MUNITY-East

By Sekheena, Mont’ Kiara International School

In addition to debates on monetary funding, analogies bordering on inappropriate permeated the debates of General Assembly 5 (GA5). The President of GA5, Thammatat Vorawandthanachai (Rumrudee International School), said that the committee members used a lot of entertaining metaphors in their speeches, the best being: “This resolution is like Kim Kardashian’s relationship: it isn’t going to work out in the end.”

Deputy Chairs Look Woon Wei (Hwa Chong Institution) and Yvonne Yi-Fan Hsiao (Shanghai American School Puxi) agreed that the delegates were entertaining themselves with myriad innuendos. “Someone said ‘this resolution is like a Justin Bieber song: the more you listen to it, the more stupid it gets,’” remembered Hsiao. Other analogies included “This resolution is like a juicy sausage but without the juice,” and “This resolution is like a doughnut: it goes round and round but has a big hole in the middle.”

But just because they use analogies doesn’t mean the debates are any less serious. Krrish Kothari (Dhirubhai Ambani International School), the delegate of France, gave a heated speech against a resolution on the issue of Financing of the United Nations Mission in the Sudan. “I only pointed out the flaws clause by clause. They were really offended, but I don’t think that I was being offensive at all!”

Overall GA5 is filled with intense debate that is as entertaining as it is substantial.  As Regan Plekenpol, of Munity Press said, “GA5 is like Jersey Shore: they are always dealing with ‘the Situation.’”

The Chairs:

By HoJai Yoon, Concordia International School Shanghai 

Close your eyes, and slowly count how many MUN conferences you have been to. How many can you count? How far have you roamed the world for MUN?

Art by Christine Lin American School in Taichung

The history of Model United Nations dates back to the 1920s. Today, with its growing popularity, there are an estimated 400 MUN conferences held worldwide. As the development of transportation and communication makes the modern world a global village without boundaries, various MUN conferences around the globe attract an ever-growing number of participants.

Among various renowned and respected conferences, THIMUN firmly stands as a gateway for high school students to enter the broader spectrum of MUN conferences. Since its establishment in 1981, THIMUN has continually broadened its boundaries from the Hague to Singapore, and now even to Qatar. Janie Jang from Concordia International School, the delegate of the Republic of Korea in the Special Conference on Crime and Punishment at 2011 THIMUN-Qatar, applauds this conference, because “it offers various committees that I could not experience before in Singapore.” Besides THIMUN, a great number of larger conferences allow students to experience a greater diversity of cultures and opinions. Iris Kong from Nagoya International School, the delegate of Singapore in General Assembly 5, comments that she enjoyed BEIMUN because of “its leniency in allowing follow-ups that help each delegate discuss issues in depth.”

However, quantity does not always equal quality. Smaller conferences around the world can offer students with more chances to directly involve themselves in the debating process and communicate more deeply with delegates. Justina Huang from Shanghai American School-Puxi, delegate of Lebanon in the Security Council, says, “SHAMUN, a conference annually held at my school, offers a variety of committee options despite its small size. Furthermore, it is very concentrated in that it allows students to directly involve themselves in both debates and the administration of MUN itself.”

Each MUN conference around the world has its unique style. In order to assist MUN-ers with information regarding the diverse conferences options, a splendid website, www.bestdelegate.com, provides maps for MUN all over the world. The website provides visitors with not only lists of MUN conferences, but also with national and international rankings of MUN teams, strategies to win MUN debates, and recently updated information regarding MUN conferences.

Therefore, delegates must remember that there are various MUN options, because each conference give participants new learning experiences. Regardless of its size, each conference provides a valuable experience for participants to promote global awareness and meet with people from diverse cultural backgrounds. With a little guidance from www.bestdelegate.com, participants will be able to expand their scope of MUN experiences.

By Sean Liu, International Bilingual School at Hsinchu 

Photo cred: Judy Park Intl. School of Beijing

After a long morning of discussion and resolution-merging, delegates rushed to the lunch area, eager to fill their stomachs. 

As hungry as they were, delegates had a variety of opinions regarding their different lunches. Most who had the Western-style lunch seemed to enjoy it. However, those who had the Asian-style lunch had mixed feelings. Many delegates thought that the food had room for improvement.

The juice was amazing! 

“The cabbage and fish tasted off, and the meat lacked flavor,” commented Amanda Chen (Kaohsiung American School), the delegate of Lithuania of General Assembly 6. In addition, Susanna Chen (International Bilingual School at Hsinchu), a reporter for MUNITY-EAST, shared that “I found a bug in my lunch!”

However, many delegates enjoyed and complimented the food as well. “The juice was amazing!” commented Minna Chen (International Bilingual School at Hsinchu), delegate of Irelend of General Assembly 5, “I’ve never tasted such a uniquely delicious flavor before!”

Not all delegates used their coupon lunches. A few delegates preferred alternatives, including microwaved sandwiches from the sandwich machine in the Student Activities and Leadership Training Center, and ordered food from outside the Hwa Chong Institution.

When asked about their ideal lunch, delegates’ mouths watered at the thought of their favorite meals, which ranged from light, small sandwiches to all-you-can-eat buffets. Sid Singh (German European School), delegate of the Russian Federation of General Assembly 5, was especially passionate: “I would want a one-kilogram T-bone steak with black pepper and red wine sauce, along with carrot garnish, a glass of red wine, and a tiramisu cake for dessert,” he said.

As a whole, delegates enjoyed the food at THIMUN and continue to look forward to lunchtime, when they recharge for their busy afternoons.

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.