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By Joanne Lii
How do you prepare for Model United Nations?This year, THIMUN-Singapore has expanded to include more schools than ever before. This means more diversity, points-of-view, and methods of tackling the problems the conference aims to resolve. Despite a general agenda of what to cover for the November conference such as submitting resolution rules and speaking regulations, styles of preparation for the conference also come in a different assortments of characters.All over Asia, delegates and counselors are showing their devotion to MUN by gathering for meetings, usually once a week, in spite of their busy schedules. Some delegates must give up their dinner times or wake up an hour earlier to go to school just to attend these meetings. Meetings scheduled as classes, as clubs after school or at lunchtime are equally effective and sufficient. The lengths of these meetings range from 45 minutes to 2 hours to make sure delegates will be as prepared as possible for this international conference. On Saturdays, delegates in Singapore also have the opportunity to attend MiniMUN, sessions hosted by Lyce’e Francais, to obtain a feel for what THIMUN-Singapore will actually be like.The first step for participants is to research the countries they represent. Some schools, such as Jerudong Int’l School, particularly emphasized this crucial part by giving participants tests on current events. Most students go home and do research on the internet, with newspapers, or magazines. Some even become members of independent intelligence agencies in order to receive e-mail updates on UN countries. Participants at the Daewon Foreign Language High School in South Korea found the book Williams and Stein’s Uniting the Nations especially helpful. Once information is collected, students at some schools such as Taipei European School and JIS give presentations to their fellow delegates or classmates. Other schools are even lucky enough to travel to embassies or have ambassadors speak at their schools to teach them about world politics. Counselors remain endlessly helpful by distributing relevant articles and guiding students in the right direction. After fine-tuning each delegate’s resolution, it’s time for the more active part of MUN. Making speeches and intense debating at the conferences themselves are often what delegates look forward to most. Choosing one resolution to debate over using proper UN protocols gives very helpful practice since there are so many rules to remember. The Overseas Family School in Singapore makes improvement of verbal skills one of their main goals and, as Yuko Endo from Nagoya International School, says, “It is more understandable for us to train writing speeches on the spot.” Quick thinking is valuable during the debates.As THIMUN-Singapore grows, the enthusiasm at each school also increases. Trying to get students involved in every aspect of THIMUN, whether in the advisory panel, in a committee, or on the press team, is often a technique schools use to involve students. Large notices are put up and newspapers are sent around so even parents and students not attending the event are informed about the global issues. Participants at previous conferences often generate the most hype by talking about the vastness of the conference and especially the after-conference activities.This year, delegates’ goals for THIMUN-Singapore include spreading global understanding, being actively engaged during the conference, improving public debating skills, continuing to set a good example at the conference, meeting new people with similar interests, representing their country as faithfully as possible, and having fun. Many participants are confident about how preparations are going. Many times preparations were described as “going great.” Lily Guo from Cocordia International School Shanghai says, “Everyone is aware of what they are doing and how they will go about doing it.” Whether a senior anticipating one last best THIMUN-Singapore experience or a new MUN participant counting on an unforgettable experience, all participants are looking forward to an action-packed, stimulating event.Are you prepared?
How do you prepare for Model United Nations?This year, THIMUN-Singapore has expanded to include more schools than ever before. This means more diversity, points-of-view, and methods of tackling the problems the conference aims to resolve. Despite a general agenda of what to cover for the November conference such as submitting resolution rules and speaking regulations, styles of preparation for the conference also come in a different assortments of characters.All over Asia, delegates and counselors are showing their devotion to MUN by gathering for meetings, usually once a week, in spite of their busy schedules. Some delegates must give up their dinner times or wake up an hour earlier to go to school just to attend these meetings. Meetings scheduled as classes, as clubs after school or at lunchtime are equally effective and sufficient. The lengths of these meetings range from 45 minutes to 2 hours to make sure delegates will be as prepared as possible for this international conference. On Saturdays, delegates in Singapore also have the opportunity to attend MiniMUN, sessions hosted by Lyce’e Francais, to obtain a feel for what THIMUN-Singapore will actually be like.The first step for participants is to research the countries they represent. Some schools, such as Jerudong Int’l School, particularly emphasized this crucial part by giving participants tests on current events. Most students go home and do research on the internet, with newspapers, or magazines. Some even become members of independent intelligence agencies in order to receive e-mail updates on UN countries. Participants at the Daewon Foreign Language High School in South Korea found the book Williams and Stein’s Uniting the Nations especially helpful. Once information is collected, students at some schools such as Taipei European School and JIS give presentations to their fellow delegates or classmates. Other schools are even lucky enough to travel to embassies or have ambassadors speak at their schools to teach them about world politics. Counselors remain endlessly helpful by distributing relevant articles and guiding students in the right direction. After fine-tuning each delegate’s resolution, it’s time for the more active part of MUN. Making speeches and intense debating at the conferences themselves are often what delegates look forward to most. Choosing one resolution to debate over using proper UN protocols gives very helpful practice since there are so many rules to remember. The Overseas Family School in Singapore makes improvement of verbal skills one of their main goals and, as Yuko Endo from Nagoya International School, says, “It is more understandable for us to train writing speeches on the spot.” Quick thinking is valuable during the debates.As THIMUN-Singapore grows, the enthusiasm at each school also increases. Trying to get students involved in every aspect of THIMUN, whether in the advisory panel, in a committee, or on the press team, is often a technique schools use to involve students. Large notices are put up and newspapers are sent around so even parents and students not attending the event are informed about the global issues. Participants at previous conferences often generate the most hype by talking about the vastness of the conference and especially the after-conference activities.This year, delegates’ goals for THIMUN-Singapore include spreading global understanding, being actively engaged during the conference, improving public debating skills, continuing to set a good example at the conference, meeting new people with similar interests, representing their country as faithfully as possible, and having fun. Many participants are confident about how preparations are going. Many times preparations were described as “going great.” Lily Guo from Cocordia International School Shanghai says, “Everyone is aware of what they are doing and how they will go about doing it.” Whether a senior anticipating one last best THIMUN-Singapore experience or a new MUN participant counting on an unforgettable experience, all participants are looking forward to an action-packed, stimulating event.Are you prepared?
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