Meeting Agenda for 1/27/2012

Explaining 10 mins

1.      Start of Semester 2

2.      We have 7.5 weeks until the March 22-23 Conference in Milwaukee, WI.

3.      Morning meetings around 7:15 to 7:35 in the library for training.

4.      Read through the WHSMUN Delegate Handbook, Vocabulary for MUN, and research on the internet about MUN → Self Driven

5.      Research on Turkey (Read the news, Wikipedia, CIA World fact book…)

6.      Position Paper are due on March 2 ( in 5 weeks)

Explaining 15 mins

7.      Gathering information (via http://cyberschoolbus.un.org/modelun/prep.html):

 (1)-Know the UN system.

 

(2)-Become familiar with the your country's history, culture, political structure, and current political affairs. In addition to resources you may find at your school, university, or public library and on the internet, it may be useful to read fiction and non-fiction books (e.g., biographies) written by authors who live in your country. They may offer insights into the culture you are learning about.

(3)-Learn about your country's viewpoints on as many of the issues that will be discussed at the conference you will be attending as you can.

(4)-Know your allies and your opposition. In order to adequately represent your country during the conference, you will need to interact with delegates from other countries. Knowing their positions on your topic will help you predict their arguments during debate. This will be very useful in helping you decide in advance where it might be useful to seek cooperation or compromise.

(5)-Be familiar with current statistical data on your topic and country.

 (6)-Review the rules and procedures for your conference. These rules are intended to create a level playing field allowing each country to accomplish its individual goals in speaking about their policies while maximizing opportunities for the group to reach agreement or even consensus on the issue. Each conference publishes a set of rules and procedures that are derived from those used by the UN. There are many resources on protocol and parliamentary procedure available through MUN sites and books.

 8.    Tips for MUNer’s

• Remember it is not your opinion you are expounding but the country you are representing.
• Be willing to continuously improve and refine you capabilities.
• Do mock trials with team members.
• Technique matters - so practice it.
• Be aware of different political perspectives - East vs. West and North vs. South.
• Compromise is an art, treat it that way.
• Get hooked on MUN, this will change your life.
• Learn from your experience.
• Hold a debriefing session after each conference to discuss things that worked and things that did not work.
• Keep a record of your feedback and plans for improvement.
• Congratulate your team members (and other players!) on their contributions to the team and the conference.

Meeting One: Orientation supplement

Q: What is Model United Nations?

A: Model United Nations is a simulation of the United Nations. In Model UN, students step into the shoes of ambassadors from UN member states to debate current issues on the organization's agenda. While playing their roles as ambassadors, student "delegates" make speeches, prepare draft resolutions, negotiate with allies and adversaries, resolve conflicts, and navigate the Model UN conference rules of procedure - all in the interest of mobilizing "international cooperation" to resolve problems that affect countries all over the world.

Before playing out their ambassadorial roles in a Model UN simulation, students research the issue that their committee will address. Model UN participants learn how the international community acts on its concerns about topics including peace and security, human rights, the environment, food and hunger, economic development and globalization. Model UN delegates also look closely at the needs, goals and foreign policies of the countries they will represent at the event. The insights they gain from their exploration of history, geography, culture, economics and science contribute to the authenticity of the simulation when the role playing gets under way. The delegates' in-depth knowledge of their countries guarantees a lively and memorable experience.

Q: Why should I participate in Model UN?
A: Model UN promotes students' and teachers' interest in world around them and broadens a student's knowledge in a variety of subjects. Model UN also teaches vital skills in negotiation, public speaking, problem solving, conflict resolution, research and communication. Model UN also gives students and teachers the opportunity to meet interesting new people and make new friends.
Q: What are some of the educational benefits of Model UN?
A: For almost 60 years, teachers and students have benefited from and enjoyed this interactive learning experience. It not only involves young people in the study and discussion of global issues, but also encourages the development of skills useful throughout their lives, such as negresearch, writing, public speaking, problem solving, consensus building, conflict resolution and compromise and cooperation.
Q: What types of topics are discussed in Model UN conferences?
A: The agenda items discussed in committee vary at each conference. Most conferences tend to focus on current affairs issues that are being discussed in the United Nations. These issues can highlight political, financial and/or social concerns. However, the task of some committees might be to address hypothetical concerns or issues from the past or future. For example, many conferences have "crisis" committees, in which delegates must react to a hypothetical or actual crisis situation. Other conferences host historical or future Security Council simulations.

 Source: http://www.unausa.org/modelunfaq#why_MUN
http://cyberschoolbus.un.org/modelun/faq.html

(Go to these sites for more information!!!)

Good Luck, people! Hope to see you again!

Club Prospectus

Menomonie Model United Nations Club Prospectus

Purpose: To increase global awareness at MHS and to encourage public speaking/ debate through an interactive way.

Time:  Twice per month during Friday Power Hour and additional time for training.

Resources: UW-Eau Claire MUN, UW-River Falls MUN, UM-Twin Cities MUN, Twin cities YMCA youth government, UW-Madison MUN club.

Participants: Menomonie High School student’s 5-20 people.

Club Advisor: Mrs. Reugnitz

Goal: To attend one Model United Nations conference this school year.

Events in the region:

1.      March 22-23, 2012 Wisconsin High School Model United Nations (Milwaukee, WI)  http://www4.uwm.edu/cie/educators/1081/

2.      Global Classrooms Minneapolis-St. Paul Model UN Conference for High Schools

Macalester College http://www.unausa.org/gcstpaulmun

3.      December 8-11, 2011 Chicago International Model UN  (Passed)

4.      February 2-5, 2012 University of Chicago MUN http://www.munuc.org/schedule (Passed)

5.      Febuary18-19 2012 Wheaton College MUN http://wcmun.org/  (Passed)

6.      March 13-17 Mid-American MUN Kalamazoo, Michigan http://www.mamunonline.com/mamun/index.html

7.      March 15-16 Indianapolis MUN (UI-Perdue) http://liberalarts.iupui.edu/modelun/

8.      Model United Nations Illinois (MUNI) – University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

9.      April 27 UNA-USA Global Classrooms Chicago (GC Chicago),

10.  April 20-22 Northwestern University Model United Nations (NUMUN)

11.  UNA-USA Global Classrooms Minnesota – Hamline University

Welcome!

This is Menomonie High School Model United Nations Club's blog, and will serve as a information exchange medium for the club members in addition to the Facebook group.
   Information about conferences, how to prepare for the upcoming conference, and other foreign affair related material will be posted here. The rules are simple: every rule that applies to an acceptable usage of the internet applies here. So please be respectful and I hope you enjoy the resources and information that will be posted on this blog. Thank you and have a good day!