Model United Nations:
Stepping stone towards the world governing body

By Victoria Inganji

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia- As a way of initiaiting highschool youths in the multi facted world of governannce and diplomacy and the inner workings of the UN the Addis Model United Nations Assembly (ADDMUN), an association of highschool students in Addis Ababa convened at the UNECA to disucss issues related to health, the state of economies, governance and human rights.

The students that included those from private and public schools, gathered some 320 students representing different countries, and they were put into different committees such as peace-keeping, disarmament, health, economic committees whereby various issues as well as ways forward were discussed. Following the debates Stephen E. Plisinski, director of the International Community School of Addis Ababa, awarded certificates to all the delegates that had participated in the MS/EAMUN, with the help of Joseph Francis, advisor to the participants from the Greek school, as well as other representatives from the schools.

Mahalit from ICS said, “it helped me improve my leadership skills and broadened my knowledge and I’m looking forward to participating again next year, though I’m planning to travel abroad and participate in international conferences. Another student talking about the MUN said, “It’s been a wonderful experience participating in the MUN. we’ve learnt how to express ourselves confidently.” Another student admitted, “ I learnt how to communicate with people in a more formal way and I had been able to meet people from different nations….it was good. it was wonderful, you actually get to learn how the United Nations works and you get to know what people think of your country and how to deal with certain problems.”

In addiotn, earlier inFebruary the students participated at the 25th East African Model United Nations Assembly (EAMUN) held at the U.N. African headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. Mr Joseph Francis told SSI that it was the fist time for Ethiopian schools to participate in the conferences this year. There were 48 different senior schools from nine different countries of Africa that participated in the EAMUN conference. schools from different African countries that participated at the UN headquarters were Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Congo, Nigeria, Sweden(Swedish school), Somalia/Somaliland and Kenya.There were 800 students that attended the conference.

Before the conference, students of different senior high schools were assigned different countries, that are the members of the United Nations, and they were supposed to represent these countries as their leaders. They had to research on UN themes/topics such as education, human rights, economy, environment, health, child trafficking, genocide, wars, terrorism, deforestation, global warming, diseases such as malaria, cholera, tuberculosis, AIDS, peace-keeping troops, refugees, jailing of journalists without trial, weapons of mass destruction, public floggings etc.

The countries would therefore be assigned two or three of the above mentioned resolutions. The student delegates were selected and they debated on these topics locally in inter-school assemblies.Since all the topics couldnot be discussed in one General Assembly, the students merged with countries having common resolutions. They also discussed about fundings/donor countries, the World Bank, IMF and other donor bodies. They also debated on which particular issues should be given priority, how much money should be given to whom, and why vote, approve/ disapprove a particular resolution.

After voting, some resolutions are selected for debate in the general assembly. The countries would then vote for/against the resolutions.
To participate in the EAMUN assembly, one must practice in local assemblies, conducted by host schools in their region and country. Students must have gained experience and are to understand the rules of how the United Nations works, inorder for them to participate in the EAMUN.
Schools are usually given a manual, so they can learn the rules and procedures the United Nations put into practice, before participating in the Model United Nations. Regulations such as initiating phrases, writing resolutions for a debate, ambassador and chairman responsibilities, dress code, general guidelines of conduct etc.

If any of the students do not follow any of these rules, they are warned, whereby they are given a Clipped Badge, which is, the physical cutting of a corner, of the official MUN name badge that is issued to all participating students.
Students taking part in the MS/EAMUN program, would be expelled from the program for the remainder of the conference for example, smoking/drinking/drug use at any MUN related event, any serious misbehavior, vandalism,bribing,coercing or threatening anyone may result in two badge clippings etc.

Parents are usually notified giving details of expenditure for air-tickets, hotel accomodation, surface transportation and so on. Each school has to have an advisor, who is basically a teacher from the school, that has taken part in guiding the students to understand all about the United Nations and its functioning. He or she sends the lists of delegates with the school fees to the co-ordinator of the international conference.