“Will the Chair please direct the delegate’s question to the Honorable Delegate of Edgeoftheworldistan?”
“So directed,” the Chair replies.
“Thank you, Honorable Chair. What would be Edgeoftheworldistan’s method of implementation regarding the empowerment of women in regional government and politics, while keeping in mind the U.N. Fifth Sustainable Development Goal?”
That is just a brief glimpse into the structured realm of policy and procedure that four Ouachita women heard upon their arrival at the Midwest Model United Nations (MMUN) simulation in St. Louis two weeks ago. After a semester of preparation, serious study and teamwork, the four of us headed north to represent the former Soviet republic, Turkmenistan.
It all began when a dear friend of mine came running up to me about a year ago and said, “Oh, Julie, I really think you’d love this. Please talk to our professor and consider doing this class.” She went on to explain to me that I would be one of a small group that would role-play the part of a U.N. delegation for a real country. I would be placed on a committee, just like the real U.N., and I would have to thoroughly and strenuously research my committee topics, all while speaking and conducting myself as though from another country.
Now, being a student of politics and the levels of government, my first instinct was, “When do we leave?” And after talking with the Model U.N. advisor here at Ouachita, Dr. Kevin Brennan, I decided that this was a learning experience that I just couldn’t pass up.
Dr. Brennan decided to run a seminar-style class from October 2016 to February 2017, leading directly up to the simulation itself. This was so much simpler than trying to conduct a full, regular semester from August to December and then take a break until the simulation.
Starting the semester in October, the four girls each drew their choice of the four committees that would meet at the simulation. Each of these committees discuss two topics of immediate global concern. Drawing Third Committee, my topics were to discuss “Torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment,” and “Means of Implementation of the Fifth Sustainable Development Goal.” Known primarily as a humanitarian committee, it was my job to research the views of Turkmenistan on these topics, focusing on their wishes as a state and how they would argue or implement these topics.
Beyond our committee research, it was also vital that we learn the basic domestic and foreign policy of Turkmenistan. Being that it is a relatively new country (only 25 years since independence from the former U.S.S.R.), it was interesting for us to learn how to speak about an officially democratic, but unofficially autocratic, former Soviet Bloc country.
Furthermore, the four of us had to learn parliamentary procedure. The entire simulation runs on similar procedure as Robert’s Rules of Order, meaning that every question, speech or action is directed through a Chairman who sits on a dais with a legal adviser and a rapporteur who notes the motions and points on the floor.
Finally, we also had to hone the skills of resolution and position-paper writing. In my opinion, the most prepared I felt for the simulation was when Dr. Brennan would make us practice the writing. Perhaps most interesting of the pieces we wrote was a resolution in which we had to style the correct format and grammar, all while producing a finished work that addresses and combats the concerns within that topic. (Fun fact: all U.N. resolutions are grammatically one sentence. I promise. You should look it up.)
The hardest bit to get used to, personally, was the necessity of referring to yourself in third person and by your country’s name. For example, “the delegate of Turkmenistan (me) would like to motion to move Topic A to the floor for debate.” Never say, “I,” “we” and certainly never your own name.
While the tensions build over the semester’s preparation, the simulation in St. Louis was one of the most amazing things I had experienced in my college career. Not only did I form a strong friendship with the rest of my delegation from OBU, I also forged so many new connections from around the Midwest.
While we were the Southern-most delegation there, I, along with the other three delegates, were allowed to meet so many driven, young, educated people who strive to impact people around them. As the delegate from Italy told me, “Model U.N. is just the coolest people in the world.”
Some had been there and done it all before, while others of us looked like we didn’t know what had hit us. However, those nerves and jitters soon melted away, and we used all that we had learned and the new connections we had just made to learn about international government and its impact on people around the world.
It really is hard work, but it is honestly worth every effort. If international relations and politics is something that even remotely interests you, or if you simply want to hone some writing and public speaking skills, I strongly encourage you to seek any former delegates out. Discuss their time at Model U.N., and ask to get involved with it yourself. For more information about the OBU class and the MMUN simulation in St. Louis, contact Dr. Brennan at brennank@obu.edu.
By Julie Williams, Copy editor
