Brock Model United Nations engages in simulations of international affairs and diplomatic engagement. The Brock Press talked with the club to find out what it’s all about.
Model United Nations (MUN) is an experiential learning opportunity for students to simulate the work of the United Nations (UN) through committees, discussions and the representation of various nations who are a part of the UN. Students are often assigned a nation whose role they assume and prepare by following the club’s research guides, which direct students on what research they should do on the committee they are in and the country they will represent. Simulations, debates, arguments and discussions take place as they would in the UN.
MUN applies to contemporary society through the application of real-world issues in simulations. Innovative solutions are created through the collaboration of delegates as they represent allocations and propose a topic from a few options provided to set the agenda.
The topics vary from simulation to simulation. “Each year, we tend to have three simulations per year. This year, we discussed issues from access to water, peace building, and the protection of historical and cultural sites,” said one of Brock MUN’s Secretary-Generals, Sadeen Kalbouna.
“At BMUN, we keep things rather neutral, to an extent. Obviously, we discuss charged international relations issues during our meetings; however, it is all with the goal of having delegates resolving said issue with the standpoint of the nation they are representing. So, if we discuss issues like Trump’s global trade war and the war in Gaza, it would be students discussing it from the interpretation of that country’s foreign policy. More specifically, it would be within the context of a topic like ‘Fostering Environments for Freedom of Expression, Press Freedom and Journalistic Safety.’”
Kalbouna said the most exciting conference they attend is the annual National Model United Nations New York Conference in New York City.
This year, the team had to consider current U.S.-Canadian politics: “In anticipation of potential issues in regard to the border, we had prepared ourselves in a multitude of ways,” said Kalbouna. “We had our students clear their devices of any social media and obtained letters that confirmed our involvement with the conference. Thankfully, we encountered next to no issues at the border.”
At the conference, the opening session had a keynote speaker from the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), who discussed her experience in that field of work.
“Mara Kronenfeld had discussed the goals of UNRWA and how their conception was created because of [the] creation of Palestine refugees,” said Kalbouna. “She discussed the topic in a personal matter as well, aside from her career. She talked about it as a person, which is sometimes rare to see from diplomats.”
Everyone is welcome to partake in MUN, regardless of their experience level, background or area of expertise, said Kalbouna, creating an opportunity for students to garner interest in the UN’s work and become more educated on international affairs and diplomatic engagement between various Member States.
BMUN members come from all kinds of backgrounds and years of study. BMUN is especially popular among Political Science students, but they have had students from all other kinds of backgrounds including sociology, labour studies and psychology. “We have some students in Economics, all kinds of Business, and even some STEM majors,” said Kalbouna. “We accept all students, and the interest is not based on any specific program. Interest in international relations covers all sorts of programs and students.”
BMUN meets every week on Thursdays from 7 to 9 p.m. in a room that changes each year. The first meeting date of the school year is announced in the fall. During meetings, delegates take part in MUN simulations that mimic the inner workings of the UN.
Model UN helps students develop all kinds of skills, but mainly research, negotiation, policy writing and public speaking. Model UN requires research as well as a relative understanding of events in the news and the diplomatic relations between countries. A lot of diplomacy requires negotiation in reaching a solution, said Kalbouna: “During our weekly simulations, students work on their ‘working papers’ where they create policy recommendations in the hopes of creating a successful passed resolution that will propose solving a global issue.” Delegates also create all kinds of speeches that they regularly perform in front of other members.
Model UN has helped its members feel more confident in their public speaking skills and ability to network with people they don’t know. As a club, the creation of a community on the basis of this shared passion is a natural byproduct. Many club members graduate having made life-long friends and connections from BMUN.
BMUN invites anyone interested to come and check out a meeting. No registration or RSVP is required for their weekly meetings, and everyone is welcome to join at any point.
Many of BMUN’s members end up pursuing careers in the law, government and diplomacy. The executive teams from the first couple of years of the club’s foundation in 2019 have pursued careers as lawyers and government workers. The skills developed at BMUN help students with transitional skills that are relevant to many industries.
When asked about their hopes for the future, BMUN said their goal was “to share the passion for international relations with more students! We hope to spread this passion to secondary school students in the Niagara region as well. This year we will be hosting our first Brock Model United Nations Secondary School Conference!”
Check out Brock MUN’s Instagram and keep an eye out for the announcement of next semester’s first meeting.