Model United Nations
2009 Model UN Dates: March 13-14, 2009What is Model UN?
Model UN is a UNA-USA program which teaches hundreds of high school students how the United Nations works by giving them the opportunity to conduct a Model UN where they work out their own solutions to real international problems. For the past 36 years, UNAR supported this UNA-USA program by holding an annual Model UN conference in the Rochester area. For more information about Model UN please visit the UNA-USA Model UN website.UNAR's 36th Annual Model United Nations Conference
The 2008 UNAR Model UN conference was held at St. John Fisher College on February 29th and March 1st. Students at St. John Fisher College were on vacation, but the campus was alive with over 650 young student delegates and their advisors actively debating, networking, researching and compromising. Secretaries General, Alyssa O'Connor of Pittsford Sutherland and Sahil Mehta of McQuaid Jesuit greeted the student delegates and reminded them that their participation would help them “gain a better appreciation for the tremendous but critical work conducted by the United Nations everyday.” Delegates also learned that UNAR’s MUN is “one of the most respected and most prestigious in Western New York.” According to Bob Phillips, Hilton Middle School teacher and co-conference chairperson, this is because delegates at UNAR’s MUN “follow the rules and procedures proposed by UNA-USA that are critical for keeping order so committees can make progress.” This doesn’t occur at all Model UN conferences.Over 450 student delegates represented 39 regional high schools from across upstate New York. Delates were divided into several committees, each of which delt with specific topics on a variety of pressing international issues. The conference was also attended by 11 guest speakers. The conference was opened by keynote speakers Michael Coniff and Dalei Huang, co-chairman of the City of Rochester's Sister Cities Program in Xianyang, China. Mr. Coniff and Mr. Huang spoke about Chinese-US relations and the impact on the rest of the world. Other speakers included professors from area colleges, founders and employees of local organizations, and even a Geneseo student refugee from Sudan.
For over 35 years, UNAR has provided an active learning option for hundreds of regional high school students. These student delegates were able to break down global misperceptions on a wide array of pressing global issues. By increasing knowledge about the international community, Model UN is a first step to world peace.
For more information on how your school can attend UNAR's annual Model UN conference, please call or e-Mail our office.
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