not able to attend its previous conferences and received over half a dozen attendees.

Although numerous delegates from numerous schools received awards there were a few delegations that received commendation for their efforts. School awards went to Port Charlotte High School for Best Large Delegation, Pine View High School for Outstanding Large Delegation, Canterbury School of Fort Myers for Best Small Delegation, and Seminole High School for Outstanding Small Delegation.

Port Charlotte High School is all smiles after winning Best Large Delegation.

Pine View High School received the Outstanding Delegation award.

GatorMUN would like to thank all staff, faculty advisors, and delegates their contributions to the conference and hopes to continue providing an educational and engaging experience for everyone that attends. Get ready for next year’s conference and Go Gators!

Dais staff in the European Union (EU) hard at work while delegates discuss EU membership.

Crisis staff for the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen respond to delegates’ notes.

Delegates in the Social, Cultural, and Humanitarian (SOCHUM) committee raise their placards to speak.

A guest speaker addresses the League of Arab States regarding the situation in Syria.

Robert Mugabe and a colleague are injured in an accident in the African National Congress.

A delegate in the Joint US Foreign Policy crisis is put to trial.

Delegates in the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) committee wear masks following a deadly pandemic.

A delegate in the 2020 Israeli Cabinet asks a quartet of Western powers, “How do you feel about negotiating with terrorists?”.

GatorMUN staff do their infamous “Gator Chomp” at closing ceremonies.

Model UN is an extracurricular activity that has not only given us the tools to be the leaders of tomorrow, but also provided us the chance to meet people who we would have never had the chance to meet otherwise. Model UN conferences bring together students from different schools and cultures around the world. Through this process, connections are made and relationships are formed. This year, Best Delegate has decided to honor those connections on Valentine’s Day by sharing your experiences. Thank you to all the readers who submitted your stories, and enjoy!

Couples

Jordan Sazant and Kim Kidani (McGill University)

            When…Where…?  Staff activity at SSUNS
First Impressions:  
Jordan: ” I didn’t even remember we met…” Kim:  ”He was kind of a jerk, but a really entertaining jerk…”         
How?  
Delegation Trip to SCSY XXVI
Most Memorable Model UN Experience:
Jordan: “We didn’t get to see each other as much as either of us would have liked…but just knowing that she was always by my side was an immense help.” Kim: “My favorite moment of this past McMUN was after seeing him running from committee to committee checking in on people and being the best crisis dep ever, seeing him on stage during the closing ceremony and hugging him afterwards…”
          Why do you value your relationship/friendship?  
Jordan: ” camaraderie”  Kim: “50% because he buys me brunch, 50% things with him are astonishingly easy…”
            Each other in one word:
Jordan: Adorable   Kim: Neal Caffrey

Sam Gregory and Loreena Percy (McGill University)

            When…Where…?Summer of 2013, we were both on McMUN’s Secretariat
           First Impressions
Sam: “I remember her walking into our first meeting, hair tied up, on the phone, and obviously a bit stressed out and anxious for the first meeting. I thought it was really cute.” Loreena: ” Oh , it’s that guy that ran for student government in a British accent.”
            How? 
We hung out and we got to know each other.
Most Memorable Model UN Experience
Sam: “Watching Loreena give the McMUN opening ceremonies keynote speech for the Canadian Ambassador to the UN. Loreena: ” The entire McMUN weekend…”
            Why do you value your relationship/friendship?
Sam: “She balances me out and keeps me sane when I’m stressed.” Loreena: “We bring out the best in each other and he makes me a better person.”
            Each other in one word:
Sam: Amazing   Loreena: Amazing

Jack Hackett and Caroline Johnston (University of Florida)

   When…Where…?  South Regional Model United Nations
            First Impressions : Instant Connection
            How?  We started talking because the previous year I had directed the European Union at GatorMUN, and that year she had been assigned director of the EU. 
Most Memorable Model UN Conference Experience:  The first time we returned to a conference together
            Why do you value your relationship/friendship?  We’ve become each other’s best friend and confidant, exactly the kind of thing anyone could dream about getting.

Lindsey Narkchareon and Jason Ford (Santa Margarita Catholic High School)

            When…Where…?  Starbucks
            First Impressions : Lindsey: “I didn’t know much about him except that he was really good at MUN. He seemed like a normal guy…”
            How? “He asked me to homecoming by coming into my MUN class and writing “Lindsey Homecoming?”. On the board and came in with flowers.
Most Memorable Model UN Experience: Going to London together
            Why do you value your relationship/friendship? ” I value or relationship because of the way we both see the world and see MUN as a steeping stone to learn about world affairs… while our relationship doesn’t only involve MUN it’s a fun experience we can participate in together and support each other to do our best.
            Each other in one word: Lindsey: Humble

John Barton and Jennifer Malone (Moorestown Friends and Horace Mann)

            When…Where…?  ILMUMC XXX
            First Impressions: John: ” The moment I laid eyes on Jennifer’s long sandy blonde hair, I knew this was the woman for me…”
            How? Delegate Dance
Most Memorable Model UN Experience: “When I won Jennifer’s heart”
            Why do you value your relationship/friendship? “Jennifer is an amazing woman and the reason I wake up in the morning…”

           
Isabella Giovannini and Nicholas Fine Barber (The Dalton School)
     When…Where…? Kindergarten
            First Impressions: Isabella: “I’d definitely always had a little bit of a crush on him. I’m a real sucker for a guy with a few gavels to his name.”
            How? ” When we were sophomores we doubled on SOCHUM at HMUN”
Most Memorable Model UN Experience: NAIMUN 2012 which coincided with Valentine’s Day
            Why do you value your relationship/friendship? ” I love how I can depend on him! I know that we’re always there for each other and always willing to give each other a hand.”
            Each other in one word:
Isabella: I would describe Nick as “hunky.”

Kevin McClintock and Natalia Gonzalez (Colegio San Ignacio and Colegio Puertorriqueno de Ninas)

     When…Where…?  On April 7th, 2011
            First Impressions: Kevin:” She commented on how I should “Chill Out , it’s only a Model UN committee, stop looking so stressed out.”… I found that to be very confident and peculiar of her…”
            How?  “We became best of friends even though we had no group of friends in common. For about two years we stayed best friends, but we got to a point that we knew that something else was going on between us…”
Most Memorable Model UN Experience:  “Looking at each other during committee sessions, even when we were pitted against each other, and just smile and laugh…”
            Why do you value your relationship/friendship?  ”I value our relationship because of how long it took us to get to where we are and because of all the things that have happened for us to be where we are…”
            Each other in one word:  Kevin: “She is confident.”

Metin Toksoz-Exley and Sarah Mnushkin (American University and University of Illinois: Urbana-Champaign)

     When…Where…? Bonded over lattes during the Brown Model University Model UN Club conference
            First Impressions : Metin: “I thought that Sarah was a cultured and hysterical girl who had a similar outlook as me.”
            How?  We just keep running into each other…
Most Memorable Model UN Experience: “We ditched our MUN group and just walked around talking before meeting up again and going to the delegate dance.”
            Why do you value your relationship/friendship? We have similar values, morals, tastes, interests, and dreams. We can make each other laugh like no one else can, and we have shared so much…”
            Each other in one word: 
Sarah: Trendy    Metin: Trendy

Morgan Rose and Owen McCafferty (Loudoun Valley High School and Freedom High School)

     When…Where…? Local Dominion High School Conference on November 16th
            First Impressions: Morgan: “I thought he was very knowledgeable about the topics and intelligent in general. He also had a really cute smile.” Owen: “ You were a smart girl who knew what she was doing.”
            How?  We exchanged numbers and began talking on a regular basis… Owen then followed to ask me out on a date.
Most Memorable Model UN Experience: Dominion High School Conference, where we first met
            Why do you value your relationship/friendship? “He says that he values that he can have an an intelligent conversation with me, but also values the level of trust and respect we have for one another. I personally feel that we both care a lot about the other…”
            Each other in one word: Owen: Perfect. Morgan: Extraordinary.

Megan Guyton and Fred Kolb (University of Florida)

     When…Where…? First MUN Meeting
            First Impressions: ” Honestly, he intimidated me at first. Fred’s about 6’2″ and I am 5’9″. Not to mention, he has a deep voice with a German accent…”
            How?  “We just started hanging out at Model UN meetings.”
Most Memorable Model UN Experience: McMUN. “We got to walk along the beautiful (but freezing) streets of Montreal…”
            Why do you value your relationship/friendship? “I value our relationship because we can be honest with each other. We’re always there for each other when we need a hug.”
            Each other in one word: “Fred is loving”

Isabella Trombetta and Matthew O’Neill (LUISS Guido Carli, Rome and Concordia University)

     When…Where…? March 16,2011 at WORLD MUN
            First Impressions: Isabella: “I was in a very sad mood that night at the opening ceremony, and Matt was the only person who was able to make me laugh. I was absolutely fascinated by him.” Matthew: “When I first met Isabella, I thought she was a cute, smart girl that needed some cheering up, so I did my best.”
            How?  Back home, a song on the radio made me think of that charming Canadian guy I met at the opening ceremony, so I messaged him on Facebook… we have been dating now for 11 months…”
Most Memorable Model UN Experience: WorldMUN 2013, Melbourne
            Why do you value your relationship/friendship? Matthew: “I value our relationship because Isabella is someone I can have an intellectual conversation with, then turn around and giggle like children about something we should take seriously.” Isabella: “I find our relationship special because despite the distance (Italy-Canada, 6887 km) we are closer in heart than many other couples that live together.
            Each other in one word: Isabella: “my-funny-charming-lovebird” Matthew: “The-best-girl-in-the-world-trust-me-I-checked”

Daisy Flores and Marcus Adolf (Convent of the Sacred Heart and Brooklyn Friends School)

     When…Where…? Horace Mann’s Model United Nations Conference, October 2013
            First Impressions : Marcus: “She was a really smart girl and of course that she was gorgeous….” Daisy: “I noticed he had a cute tie on so I thought he had a great sense of style. Then, he gave a powerful speech and seemed like he knew what he was actually talking about…”
            How? “He added me on Facebook right after our last committee session. We constantly talked thereafter…”
Most Memorable Model UN Experience: ” ILMUNC 2014. We were in the same committee and we spent our 1 month anniversary together…”
            Why do you value your relationship/friendship? ” We were able to see sides of each other we wouldn’t have normally seen outside of MUN…”
            Each other in one word: Marcus: Perfect. Daisy: Determined

Megan Wooods and J. Matthew Spillers (Santa Margarita Catholic High School)

     When…Where…? Freshman year in high school in the Model United Nations Program
            First Impressions: Megan: “Very shy and timid….” J. Matthew: ” Teacher’s pet…cute and sweet.”
            How? “We feel in love in our sophomore year on Model UN trip to London…After the trip ended, I asked him to a Winter Formal…”
Most Memorable Model UN Experience: Model UN experience in our London Trip and also the trip to Ireland
           Why do you value your relationship/friendship? ” We are best friends and we only see the best in each other. He is there whenever I need him, and I, him…We are very luck to have found each other at such a young age….”
            Each other in one word: Megan: Loving. J. Matthew: Loyal

Gabrielle Orliange and Damien (Universite Catholique de Louvain)

     When…Where…? Interview for our Model UN team
            First Impressions: Gabrielle: ” Oh well, a 22 year old student that I won’t have much to say because our age difference is too big and we don’t share the same kind of life. (Only God knows how wrong I was…)”
            How?  ”One city, one committee, it was done. Belgrade. You built my couple…”
Most Memorable Model UN Experience: “Our trip back from York”
            Why do you value your relationship/friendship?’” We have traveled the world together. In one year, we have shared a lot if not everything… I know I will never be bored with Damien. I know that there will always be this one person to do crazy things with me….”
            Each other in one word: Gabrielle: Adventure

Frienships

Daniel Konstantinovic and Yena Seo (New Canaan High School and Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology)

     When…Where…? WHMSMUN 2013
            First Impressions: Yena: ” I just saw him as a kid wearing a cool tie with animals on it and I felt like talking to him because he seemed to be more laid-back than the other power delegates.  Daniel :” Why does this…girl keep trying to talk to me?”
            How? “One day after committee she ran up to me on the way to lunch and I thought, “Ugh, this girl again.” We started talking about college and it turned out that we had applied to almost all the same schools, both wanted to be journalists, and pretty much identical interests…”
Most Memorable Model UN Experience: Closing ceremony at WMHSMUN, “I received best and returned to my seat to find my phone exploding with texts from Yena….”
            Why do you value your relationship/friendship?  Daniel: ” It’s a big relief to be able to talk to someone outside of my school and two who has a different perspective on things while still being so similar to me.” Yena:” It’s refreshing to be able to talk to someone who has the same kinds of values and interests, but isn’t associated with the kind of drama you would get if you were talking to someone at your school.”
           Each other in one word: Yena: Soulmates. Daniel: Soulmates

Prithvi Rakhyani and Gustavo Velarde (Florida State University)

When…Where…?  At school back in 2008
            First Impressions: Prithvi: “I hated him because he was very arrogant…and Gustavo hated me because I was awfully weird…”
            How? “We got closer as we had English class together, and we’d spend a lot of time in debate…”

Most Memorable Model UN Experience: “In every debate we win the best couple award. We’ve won every national and international debate together, may we be allies or not.”

            Why do you value your relationship/friendship?  ”He’s my best friend. There’s not much of a reasoning I can give for that.”
            Each other in one word: Prithvi: Savant. Gustavo: Weird

Eva Lin and Ginny Tan ( National Tsinghua University and McGill University)

When…Where? First Grade?
First Impressions: Eva:” Oh, there’s this other Asian girl in that class…” Ginny: “Oh, there’s this other Asian girl in that class…”
How? “We got closer after Eva came back from Taiwan during freshman year and we joined Model UN together.
Most Memorable Model UN Experience: HACIA DEMOCRACY 2011
Why do you value your relationship / friendship? ” We bring the best out of each other.”
Each other in one word: Ginny:” Spontaneous” 

This post was provided by The Hague International Model United Nations – Singapore 2013 Secretary-General Shakeer Ahmad.

The vision for THIMUN Singapore this year was simple: to make every participant a better debater, leader and person. I am confident in saying that this vision was accomplished. The theme for the conference was energy and sustainability, a topic that permeated all the committees in session; from the Security Council to the General Assembly. More than ever, the issues showed the need for sustainable governance, societies and economies.

The first day of the conference was dedicated to the Student Officer and Press Team workshops. The student officer workshop focused on preparing the officers to handle all the intricacies and challenging of chairing. The chairs were tested by committees through strenuous situations, from the outbreak of rebellion to the presence of sleeping delegates.

As the Hwa Chong Institute’s SALT center started to swell with incoming delegates on the morning of the second day, the first lobbying sessions of THIMUN Singapore 2013 were starting. The executive team spent the day checking up on the progress of the delegates in all the committees, and the dedicated and passionate lobbying that we saw did not surprise us. Delegates spoke back and forth for hours on end, as resolutions, USBs and co-submitter sheets were passed around.

The next few days were filled with intense debate and thorough passing (and failing!) of resolutions. GA 1 garnered a bit of notoriety when its delegates failed their first six resolutions. Overall however, each committee passed slightly more resolutions than they failed.

The conference, as most of the attendees would attest, was a success. I believe that the culture instilled not only this year, but in years past was what made THIMUN Singapore 2013 so successful. Implementing a culture of assiduous work, diplomacy and enjoyable networking is a challenge to instill, let alone retain with such a large event. It took a concerted effort from everyone involved with the conference to make sure that the ideal culture and vision was present.

For this year, the executive team, and subsequently the student officers made a tremendous effort to place the greatest emphasis on diplomacy and debate; a culture that was critical to our vision. The fruit of this labor was evident from the very first day of lobbying, as the committees became more about the quality of resolutions and the need for effective solutions than the petty arguments related to the roles of main submitter and co-submitter. As the latter sessions went on, the quality and success of the conference was evident in the debate of the delegates. While the need for quality resolutions was still there, the delegates strived to pass as many resolutions as possible.

The best MUN conference experience is one from which a participant draws not only a valuable learning experience and develops skills, but also has an enjoyable time with the presence of peers. THIMUN Singapore 2013, as I can gladly state, gave this experience to everyone involved. It was the dedicated effort of everyone involved that lead to this conclusion; ultimately we all strived to not only have a valuable learning experience, but also one of the most enjoyable experiences in our lives thus far.

This recap is provided by Hether Scheel, the Secretary General of the Southern Regional Model United Nations Atlanta Conference 2013.

Southern Regional Model United Nations (SRMUN) held its 24 session of the SRMUN Atlanta conference at the Hilton Atlanta Airport Hotel from November 21-23, 2013.  This year’s theme, “Beyond 2015: Reshaping the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for and Empowered Future,” was a unique and thought-provoking approach to the greatest challenge for the international development community—what do we do after 2015?  Delegates were challenged to rethink the MDGs as the deadline for achieving them rapidly approaches.  For three days, delegates participating in debate, worked collaboratively, and proposed solutions to assist the international community to reevaluate the MDGs.

Guest speaker, Nicole B. Kruse, the Chief Development Officer of Peace and Health Programs at The Carter Center, addressed nearly 600 students and 100 faculty advisers in order to discuss the challenges facing the interntional community as the 2015 MDG deadline approaches.  She directly related the work of The Center Center to the committee topics and the weekend’s debate.

Delegates participated in simulations of the GA Plen, WHO, UNIDO, ECOSOC, G-77, CSW, LAS, OAS, G-20, and Security Council.  Throughout each session, delegates passionately debated the topics before them, stopping only for a quick bite to eat or to visit the Opportunity Fair.  At the Opportunity Fair, the delegates had the opportunity to explore graduate programs, internships, and study abroad opportunities for the upcoming year.

Overall, the conference was a great success, and SRMUN looks forward to showcasing the work of our delegates through the Final Outcome Document that  will be featured on our website (www.srmun.org/atlanta) in the coming weeks.  Please see our website for more information and details.

This recap was provided by Neil Rotta, Secretary General of Northwest Model United Nations (NWMUN) Conference 2013.

On the weekend of November 22-24, 2013, Northwest Model United Nations held its 7th annual conference in downtown Seattle, Washington. The conference hosted nearly 350 delegates from 22 different colleges and universities, including many in the Pacific Northwest and two schools from outside of North America. The conference simulated six different bodies, including typical committees such as the Security Council, UN Environment Programme, General Assembly, and ECOSOC, along with more more innovative committees such as the Reformed Security Council (a larger council with no permanent members or vetoes). Also the Executive Board of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees negotiated a treaty protecting the displacement of people due to climate change. Other topics discussed included the situation in Syria, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and numerous other topics of pressing concern in the international community.

NWMUN was also honored this year to host Paula Schriefer, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of International Organization Affairs at the U.S. Department of State as the keynote speaker for the conference. She spoke on efforts to promote human rights around the world during Friday afternoon’s opening ceremonies. After her speech, Ms. Schriefer took questions from the delegates on issues ranging from joining the diplomatic service to life under the DPRK’s repressive regime to reform of the human rights machinery at the United Nations.

The conference successfully adopted resolutions on a variety of topics, and successfully negotiated a treaty on protections for people displaced by climate change, with the treaty being adopted by the conference and opened for signature on Sunday just before Closing Ceremonies. During Closing Ceremonies, several delegates were recognized with awards for both outstanding position papers and for their work in committee. Taking the award for overall Distinguished Delegation was Whitman College; the Outstanding Delegation award went to California State University, Chico.

Many thanks to all our participants, head delegates, faculty advisors and staff that make this conference a success. We look forward to seeing everyone back for NWMUN 2014, held November 21-23. More information is always available at our website, www.nwmun.org. We look forward to welcoming you to Seattle next year!

Learn more about Best Delegate Summer Programs

“I signed up because I am very passionate about MUN. I wanted to improve my MUN skills, specifically, public speaking and researching.”

- Eleanor S., California

Kevin and I are passionate about Model United Nations and we’ve been doing Model UN for a long time. But we know firsthand how hard it is to get started with MUN and how difficult it is to improve your MUN skills.

And that’s why we started Best Delegate Summer Programs.

Best Delegate Summer Programs features the best Model UN training in the world. We teach students everything they need to know to succeed at Model UN, from public speaking and social dynamics to research methods and resolution writing. We make sure delegates understand the United Nations and international relations. And we show them how to handle Power Delegates.

Our programs are taught by the best. Our Diplomacy Fellows are the best delegates on the college MUN circuit. Each delegate gets personal feedback from the Diplomacy Fellows on how to improve their MUN skills and become a better a delegate.

And our programs take place at the world’s best universities. We’re hosting high school and middle school programs at Georgetown, Harvard, Columbia, Berkeley, UCLA, Emory, and more.

Ready to learn MUN this summer?

Learn more about Best Delegate Summer Programs

Learn more about Best Delegate Summer Programs

MUN is my passion. I wanted to become a better delegate so I can teach others back at my school.

- Julia C., British Columbia

MUN is our passion, too.

Kevin and I have been doing MUN for over 13 years, ever since we were in high school. We’ve since attended more than 250 MUN conferences combined. We’ve gone from being new delegates to serving as Head Delegate to winning Best Delegate. We’ve served as Assistant Directors and Chairs as well as Crisis Directors and Secretary-General. Now we’re professional MUN trainers and consultants, working with global partners like UNA-USA and the World Federation of United Nations Associations.

Our passion for Model UN is the reason why we started Best Delegate Summer Programs.

Best Delegate Summer Programs help delegates improve Model UN skills, especially public speaking, negotiation, and research. We know how to help delegates improve because of our extensive experience in Model UN and the fact that we’ve worked with delegates all over the world. When delegates see how passionate we are about Model UN, and when they hear our firsthand experience as Model UN delegates, they also become more passionate about Model UN and they are more likely to improve their MUN skills.

And we’ve recruited others who are passionate about Model UN to help us teach at Best Delegate Summer Programs. Our Diplomacy Fellows are the best delegates on the college circuit. They are eager to share their experience and passion with the next generation of MUN delegates.

At Best Delegate, we believe that our passion for Model UN makes us more effective at teaching Model UN and helping delegates improve.

Learn more about Best Delegate Summer Programs

This weekend from February 13th – February 16th, the Georgetown International Relations Association hosted NAIMUN LI, which consisted of several dedicated and talented members. Best Delegate staff members Nikita Barde and Ashley Rhoades interviewed a few NAIMUN staff members to understand their role and hear their thoughts regarding the success of the conference.

Staff Highlights:

Pavan Rajgopal

Name: Pavan Rajgopal

Role: Secretary General

Comments: Pavan believes that NAIMUN is ideal, primarily because of its location in Washington DC, and its commitment to social justice and philanthropic initiative. He is proud of the fact that NAIMUN staff members are extremely well trained and well rehearsed in the topics they proposed for the conference. Pavan also noted that several of the chairs are even writing their Georgetown theses on subjects related to their respective committees. This dedication is reflective of the level of research and thought put into the committee experience at NAIMUN.

Quote: “We appreciate the enthusiasm and dedication the NAIMUN staff has brought to this conference, and it’s great to see them enjoy the role they have as educators in a context larger than Model UN”

–

Sarah Pemberton

Name: Sarah Pemberton

Role: Executive Director

Comments: Sarah was pleasantly surprised by the way NAIMUN exceeded her expectations this year, due to the snowstorm that prevented several delegates from reaching the conference on time, if at all. She is thankful for the way the NAIMUN staff and hotel staff adapted their original plans and were flexible enough to pull off the conference. Sarah cares deeply about individual delegate experiences, and was more than ready to rise to the challenge of encouraging students to use their Model UN experience to make a  real difference in their lives. She was also pleased by delegate enthusiasm for the “Hilltop Madness” event, delegate dance, guest speaker, and Georgetown tours. NAIMUN has a lot to offer in Sarah’s eyes, and she is glad she could be a part of it this year.

Quote: “Delegates have the ability to impact global affairs not just in the future, but today, and NAIMUN now adds a dimension that shows the tangible effects that 4 days can have on the world through our philanthropy, which can be seen in our chosen charity’s effecting of long-term literacy. I can only hope that delegates will continue such endeavors after NAIMUN and have a real impact on society”

–

Neil Christy

Name: Neil Christy

Role: Chief of Staff

Job: Neil  is responsible for overseeing the NAIMUN staff and making sure that all logistics are in place for the conference. Neil handles staff communication, and was extremely proactive about the snowstorm by helping the staff plan their transportation to the conference hotel after public transportation was shut down in DC.

Comments: Neil is thankful for the diligent efforts of the NAIMUN staff this year, particularly how they handled the unexpected snowstorm with flexibility and ingenuity. He believes that everyone involved in the conference went above and beyond, with advisors working hard to ensure their students would be able to attend as planned, and delegates from all over the world journeying to the conference in brutal weather conditions. One unique aspect of NAIMUN that Neil finds important is the staff training, which included a panel discussion with experienced staff and NAIMUN alumni, which he believes contributed to the smooth committee experience during the conference.

Quote: “It’s extremely important for experienced staff members to share their experiences with younger members so the legacy of NAIMUN can be passed down. By doing this, we can ensure that our delegates leave the conference prepared to face and solve real world problems in an efficient manner”

–

Sam Brothers

Name: Sam Brothers

Role: Undersecretary General of the United States National Security Apparatus

Job: Sam’s job is to oversee the crisis managers and crisis analysts in charge of implementing crisis updates and directives. He came up with the proposal for the organ United Nations Security Apparatus (UNSA) which consists of 4 committees including the Senate, CIA, NSC, and State Department committees which occur simultaneously in real time. He writes organ-wide committee updates, and crisis chairs are responsible for applying them to the jurisdiction and agenda of their own specific committees.

Comments on the NAIMUN Crisis Team Strategy: The crisis team has many measures for running committees, including spreadsheets with timetables and crisis responsibilities, a wall push board where staff can post updates from their committees in real time, and crisis analysts to keep track of committee proceedings

Quotes: “The key to running a successful crisis is having individuals on staff with strong knowledge regarding the topics and committees. We focus on having multi-faceted and engaging crisis material to give students a broader picture of the world”

 ”The best part of my job is engaging with students on a substance based level, and it’s great being a part of both the crisis staff and secretariat to achieve this”

–

Brian Cunningham

Name: Brian Cunningham

Role: Director of Philanthropy

Job: Brian was responsible for selecting the philanthropic organization for NAIMUN LI’s fundraising this year. The organization he selected, Room to Read, was founded by John Wood, who spoke to NAIMUN students this year regarding the charity’s goal to promote literacy in the developing world. Brian was recommended this organization by a friend, and also proceeded to hear Wood speak at the annual DC gala. Brian felt that Wood represented a very real issue in the world today, and wanted students to be engaged and touched in the same way he was.

Quote: “Part of NAIMUN’s philanthropic initiative is to link the work that students do in a Model UN committee session to the real world, in order to show them how they can impact the world starting today”

–

Ryan Cunningham

Name: Ryan Cunningham

Role: Director of Media and Technology

Job: Ryan led efforts to encourage students to engage in NAIMUN’s philanthropic initiative through social media, and this year, he implemented an initiative that combined both philanthropy and technology to achieve the conference’s goal.

Comments: In addition to traditional fundraising, Ryan proposed the idea of having students donate through Dogecoin, an “open source peer-to-peer cryptocurrency” that allows students to make Dogecoin bids that would be converted into real currency towards Room to Read. Another unique fundraising idea was partnering up with the artist Foxfaction, who generously agreed to donate 10% of the profits from his new album “Diamond Rainbows” towards NAIMUN’s fundraising efforts this year Ryan also noted that he thought Room to Read was an excellent choice of charity, not only for the value of the work the organization does, but because he felt that the students at NAIMUN were able to relate to the cause on a personal level, which was aided by having a speaker as engaging as John Wood to motivate the students to make their own difference in society.

Quote: “Technology is quickly developing, and I think it’s important that students know how much of an impact they can have on the world today. There are many new innovative, creative ways out there to make a difference in the world”

–

Brian Carden

Name: Brian Carden

Role: Director of Business

Job: Brian is responsible for the production of materials such as badges, placards, and folders, as well as obtaining any additional supplies and resources needed by the conference. He is also in charge of technology equipment and website management for NAIMUN this year.

Comments: Coming from an international background himself, Brian appreciate the opportunity to meet students from all over the globe (China, India, etc.), and to see them learn and grow through the NAIMUN experience.

Quote: “NAIMUN helps delegates develop skills that go way beyond public speaking. It helps them develop a different way of thinking and helps create self confidence so they can make a real difference”

“I wanted to be able to speak publicly, delegate diplomatically, and lead my high school delegation.

I love MUN and I wanted to be the best delegate I could be.”

- Kavya G., Michigan

Learn more about Best Delegate Summer Programs

Best Delegate Summer Programs helps delegates improve their Model UN skills, especially public speaking, negotiation, and research.

Public Speaking: Summer programs delegates practice public speaking every day. We teach delegates how to improve their speaking style, give their speeches structure, and make sure their speeches have substance. Delegates practice both prepared speeches and impromptu speeches. And delegates practice in small groups under the guidance of a Diplomacy Fellow, who gives each delegate personalized feedback on how to improve.

Negotiation: Summer programs delegates develop strong negotiation skills, which helps them in caucusing, lobbying, and resolution writing. We teach delegates social dynamics and emotional intelligence, which helps them introduce themselves to other delegates they’ve never met before and start working together effectively. We also show delegates how to handle Power Delegates, and how to be the nicest delegate in the room while still being a strong negotiator. And delegates get to practice their negotiation skills through multiple Model UN simulations throughout the week-long program, including a full-day MUN conference at the end of the program.

Research: Summer programs delegates learn effective research methods. We show delegates how to research countries, topics, and policies step-by-step. We teach delegates the best practices for researching online, including how to identify bias, how to find high-quality sources, and how to navigate United Nations resolutions and treaty databases. Our delegates learn how to write position papers in under two hours, which helps them prepare opening speeches and possible solutions. And delegates feedback on their position papers and research from our Diplomacy Fellows, who are high-achieving college students and the best delegates on the collegiate MUN circuit.

By the end of our summer programs, delegates are more skilled and more confident when it comes to public speaking, negotiation, and research.

International: that’s the word that comes to mind when roaming the halls of Boston’s Park Plaza hotel, where Harvard National Model United Nations takes place every year. For the past sixty years, HNMUN has been one of the most important conferences on the circuit  – going so far as to be called the “Super Bowl” of Model UN by the New York Times –- and consistently attracts upwards of 3000 delegates from 70+ countries.

The lobby of the Park Plaza was buzzing when we arrived Thursday night. Delegates were already in their Western Business Attire, shaking hands and getting to know each other. “What committee are you in?”, quickly followed by “What school are you from?” could be heard left and right.. We also heard a number of different languages – from Dutch to French to Portuguese. We heard two delegates, one Spanish and one Italian, communicating with each other in their respective languages.

HNMUN kicked off its conference with Opening Ceremonies, where international delegations draped their flags over balconies and others sang their school songs. Richard Ebright, HNMUN 60’s Secretary General, made an opening speech that called on every delegate there to “make five new friends” by the end of the conference. He also announced the conference’s partnership with The Resolution Project and its 2014 Social Venture Challenge. The Resolution Project – founded by HNMUN alums – is a non-profit dedicated to fostering and promoting youth leadership through collaborative social entrepreneurship. In the Social Venture Challenge, delegates had the opportunity to present on projects that they want to implement in their own home countries and towns to address real problems.

Ebright maintains that breadth of diversity is one of the conference’s main themes. This year, HNMUN is hosting delegates from 73 different countries. On Friday night, one of the social events featured an International Bazaar, in which delegates showcased foods, crafts, and trades from all over the world. HNMUN is also one of the only conferences in the world that features such a variety of delegations, and that is exactly what makes the conference so interesting: we’re witnessing a meeting of several different Model UN circuits, each with their own protocols, conventions, and styles of debate.

HNMUN also stands out for its high level of competition. Sophie Reddering, the Faculty Advisor for the delegation from Utrecht University (Netherlands), says that she met delegates researching and caucusing in the Boston Public Library days before the conference even began. Delegates from Ca’Foscari University, in Venice, Italy, agree: “the competition is really high,” says one delegate, “and you can tell that everyone here is really smart.”

Amidst this atmosphere of high competition, delegates debated a myriad of relevant international issues on Thursday. In the Futuristic UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development, 2025, delegates discussed whether nuclear energy could be considered renewable. In the Court of Guang-Xu, members of the Qing Empire debated over the merits of allowing foreign elements into their country – culminating with a show-stopping entrance by crisis staff dressed up as Empress Cixi, who chastised the delegates for giving away agricultural land to foreigners. This committee was particularly engaging for delegates, with the chair even expecting delegates to refer to him as “Son of Heaven”.

Delegates in the Ad Hoc committee strategize over a Risk-style map.

In Ad Hoc – this year simulating the Berlin Conference – delegates discussed the administration of the Suez Canal. Members of the European Community debated in the Special Summit on the Unity of European Nations, 1991 about the creation of a unified foreign policy while still respecting the sovereignty of individual states.

Delegates vote in the Summit on the Unity of European Nations, 1991.

In the League of Arab States, delegates decided to split up their debate topics into the categories of “Human Rights”, “Security”, and “Economy”, since they noted that disagreements in certain areas was preventing cooperation in others – a very real issue in international relations.

In SOCHUM, delegates debated the pronunciation of SOCHUM and discussed the rights and privileges of illegal immigrants. The committee saw many innovative solutions being proposed, such as having NGOs involved in the health aspect of refugee camps, encouraging refugees to become more involved in their camps by instituting a whistleblower system, and more.

The Dais of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations smiles for a picture.

Water sanitation was the topic of choice in the World Health Organization where delegates aimed at NGO and corporate involvement and possible solutions to the issue. In the Commission on Sustainable Development, agriculture and ensuring its long-term success was the topic at hand as delegates took an equal parts social and technological approach.

Delegates present their draft resolution.

As committee session came to a close Friday, delegates prepared for a cocktail event at which many international delegates would showcase cuisine and culture from their home nations. With live music on hand, the event saw a huge turnout and national pride was at its highest.

Delegates from the University of Lethbridge, in Alberta, Canada, show off their Canadian pride at the Friday night Cocktail and International Bazaar.

On Saturday morning, committee sessions raced ahead as draft resolutions came to the forefront of debate in the GAs, the regional bodies narrowed down their literature, and the crises in the Specialized Agencies hit full throttle.

In DISEC, large blocs produced very different resolutions on civil war, polarizing the committee and leading to interesting debate from both sides. Elsewhere in the GAs, the Legal Committee and SOCHUM were torn between multiple resolutions while facing very little time for merging an issue that caused great conflict both in committee and in the Park Plaza halls.

Delegates vote in DISEC.

The Crisis staff in the Specialized Agencies dealt delegates their toughest cards yet as creative and contentious updates hit every committee. In the Ad-Hoc committee, delegates faced the impending threat of Russian aggression while Tsar Alexander III’s Imperial court provided the pressure as a soft joint crisis emerged.

In the Ikh Khuraldai of the Mongol Empire, the Khan family honour came into question as brothers became foes and the future of the empire came into question from within. Even the empire’s very religion came into contention as the family were torn between Christianity, Islam, and their historical faith. All this culminating in a marriage between one of the Khan’s now Christian sons and a Caliph’s daughter, attempting to harmonise the two beliefs. Harmony was not to be found however as a rebel radicalist called a murderous end to the festivities.

Crisis staffers employed a number of costumes throughout the weekend.

A similar fate befell Tsar Alexander’s court as communism threatened throughout the weekend, but climaxed saturday evening as communist rebels broke in, killing all those who would not swear allegiance to the new communist movement, that is, all but two.

Delegates in Tsar Alexander’s Court.

The Court of the Guang-Xu Emperor dealt with much heartbreak Saturday as both the Empress Cixi and the Emperor were killed, leaving the council to fend for themselves in a new era of Chinese governance while the British fight the French in Beijing.

Delegates from the United Netherlands delegation show off their pride in HNMUN’s double-delegate Security Council.

In The Second United Front, China 1936, delegates were given a large amount of flexibility as to where they wanted the committee to go. Ren Jie Teoh, the committee Director, says that he was very open as to what the committee was going to do, and that by Saturday afternoon they were leaning towards military games.

Delegates receive a crisis update in the Second United Front: 1936 committee.

Delegates in the Second United Front: 1936 committee work on military plans.

As Saturday drew to a close it was time to prepare for HNMUN 2014’s Delegate Dance. As the night rolled on the Imperial Ballroom came alive with hundreds of delegates showered in confetti.

By the time the last session rolled around on Sunday morning, delegates were exhausted but satisfied with their debate. Closing Ceremonies began with the results of the Social Venture Challenge, where some lucky teams or individuals would receive funding, access to a global network, partnerships, pro bono consulting, and more for their social entrepreneurship projects. According to the Resolution Project representatives, this year’s Social Venture Challenge was an “extraordinary success”, bringing together more than 15 different teams. The winning projects of the Challenge were as diverse as HNMUN itself: ranging from an in-school debate program in Ghana to teach young students debating skills; to a wheelchair basketball initiative in Madison, Wisconsin; to a project that provides entrepreneurship training to petty crime offenders in Nairobi’s prison system to prevent recidivism.

HNMUN also announced the results of its Charity Initiative, which this year chose to support BRAC, an Indonesian-based NGO focusing on development and poverty eradication. This year, HNMUN raised $3,900 for BRAC (shout out to the Historical General Assembly, 1993; the Special Summit for the Unity of European Nations; and the Gabinete Ejecutivo de Isabel Peron for raising the most money in their respective committee categories!)

Finally, it was time for award presentations as delegates from all over the world were recognized for their success over the weekend.

Best International Delegation: Sciences Po Lille

Best Small Delegation: University of Miami

Outstanding Large Delegation: Florida International University

Best Large Delegation: University of Chicago

The Head Delegates for the University of Chicago (right) and Florida International University (left) pose for a picture with their Large Delegation awards.

Other schools did remarkably well. From the North American circuit, Yale University, Rutgers, NYU and Columbia all won awards. Canadian schools Carleton University and McGill University also performed well. International delegations also had a particularly strong showing, notably United Netherlands, Universitas Indonesia, and delegations from Peru and Venezuela.

In closing, the sixtieth session of HNMUN was the perfect combination of high-level competition, diplomacy, and the bringing together of numerous Model UN circuits and communities. Most importantly, delegates came away from the conference with one particular line from Closing Ceremonies in mind: “Don’t let anyone tell you that you need to wait to make a difference.”