MUNITY-East

by Jim Hsiao, International Bilingual School at Hsinchu

Susanna Chen (International Bilingual School at Hsinchu) of MUNITY-EAST gaped openly at the chairs. Stunned by their knowledge, wisdom, and sophisticated manners, she was “unable to comprehend how someone can know so much.” There is probably no single answer that can resolve this dilemma, but one possible solution may be the so-called Fountain of Knowledge—reading. Here we have compiled a list of books selected by officers for all the Susannas out there seeking to be as smart and sophisticated as the student officers.

Look Woon Wei (Hwa Chong Institution), Deputy Chair of GA5:

Hailing from the vast expanses of Hwa Chong Institution, Look Woon Wei is no stranger to novels. Currently he is engaged with two novels, Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand and The Hound of Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Although Atlas Shrugged is “so long-winded it’s crazy,” he seems very satisfied with the The Hound of Baskervilles, because “come on, it’s Sherlock Holmes!” The first novel has been particularly enlightening to him. Wei says that the novel has taught him to “write concisely,” in bolded, italicized, and underlined words. He encourages everyone to read Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel, but warns readers away from Atlas Shrugged unless they can withstand long winded descriptions.

Aman Puri (Dubai International Academy), Chair of GA6:

As overlord of a General Assembly, Aman Puri represents a position of prominence and eminence. His success is not without reason. As an avid reader, Puri has recently read The Economist magazine and Master Harold and the Boys, a play by Athol Fugard. He says that Fugard’s novel was very didactic, and has “shed light on the influence of the South African apartheid on its people.” Puri highly recommends both works, especially Master Harold and the Boys, which he characterizes as “a brilliant play.”

Rhiannon Wiley (Overseas Family School), Deputy Chair of GA6:

Riannon Wiley, Puri’s partner in GA6, also exhibits an aptitude for reading. Her recent reads include Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. Wiley enjoyed reading the novel, because “it’s very clever and the characters seem very real despite being sci-fi.” Entertainment is not the only attractive part of Ender’s Game. According to Wiley, the discussion of strategy and leadership has helped her “maintain control as a chair.” For those aspiring to develop their charisma and leadership, this would be a very good place to start.

Lukas Schmelter (International Ho Chi Minh School), Deputy President of Security Council:

As Deputy President, Lukas Schmelter’s knowledge is not limited to the field of Model United Nations. Recently, Schmelter has been reading The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho. The novel, in addition to being a entertaining read, has also been “very inspiring as well.” The book has “a strong focus on the notion of destiny and how one defines personal happiness,” and thus Schmelter definitely recommends Alchemist to anyone looking to have their thoughts inspired by some provocative philosophy.

Tsai Wei Chen (International Bilingual School at Hsinchu), MUNITY-EAST Assistant Editor:

Editors must have extensive knowledge of writing, and Tsai Wei Chen, more colloquially known as May-May, is no exception. Having read Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard for a Literature course, she believes that the novel was a very “thought provoking and sometimes disturbing read.” The descriptions of nature included in Dillard’s novel were “long-winded and boring at times, but intensely interesting at others,” causing her to sway between periods of “irresistible sleepiness and horrified awareness.” Chen states that many of the concepts and ideas discussed held much merit, and recommends the novel to “all nature lovers and insect fanatics.”

By Sekheena Deslorieux, Mont’ Kiara International School 

Seeing your fellow delegates, chairs, admin and presidents out of their formal wear is always a sight to see. The THIMUN Dinner Dance was the perfect setting for some good natured fun. Delegates, who came either by choice or because their schools made them, enjoyed the music, the dancing and the chance to socialize with old and new friends.

By Melody Lai, International Bilingual School at Hsinchu

Among sporadic bursts of creativity in General Assembly 2, there was one particular analogy that caught everyone’s attention: “This resolution is like a unicorn. It is superficially beautiful but there are serious flaws.” GA2 was, clearly, extremely exuberant and forthcoming in their discussions of controversial issues concerning agriculture development, food security, promotion of ecotourism for protection of the environment, protection of coral reefs, and achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Despite the serious nature of these issues, however, delegates were able to find outlets for their innovative ideas and displayed passion and commitment in attempting to form flawless resolutions.

Delegates were especially enthusiastic in getting into character with their respective countries: David Tao, delegate of DPR Korea from the Western Academy of Beijing, brought forth fervor with his proclamations of “Kim Jung Il Mansae (Hurray)!” at the end of every speech. Although the chairs were quick to subdue the laughter and bring the court back to order, his remarks were a stark reminder of the serious palpability of these modern day issues. Despite the liveliness of delegate speeches, delegates were more than enthusiastic to produce plausible resolutions, waving their placards for a chance to speak like hungry sharks fighting for a single, delectable fish. Their sharp eyes flickered back and forth between speakers, determined to nitpick any possible flaw and lambaste the issue to smithereens while hammering out the best resolution possible to solve major world issues. The Chair of GA2, Amay Bhojani of Dubai International Academy, said, “GA2 provides insightful solutions on economic and financial issues and has been extremely successful in passing resolutions.” With this sort of avidity, a successful conference is definitely guaranteed.

Chairs:

By. Jessica Chang, Korea International School

Art by Christine Lin, Ameriacn School of Taichung

Songs and arts inspire people. But MUN-ers think differently, live differently, and strive differently. Therefore, the THIMUN-Singapore Press team set out to get the gist of delegates’ and chairs’ opinions on songs about humanity and how they actually relate to MUN.

“Les Enfoires”

Les Enfoires is the name given to the singers and performers in the yearly charity concert for a French charitable organization. Sophie Barbier, the delegate of UNCDF, could not think of any specific songs that were related to humanity, but she remembered this humanitarian group. People who go to the concerts automatically learn the need of other countries. Therefore, this group not only helps needy people, but also increases awareness of poverty for people around the world.

“We Are The World” by Michael Jackson

“The song inspires me to seriously consider the problems of the world today,” said Sheng Hua Lin (Tianjin International School), the delegate of Fiji from GA2. Listening to these songs, MUN-ers are bound to think about humanities as they are engrossed in subjects like these. The chorus, “We are the world. We are the children. We are the ones who make a brighter day, so let’s start giving,” increases awareness for people globally that they are not alone in poverty and that there are brothers and sisters out there to help them recover. By unifying multiple races into one, the song alleviates social discrimination and negligence.

“Black or White” by Michael Jackson

Aman Puri, the Chair of GA6 from Dubai International Academy, enjoys listening to “Black or White” because it insinuates that race does not matter when it comes to making friends. The song’s chorus notes, “It don’t matter if you’re black or white…I had to tell them I ain’t second to none.” Michael Jackson allows global citizens to recognize that race does not matter when it comes to equality. Just as correlation does not mean causation, unskilled people in poor countries are not uneducated because they are minorities. Therefore, we must pull minorities back up on their feet and realize that we are all equal.

By Sean Liu, International Bilingual School at Hsinchu Science Park

Participants of the Youth Assembly began the day determined to find solutions to the human trafficking, youth crime, and

punishment. Unlike most other Model United Nations committees, however, the Youth Assembly reaches these solutions

through active discussion without representing any country. Although both sub-committees had similar goals, each had its own approach to meeting these goals.

Youth Assembly 1 (YA1) began the day with an unconventional icebreaker: each member pulled on a roll of toilet paper until it snapped and then was required to share as many personal facts as sections of toilet paper. One member shared her love for chocolate and ice cream, and another announced, “I love to drink…water.” Upon hearing this statement, the whole room filled with laughter, setting up an inviting atmosphere for discussion about human trafficking in YA1.

Meanwhile, Youth Assembly 2 (YA2) started with a different approach. Chair Nidhi Unnithan, from Overseas Family School, expressed her hope to “generate as much information and as many high-quality programs as possible,” so members circled up and engaged in discussion about youth crimes and punishment after a brief period of self-introductions.

As YA1 transitioned to discussion, each member made a short presentation of their respective areas of research. The whole committee expressed a passion to end human trafficking. “Human trafficking is modern-day slavery,” stated one member. “People are treated as things, not human beings.” Another member shared a harsh case of human trafficking in which a Thai woman was tricked into a job acceptance, kidnapped, raped, and forced to work in a sweatshop.

YA2, which defined “youth” as individuals between 12 and 18 years old, started the discussion by listing the categories of youth crime, which include underage drinking, bullying, vandalizing, drug dealing, theft, and fake identification. Debate directly arose among the group: one side argued that more restrictions would result in more crime, while the other side argued that stronger punishment would prevent crime. Members of YA2 decided that the most affordable and effective program would be to set up a website to raise awareness of youth crimes and punishments, provide a blog to share experiences, direct youths to youth centers for help, and make psychiatric services available.

In contrast with YA2, YA1 did not jump right to solutions. Instead, the committee spent the rest of the morning analyzing and discussing the issue. After lunch, the committee invited Bridget Tan, winner of the Public Service Award in 2010 and president of the Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics, to speak to the participants about human trafficking to help them gain a complete understanding of this issue. Finally, the committee ended its day by designing Youth Assembly t-shirts.

Even though both Youth Assembly committees had different approaches to tackling their respective issues, they both had the same goal: to create effective and realistic solutions to these problems in the global community. For the next few days, members of the Youth Committee will continue to work towards an end to human trafficking and youth crime.

By Jim Hsiao, International Bilingual School at Hsinchu Science Park

True to its name, Model United Nations is complementary to the official United Nations. The first thing an unassuming observer notices about MUN is the dress code. Students who replace jeans and t-shirts with formal suits and blouses attract pointed stares ranging from bewilderment to awe that originate from intimidated and unknowing bystanders. The dress code enforced by MUN is the most obvious aspect of the conference identical to that of the UN. With the exception of a few colorful individuals such as Gaddafi, most attendees of UN dress much like a respectable MUN delegate should.

Art by Christine Lin, Intl. School of Taichung

The similarities do not stop here. The purpose of any MUN conference is to produce resolutions of issues selected by the officers and directors. Frustrated delegates often question the validity of the issues, as they pound on their keyboards in distress. These issues are not chosen for the ability to demoralize and massacre brain cells in a grim harvest of cellular death, but for their utmost importance and presence in real UN conferences.

In the debating process, MUN employs procedures that are drawn directly from the UN. MUN participants take the floor, make speeches, and propose points of information, which is exactly what official UN representatives do at conferences. Delegates from both conferences also submit resolutions and amendments through similar processes. Some conferences, like the Global Model United Nations, go as far as inviting UN officials to their preparatory meetings to further emulate the UN.

Despite the overwhelming similarities, there are still differences that separate the two organizations. The participants of the conferences dictate many of the events that happen. UN delegates are trained professionals, who are experienced veterans at navigating the intricate field of international politics. Their decisions have a cosmopolitan effect, thus the conferences are far more serious. MUN delegates, on the other hand, are students. The sight of sleeping delegates and questionable analogies are exclusive to MUN, as no respectable UN representative would risk ruining the reputation of his or her delegation.

MUN also has preset assumptions that normally limit the actions of the United Nations. For example, monetary funding is an issue that is not discussed in MUN, while it is an important factor that must be addressed in sessions of United Nations. Another contrast is the influence and reach of the organizations. “MUN is on a much smaller scale and effect, it is not as far reaching as the UN,” proclaims Xavies Neo, an administrator of General Assembly 5. While the United Nations has the power to affect the seven billion inhabitants of our planet, MUN conferences are limited to spreading awareness among the student participants of the conference.

MUN is also limited in its power to implement and propagate the resolutions. Aman Puri, the chair of GA 6, believes that the main difference between the two organizations is “the fact that the resolutions don’t necessarily come into effect.” This, however, does not stop the delegates from trying their best to produce resolutions worthy of the UN itself. Puri maintains that “the essential drive behind UN and MUN is the same.” Whether it be Model United Nations of United Nations, delegates are united under the banner of peace and diplomacy, striving to create a brighter future.

By Yuan Chun Hsiao, International Bilingual School at Hsinchu Science Park 

Miranda Melcher, chair of THIMUN’s Security Council, is the model participant in Model United Nations that all striving delegates yearn to be. With 15 conferences worth of experience under her belt, she hopes to see “passionate debate” and improvement in delegates. Seeing as last year’s THIMUN Security Council spent “a day and a half on one resolution,” she has high hopes for a stimulating and heated conference this year. Miranda describes herself as a passionate debater, who is “subsequently not always diplomatic” when caught up in the heat of the moment. With such a fervent debater as a chair, discussion in the SC room will no doubt be captivating and exhilarating.

However, even those at the pinnacle of success have once faced defeat. Miranda’s MUN experience is an example of the triumph of perseverance over temporary failures. As a new delegate, she once left her folder at the podium. As a consequence, she had to appeal to retrieve it in front of the entire committee. She has also had moments of unparalleled glory. As one of the most accomplished MUN participants in her school, Miranda is responsible for the establishment of DIMUN (Dulwich International MUN), “a new MUN conference for middle school students.”

One may wonder what the secret to MUN success is. How does one climb the ladder of accomplishment to reach the heights of prominence represented by the chairs of THIMUN? According to Miranda, success comes in little steps: “Set a goal for yourself, and try to make it. Every little step makes you better.”