INTRODUCTION TO MODEL UNITED NATIONS

United Nations (UN) is an international organization which works to achieve world peace. Model United Nations (MUN) is an activity held in schools all around the world, where students simulate the real United Nations.  It is usually held for one or more days. JMUN is a unique event since it is organized for middle-school students and run by high-school students.

MUN helps students to develop their English. It also improves debating, public-speaking and problem-solving skills. MUN conferences raise the youth’s awareness of global problems and introduce them to people from different backgrounds. Another aim of MUN is to encourage students to share different views and try to understand these views.

JMUN works in the official language of the UN which is English. Students form teams called “delegations” (country or non-governmental organization) and represent them throughout the conference. Every student in a delegation is called a delegate and the leader of the delegation is called an ambassador. It is a general rule that delegates do not represent their own country, but learn to consider world problems from the point of view of others.

In conferences, delegates are separated into different committees and in committees; they research important world problems with other delegates from different schools. Researching is not the only work that delegates do. They find solutions to these problems and ask the UN’s help as well as helping other countries and create a better world for the future.

One delegate from each delegation represents their country in a committee. This means that two delegates from the same delegation cannot be in the same committee unless the delegates in question represent one of the permanent five members of the UN in the Security Council. Each committee discusses the issue/s determined for such committee.

The committees are organized and run by experienced high-school studentshttp://www.oguzkaanschoolsjmun.org/wp-admin/post.php?post=32&action=edit# who are deeply committed to MUN ideals and activities. These students are called chairs. The chairs are there to help you if you do not understand something, are not sure of what to do, or make a mistake. They help the Organizing-Team to manage the conference in the way that the real United Nations works.

In committees, there are people who assist the chairs by passing notepapers, counting votes and distributing documents. They are called the administrative staff or admins of the conference personnel team. This year, we will also have students called mentors in the committees. The mentors will help you if you feel anxious or nervous about debating or any other aspect of the conference.

In conferences, we learn to:

• Research and understand important world problems;
• Compose and deliver speeches;
• Write formal proposals to put the good ideas into action;
• Work with new friends in teams;
• Debate in English;
• Think on our feet and respond to challenges fast;
• Come to agreements by voting and accepting majority decisions.