Our Stories – Page 8

Global Choices for Global Future

Inge Relph is the Executive Director and Co-founder of Global Choices, a contemporary female-led organisation that takes a fresh approach to climate activism. She was senior policy advisor to the Elders headed by Kofi Annan, founded several other organisations and chaired Womankind Worldwide. She now devotes her time fighting for climate change with an emphasis on how loss of Polar ice poses a major threat to all of us.

Emma Wilkins is the coordinator of Global Choices’ Arctic Angels, an intergenerational action network empowering the youth. She graduated with a first class honours degree in Geography, with a focus on human- environment relations and connection to nature. She is currently doing a postgraduate course in MSc Environment, Politics and Society at University College, London.

Evelyn Acham is a passionate climate activist who is a member of Global Choices’ Arctic Angels. She holds a BSc.degree in Land Economics. She is a national Coordinator of the Rise Up movement and an active member of the Youth for the Future Africa group, Fridays for Future and Defend the Defenders for Zoka forest.

These three empowered women focused their presentation on how melting glaciers in the Polar regions pose a major threat to our planet. They enlightened us with their knowledge about the Polar regions which have been severely impacted by climate change. Often the Arctic is thought to be barren, but it is rich in resources. These resources are trapped under the ice. As governments compete to get hold of these resources, the Arctic lies at a great risk.

Ms. Relph talked about how Global Choices aims to spread awareness about the climate fluctuations in earth and how they as an organization empower women.She emphasised that loss of ice is irreversible. “We can grow trees, but we cannot grow ice,” she said.

Ms. Wilkinson said that the Polar ice has a cooling effect on the earth which helps in temperature regulation of the planet. This is better known as the Albedo effect, where the snow plays an active role in reflecting back the Sun’s radiation and thus lowering the Earth’s temperature. This ensures that the Earth lies in the healthy temperature range.

Their Hands Off campaign calls upon the governments to distance themselves from oil and gas drilling, deep sea mining and willful harm to the ice.

If the problem of melting ice in Polar regions won’t be addressed, the Earth’s temperature will rise by several degrees and affect all living beings–not just the Polar bears who are expected to become extinct after about 80 years. This danger of extinction currently hovers over many other species.

Evelyn talked about how humanity will suffer from the disastrous effects. She gave the example of Uganda which has two periods of rain in a year. This country is prone to floods which cause a huge amount of damage to life and property. Global warming has cost this country dearly. She added that as the ice melts in the polar regions, the sea levels rise due to which islands and coastal regions lie at the risk of submerging. In order to prevent this we need to take action and hold governments accountable for the destruction they are causing to nature.

This whole presentation highlighted the grave danger which the Polar regions lie under and talked about how the regions serve as natural thermometers to check climate change.

Why We’ve Got it Wrong With the SDGs

The Decade of Action is marked by many great challenges. With a close deadline of 2030 to solve all of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), society must question whether our approaches towards them are inherently flawed in their ability to tackle these complex challenges. On July 23rd, university students, Don Sandev Ferdinando and Sanskriti Tandon pondered this question in a thought-provoking presentation about the insufficiencies of our implementation of the SDGs, breaking it down into 3 key reasons.

1. Trade-Offs

Importance or urgency was never a factor when choosing the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. “The idea is that we try to push the bar along for all 17 in whatever they do,” Ferdinando states in the workshop. In fact, none of the SDGs must be prioritized more than the other. So, in what way did we go wrong? The current capabilities of our modern society create increased difficulties which utilize solving separate goals and targets based on ease. Within SDG 2; zero hunger, target 3 calls for increased agricultural productivity, while target 4 calls to ensure sustainable food systems. Ferdinando reveals that,“The trade off comes in the fact that we’re not producing food in a sustainable way.” Even SDGs such as 13; climate action and 11; sustainable cities, oppose each other as our society currently cannot create cities without using a huge amount of resources and energy. “You’re achieving 11, but at the same time you’re pushing 13 down so far, ” Tandon states.

Contradiction creates priorities which introduce the possibilities of change for one SDG, but massive damage for others. These trade-offs limit the potential of the SDGs by clouding the collective purpose of them all.

2. Loopholes

Post-Soviet Russia in the 1990s was an era defined by fragility. Many industries left the country and their GDP fell about 50% after the event. Reliance on fossil fuels reduced as part of this occurrence. Now, in part of its commitment to SDG 13, Russia agreed to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 30% less than it’s initial post-Soviet Republic consumption rate. Not only were they able to adapt to this standard, they went below it, creating a loophole.

A loophole is the personification of immediate action without follow through. This creates a society of exemption and no responsibility. In the presentation, Tandon mentioned that,“The SDGs are completely voluntary. There is nothing binding you to holding yourself accountable.” With this loophole Russia was able to increase their use of fossil fuels without any serious consequences, in turn becoming critically insufficient in the grander scheme of climate action. “Though they may have resources they are acting in a very short term manner…looking at the repercussions in their own countries,” Tandon suggests, “Right now what we need is a more global approach,” Loopholes create no accountability, and without accountability, goals can be lost.

3. Societal Cooperation

In a broader sense, society can be determined by 3 key stakeholders; the government, the NGOs, and non-state actors. Each role brings about different levels and methods to making an impact, addressing different needs of citizens. Often, government bodies have wide scale impact, but fail to recognize the needs of the individual. “As a person living in a street, you know what goes well and what goes wrong,” Tandon states “but as a government bureaucracy you don’t necessarily know and understand what that person might need.” NGOs and non-state actors are equipped to specifically address local needs, but fall short on having a wide impact due to a lack of resources.

“We need governments and NGOs in the same room,” Ferdinando recommends. There are few formal dialogues that occur between these sectors of the world. Even when they interact, they’re still separated by their differing priorities. This distinction often prevents real exchange from occurring. Combining the strengths of all 3 sectors create the potential of having transformative change in the fight for 2030.

Both Tandon and Ferdinando believe in the mission of the SDGs. “The framework works wonderfully,” Tandon mentions, “but the solutions that were implemented are not in the capacity that will allow us to always achieve the 2030 vision.” Non-state actors, NGOs, and government bodies must come together simultaneously eradicating trade offs and eventually collectively deciding to eliminate loopholes. Covid-19 has made a fierce attempt to pause our efforts towards progressing the SDGs. More pronounced than ever is the greater need for world collaboration, acknowledging all facets of society in working towards actual sustainable solutions.

GLOBAL SUMMIT 2.0

MUN Impact Global Summit 2.0: Driving Impact and Action for the SDGs

Last month, MUN Impact launched its first-ever Global Summit. At the time of its birth, we had no idea how successful it would be. But with student presenters, influential UN-affiliated speakers, and dedicated change-makers coming together, the Summit exceeded all expectations. It brought together young people all over the world into a supportive, inspiring, and enriching ecosystem. The future of the SDGs never looked so bright.

But this coming October, MUN Impact will launch the Global Summit 2.0. This three-day event will be devoted purely to action and change-making. There will be multiple workshops held by students, thought leaders, and UN officials. Learn how to use your knowledge and skills gained from MUN to drive action and impact into your communities.

The MUNI Global Summit 2.0 will feature three exciting strands: Inspiration, SDG Sandbox, and the Dolphin Pool. You’ll be able to pick workshops and sessions based on your interest and experience.

Preregister for the SUMMIT HERE

The first strand, Inspiration, offers ideas and ingenuity for advancing the SDGs. Take a peek inside the initiatives, projects, and creative ways MUN clubs, students and thought leaders are effectuating change. And leave with ideas on how you can take action and be part of a growing network of change makers.

The second strand, the SDG Sandbox, is composed of 90-minute collaborative sessions through which you’ll learn how to plan a project that solves a problem in your local or global community.

Finally, the last strand is the Dolphin Pool. Pitching an idea is a delicate art — but one you can master. Contrary to the competitive ‘Shark Tank’, our take on pitching involves teamwork, collaboration and communication — skills that dolphins are masters of. Take the idea you developed in the SDG Sandbox, and refine and develop a pitch with our guidance. Then you’ll be able to make a case for your one-of-a-kind SDG project.

We’ll also host a number of social hours at the end of each Summit Day. These are a place where you can hang out, make new friends, listen to music, etc.

The MUNI Global Summit 2.0 is sure to be bigger, more practical, and more influential than our last Summit. Make sure you don’t miss it. It’s the next step towards tackling the SDGs and creating a brighter future for us all. Pre-registration is open now. For more information please see the MUN Impact Summit website here.

Dates: October 23 – October 25

By: Jonathan Sunkari

Mr Andrew Hudson: SDG 14 Oceans – Challenges, Opportunities and UNDP Response

Mr. Andrew Hudson is the Head of Water & Ocean Governance United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). He initiated several signature UNDP water and ocean programmes including MDG GoAL-WaSH (Governance, Advocacy and Leadership for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene), global scaling up of UNDP-Coca Cola Company Every Drop Matters Partnership, UNDP Shared Waters Partnership, GEF International Waters Learning Exchange and Resource Network (IW:LEARN) and the 2020 launch of UNDP Ocean Innovation Challenge. He presented on Session 1 on the first day of our Global Summit.

When you think of the environmental crisis, does ocean pollution and overfishing come to mind? While often overlooked, oceans absorb around 40% of carbon dioxide emitted every year. Moreover, marine ecosystems host approximately 17,000 species. Threats to oceans include pollution, overfishing, and acidification which would pose a plethora of issues for humans and nature. Our esteemed guest speaker, Mr. Hudson noted that the damage to marine ecosystems costs 13 billion dollars every year.

The focus of Mr. Hudson’s presentation was on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal SDG 14 ‘conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. Among the many things that Mr Hudson discussed, were the different SDG 14 targets, the progress of achieving SDG 14 targets, and the multi-dimensional threats posed of not address the ocean crisis. His presentation was very inspiring and informative, with plenty of graphs and charts to demonstrate the urgency of achieving SDG 14.

For your reference, these are the SDG targets that were discussed.

14.1: Prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds

14.2: Sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, and take action for their restoration to achieve healthy and productive oceans

14.3: Minimize and address the effects of ocean acidification

14.4: Effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans

14.5: Conserve at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas

14.6: Prohibit certain forms of fisheries subsidies which contribute to overcapacity and overfishing, eliminate subsidies that contribute to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and refrain from introducing new such subsidies

14.7: Increase the economic benefits to Small Island developing States and least developed countries from the sustainable use of marine resources

According to National Geographic, ocean overfishing is simply the taking of wildlife from the sea at rates too high for fished species to replace themselves. Mr. Hudson warns that unsustainable fishing practices may both harm the environment and the economy. For example, big industrial fishing operations that aggressively catch large amounts of fish through new technology, disadvantage millions as many local communities rely on fishing for their livelihood and diet.

Mr. Hudson suggests that tackling ocean pollution and overfishing should be through technical, political, economical, and financial facets. In his own words “multiple sectors are needed at all levels of governance”. This is to ensure long-term solutions in achieving SDG 14. He also advises individuals to participate in initiatives such as the Ocean Innovation Challenge by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and partnerships to increase the efforts in tackling threats to the ocean. Most importantly, Mr Hudson advocates that incentives should be given to encourage environmentally-friendly practices.

Mr. Hudson’s presentation thoroughly explained why the protection of oceans should be a priority on our agenda. Overlooking this matter would have harsh consequences on our planet because oceans are largely interconnected with the climate. We would like to truly thank Mr. Hudson for presenting at our Summit.

By Omayma Cherkaoui

Ella Sobhani and Vivian Wu – Project Aquascope – Environmental Sustainability, STEM and Youth Entrepreneurship

MUN debates are excellent at coming up with ideas and initiatives, but a lot of those ideas get left behind and never get implemented. However, two MUN delegates, Ella and Vivian break that norm by taking their passion for MUN beyond conferences and debate to their initiative, Project Aquascope. The project, which is based on three pillars, Environmental Sustainability, STEM Education, and Youth Empowerment, aims to make education and innovation accessible to all. All three of those pillars were very present in the talk.

The project originated from the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) orientated initiative, Project Foldscope, which aimed to solve an accessibility problem in science through the creation of an affordable $1 origami microscope which helped make STEM education widely accessible. However, Ella and Vivian decided to change the focus of the project to be more environmentally orientated. Project Foldscope had made massive advances in lowering boundaries in STEM, but the duo believed a re-evaluation was necessary to make Project Foldscope even more successful. This was particularly evident on a trip to Panama where Ella and Vivian found that students were more interested in the microscope than the actual science that they were supposed to be studying.

Upon a re-evaluation of the program, three traits were decided on to try to make STEM even more accessible to students. These are, Practical, Beneficial, and Engaging. These traits were important in getting students involved and helped lead them to find an aim for this redesigned program. Therefore, Project Aquascope aims to try and reduce food scarcity through Aquaponics, an innovative agriculture process where plants sit on top of fish tanks and as a result the plants draw nutrients from the animal waste in the tanks below them. This creates an organic method of fertilization for the plants and is very cost and space effective. Project Aquascope is also driven by the SDGs and the project’s Three Pillars can be linked very closely to the goals. This was important for Ella and Vivian as SDGs 4 & 10, in particular, have a very close relationship to them.

After a very informative description of their project, the talk then took a turn towards a more interactive workshop, focusing on their third pillar, Youth Empowerment. Some advice they gave to attendees was to talk to people about your ideas and take risks to get your projects running. Following some advice, a mix and match activity aimed to get participants thinking about how they could turn their passions and skills into projects which would help tackle the globes’ issues and could even be linked to the SDGs. For example, one idea turned a person’s interest in music and their passion for different cultures into a multicultural music festival with the focus of celebrating our diversity as humans.

Ella and Vivian’s workshop reminded attendees of the impact humans, and the youth, can have and served as an inspiration for many other MUN delegates to take their skills and ideas, and use them to make a difference for others.

By William W.

MUN en Casa by YudLeads: Making online MUN accessible to ALL (English)

Alejandro Borja, Camila Cabrera, and Antonella Cicconi gave us an incredible presentation where they made us question our ideas about Latin America.

Alejandro, the executive director and founder of YudLeads, was a lead mentor along with Antonella and Camila for a program developed by him and his colleagues called MUN en Casa. He is currently studying law at Universidad San Francisco de Quito. He is a teacher by vocation, a specialist in youth empowerment, who’s passionate about MUN and dance.

Camila is a co-founder of YudLeads and as mentioned before she was also a lead mentor for MUN@home however, she also performed a role as a translator during the program. Currently, she’s a student at the Faculty of Law of Universidad San Francisco de Quito. Camila is also a specialist in creating public policies but above all, she has a very particular interest in education and gender equality.

Antonella is a professional interpreter who graduated from the Universidad del Museo Social Argentino and an assistant professor of the “English language” at the university. In addition to being a founder, director, and teacher of ‘help! – Center of English Language Studies’ she is studying pedagogy and is completely passionate about her work, art, and education as she believes that education is one of the most powerful tools to complete the SDGs.

Alejandro commented that Latin America is the region with the highest inequality ranges as only 10% of the population speaks the English language fluently. English language speakers are mostly private school students or people with a high economic flow. Inspired by these data the team of YudLeads decided to reduce inequalities by creating a program that was completely developed in Spanish.

MUN en C@sa took the initiatives of MUN@Home and translated them into Spanish, however, as the program advanced, the awareness of the cultural differences between Latin America and the United States just increased.

The apps used at MUN@Home were completely unknown for Latin America delegates so the lead mentors had to change to something easier: google classroom.

The delegates were divided into committees chaired by a lead mentor and two mentors, the lead mentors were people with a lot of experience in MUN who had key knowledge to start the program while the mentors were people who knew MUN didn’t have enough experience that’s why they took courses to become better.

The teaching strategy was not only a mentor talking about the topics, but also sharing experiences and creating ties within the program. The objective was to create a closeness between delegates, mentors, and lead mentors, and as Antonella said “we learn from the delegates, and the delegates learn from us.”

The objective of the program was fulfilled, the lead mentors invited recognized speakers each week and the delegates not only listened to the presentations but got engaged to it.

One session per week was not enough, so one delegate proposed to have extra sessions and also have weekly debates where an SDG would be evaluated. The mentors not only listened to the proposal but executed it.

Engaging delegates was an easy task, although the challenge that constantly arose was to ensure that delegates had an appropriate vocabulary for discussions and that they felt safe applying what they had learned.

However, step by step, the delegates achieved the use of proper language and felt safe while talking.

All knowledge can be obtained from our homes, it is our responsibility not only as delegates, diplomats or ambassadors but as global citizens to inform ourselves about the situation around us.

“A great speaker is one who manages to awaken certain emotions in the audience that others would not, is one who makes people feel as if the speech were theirs”

-ALRO.

By Aleha

MUN en Casa by YudLeads: Making online MUN accessible to ALL

Alejandro Borja, Camila Cabrera y Antonella Cicconi nos dieron una increíble presentación en donde nos hicieron cambiar nuestros ideales sobre Latinoamérica.

Alejandro, es el director ejecutivo y fundador de YudLeads, fue lead mentor junto con Antonella y Camila para un programa desarrollado por él y sus colegas llamado MUN en Casa, actualmente se encuentra estudiando leyes en la universidad San Francisco de Quito. Es docente por vocación, especialista en empoderamiento juvenil y apasionado por los modelos ONU y la danza.

Camila, es co-fundadora de YudLeads y como fue mencionado antes también fue lead mentor para MUN en casa sin embargo, ella también desarrolló una función como traductora durante el programa. Actualmente, es estudiante en la facultad de derecho de la universidad San Francisco de Quito y es especialista en creación de políticas públicas, Camila tiene un interés muy particular sobre la educación y la equidad de género.

Antonella, es una intérprete profesional graduada de la Universidad del Museo Social Argentino y profesora asistente de “English lenguage” en la misma. Además de ser fundadora, directora y profesora de help!- Centre of english Language Studies está estudiando pedagogía y es apasionada sobre su trabajo, el arte y la educación ya que cree que la educación es una de las herramientas más poderosas para poder completar los ODS.

Alejandro comentó que América Latina es la región con los rangos de desigualdad más altos y que solamente el 10% de la población habla el idioma inglés de una forma fluída. Los hablantes de el idioma inglés son mayormente estudiantes de escuelas privadas o personas con un flujo económico alto, esto fue lo que inspiró al equipo de YudLeads a ponerle un alto a que las personas hablantes de inglés tuvieran más oportunidades.

MUN en C@sa, tomó las iniciativas de MUN@Home y las traducido al español, sin embargo al ir desarrollando el programa, cada vez se percataba un poco más de las diferencias culturales entre latinoamérica y Estados Unidos.

En el programa de MUN@Home, se usan aplicaciones con las que las personas de Latinoamérica no están familiarizadas y al implementarlas el equipo nos cuenta que muchos de los delegados tenían problemas manejandolas o no recibían las notificaciones apropiadamente entonces, decidieron cambiar a algo más dinámico y con lo que todos estuvieran de acuerdo: google classroom. Los delegados fueron divididos en comités dirigidos por un lead mentor y dos mentores, los lead mentors eran personas con mucha experiencia en MUN que tenían conocimientos claves para poner en marcha el programa mientras que los mentores eran personas quienes tenían conocimientos sobre MUN más no la suficiente experiencia pero, para una experiencia de aprendizaje más enriquecedora se les impartieron cursos a los mentores.

La estrategia didáctica no fue solamente un mentor hablando sobre los temas si no, compartiendo experiencias y creando lazos dentro del programa. El objetivo era crear una cercanía entre delegados, mentores y lead mentors y como Antonella dijo “nosotros aprendemos de los delegados, y los delegados de nosotros.”

El objetivo del programa se cumplió, los lead mentors nos cuentan que al llevar a presentadores reconocidos cada semana, los delegados mostraron un interés muy grande hacia los temas y no solamente se sentaban a escuchar la sesión si no que también se involucraron en ella y hacían lo posible por sacar lo mejor de cada una de ellas.

Tanto fue el compromiso de los delegados que no era suficiente una sesión a la semana por lo que un delegado propuso tener sesiones extra y también tener debates semanales en donde se evaluaría un ODS y así fue, los lead mentors no sólo escucharon si no, que implementaron los deseos de los delegados.

Involucrar a los delegados fue una tarea fácil, aunque el reto que constantemente se presentaba era lograr que los delegados tuvieran un vocabulario apropiado para los debates y que se sintieran seguros ejecutando lo aprendido ya que constantemente sentían que estaban haciendo algo mal.

Empero, paso a paso se logró que los delegados emplean un lenguaje adecuado y que se sintieran seguros haciéndolo.

La conclusión a la que se llegó es que todo el conocimiento lo podemos obtener desde nuestras casas, es nuestra responsabilidad no sólo como delegados, diplomáticos o embajadores si no, como ciudadanos globales informarnos sobre la situación a nuestro alrededor.

“Un gran orador es aquel que logra despertar en la audiencia ciertas emociones que de otra forma no lo harían, es aquel que hace que las personas sientan como si el discurso fuera suyo”

-ALRO

By Aleha

An Interview with Arya Kanade

Arya Kanade presented her workshop, Ladies First, to not only a female audience, but also male students and guests as a way to explain that feminism does not have one of its definitions as specific to females, and much more. Neha Varadharajan interviewed her:

How did you find out about the Global Summit?

-I found out about the Global Summit from MUN Impact’s Instagram profile.

How are you associated with MUN Impact?

– I am currently serving as the Diplomat to the MENA region, and I am also serving as the Debates Mentor Officer of E4J with OMUN

3.What was the brainchild of your workshop?

– I was scrolling through Instagram (which is something i have been doing with increasing frequency)

There, i came across a video of a boy talking about why he was not a feminist. That intrigued me, and got me thinking about the reason I am a feminist. That made me decide to present my workshop at the Global Summit on modern day implications of feminism.

4. Why did you find it relevant to present at the Global Summit?

-I found it to be rather relevant because gender equality or SDG 5 has major importance in today’s world for two reasons:

A) even though patriarchy isn’t blatantly seen in our society, its subtle signs are still very prevalent. Female politicians still have to care more about their appearance, and female workers still have to fight for equal pay

B) in LEDCs, even basic rights like the right to bodily autonomy, the right to education and many others aren’t available for girls and women.

Hence, i found the issue of gender inequality to be all the more pressing, because people think it has been solved; but that couldn’t be farther away from the true implications of gender inequality in our society.

5. How far do you think we are from associating equality between men and women?

-I have hope, of course, that we aren’t very far away. I imagine that we all will soon realize how ridiculous it is to ostracize people just because of something that’s not even in their control.

If people start taking gender inequality seriously, then we can achieve the SDG 5 within the next 10 years. But the slight, nuanced implications that are very subtle, will take a lot longer to get rid of.

6. Would you like to describe feminism in a few sentences of your own?

Feminism is an ideology that predominantly focuses on maintaining equality between different genders across the board. That’s it. According to me, feminism is a rather simple concept that has been complicated beyond requirement, which is what makes the whole concept sound complicated, which it truly is not. Even though everyone’s definition of what feminism means may vary, at the end of the day, the goal of the movement is common; equality between all genders.

7. Who are some of the women you admire?

There are so many women who inspire me, mostly because they were pioneers in their respective fields, even if they were predominantly male-dominated

For example; Frida Kahlo, Malala Yousufzai, Olympe de gouges, Marie curie and the list can go on and on for miles

8. What inspiring quote (of your own/favorite) would you tell ladies first?

My favourite quote has to be “Ladies first. Not because ladies are more important. But because ladies are equally important.”

This is my own quote, and i genuinely think it states the difference between equity and equality pretty well, which was one of the goals of my workshop!

Dr. Anthony Speca: Model Arctic Council and Sustainable Development

During the third session on the first day of the Global Summit, Dr. Anthony Speca, an accomplished professor, teacher, and activist spoke to a group of MUN delegates about his work with the Arctic. Speca is an Adjunct Professor of Canadian studies at Trent University in Canada, as well as a teacher of PPE and Geography at Norwich school in the UK. He is also a formal civil servant within the government of Nunavut in Canadian Arctic. He is a strong advocate for Arctic environments as well as Arctic residents, as he founded a consultancy in 2012 called Principal of Polar Aspect. He also created and launched a secondary school Model Arctic Council (MAC) that currently collaborates with different universities in both Canada and the UK.

Dr. Speca himself is a resident of Canadian Arctic and is very passionate about introducing the Arctic to today’s youth. He believes that the Arctic should first and foremost be seen as a homeland rather than a pristine wilderness prone to climate change. While it is true that the Arctic is in some sense, a fragile environment due to increasing temperatures, it is also a land that is home to over 4 million people. He wants to change the image that comes to mind when people think of the Arctic and shine more light upon the people who live there.

Speca jumped into his presentation by explaining what the Arctic is seen as in western culture. He gave a few examples of stereotypes given to the environment. One was that the Arctic is seen as a very fragile ecosystem that needs to be protected from both industrialism and climate change. Next, he said that it is seen as a place where human limits are tested by the inhospitable wilderness of terrain and dangerous animals- a place where only explorers travel on expeditions. Then Speca spoke about how it is a global treasure chest where resources need to be exploited because the Arctic is an environment that is “untouched by man”. Lastly, he explained how it is most commonly seen as a climate disaster and it is our only shot of redemption to stop climate change and all of its effects. Dr. Speca went on to discuss how the Arctic is not these things. He said that all the stereotypes western culture has labeled the Arctic fail to represent the people who actually live there.

Dr. Speca’s goal is not only to fight climate change in the Arctic, but also fight for the rights of indigenous people who live there. He shined light upon issues that are often overlooked by outsiders and have not been advocated for. For example, threats to indigenous people and their cultures, how climate change has affected infrastructure and the safety of citizens, high cost of living, limited access to public goods such as health care and education, and above average poverty rates. However, Speca made it evident that public officials and other people outside of the Arctic are only concerned about the wilderness aspect. For instance, a ban was put on seal hunting in the 1970s however, this tremendously affected the way of life for indigenous people, as they could no longer use the pelts or meat the seals, which were both necessary for living. Unfortunately, people did not see the effects of this legal ban and livelihoods were destroyed. This is only one example of how “imaginaries” of the Arctic affect policy decisions.

In conclusion, Dr. Speca created an interesting presentation that built a better understanding of the reality of life in the Arctic. His speech helped his audience understand that it is not just a delicate environment in need of help, but it is a place where people live day to day and experience life just as everyone else. He unbunked many stereotypes that portray the Arctic in unrealistic ways that have led to many misconceptions. Dr. Speca was a great person to present in the Global Summit because he was very passionate about his work and did a great job of introducing the Arctic to the youth of the MUN program.

Dr. Walter Simonsen: How MUN Impacted my Life as an Educator and Musician

On the first day of the Summit, Dr. Walter Simonsen gave a presentation during the fourth and final session, about his personal experiences with the MUN program and how it has impacted his professional life as a musician and educator. Simonsen grew up in Mission Viejo, California where he attended high school and became active in the MUN program as a delegate. He later went on to graduate from North Texas University in 2000 where he studied jazz. He became the Assistant Director of the USC Marching Band and helped them to perform at large events such as major football games. Simonsen has had many opportunities to travel the world as he’s been to places such as Singapore, London, and Germany. He’s also worked with very well known musicians and artists such as Alicia Keys and Micheal Buble!

As stated before, Simonsen became active in MUN during his high school years in California. The program allowed him to find a love for travel as he attended conferences in Beijing and New York City, as well as Harvard and Berkeley school of music. By becoming introduced to travel, he learned more about international relations concerning how the world connects. He explained that MUN helped him learn about different world perspectives which ultimately broadened his mindset about the world.

Along with learning about different places around the world, Simonsen also worked on individual skills such as organization, public speaking, and collaborating with others. He described to his audience that he has always been a shy person, but MUN created a space where he was able to break out of his comfort zone and do things he never thought he could do. He described how MUN has taught him collaboration, leadership skills, and improvisation which are all things he uses in his professional life. For example, Simonsen talked about how he’s now able to show up to a gig and easily work with others for a show or performance while still making sure everyone feels included. He also explained that he has a strong understanding of how to handle different types of people based on how they learn. He acknowledges that different people receive and obtain information in different ways, so he has to be patient while adapting to new learning styles.

Throughout his presentation, Simonsen showed videos of himself playing the trumpet both for his band called “The Red Light Brass Band”, and for the USC Marching Band. He also engaged the delegates in his live zoom performance of a song from 1952, called “Bernie’s Tune”. The audience loved it!

When asked the question, “How do you think music can create social change?” he replied, “Music always has a goal. So for example, during the Civil Rights Movement, people created music about being black in that time and it helped motivate people to make a change. Also, people crave honesty, and music is nothing but raw emotion that reveals the truth. That’s what makes it so beautiful.” From this quote alone, it is obvious that Dr. Simonsen has a strong passion for music and how it can be seen in the bigger picture. He closed his presentation by stating that hate has no place in our world and that educated individuals are the ones who will bring us all together.

By Audrey Pinson