VOLUMN XXV ISSUE II
1 EURO
MUNITY Taking on a Greater Role at THIMUN page 4
TUESDAY, 31TH JANUARY 2017
The Newest “Wall” Around America page 8
Opening Ceremony
STAR Deterioration of Journalism page 9
Together we observe our rapidly changing current reality by -Maxine Russel
WEATHER
As the band commenced their playing, the parade of flags down the stairs showed a true sense of unity among all the delegates of the THIMUN conference. The speaker from the municipality of The Hague, Willem Post came in to talk about the importance of understanding global differences and understanding obstacles. He stated that The Hague was a city without walls both figuratively and literally. The THIMUN conference according to Willem Post, it represents almost every language and every faith from around the globe, and in that “now more than ever, we need to learn to build bridges.” Fran Laughlin, the co-chair of the THIMUN Foundation, not only welcomed all the delegates to the conference, but informed everyone about the ethical implication of the UN and being able to properly follow the rules and procedures of THIMUN. She encouraged the delegates to use this opportunity to break out of old patterns and learn to use the voice that THIMUN gives us as students. She ended her rousing speech by reminding us that “Politics is the art of making the impossible possible” and encouraged us to find ways to find amendments as “amending is not altering down, it's creating strength.” Welcomed by the British School of The
Hague's melodious choir, we were honored to host Rob Wainright, deputy director of Europol, as our keynote speaker. He emphasized the idea of thinking BIG. In a brave, innovative and grouped way to unite against threats of cybercrime and warfare. The threat of cyber terrorism, through the rise of technology has gone from local sources to global problems and the growth of involvement by organized crime. Europol had launched 22,000 global investigations in connection to other nations. Europol is the law enforcement agency of the EU and handles criminal intelligence, especially in terms of cybercrime. There are now 3.5 billion people living in cyberspace and an astounding 20.25 billion devices connected to the internet. “We cannot allow ourselves to wait for linear growth” the technology that we have is growing at exponential rates and the merging of technology to one device. This exponential growth requires adaptation by not only the people using them, but those fighting against them. ‘“Crime is there, in the deep web and in the dark web.” Within the last 20 years, law enforcers have had to learn to deal with a new threat which had never before been presented. We must hold utmost responsibility about understanding the global significance of actions in cyberspace. As a global community,
THE HAGUE 5 C / 41 F
SINGAPORE 26 C / 78 F
DOHA 16 C/ 60 F
MONTAVIDEO
35 C/ 95 F
Mr. Wainright states that we must learn to work together to overcome this new problem. Finally the opening speeches concluded with Mariana Plaza Cardenas, this year's Secretary General, with a speech about borders. Borders, according to her, can represent both visible barriers and invisible ones that can only be seen through the eyes of the law. Borders are not only about separation and segregation, but also about respect and conservation. In 1945, there were 2 worldwide walls, then post-Cold War there were 15, and now in 2017 there are over 45 different walls in and around nations. She argued that borders were neither good nor bad, but were a part of our rapidly changing world. “Regardless of what side of the border you stand on, our core human rights must be honored”. With these inspiring speeches by respected guests, the opening ceremony ended and thus began the 49th annual THIMUN conference.
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THIMUN
Changes in Conference Structure
by: Lindsey Yu
Photo by: Lucy Kirkwood
Ever since the first conference in 1968, THIMUN has been evolving. And this year, as it approaches the 50th anniversary, lots of critical changes have been made in the conference procedures. One of the major m o d i f i c a t i o n s t o t h i s y e a r ’s conference was the elimination of the General Assembly Plenary, which used to bring forth questions raised in the different GA committees and call for a more encompassing consensus on certain issues in real UN sessions. According to Alain Meidinger, the Co-Chair of THIMUN Foundation, “[we] want delegates to focus on the debates in their individual committees instead of the General Assembly. Past plenary sessions have been too messy, and this is just not a good image of THIMUN.” Indeed, the general purpose of removing the Plenary was to inspire delegates to save their best work for their committees in the last few days of the conference. Another significant change in procedure is the extended lobbying time. “The idea is
consensus. And to have signatures on a resolution, you have to l o b b y, l o b b y, l o b b y. D e s p i t e the differences afterwards, you have to find the middle ground for everyone, and for that you continue lobbying and you write amendments and you propose them during the debate.” As Mr. Meidinger said, the THIMUN Foundation was created for education. It exists to simulate the United Nations by upholding its values, which include seeking moderation.
Megan Ting, Deputy President of ECOSOC, further linked the elongation of lobbying time to the new way of selecting resolutions. "We have to choose resolutions based on their different aspects they use to approach a topic. We have to pick resolutions that have a different political stance or economic stance or social stance. And I think that really helps diversify the opinions.” Such a system may be difficult, however, for some delegates due
to conflicting approaches to a single issue. Nevertheless, this new process could produce more thoughtful, well-researched and thus, effective, resolutions. At this year’s THIMUN, opening speeches and resolution length during committee time were also reduced. Deputy Secretary General Chea Mun Tan reflected on this: “Resolutions have to be much shorter and concise just because THIMUN is trying to promote less repetition and more solutions that are feasible and less repetitive in regards to debates. Opening speeches do take a lot of time and there isn’t really emphasis on resolutions.” And of course, this approach also makes THIMUN a more eco-friendly conference. THIMUN is all about solutions and compromises, serving to reflect the objectives and mission of the real United Nations. The more THIMUN resembles the UN, the more that future generations can strive for responsive and effective solutions for needy people worldwide.
Behind the Scenes of THIMUN
by: Sarah Kim
Participation in an MUN conference anywhere, especially in a large one involving thousands of delegates like THIMUN, requires months of preparation for delegates, chairs, and advisors alike. This hard work pays off when delegates debate and pass their resolutions, or when chairs give their final speeches at the closing ceremony. However, it is also important to appreciate the people making efforts behind the heated debates and passionate lobbying— the administrative staff. From putting chairs and tables in place to holding doors open for entering delegates, the duties of the administrative staff are essential, but unfortunately, sometimes overlooked. According to administrative staff member Quinn Kovach, staff members are grouped and assigned a particular committee. They are in charge of “passing and screening notes, and closing the door when voting procedure commences.” Quinn dubs her responsibilities the “behind the scenes work”—she prints resolutions and provides amendment paper so that the delegates don’t have to worry about the little things themselves. Although many staff members have expressed their excitement to
work with people from all over the world, with their hard work comes sore legs and aching feet. “One challenge in working [as] admin staff [is that] we have to stay on our feet for long hours at a time,” said Sidney Johnson, a staff member. “I work for a smaller GA division, but we have to move around constantly because there are delegates passing notes or asking questions. We do have breaks in our schedules, but they are not very long.” While there are administrative staff members assigned to specific committees, there are also members who work at the face of the conference: the registration counter and information desk. “ We h a v e r e l a t i v e l y s m a l l e r responsibilities, like answering questions from delegates or MUN directors,” said Juliet Philippe, a staff member working at the Information Desk. “They are usually very simple questions, like asking for Wi-Fi passwords or how to get to the bathroom, or where to register. For now, that’s pretty much what we’ve been doing.” Often, it is these small details that allow conferences to be not only more smoothly run, but also of higher quality. The administrative
staff play a pivotal role in the planning and running of the conference—after all, it isn’t easy for a handful of students to keep an eye on the thousands of delegates attending THIMUN.
by: Aseel Einjury
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COMMITTEES
Early Start for Special Committees ICJ by: Andrea Blattler
As the week begins, the delegates prepare to go to work, but there are those that have already begun before the conference had officially started. The ICJ (The International Court of Justice) commenced their work on Sunday with a procedure meeting where proper procedure for the meetings to come was discussed. A key point that was emphasized during this meeting was that advocate statements are not evidence and that physical evidence is what really counts and is important. This means that all evidence that is to be presented in the International Court will have to be presented as hard evidence and word of mouth will not be accepted as fact. The ICJ is a judicial body rather than a legislative committee and its purpose is far different from the rest of the typical UN Committees. Their job is to mediate conflicts between two nations by reflecting on treaties, international conventions and international law. The question “what is legal in this committee?” is simply answered by: there are no restrictions beyond the law. As long as it’s legal, anything can and may be passed. The questions being discussed this year in the ICJ are the cases of Bolivia vs. Chile and the case of Nauru vs. Australia. There are three different parties in the ICJ; The Applicant party, Respondent Party and the Panel. The Applicant party consists the advocating team for the country that applied for the ICJ to hear the case. The Respondent party is the advocating team from the opposing country, and their job is to convince the court that they are doing nothing wrong and the appeal of the Applicant Party should not pass. With 18 Judges, 3 Officers per case (the President, the Vice President and Registrar) and Representatives for the involved countries, the ICJ has an impressive team of 31 students. On Monday the ICJ headed to the Peace Palace for opening speeches and presentation of evidence to the court. In the days to come, the ICJ must decide how to solve these international disputes in a way that best represents the international community of the UN.
by: Lucy Kirkwood
Editors in Chief Madeleine Schulz Yashwini Sodhani Text Editors Andrea Blattler Michelle Liu Joel Vasama
AP
by: Alyce Hammer
The ICJ are not the only early birds at this conference. The Advisory Panel began the week with their opening speeches and have already commenced with their lobbying. All panelists delivered their national/opening statements on Sunday or Monday morning and then began to lobby for each of their 4 issues. The main 4 issues that were presented this year in the Advisory Panel are; The Question of the Israeli West Bank Wall, The question of the Occupied Territories (West Bank, Golan Heights, East-Jerusalem), The question of the Syrian refugees in the Near East Region and The promotion of religious diversity and intercultural education in the Near East Region. The goal of the AP is to “reach a consensus on a set of clauses as a forum” and talk about each clause separately to reach a complete consensus. A large part of their job is to lobby – with three rounds of six hours, two hours and one hour each. Another huge part of the AP, and the most important objective behind the panel as a whole, is the idea of consensus. “The most important aspect of being on the advisory panel is the concept of consensus. We are the only committee in THIMUN that adapt their clauses by consensus.” – Samuel Ng – President of the committee. This team consists of a group of experts in their fields and each of them ready to lobby. The consensus is the most important part of the committee and if anyone votes against or abstains, the clause won’t pass. Normal majority ideals are thrown out the window and lobbying becomes the most important way to see if clauses will have at least a significant chance of passing by consensus. All experts are expected to have a deeper understanding of the issues and are expected to communicate their views in a clear and concise way in order to reach a consensus. Each AP member comes into the meetings prepped and ready to analyze each situation and take into account the best solution to benefit everyone. The rule of consensus forces everyone to truly communicate and understand each other to reach their goals.
Reporters Sarah Kim Quentin Aubert Chitvan Bansal Amanda Dagron Abbas El Menjra Saady Peter Nguyen Minh Holly Roberts Chang Qu Lindsey Yu
Layout Irina Chen Vivian Chen Melat Gebreselassie Joonhee Han Christine Heidbrink Artwork Samantha Arnold Emma Benoit
Photographers Tahila Briscoe Aseel Einjury Alyce Hammer Brian Kim Lucy Kirkwood Ginger Shuppan Maxine Russel
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NEWS
Lobbying: Taking on a Greater Role at THIMUN by: Quentin Aubert
Lobbying-for some it’s the time to persuade other delegates that your resolution is the best. For others, it’s intimidating, so they would rather spend time listening to other delegates speaking about their resolutions. Some delegates have been waiting and preparing for lobbying for weeks, while others don’t even know what lobbying is before attending THIMUN. Lobbying is one of the most important parts of MUN. It is extremely crucial to improve the resolution by conversing with other delegates about it. This has traditionally taken place “in the lobby” – hence its name – but in Model United Nations, lobbying takes on a formal role as small group discussions that take place prior to a debate. Lobbying occurs to avoid repeated or impractical resolutions. During lobbying time, you must discuss your resolution with your ally countries, and even with other countries. In this way, you can improve it by rewording, adding their clauses or merging your resolution with your allies’ resolutions. Some delegates
by: Emma Benoit
expressed their desire to collaborate with countries from the same region, as they share similar opinions and goals on a topic, making it logical for them to work together. It is important since delegates need the support of allies in order to pass their resolutions. But, it will also give the main submitter an idea of countries who will support or oppose the resolution during debate, as well as what criticisms will be made. Although lobbying is the period where there are fewer ‘formal’ rules than during the remainder of the conference, several rules have to be followed by the delegates and especially the main submitter. Obviously, the rules differ from conference to conference and country to country, but some are standard. A delegate’s resolution must be supported by between eight and fifteen delegates who all have to sign the resolution. These delegates become co-submitters, and therefore are responsible for defending the resolution. Even though there is a main submitter who defends the resolution, co-submitters may be called upon by the chair to argue in
favor of the resolution. These are basic rules for most of the delegates, but since THIMUN is one of the largest MUN conferences in the world, some delegates are not aware of these rules, whereas some delegates have been specifically trained for lobbying and debate. The delegates of Portugal from GA6, Kaylynn Parks, agreed: “I practiced twice at my school for lobbying and debate.” Alexia Psalti, delegate of Tunisia, also in GA6, said, “We have never been prepared for this conference.” This shows the differences between delegate preparation. Lobbying is often neglected by schools, not because they think it is not important, but because it is tough work to prepare students for lobbying, probably due to the fact that it relies on character and sociability. Despite these differences, the THIMUN Board decided to change the
by: Ginger Schuppan format of lobbying this year, especially the time delegates will spend on lobbying. As Alain Meidinger, Co-Chair the Board of Directors, explains: “the idea is to become closer to the United Nations.” Most of the delegates forget that in the United Nations “90 % of the debate is lobbying and only 10 % is official debate.” For this reason, the board decided to extend the lobbying time from one day to one day and a half. According to Meidinger, “At the approval panel, we saw four resolutions on the same topic and similar to each other” and so things had to change this year to rectify the redundancies. This change was taken well by the delegates, as exemplified by Parks, who said: “There are going to be better resolutions,” as well as Psalti, who said “because better resolutions are expected”. THIMUN 2017 is the occasion to see how these modifications will impact lobbying and if the debate will be more focused and substantive. This change also shows the huge impact of lobbying on the conference itself and the desire of the organizing board to improve the conference and lobbying.
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NEWS
The Secretary General Who Made it Twice by: Joel Vasama At MUN conferences, it is not common for the same person to be the Secretary General twice. So it is impressive that, for the first time in THIMUN history, Mariana Plaza Cardenas has achieved this feat. She tells us “It's absolutely wonderful. THIMUN holds a very dear place in my heart and I just believe so deeply in what THIMUN stands for, and what it strives to achieve with the youth of today,” while emphasizing that she is lucky to have this opportunity twice. Experiencing two THIMUN conferences from an executive position gives her an opportunity to view important changes to the theme, management and atmosphere. This year, Plaza seems especially interested in the
theme of globalization, as it is very pertinent with world’s current political scenario. As the THIMUN Secretary General, Plaza's job is to act on the practical details of the conference and look after the chairing. This means she has to help the whole conference run smoothly and brief the chairs on how to present the issues and research reports in a way that actively involves delegates. To her, it is essential to create a good environment, since essentially it's about creating an experience. Plaza aims to make THIMUN as pleasant as possible for everyone participating. In her words, “A successful conference is where everyone from admins to chairs to delegates and MUNdirectors enjoy their time and
learn from the experience. When everyone takes home something that's a successful conference”. To Plaza, MUN “is not about the clothes you wear or the parties you go to, it's about the people you meet and the topics you discuss.” She expresses the importance of actually discussing the topics and thinking about how the world operates and how each of us can impact it. THIMUN offers
In Front of the Others
by: Maxine Russel The THIMUN conference is one of the biggest MUN conferences in the world. It's all thanks to the hardworking delegates, directors and staff that this conference has such prestige. THIMUN is a selective conference; many
of the participants are chosen for their experience, but a significant portion of delegates are also completely new to this unique event. The enthusiasm and diligence of both groups will surely lead to interesting resolutions and debates. Certainly, the new THIMUN
by: Ginger Schuppan a platform to affect change and it is important for everyone to experience as much as possible. Like Plaza says, “Believe in yourself. Focus on the positive experiences, take every opportunity you get. Develop your skills. Not everyone has access to MUN, not everyone can fly in for THIMUN and take the chances you get”.
by: Abbas El Menjra Saady
attendees might be stressed by the vast number of people and one might think they are too shy, yet also excited, for their first time, but remember: this is their first time and they will get used to the atmosphere. A few of the new delegates spoke about their impressions so far. Jeni Baykoca, sixteen, is from Southbank International School in Turkey. She is not very interested in politics, but after watching her friends travel to conferences and enjoy their time together, she said, “They [tell] me to do it, so I do it”. This is the reason why she applied to become a delegate for this year's conference. Another new delegate is Augustine Pellissier, a student from Belgium. Her MUN delegation is very different to what most of us are accustomed to because it is composed exclusively
of students in their last year of high school. Unlike Jeni Baykoca, Augustine is very interested in politics and may choose this path for her future career. Both students are, nevertheless, very engaged in their respective work at the conference. After meeting and preparing during the school year, they wrote their resolutions. Now, they are just waiting to propose them. During the first meeting with their committees, the new delegates were positive and motivated. To conclude, the best advice that the“veteran” could give to the beginner is to remember that during the conference, the main goal is to try to get their ideas across as effectively as possible. Hopefully, THIMUN 2017 will be a great experience for all participants and may even break records in achieving goals.
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PHOTOGRAPHY
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PHOTOGRAPHY
8
NEWS
The Newest "Wall" Around America
by: Michelle Liu
The idea of opening up countries to migration has always been controversial, with both sides holding credible arguments on the matter, but increasingly so as the amount of migration increases. In fact, according to the United Nations, the number of international migrants reached 244 million in 2015, an increase of 71 million since 2000. The word migrant acts as an umbrella term for people who move from one country to another, though often specifically for workers that move seasonally for their jobs. Under migrant, it diverges into two categories; immigrants, and refugees. Immigrants are those that come into and settle in a new region or country, often by choice, while refugees are those that have been forced to flee their countries because of the threat of persecution or armed conflict. With the current announcement of the United States President Trump’s executive order temporarily banning immigrants and visitors from seven Muslim-majority countries - Iraq, Syria, Iran, Yemen, Sudan, Libya, Somalia the place of immigrants in the US is becoming unclear. Furthermore, the process for admitting refugees into the US have also been put on hold. The executive order resulted in widespread
confusion at airports for US visa-holders from the seven countries, who are now finding it difficult and, in some cases impossible, to enter the USA. President Trump’s action also provoked backlash both in and out of the country, including thousands of protesters at airports nationwide and a judge in a New York court blocking parts of his order. However, it is important to understand President Trump’s argument on why increased scrutiny for those countries is needed. “We will continue to show compassion to those fleeing oppression, but we will do [so] while protecting our own citizens and voters,” Trump stated in a released statement. At THIMUN, Mert Us, Delegate of the United States in Special Conference 1, defended the choices of the president: “The ban is just a temporary ban. Until security measures can figure out what is going on and what should we do so we don’t let any terrorists into [the US], it is a measure that is necessary.” As the world becomes increasingly globalised, the new US policy directly affects the rest of the world. “The US has the ability and the responsibility to set an example for other nations,” explains Nicolas Julian, the Assistant President of the Special Conference 2, “If one
nation sees that the US is doing this [the ban], then they’ll want to do the same thing, and it’ll ripple throughout the world.” Although this temporary ban on immigrants was intended to deal with potential threats to the US, the implications for immigrant scientists, doctors, tech experts and a whole range of other non-threatening individuals guarantees this controversy is likely to grow even hotter in the coming weeks and months.
by: Samantha Arnold
Building and Breaking Borders by: Chitvan Bansal Borders are created to keep others out and keep us safe. Sometimes controversial, the world has a long history of building them up and then breaking them down. An example of this is the infamous Berlin Wall, which was constructed to prevent people from East Germany crossing over into West Germany. The wall’s demolition in 1990 marked the German reunification, and led to Germany opening up to the world. Elizavetta Fursova, Asst. President, SPC1 states, “building borders is a step back from what we’re trying to achieve, but breaking those borders is a step forward ... as someone who first-hand experienced tensions between multiple countries my mum is American and my dad is Russian...they were actually together when the Berlin Wall fell...there was this outcry of understanding and greater cooperation.” The border fence built after the division of Korea is another case which demonstrates that cultural differences can be created where none existed previously. Apart from international borders, there are also many other walls that have been built within countries, which separate different communities in order to prevent clashes between them. The Baghdad Wall was built by US soldiers in Baghdad to prevent sectarian violence between Sunnis and Shias. The Peace Walls in Belfast, Northern Ireland, designed in 1969 to keep the Catholics and Protestants apart, have been scheduled to be taken down by 2023. However, these walls also create close-knit enclaves, which heighten local loyalties and highlight differences between communities. In the current socio-political milieu, with the rise of regionalism
and nationalism to counter globalisation being felt, we must not make the same mistakes again. Sofia Forjaz de Lacerda, Asst. President SPC2 believes, “it all comes down to how humans have divided themselves. [Borders] can be useful for governmental purposes, but it’s destructive to this global network we should have.” It would be naïve to say that borders must be done away with completely; however, we must realize that building them is not a long term solution. Fursova states, “I just realistically don’t think that we will ever have a borderless world in the geographical sense; politically and culturally we might and I hope that we do.”
by: Samantha Arnold
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OPINION
The Deteriorating View of Journalism by: Peter Nguyen Minh
The past year has been eventful to say the least. From changing governments to deaths of many household names like Alan Rickman and David Bowie, it’s been a particularly bad year to be “the most dishonest human beings on Earth.” This is what a certain newly inaugurated president likes to call us journalists. The press as a whole is in a steady decline, though many would describe it more like a freefall. There are various reasons we have found ourselves in this conundrum. It may be safe to say we have to review our definition of healthy journalism to better visualize our current problems. Journalism has a duty to shine a spotlight on people in power, including anyone who has influence over the general public. It must regard everyone’s needs for information as legitimate. It must have a simple trustworthy way of separating the truth from lies (or alternative facts, as they are called nowadays). Fundamentally, journalism must represent a multitude of informed opinions, predictions and debates. Journalism in essence should
act like a preliminary warning to conflict, be it political, economic or natural. Unfortunately, we can’t pretend that we are relatively close to that. A key factor in the devaluation of press and journalism has been the digital revolution. Numerous publications have become digital, such as publications like the Independent in the United Kingdom. This is a logical response to the decline in print media consumption, but publications need to generate revenue which has led to an inclination towards the writing of articles that are “clickbait” rather than informational reporting. Credible news sources remain, but due to the nature of the internet, 'they are under new constraints and pressure to make money. Thus, they either sell their articles or seek sponsorship elsewhere. This may entail compromising their content to comply with their sponsors’ demands. Another attack on traditional reporting is the influx of people using social platforms like Facebook as their sole or primary source of information. This makes the spreading of alternative facts significantly easier, as there
is no peer-review process for posts. Facebook has become such a serious source for some, as one can hear articles from The Onion being discussed seriously without awareness of the fact that the publication is entirely satirical. A more extreme example of the effect of fake news was the media chaos during the U.S. presidential election. One didn’t have to be in the U.S. to have a Facebook newsfeed entirely dominated by coverage. There was an exorbitant amount of “articles” decrying the many crimes of either candidate or praising them to high heaven. Finally the very attitude towards journalism itself has been tainted. We’ve been branded as the enemy for giving people the whole picture, and condemned for simply trying to get the whole story. It would be wrong to state that the scrutiny of journalists is always a pleasant experience, but in the age of fake news, all measures must be taken to uphold the integrity of the press, and to ensure the future of journalism itself.
by: Emma Benoit
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DELEGATES
Have You Met...? If you were a cereal, which would it be and why?
Dressed to Impress
“Fruit loops, because they are colourful and yummy.” Sarah Tabbaa Deputy Chair of GA 6 Amman Baccalaureate School
“I’m thinking lucky charms because they’ve got their serious side, you know you’ve got the cereal grain but then you’ve got the marshmallow and it’s pretty fun.”
Shakira Costa International School of Curaçao Delegate of Suriname
Thandiwe Van Wesenbeeck Delegate of Belgium in ECOSOC Zurich International School
Edip Ata Karabey Bilkent Laboratory International School Ambassador of Monaco by Tahlia Briscoe
Expectations and Anticipations by Chang Qu
THIMUN has always been a remarkable conference experience for all attendees. It has spread a sense of expectation for all those who wish to attend while stimulating excitement for those who have already attended. Having different positions to hold and responsibilities to take, all participants have formed their unique ideas of what they wish to achieve in the coming days. When talking about expectations, Rui Ming Song, the assistant president of the Environmental Sub-Commission 2, expressed his great excitement for being a Student Officer at THIMUN for the first time. “Real and formal UN debates - that is what I really wish to see. These could be generated efficiently by a collaborative committee. Additionally, I think I want to see delegates from my commission to come up with well-done solutions that are practical to the global issues." Lucas Semprimosching, Song`s colleague, shows a different thought process behind his own expectations. “I hope I can behave well
as an assistant chair. I know it is going to be challenging as long as I have to deal with so many distinguished delegates, and all sorts of situations could take place. I wish that I can do well.” Indeed, good organization from our Student Officers stands out as the backbone of the conference. Delegates, seeing things from different angles, offer answers differently. “I would like to learn more deeply about the issues with other teenagers. THIMUN serves as a comprehensive reflection of the global environment, thus I am sure I would acquire knowledge that is new and fresh,” said Dalia Jolicoeur, the delegation of UAE from Disarmament Commission 2. Some people wish to gain more from this experience, while others are hoping to contribute to the learning of others. “Drafting a resolution that fits everybody is the goal I am after this week. I want to make THIMUN more meaningful by working hard,” Maurits Hamel, delegate of Czech Republic in ECOSOC, told the
press team with a bright smile on his face. Just like Maurits said, teenagers who travelled miles to get to The Hague are here to make THIMUN great. In this process, more contributions are expected to be made and learning to be done. In the coming week, let`s work hard and make THIMUN 2017 an unparalleled memory for everybody.
by Brian Kim
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THIMUN
Different MUNs Worldwide
by Holly Roberts THIMUN The Hague, a five day simulation of the United Nations, was once only a minor local Model United Nations conference. It was initiated by Paul Sand at the American School of The Hague in 1968, with approximately 250 delegates attending it. Thirteen years later, in 1981, the THIMUN Foundation was officially established. Over the past almost fifty years, THIMUN has grown significantly and is now widely regarded as the premier MUN conference for high school students globally. These days, there are around 3500 participants from over 200 schools, originating from over 100 countries across the globe. However, THIMUN The Hague isn’t the only recurring THIMUN conference. In 2005, the first THIMUN Singapore conference was established with over 1200 participants and is an exceptional example of an acclaimed conference. THIMUN Qatar was established in 2011, and THIMUN Latin America in 2014. In 2017, thousands of students from every continent frequently attend these international conferences at local, national,
and global levels. Locally, in The Hague - from MUNISH, to MINIMUM, and HAGAMUN there is no shortage of conferences to attend throughout the year! As a matter of fact, MUN itself has become a prevalent extracurricular activity that is taken extremely seriously by thousands of students at high school and university level world wide. Model United Nations conferences locally and globally permit the participating students to form communities - known as the Model United Nations community. This sense of community is one of the most unique and unprecedented features of the experience. Lucrezia Mancini, a delegate representing Timor-Leste in GA4 says, “This simulation [local conference] is very useful because we are a lot of people and we can discuss and we can face very important issues.” THIMUN gives young people an opportunity to share and explore new ideas, with a focus upon
First Day Icebreakers by Joel Vasama
Where are you from?
How many previous Where are you staying THIMUNs have you in The Hague? attended?
Solutions State - Condition of something (5) Chair - Also furniture (5) Crisis - When you call 911 (6) Delegate - What a boss does to a subordinate (8) Question - Interrogative sentence (8) Draft - Current of cool air (5) Resolution - Determination, purpose (10) Motion - Newton’s three laws (6) Floor - Lower surface (5) Operative - Relating to surgery (9) Clause - Also Santa (6) Second - Unit of time (6) Speaker - Part of a public address system (7)
Photo by Ginger Schuppan international affairs and conflicts. Wietske Anema from SPC 1, representing Burundi says, “I really enjoy THIMUN because it has become so widespread and there is great interaction between many different people. It’s very internationally diverse and a great opportunity to become friends and to cooperate with so many people from all over the world!” It is an opportunity that you don’t want to miss!
Vote - Veto anagram (4) Yield - Interest on a bond (5) Point - A dot in geometry (5) Assembly - Action of fitting together components (8) Committee - It keeps minutes of hours spent (9) Lobby - Hallway, foyer (5) Favour - An act of kindness (6) Order - Sequence; absence of chaos (5) Article - The (7) Body - Mortal, without soul or spirit (4) Paper - Examination; publication of research (5)
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ENTERTAINMENT
Movie Preview: Exodus
Our Journey to Europe - Directed by James Bluemel
During this documentary, chosen by Alain Meidinger who is the co-chair of the THIMUN Foundation, the spectator can’t help but feel overwhelmed as he finds himself faced with believing in a concealed reality. In fact, the three episode tvseries which was released in July 2016, was filmed by the immigrants themselves. James Bluemel, the film director, gave the refugees GoPro cameras and asked them to film their journey from Aleppo, Kabul,
by: Samantha Arnold Greece or Turkey to Western Europe. We are used to contemplating refugee issues from a European perspective. Western Europe is the region receiving the most refugees. Seeing the journey from an actual traveler’s point of view could open one’s eyes, therefore challenging the eurocentric perspective that has dominated the crisis. Some may perceive the raw and authentic facts as a simple concept lost in the mists of time.
by: Amanda Dagron
For this reason, showing this kind of documentary is a very keen way to tackle the theme of ‘’Borders in a Globalized World”. The film stars Hassan Akkad, as well as other individuals varying in age and family composition, which enables the viewers to catch a glimpse of a ghastly way of life. Viewers become witnesses of unimaginable living conditions. Even though nuance makes the harshness of the situation inconspicuous, the film does not mislead the viewer. On the contrary, ‘’Exodus : Our Journey to Europe’’ thrives on telling viewers we have to do something...we have to know. Seeing people talking about the atrocities they experienced and meeting them afterwards is definitely an experience you don’t want to miss. As a matter of fact, Hassan Akkad will be present as our guest during the film screening on Tuesday, at 7:30 pm, at the World Forum Theatre. Mr. Meidinger emphasises the importance of the issue by saying ‘’We are privileged in Europe and we have to think about what is happening over there”.
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