By Shambhawi Sahoo

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Pedro Henrique Lima do Nascimento is currently working at Boa Vista, Brazil for The Office of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) helping Venezuelan refugees to start a new life in Brazil. In this workshop, he took a dive into his journey from an MUN delegate to being a part of the UNHCR.

Mr. Pedro began with sharing his experience of his first MUN conference. In 2009, he participated in Model United Nations for High School Students (SiNUS) held by the University of Brasília. He represented Chad in the Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee which was discussing the issue of Children Refugees in Sub-Saharan Africa. This experience made him determined to make a difference in the lives of refugees. Throughout his MUN journey, he had the opportunity to meet heads of state as well as several UN officials.

Talking about his work with UNHCR, he started working in 2019 at Pacaraima at the Brazilian-Venezuelan border. At Pacaraima, he held multiple sessions on the rights of refugees and migrants with about five hundred people attending the sessions everyday. Apart from this, he also worked with registering refugees in the UN data system. He has been working in Boa Vista since March this year. He registers and documents the refugees as well as provides support to domestic resettlement and cash based intervention teams.  

According to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, refugees are granted the right of non-refoulement, which is the right to not enter the country where they are persecuted. Besides this Convention, the 1984 Cartagena Declaration on Refugees is a regional Latin American instrument which highlights the rights of refugees. Mr. Pedro briefly talked about the UNHCR which was established in 1950 by the United Nations General Assembly to provide critical emergency assistance to displaced populations. He said that 29.6 million refugees are outside of their country of origin in refugee-like situations and two-thirds of them are from one of the five countries- Afghanistan, Myanmar, South Sudan, Syria and Venezuela as of 17 June, 2020. 

He mentioned that the Brazilian government under its “Operation Welcome” receives Venezuelan refugees with support from UNHCR. He then pointed out, in Brazil, 95% of refugees are Venezuelans. Here, 102,504 Venezuelans have requested refugee status of which 54,167 have been granted the status as of 30 August, 2020. An additional 148, 782 have requested for temporary asylum in Brazil. The UNHCR in Brazil is providing assistance to the refugees in the form of shelter, food, cash, organising awareness campaigns related to COVID-19 and rights of refugees, providing durable solutions which include helping them to find jobs and a settled livelihood in Brazil.  

When asked what is the best way for students to be engaged with the UN, he answered that there are several internship programmes available for which students can enroll. Also, taking part in Model UN conferences is an excellent way to get a taste of diplomacy. He highlighted his own experience of his first MUN conference where the MUN had partnered with UNHCR which sparked his interest to work for the betterment of refugees. When questioned about the most challenging thing he came across, he answered that listening to the stories of refugees, most of whom have been severely tortured and abused, proved to be a major challenge for him. 

He added that one who is preparing to work for the cause of refugees should be strong hearted and prepared to listen to their stories.

The workshop was highly informative and provided a sneak-peek into the refugee life as well as the impact UNHCR has on the lives of countless displaced people. It left the participants feeling inspired to work for a cause. 

The full recorded session of this workshop can be accessed here.

Valentina Raymond

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Como ciudadanos globales, es importante reconocer el patriotismo y a la vez no caer en los extremos del mismo. Samantha Arias, ecuatoriana y estudiante extranjera en Moscú, nos cuenta su perspectiva sobre el ser patriota y evadir la xenofobia en el marco de los Objetivos del Desarrollo Sostenible. 

Dentro de las principales enseñanzas que ha tenido fuera de su país, se encuentra el entusiasmo por lo desconocido, el sentirse ajeno a otra cultura y a la vez aprender de esta y el conocer otro idioma adentrándose a otra mentalidad, por lo que de esta manera, Samanta ha aprendido a ser objetiva. 

Después de introducirnos al tema, la expositora explica a profundidad lo que es el patriotismo, entendiendo por este término, el deseo de pertenecer a un grupo y de una manera más específica, es la pasión y el amor de un patriota apasionado por su propio país. En esta línea, analizamos las diferentes aristas del mismo; recalcando primero el sistema educativo y cultural, donde el patriotismo es un mecanismo de defensa para que las culturas perduren en el tiempo, la analogía de héroes, donde el sacrificio patriótico puede conllevar a sacrificarse por el país en batallas o guerras, el fenómeno: político, històrico, cultural y psicológico, existiendo en este una respuesta cognitivo-motivacional, y por último el patriotismo como una acción o verbo, naciendo así el patriotismo pasivo o activo. 

Se enfatizó las diferencias entre nacionalismo y etnocentrismo, conceptos esenciales a conocer, siendo el primero la autodeterminación del grupo como nación y el segundo aceptar el propio grupo y rechazar a otros. Esto nos guió a entender el racismo, el cual es un término más global, a diferencia de la xenofobia que es de manera específica el odio hacia el extranjero, Samantha resalta que las personas caen en esta, al defender la bandera de la patria y no de la humanidad, poniendo el ejemplo de América Latina, explicó cómo los desplazamientos han generado situaciones de racismo y exclusión social, es por ello que como jóvenes debemos ser embajadores y menciona que estos espacios son un ejemplo de cómo evadir la xenofobia.

“Globaliza tu mente” nos dice Samantha, al globalizarnos somos ciudadanos conocedores de nuestra cultura e informados, pero a su vez debemos leer sobre otras culturas y liderar el camino de la inclusión, permitiendo así que lo ajeno nos enseñe algo diferente. El apoyar la humanidad y no la nacionalidad, ya que las fronteras no deben ser un obstáculo para el entendimiento. 

Entre una de las dudas de los participantes, se encontraba el cómo ser un buen compatriota, a lo cual la expositora respondió que es aquella persona que antes de preocuparse de la superioridad de su nación, es responsable con ella, siendo activa en política, en cambio climático y ayudando a generar conciencia.

Enfocándose en los ODS 4, 10 y 16, Samantha nos ha dejado diferentes enseñanzas; el abrir la mente y ser personas informadas, nos compartió su lema “ Empecemos a humanizarnos”, siendo este un taller de jóvenes para jóvenes, donde es importante saber que el mundo se vendrá abajo si no nos atrevemos a conectar y recordar que tal vez no podamos hacerlo todo, pero sí lograr un cambio.

By Meenakshi Mariappan

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Although it was a “cloudy and miserable” day down in Vienna as attested by our speaker, Mr Gilberto Duarte, the session inarguably enlightened all those present about the rule of law. Joining us from Austria, was Mr Gilberto Duarte who works at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The session was also attended by a diverse group of participants representing around 15 countries and regions, spanning from South India to Central America and everywhere in between. And as Mr Duarte rightfully noted, this diversity is “what MUN Impact and the Global Summit is all about!”

Getting into the specifics of the session, the first question touched upon was evidently this: “What is the rule of law?” To help participants answer this question, Mr Duarte introduced some more questions as food for thought. “Which of these causes more deaths worldwide? Armed conflict or homicide? Whilst the chat was immediately flooded by responses from participants, Mr Duarte played to our sense of eagerness and curiosity by not immediately disclosing the answers. When participants were then asked what came to their minds when talking about ‘the rule of law,’ few answers which seemed to resonate across the enthusiastic group of attendees were “justice, equality, humanity and that no one is above the law.” 

In revealing what the UN actually pronounces as the rule of law, Mr Duarte finally shared with the group the definition as can be found on un.org/ruleoflaw. “For the United Nations (UN) system, the rule of law is a principle of governance in which all persons, institutions and entities, public and private, including the State itself, are accountable to laws that are publicly promulgated, equally enforced and independently adjudicated, and which are consistent with international human rights norms and standards.” At this point, he stopped to provide some alarming statistics; homicide caused the most deaths worldwide at a staggering 400,000 whilst armed conflict caused only 80,000 deaths. In putting forth these questions, Mr Duarte was able to successfully draw connections between these issues and the rule of law. In relation to the UNODC, the speaker went on to say that their work revolves around some “core rule of law issues,” including corruption and integrity, crime prevention and criminal justice, and organised crime. 

“But with ten years left for the 2030 agenda, what does this mean for the rule of law and SDG 16 during the decade of action?” Surprisingly, Mr Duarte informs participants that “for the very first time, SDG 16 — Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions — has been identified as part of the 2030 agenda; it means the rule of law is key to achieving the SDGs.” Upon further discussion from both Mr Duarte and the participants’ side, it was also observed that various other SDGs have targets directly linked to the rule of law. These include, but are not limited to, SDGs 4 (quality education), 5 (gender equality), 8 (decent work and economic growth), 10 (reduced inequalities), 11 (sustainable cities and communities), 15 (life on land), and of course, 16. However, it was later said that the Pathfinders, as they call themselves, “created an approach to look at the rule of law and all of the SDGs,” more information on which can be found at www.sdg16.plus. To end the session on a relevant note, there was an unavoidable discussion on the Covid-19 pandemic and how it has affected the rule of law and efforts to achieve SDG 16 in particular. 

As all participants were hence able to see, the rule of law is “not a simple thing,” the speaker pointed out, “there are multiple dimensions to it.” In addition to reiterating the significance of the rule of law, there was one takeaway that shone through all aspects of discussion and interaction in the session: “The SDGs are all interconnected. All goals matter.”

The full recorded session of this workshop can be accessed here.

By Vedant Kulkarni

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If you wish to make your own MUN Club as a self-sustaining structure, maintaining longevity, then this amazing workshop by Jamie Nunnikhoven  (Secretary-General for MUNI Global) and María Fernández elucidated crystal clear ways and insights on how to do so successfully.

 Firstly describing the primary reason for creating a MUN Impact (MUNI) club, they highlighted the need to make a change and difference to society and finding out YOUR reason to do so. They explicitly asserted that it is via MUNI clubs where you can promote your niche of SDGs among youth.

 Coming directly to the point, the requirements for establishing or starting a MUN Impact club were expounded as:

 1) Hosting a MUNI workshop to educate others on MUNI resources 

2) Running SDG action campaigns 

3) Sharing your action story on the MUNI blog.

THE most important key to success is an effective TEAM to work with, and to keep them engaged, you need to involve thinking and doing, both aspects simultaneously, with a focus on small and wide projects with continuity and effective communication.

The second component for running it steadily is persistence, where you need to run several activities weekly or monthly to keep your team and audience engaged with you.

The presenters constructively expounded upon various activities and experiences that they conducted in their schools and clubs like various awareness-raising competitions and SDG campaigns, donations to charities, beach, and river clean-ups and inspired the audience with their upcoming projects of Clean up School campaigns- all for dual purpose – the betterment of society and advancement of MUN clubs.

All the examples were suitably described with guidance with respect to individual situations.

Presenters also brought forth solutions for the progression of the club in this pandemic situation, such as:

1) Promoting MUN@Home or its linguistic versions (Spanish, Arabic and French),

2) Online forums and events 

3) Debates presentations for awareness, donation campaigns, individual activities, and so on…

I, as a press team member, was lucky enough to ask questions to the presenters regarding the content, and they answered my questions brilliantly:

Q. How do we start our activities for a MUN Impact club without high budgets :

A:  Start with small goals, it does not require much money, but the key components are more people and more time. You can try out fundraising, or you can expect some funds from your school.

Q. What are the key factors for running the MUNI club online?

A: The key factors are: communication, regular meetings with people throughout the year, and continuity.

Q. How can we convince the School administrator to start the MUNI club at school?

A:  Help the school sell their products: have them advertise themselves and explain how this club will advertise and publicize and benefit the school. With this, your school would be ready to invest in your club.

The presenters implored all the participants who had their own clubs to partner with MUN impact for exponential growth and unprecedented benefits in developing their goals.

So why wait? Partner with MUNI with this link: https://munimpact.org/get-involved/partner-clubs/

The full recorded session of this workshop can be accessed here.

By Shambhawi Sahoo

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Anagha and Priyasha Chakravarti are twin sisters who are seniors at International School, Manila, The Phillippines. They are deeply passionate about international affairs and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  They presented to a group of about thirty participants as to how they can contribute to the SDGs and provided a brief description of how they can participate in the upcoming Yale MUN.

The workshop kick-started with a brief introduction to the SDGs and the role they play in our society. Anagha then asked the participants to define sustainability in their own words. The answers ranged from inclusive policies, a continuous fight against injustice to protecting our future and taking the needs of future generations into consideration. She went on to aptly define sustainability as ‘meeting our own needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.’ Next followed a jamboard session where the participants had to briefly introduce themselves and write which SDG needs to be in the lens of policymakers in their country. Priyasha explained how countries contribute to the fulfillment of the SDGs. They try to create awareness among their citizens through articles, videos and local and community based projects. They take action by passing UN resolutions and enacting legislation in different sections of the society. The countries could be  held accountable for their work through data monitoring. Further, by addressing the ideas of youth and implementing them they can create a better environment.

The session went on to make the audience familiar with the various types of activism and the impact they create. Slack activism is characterised by posting petitions and reposting images related to a concerned issue. Anagha pointed out that this type of activism fails to bring about a change in the situation, such as the Black-Out Tuesday where netizens posted a black image in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Performance activism is brought about through virtual fundraisers and sending mails to policy makers and officials. Real activism is when people march out on streets and protest against injustice and force the concerned authorities to look upon the situation. 

The second part of the workshop revolved around the Yale MUN Conference for which the sisters serve as ambassadors. First up, they asked the participants to display their understanding of a Model UN conference in one word. The answers ranged from diplomacy, leadership and learning, to collaboration, debate and discussion, amongst many others. Anagha went on to introduce the Yale MUN (YMUN) Conference which would be held virtually from 21st to 24th of January 2021. This conference will allow participants to learn about the workings of global politics and engage them in international topics, adopt new perspectives and develop solutions to global problems. Prior to the conference there will be a Social Impact Challenge conducted by YMUN based on the theme “Empower others.” It will be a competition that will involve creating and proposing your own SDG project. The winners will receive funds and mentorship to bring their project to life. The first round will include submitting a written idea statement outlining a problem and the proposed solution. The second round will ask the participants to submit an essay and project description with a detailed recount of the social challenge and the solutions. Finally, the third round will involve the teams submitting a short video where they will present their refined ideas to a panel of judges.

In the next part of the workshop Priyasha talked about the various initiatives they have taken part in. They got involved with an organisation called Ramakrishna Mission which organised a free dental check up as well physiotherapy sessions for residents of a particular area in Manila. They also got involved with Puno, an organisation aimed at protecting the environment and took part in launching an ebook called Perla’s Pasig River Adventures. They distributed tablets with this ebook in a local school to raise awareness about pollution of the Pasig River in the Phillippines. 

The workshop rounded the basic elements of leadership as well as international affairs. It encouraged the participants to get out of their comfort zone and bring about a change in their community.

The full recorded session of this workshop can be accessed here.

By Shambhawi Sahoo

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Afrah Shuja, a student of Al Khaleej National School presented to a group of about thirty participants in this highly interactive workshop. The workshop was divided into four segments.

In the first segment, she talked about how she turned her passion for psychology into an entrepreneurial project called LiveX. This project aims at providing accessible mental healthcare to people through artificial intelligence systems. She described the Livex phase plan which involved- organising outreach programs like mental health awareness events and creating digital resources on their website; getting funds by applying for awards to gain recognition and pitching in investors to invest in their project; enhancing marketing services through visual promotion events and collaborations; and developing tech systems by a hiring a dedicated team. She added that cold-emailing proved an effective method to amass support for the LiveX project. Reaching out to family members, friends, teachers was another way of gaining support. With collective efforts and consistency, LiveX is soon going to be launched as an app.

The second segment encouraged the participants to identify their skills and interests. Associating those skills and interests to a specific cause such as mental health, animal cruelty or poverty would help them find their passion. She briefly described the Sustainable Development Goals and the role they played in building a strong world. She added that discovering your passion and linking it to the Sustainable Development Goals is an excellent way of contributing to the society.

The third segment revolved around the concept of entrepreneurship. Afrah said that in order to dive into an entrepreneurial project one needs to be equipped with some skills. She mentioned two sets of skills- niche skills and broadly applicable skills. Niche skills include skills like website designing and mechanical engineering. The skills which are broadly applicable to entrepreneurship include public speaking, research negotiation, leadership, marketing, finance, time management and adaptability. She emphasised on Model UN conferences as a great way to learn soft skills. Planning is essential when you want to start a project. She advised the participants to create a plan which is “SMART”. The plan should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time based which means that it should include specific ideas related to the goal, include major milestones, the time limit within which it has to be completed as well as sub-plans specifying the steps that would be taken to achieve that goal. Befriending like-minded people and building a team of people who are passionate about the project is highly beneficial. She recommended asking for feedback from peers so as to improvise upon the project. “Don’t stop even if you hit roadblocks” she said while inspiring the participants to keep going on with their projects.

The fourth segment involved raising awareness about burning issues. At school and at the community level this could involve starting clubs, organising fundraising events, writing articles for the school newspaper and designing posters and brochures. Media is a huge force which can be used to communicate ideas to people as well as connect with them for support and guidance.

The workshop captured the minds of the participants and equipped them with basic knowledge of entrepreneurial skills as well as committing their passions to a cause for the betterment of the world. 

The full recorded session of this workshop can be accessed here.

By William Weston

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Only one hour into the MUN Impact Global Summit 2.0, Amaya and Lois’ workshop began, addressing the subject of making your MUN club’s voice heard and aligning your goals with the SDGs. To get the audience thinking about the SDGs, Lois, a 14-year-old student from Gibraltar, began to explain why SDG 1 (No Poverty) should be a focus for MUN clubs. Whilst stating that the number of people living in poverty has decreased over the past years, she made clear that a lot of work still needs to be done to address this global issue. Amaya, a 16-year-old student from Sri Lanka, also explained how SDGs 5 (Gender Equality), 10 (Reduced Inequalities) and 13 (Climate Action) need more attention. She explained how the similar nature of SDGs 5 and 10 means that the two can be addressed through similar methods. The duo went on to explain how NGOs have worked to address these issues, using Oxfam and UN Women as examples.

Following an enlightening presentation on the SDGs, participants had the opportunity to answer the question, ‘How can we organize events with other schools and clubs?’ Several interesting solutions were raised by participants. For example, one participant, Malik, suggested that ‘schools should organize sports days’ in order to promote healthy living and in turn SDG 3. Furthermore, another participant, Vishwa, suggested how schools could organize free teaching for people in the local area, to ensure that everyone has access to quality education (SDG 4).

The session then went onto an explanation of some key leadership skills that one may need in order to organize MUN conferences and workshops. Amaya explained that a good leader should inspire others and be a great listener. Additionally, she highlighted the importance of public speaking skills, something that any MUN delegate can appreciate. Afterwards, Lois continued to explain the benefits of partnerships and how twinning projects, such as through conferences or fundraising events, can massively help to get your message out there.

Finally, the workshop could not conclude without addressing the very present issue of COVID-19 and its impact on MUN clubs and conferences around the world. Amaya addressed the fact that social distancing requirements, along with lockdowns and curfews, have limited our abilities to organize and participate at the events that we would have previously taken for granted. However, that does not mean we cannot adapt to online platforms, such as Zoom, to still inspire others and take action. Being able to access MUN conferences and SDG related events, such as the MUN Impact Global Summit, from the comfort of our homes is a huge advantage. Amaya herself admitted that she has attended several more conferences since the pandemic began than she otherwise would have. However, an issue that often gets forgotten is the lack of access to the internet and technology that several people have. Amaya shared her concerns that people may get left behind by this shift that we are currently experiencing. Nonetheless, the youth’s ability to make change is as present as it has always been and that was definitely highlighted by Amaya and Lois’ enlightening presentation.

The full recorded session of this workshop can be accessed here.