On October 25, 1945, after the UN charter was signed by a total of 50 countries at a conference in San Francisco, the United Nations was officially created just a few months following the end of World War II. The mission of the organization was simple; succeed the League of Nations to maintain international peace and security in order to prevent any more global catastrophes from occurring after learning of the horrors that occurred across the world during the war. Today, their mission remains the same, and students at Eleanor Roosevelt now have the opportunity to recreate their work within their own school.
At Model United Nations (or MUN), students may attend conferences, engage in intellectual conversations regarding global issues and conflicts, and achieve solutions through democratic discussion.
In a divided world which is ravaged by war, poverty, corruption, and imperialistic intervention, students at Eleanor Roosevelt can use MUN as a first-step into the world of politics and get first hand experience in diplomacy, international relations, and global issues. The leaders of the club are genuine, welcoming, and are always there for new comers with questions or concerns.
One of the latest members, freshman Greyson Maliski, shared what brought them to the club.
“Model UN is a very fun club that gives opportunities to go to colleges, while also building a team,” Maliski said.
One of the upcoming events in relation is sageMUN at Pomona College, on October 4, where delegates will represent a country and, “. . . be able to hone their diplomatic and leadership skills as they debate some of the world’s most pressing issues,” according to the sageMUN informational site.
An additional conference club members will be able to attend is BruinMUN at UCLA from November 8 to 9. It is one of the top Model UN conferences for high school students in the country. Each fall, they welcome over 2,000 students for the weekend to spent in debate and discussion of some of the world’s most pressing topics. Many young people often feel that they are powerless in the face of international injustice, overwhelmed by the prospect of wars and countries, while still feeling called to fight against it. ModelUN can be a way to surround yourself with people of similar convictions, and allow you to work as a team to find solutions for such problems. Some such topics include climate change, the troubles in Ireland, the Gaza crisis, and the Russian-Ukrainian war.
Not only does ModelUN create a welcoming environment, but also looks exceptional on college applications, showing experience and deep understanding of mature topics, critical thinking, and public speaking. It is also extremely beneficial for skill development, as well as offering leadership opportunities by chairing and assisting conferences, as well as even winning awards such as “Best Delegate” as a strong way to demonstrate passion, ability, and commitment. It is also extremely common to meet new people and form connections with individuals with different perspectives and worldview, which can help offer a more well rounded perspective from yourself, and take all individuals from around the world into consideration when voting on important matters.
The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 30, after school in room F209, where the club will partake in mock conferences for practice, as well as offer helpful tips for improvement.
