Advisory Panel Continues Going Strong

By Natalie Boyle
If Thursday morning in the Advisory Panel got off to a bit of a slow start, Friday morning was the complete opposite with both the Political and Humanitarian groups diving into debate. Amendments flew in the Political division, with almost every speaker introducing an amendment. The debated clause concerned the promotion of tourism to aid in the economic growth of Kashmir. Debate time on this clause was actually extended an extra ten minutes because most of the time allocated for debate was actually spent debating various amendments. The addition of the hard copies of the debated resolutions contributed greatly to the quality of interaction. The Humanitarian group, which was unfortunately overlooked in Thursday’s report, was also a flurry of activity with amendments and speeches. “What will we do? Arrest them? Beat them? Then we are no better than the people who commit these atrocities. Two wrongs don’t make a right,” said the Advisor of the IMF, Kevin Obike, during a passionate speech asking for the striking of the word ‘mandatory’ from a clause. On a slightly lighter note, the UNDP Advisor, Lu Yangquan said, “ It’s like asking a nun to teach sex education,’ regarding freedom from bias while discussing a clause to raise awareness about different religions and cultures in Kashmir. The Plenary Session began a little later than planned, but with great success. The first question asked by the Advisor of the USA, Yang Junghwan, began with “Hello, Advisor of Pakistan,” which set a light-hearted but focused tone for most of the forum. Fast-paced debate ensued as amendments were raised, debated, and passed. Due to the highly polished nature of the clauses, the forum moved quickly through the causes passed by the Political committee. Though Advisors were reminded to stick to factual evidence, high-caliber debate continued. “The Forum is going very well. I’m very impressed with the advisors. This is the first year we’ve had an Advisory Panel, so I’m really impressed with the speed that they’re picking up on the debate and proposing amendments. The quality of debate is also impressive,” Haebin Kim, President of the APQK said. Kim, along with Deputy Presidents Kelvin Kwok, Andrew Sankar, and Hwa Young Jin are the devoted chairs leading the first Advisory Panel. Most of the Advisors will agree with what Peter Hung, Advisor of France, said concerning the forum: “It was constructive and fruitful.” The Forum was able to complete all the clauses submitted by the Political group before lunch, showing that the Advisors are working diligently to make this conference successful.

General Assembly Kaleidoscope

By Tiffany Sung and Joanne Lii
On the second day of debating, the delegates were ready to dive into more discussions and resolution passing than ever before. Some resolutions were left unconcluded from the first day of debating, so the delegates were quick to settle in their seats and ready their notes. Ambitious delegates seemed to speak out from every corner, goading the ones that hadn’t spoken yet to seize their last chance of presenting their points of view.While other conference forums go through solemnly intense debates, GA 2 knows how to be relaxed and effective. The many quick-witted delegates caused a wave of laughter every few minutes. One particularly poignant sentence made by the Delegate of France even caused the Delegate of USA to request an apology. However, they were still genuinely earnest enough to resolve their issue on the effects of international migration on development. The Delegate of Lebanon brought a resolution onto the debating floor with a passionate speech urging all delegates to support the proposals. The resolution requests a “universal definition for international migration” and suggests that governments and organizations further contribute in the settlement of refugees and immigrants. The resolution stirred up an exciting debate with many delegates wishing to take the floor.The abundance of placards raised each time there was an opportunity to speak reflected the chair’s opinion that “all delegates are VERY eager to contribute to the debate.” The delegates seemed bold and open, even if asked to repeat their questions several times. In fact, that’s how they keep their minds fresh in a long day of debatingThe GA 4 conference room underwent a heated debate from the very beginning of the day. The question of statehood for the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza has always been an extremely controversial issue. France, the main submitter of today’s first resolution, stated that the proposals pointed out “the importance of establishing a Palestinian state that directly solves the Palestinian problems currently.” Since Clause 4 of the resolution endorses the creation of a sovereign government for Palestine, France believed that the resolution allowed the main problem encountered in the Gaza Strip to come to an end. Despite the Delegate of Africa’s support, claiming that the resolution’s “Two State Solution” was the best way for peace to exist between Israel and Palestine, the resolution sill received vigorous attacks from other nations. Many opposing delegates pointed out that other than idealistic suggestions, the resolution offered no specific methods on how things could be achieved. The Delegate of Romania claimed that France’s resolution “has no substance” and “is nothing but a set of ideals”. Romania believed that with the vague proposals, the actions suggested would eventually “result in confusion and inefficient progress.” The resolution did not outline detailed techniques as to how the proposals could be put into action, which unfortunately resulted in the resolution failing.“The delegates are always on their best behavior.” “We don’t have any disruptive delegates and they all seem to have worked hard for this conference.”With praise like this from their chairs, Hyun Kyu Kim and Agathe Dumas, it’s not hard to see why the members of General Assembly 6 are always doing their best. This group, which is discussing the promotion of gender equality, has already successfully passed two resolutions and still possesses the spirit to debate four more. Many of the delegates are first-timers this year, which leads to a lot of un-parliamentary language and an innumerable amount of “ums”, but also proves to be a good incentive for them to participate more. It’s unquestionable that the delegates are sharp and quick to catch any contradictions in speeches, which is sure to keep them on their feet and their minds alert.The delegates are all eager to show how capable they are and make the best of this experience. One incredibly confident speaker even earned some rolling-eyes from delegates. The delegates’ responsiveness to one another is just what these conferences need to be successful. So what had GA 6 given to these enthusiastic delegates? “It’s really a good way of knowing the world through debating,” answered the Delegate of Algeria.This year’s participants have really impressed the chairs and each other with their lively performance and charisma. They have certainly made THIMUN-Singapore III a worthwhile experience with their competitive nature, bringing out the most creative juices within each individual.

Winner of the Daily Delegate Showdown- Kai Mueller

By Jennifer Tseng

Among the thousand participants attending THIMUN Singapore this year, the Delegate of Portugal, Kai Alexander Mueller of the Jerudong International School in Barunei, stood out from all others and showed much promise to become a great debater. Recommended by the Chair of ECOSOC (Wan Jin Park aof Shanghai American Scaool), Mueller was said to have a “clear voice” on stage and to be “very knowledgeable.” Thus he won the delegate showdown today. Mueller began his debating career in school. During the afollowing summer, he participated in GYLC (Global Young Leaders’ Conference), which was held in Washington DC and in New York. Surprisingly, this is Mueller’s first year attending the THIMUN conference. He expressed that his goal this year at THIMUN-Singapore was to further his experience in debating and to become acquainted with more people of different nationalities. He happily mentioned that this goal had been achieved and said that THIMUN presented a very “nice atmosphere.” Although Mueller’s speeches were not loud, his strength lay in the ability to speak fluently, to the point, insightful and with a clear understanding of his topic. As the Park mentioned, it was Mueller’s “strong presence” that induced him to elect Mueller as the Delegate of the Day.As the Delegate of Portugal, Mueller was especially satisfied with yesterday’s session where they debated a resolution concerning the conservation of energy. He said, “My speech was about how important it is to reduce carbon dioxide emission by using renewable energy and solar power.” Mueller found the debate very interesting. Although the process in passing the resolution was difficult and confusing, the delegates still managed to come together in the end by combining five different resolutions. As to his future, Mueller would like first to attend college, and after graduation, go into banking investments, financing, or working in multinational companies. During his spare time he also enjoys tennis, football, golf, and water sports such as water skiing. Throughout the week-long THIMUN conference, each delegate works hard, both during the conference and after, so that they can present their issues with confidence. Mueller did likewise, and showcased his individual talent as a very logical and persuasive speaker. We can rest assured that he will continue his hard work as a public speaker and further his talents in debates in the days to come.

Radhika Kannan Shines in GA 4

By Andrew Tarn
“In MUN, it’s really nice to meet new people, says delegate Radhika Kannan. “You get to learn about their experiences – it’s really fun!” Kannan is a student at the Global Indian International School Singapore, and has attended numerous other MUN conferences. Last year, at THIMUN-Singapore II, Kannan actually reported for the Munity-East press team. This year though, it’s her first time as a delegate at THIMUN, and she represents the Czech Republic in the General Assembly 4. Kannan first became involved in Model U.N. when representatives from her school who had attended other MUN conferences talked about the experience in their school assembly, inspiring her to join MUN as well. For her, the most enjoyable part of being a delegate is “having the floor.” She does not dislike any part of the MUN conference, and says she “thoroughly loves everything about THIMUN-Singapore.”When asked to describe herself, Kannan used the words “outgoing and fun,” traits one can easily distinguish from the first meeting with the friendly delegate. Other than participating in MUN conferences, Kannan is also an avid reader – her favorite book is Elie Wiesel’s Night. One of her favorite activities is dancing, as she has been learning classical Indian dances for the past years. Her strong skills as a delegate can also be seen in her interest in debate, as she also participates in the Debate Excellence Program in Singapore. A strong debater and an enthusiastic delegate, Kannan has stated that she wants to pursue a major in chemical engineering. “I’m an environmentalist – I’m really into caring about the earth and making the world a greener place,” said Kannan. Al Gore, a famous advocate against global warming, is the person whom Kannan admires the most. Radhika Kannan is truly the well-rounded individual – she has stood out in her committee for her strong skills as a delegate, she likes to read, is involved in debate, dances, and is a true green environmentalist. Most of all, she loves MUN. For THIMUN-Singapore, delegates like Kannan are essential to the conference, contributing to the discussions and decision-making process.

ECOSOC Heats Up With An Intriguing Debate

By Titilayo Ogundele

Just like in the real United Nations, the MUN ECOSOC is designed to assist the General Assembly in promoting international economic and social cooperation and development. At this year’s conference, one of the issues that ECOSOC debated was protecting children from sexual exploitation by so called “sex tourism.” This topic is a controversial one and a problem in many of the world’s developing countries. As the first topic of many to be debated, the discussion of sex tourism kept many delegates on their toes and ready to state their opinions.The Delegate of the United Kingdom, Jessica Ng, kicked off the morning as main submitter on the resolution discussing sex tourism. After her speech, which followed her reading of the resolution, three delegates eagerly got up to question the United Kingdom’s view on how to solve the issue. The first delegate to question this resolution was Jonathan Ng, the Delegate of Mauritania. Seemingly opposed to this resolution, the delegate questioned one of the United Kingdom’s clauses, which stated that information about sex tourism should be put into aircraft videos and brochures, even though many people don’t even bother to look at these items. Another delegate that questioned the effectiveness of the resolution was Daniel Sablerolle, Delegate of Pakistan. Upon grabbing the microphone, Sablerolle questioned “[h]ow informing tourists will stop sex tourism?” The United Kingdom seemed unable to respond to in terms that satisfied the Delegate of Pakistan. After this attempt of denouncing the effectiveness of the resolution, the Delegate of the United Kingdom called up Maria Stanislavova, the Delegate of Cuba, to take the floor. The Delegate of Cuba came onto the stage with a feisty and sure presence. As delegates asked questions to further denounce the resolution, the Delegate of Cuba continually shot down every opposing question to what she feels is an “excellent” resolution. As the first resolution to be debated, ECOSOC seems to be on their toes and ready to go. Even early in the morning, the delegates were so into the resolution that they were doing everything but yawning. The interesting discussion taking place really shows the enthusiasm of these delegates and how eager they are to get their point across.

Stalemate Slows Down Security Council

By Grace Leo

The nature of the UN Security Council is one in which resolutions are difficult to pass despite the earnest work of all members. To pass a resolution on substantive matters, unanimity must be obtained from the five permanent members (the USA, UK, France, China and Russia) in addition to the support of four other members. Thursday afternoon the Security Council attempted to address the situation in Lebanon. With an election approaching in a few months time, there have been persistent tensions between the Lebanese government and Hezbollah, a registered political party often labeled as a violent terrorist group. In attempts to ease the problem, there have currently been two resolutions put forward by the USA and Slovakia. The USA has proposed a strategy, similar to their approach towards Israel-that of division. The Delegates for the United States of America, Aren Yip Wang Yew and Lee Sung Jae, believe that the solution would be to partition Lebanon into two sectors, with the North, home to the Lebanese government and Hezbollah situated in the South. This approach looks unlikely to reach a satisfactory conclusion for America as the majority of the members of the Security Council are opposed to the proposition. The Delegate of Indonesia, Manish Nathani said that “[America’s resolution] is not plausible.” Other countries feel similarly and members are highly doubtful of the likelihood of the resolution passing. An alternative to America’s resolution is a proposal brought in by Slovakia. They believe in the importance of negotiating with Hezbollah as an accepted political party. However, their resolution will require a great deal of attention before it will be acceptable for many members of the council. As Isabelle Lee, Delegate of Qatar explained, “The clauses 5,6 and 7 [of the current resolution] are very vague and involve the possibility of violent action against Hezbollah.” Furthermore, even when compromises and amendments have been made, the Delegates of the USA have already decided to veto the proposition in line with the “aggressive foreign policy [the USA has maintained thus far], using the power of veto approximately three times as much as any other permanent member.”This raises the question of the practicality of the veto power possessed by the permanent members of the Security Council. It makes coming to a compromise very difficult considering the great diversity of interests the permanent members of the council possess. However, it is important that the permanent members come to agreement with each other for effective implementation of resolutions. This has been seen in history with the failure of the forerunner to the UN, the League of Nations because of the absence of the USA’s involvement. All in all, the Security Council will have a lot of work ahead of them before there is any likelihood of a resolution on Lebanon being passed. The problem in Lebanon is an important issue that effectively illustrates the difficulties the real UN experiences in reaching agreements. The Security Council is a tough arena to perform in and delegates must deal with a large number of hypothetical scenarios. Ultimately, however, they are all doing their best and will hopefully come to reach a satisfactory conclusion.

Advisory Panel Grows Tired of Kashmir

By Natalie Boyle
The Advisory Panel on the Question of Kashmir was surprisingly quiet Thursday morning as the advisors started debating the issues of terrorism and military reduction. There were no bombs being dropped, no heated debates, virtually nothing. On three separate occasions the chairs had to ask for someone, anyone, to take the floor. During the debate of the third clause which asked China, India, and Pakistan to sit down together and talk about the reduction of weapons in the region available for terrorist use, debate time was set for twenty minutes. The clause passed in five minutes with eleven for, one against, and four abstentions. Three amendments were proposed on the first two clauses debated, and when applause broke out when the third clause passed, Kelvin Kwok, Deputy President of the APQK, dryly said, “We will not clap for amendments.” As you can guess, Thursday morning was nothing stellar, but as Chair Hwa Young Jin stated during one of those long awkward pauses, it was morning, and everyone was tired. This near monotone did not continue because eventually, people did wake up, twenty minutes later around eleven o’clock. There was suddenly a flurry of several strong speeches. The JKLF Advisor Alex Yuan, called the conflict between India and Pakistan a “convoluted issue” and stated that complete disarmament of the region was asking for a “leap into two futures” during quite an impassioned, impromptu speech.But the debate sank yet again and when asked by the chairs why they felt suddenly exhausted, the delegates stated that they found it difficult to debate the clauses without a hard copy. After reassurances that they would get them tomorrow, a little furniture rearrangement, and a ten minute break to lobby, debate continued on a stronger note. Even the blackout did not phase these now alert advisors; the main concern was that the air conditioner would go off. While progress in this forum is not consistent, the APQK will continue to work towards a feasible solution to this contentious issue.

Representing Not the Countries, but Yourself

By Tiffany Sung
Walking into the Youth Assembly, you do not encounter the intensity found in other conference rooms; instead, you experience a friendly atmosphere. The Youth Assembly plays an extremely different role in the Model United Nations. Its participants do not express their ideas through another country’s point of view, but through the outlook of “youth.”This year’s Youth Assembly includes two sections. The Committee on Environment discusses global warming and water pollution, and it aims to make proposals that can allow the public to fully understand the issues. As Chair Penny Soon talked enthusiastically with her partners over the topic, she stated, “Our group’s goal is to raise the public awareness of global warming in Asian countries.” The Committee on Health and Social Development focuses on eradicating common diseases, increasing welfare institutions, and lowering Asia’s poverty rate. Brian Tsang, the Assistant President of the Youth Assembly, has a strong passion towards his job. He believes that “the Youth Assembly is better because [the members] can voice our own ideas.” Tsang even boldly stated that other committee’s resolutions are just “toilet paper” because “no matter how much personal research they do, they won’t be able to know their country as well as real UN delegates.” Unlike other debating committees, delegates of the Youth Assembly do not deliver opening speeches, write out policy statements, and go through intensive debates. They examine a general topic in small groups, share their own perspective, and combine their ideas with others to create an action paper addressing a specific issue. The Youth Assembly President Felicia Liu said, “I chose to work in the Youth Assembly because we represent ourselves and have no restrictions when we express ideas.”Many students decided to join the Youth Assembly because of the concept of “self-representation.” Despite people’s enthusiasm towards Model United Nations, some still feel upset over the fact that even though the resolutions they have worked on months finally passed, they still cannot be taken to the real UN and be put into action. However, the action papers created by the Youth Assembly will actually be sent to THIMUN the Hague and have a chance to be discussed in the official United Nations. For Parco Lee, this is already his second time as a delegate of the Youth Assembly. Lee had once joined the Youth Assembly in BEIMUN, and he enjoys expressing the voice of youth. Although THIMUN-Singapore’s Youth Assembly has just been formed, Parco has faith in it. “THIMUN’s Youth Assembly is new and young,” said Parco, “but looking at the one thousand people in the General Assembly, [Youth Assembly] will definitely get better when more people come and join it.”Next time, instead of representing the delegate of Burkina Faso, perhaps you would like to be the delegate of yourself, express you own belief, and make a real contribution to the global community.

“To Pass or Not to Pass, That is the Question.”-the Battles of Resolutions.

By Jennifer Tseng and Pertz Liao

After a whole day of intense lobbying, the delegates finally began open debate over their merged resolutions. The General Assemblies, located throughout the Hwa Chong campus, vigorously defended and attacked to keep to their standpoint.The first resolution debated by the General Assembly I was over the question regarding the situation in South East Asia and its progress towards peace, freedom, democracy and development. One of the solutions proposed by Melissa Boey of Shanghai American School, Delegate of Sri Lanka, in the resolution is to foster mutual cooperation by creating a regional forum under the UN meeting biannually, along with the sub regional seminars, meeting quarterly. Throughout the debate, most delegates thought this resolution vague, and without a proper solution for South East Asia. Many countries pointed out that the existing ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) is already performing the majority of the tasks mentioned in this resolution. As a result the resolution failed to pass by a large number of votes. Jian Wei Aw, the Delegate of Iceland, felt that it was “perfectly valid” for the resolution to fail because the proposals were totally unnecessary, and ASEAN is perfectly functional on its own. Xu Haoyu, Delegate of Mauritania, also feels that this resolution does not really specify solutions to problems. “Regarding the problem in Myanmar, the UN took a long time to respond.” He hopes that in the future action can be taken immediately because people are suffering even as we speak; moreover, the resolution does not address the issues of HIV and sex tourism at all. In GA III, the delegates debated over how to recognize and compensate women who were forced into sexual exploitation during the time of war. Delegate of Sri Lanka, Alice Su of the Shanghai American School, main submitter of the first resolution, proposed that the victims be financially compensated and called for the “offending member nations to publicly apologize for their military.” The Delegate also suggested that museums or permanent exhibits be established to bring attention to the victimized women. The exhibit will provide a good visual source, and as Asuka Bando, Delegate of Rwanda from the International School of Manila pointed out, “it is so that people will not make the same mistake again.” However, there was much opposition towards this sub-clause as the Delegates were concerned as to what exactly the museum should display, and if the images be too graphic and inappropriate. As a result, even though the resolution passed, the sub-clause was struck out with a 59 to 37 vote.Alongside the other meetings, General Assembly V was having a heated debate about how to strengthen international cooperation to protect nations against terrorists. During the ninety-minute debate, Chris Park, Delegate of Columbia from the Shanghai American School Puxi raised many good proposals on the resolution for curbing the terrorist attacks, such as seeking assistance from UNOD, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and having the more developed nations share with each other their methods used to combat these attacks. A point was raised that the terrorists’ motives do not stem from the want to do evil, but rather, to promote their religious ideals or to honor their nations. As one of the delegates mentioned, “We are not battling good and evil, but forces unknown.”Another proposal is that the governments seek private corporations such as Motorola for financial support, cooperation, and technology. These companies are essential to the success of this plan as they will be able to provide the technology necessary to protect the nations. The GA strongly believes that curbing the terrorists is not something that can be done single handedly by any nation, and everyone, including the common civilian, must work together to achieve this goal and to ensure the public safety so that there will not be another September 11. Although this was a long and hard debate, the resolution still managed to pass successfully at the end of the conference. The delegates of the General Assembly all showed a strong sense of character today as they battled to stand their ground and hold on to their own points-of-view. Throughout the long and heated debate, people may have begun to wonder whether this battle will ever end, and who will ultimately succeed; nevertheless, all the meetings came to a very satisfactory and conclusive ending.

Born to Debate

By Ting Chen

For most inexperienced delegates, it is always hard to launch straight into debate mode, and begin public speaking with just the right combination of calmness and strength. Jewon Jung, however, is not the new THIMUNer who stares blankly at the resolution in front of her and doodles on her notepaper, not daring to stand at the podium. In fact, she asks controlled, preprocessing questions that hook the audience immediately. Her speeches are spoken with such confidence and power that it is clear that she has prepared and make thorough research before raising her placard. Currently an eleventh grader at Korean Minjok Leadershop Academy (KMLA) in Kangwon, South Korea, Jewon participates actively in various extracurricular activities, such as the debate club, mock trial club (which involves judges and witnesses), and kendo club, the Japanese martial arts of fencing. Jewon is also part of the editorial staff for the newspaper club at her school. She enjoys hiphop dancing and is the female dancer for RF Factory, a hip hop dancing team. Having been involved in debate since she was in eighth grade, Jewon’s impressive speaking skills are undeniable strong. A veteran of many contests and competitions, Jewon always presents her speeches with certainty and make them straight to the point. She attended KMUN in February 2007 at her own school and gained her first Model United Nations experience. Later she participated in the General Assembly of the United Nations Association of USA (UNAUSA) in March 2007. Interested in meeting more friends and satisfying her love for debate, Jewon joined THIMUN as the delegate of Jammu and Kashmir People’s League (JKPL) in the Advisory Panel. Speaking of her future, Jewon dreams of taking a world trip with her friend before going to university. Interested in the United Nations and international events, she may major in international relations. Eager to demonstrate her eloquence in speechmaking, Jewon hopes to join the International Court of Justice and go to The Hague MUN. “MUN has taught me the importance of researching. You can only debate and talk if you know the nation,” advises Jewon. “Some people did not do enough research, and they lack knowledge of the topic.” Jewon also suggests that the delegates “social with other people” instead of just work on MUN. While most delegates are dehydrating on Orchard Road, Jewon, on the other hand, especially enjoys the tropical weather in Singapore because of the cold weather in the northern province of South Korea where she lives. Never having been to Singapore, Jewon loves shopping for summer clothes in the malls. As an outstanding debater, Jewon Jung has definitely begun the first page of her THIMUN history with a flourish, and astonished her audience with her cogent speeches.

Tan Dazzles Security Council

By Jenny Suh

It can almost be guaranteed that upon entering the Security Council, one doesn’t have to wait very long to hear about the Delegate of Belgium. Whether in lobbying or debating, the delegate has pervaded the committee, as made clear through whispered conversation such as “Belgium. He’s really good,” and “Don’t forget about Belgium.”Delegate of Belgium, Jerome Tan, is a senior from the International School of Beijing. Throughout the conference, the Delegate of Belgium proved a highly active member and speaker. Whether energetically waving his placard to gain the floor or dryly joking, the Delegate of Belgium always got his point across and his enthusiasm was infectious. After several notes and an interview, I learned that the majority of the forum considered Belgium one of the best. Tan first joined MUN three years ago. Now, as a senior, despite the pressure of filling out college applications, taking tests, and pursuing the IB diploma, Tan continues to be an active participant in MUN. “I really like debating, and the opportunity to present my thoughts in a formal style,” Tan said, explaining what aspect of MUN attracted him to the program. “I also like the notion that I can shoot flawed clauses down and attain a sense of glee. Nothing feels better than being able to spot an error in a clause that no one else has discovered,” shared Tan. 2007 is Tan’s third THIMUN conference. Tan has also participated in three BEIMUN conferences.Although his skills in MUN are now legendary both inside and outside the forum, Tan remembers his first days in the program and how much he has improved since. “My first chair Jeff Tai really honed my abilities,” Tan explained, remembering his initial discomfort with public speaking. “I now like making impromptu speeches.” Tan also described how he learned to spot errors in amendments from his chair. Though it may be hard to believe, Tan, like all of us, has had his share of embarrassing moments in his MUN career. “Once, my dear friend Hansen Gu from Shanghai American School yielded the floor to me after making an amendment,” Tan recollected. “I was ‘kind of’ resting for a while and I had absolutely no clue what the amendment was! As a result, I just stood there speechless, looking really silly,” he said. As if the situation couldn’t get any worse, Tan remembers that his MUN director happened to come into the forum at that exact moment to witness him at his “finest” hour. However, now, as a delegate renowned for his eloquence and efficiency, Tan is able to remember those days with a laugh. Tan shares his favorite moment in MUN, laughing, “I grilled a delegate until he contradicted himself!” Public speaking and confidence, Tan points out, are the two most important skills required for MUN. He shared some techniques that have helped him come far both in MUN and also in his life. “When lobbying, I always pinpoint the best speakers. They can always help you if you have a valid point,” he explained. “And don’t forget, if you don’t believe in what you’re saying, you will not be able to convince anyone else,” he added.As parting advice, Tan encourages everyone to “relax, and stay confident, and most importantly, enjoy.”

Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Tourism – Real World, Real UN

By Joanne Lii
Sexual exploitation and sexual tourism are both controversial issues at THIMUN-Singapore III. General Assembly 3 discusses the importance of stopping sexual exploitation in Russia, Burma, and Colombia while the ECOSOC committee confronts problems associated with stopping sexual tourism in Thailand, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, and Cuba. The stereotypical reaction to these topics is shock that such crudeness still exists in today’s advanced society, followed by heroic speeches on how to efficiently stop the these horrific practices. Delegates this year are expected to do exactly this and find an impressive solution. However, which of them are just playing their role well and which ones are truly passionate about resolving the issues? Several individuals this year have been personally affected by these two concerns.A delegate who wishes to remain anonymous tells, “I knew a girl in Russia, trapped in a house with only a mother and grandmother who were both uncaring and later discovered to be drunks. She felt that her only option was to run away from home. She lived on her own for a while, begging for her food, but she was eventually found and put in a foster home. She didn’t like the foster home, though, and ran off again. Then her father came and she to lived with him. This time the father left one day and just didn’t come back. The only thing the government could do was to put her in another foster home. She had lots of relatives who wanted to take her in but she always ran away. One day, this man found her on the street while she was begging for food and fed her and took her in. Later the police found out the man was a pedophile who had been harming many young children. They caught him and put him in jail, but the girl is still missing.”There are many more stories like this where young girls with unsupportive families go to big cities like Moscow to find better lives. Somehow, there always seems to be an immoral person ready to take advantage of these confused girls and sexually exploit them. “They are confused and don’t know what they’re doing,” says Maria Stanislavova, who lived in Russia for twelve years. “I hope someone will realize what is going on and screen what type of people will take care of those kids because they are just forming. They need someone to guide them.” Kirill Chemeritsin, also from Russia, says, “In the last few years I haven’t heard anything. The news doesn’t report it, so I think people don’t really know about it.” After this conference, hopefully all those who have participated will know more about this important matter, which will be the first step to stopping it. Thailand, especially in tourist spots like Pattaya, is infamous for the rampant spread of sexual tourism. Jaja Tantrungkij, Delegate of Batswana, shares information from a Thai point of view: “It happens when women move to urban areas to find work, but when something unfortunate happens, they always end up as prostitutes in tourist areas, mostly along the coast where foreigners like to gather and party. Actually it used to be centered in Bangkok, then Pattaya was the partying area, but now it’s moving back to around Bangkok again. There are people working on solving the problem, but they are suspicious, too. Firstly there’s the National Governmental Organization (NGO), fighting for justices like women’s rights, but it’s funded by powerful politicians who only bring up the topic around election time when they want votes. It’s hard to trust that these people are truly trying to change the wrongdoing when they have so many other things to enjoy for themselves. Then there’s the media who report sexual tourism when it happens but always to get something shocking on the news. They don’t do it for the sake of informing people to try to stop it. It’s part of the sensationalism. The really big problem is the police and the brotherals who’re supposed to be stopping sexual tourism, but they’re corrupt too. Some of them might be behind the sexual tourism organizations. I think people really want to stop it, but it’s hard to take a lot of action. Even though globalization has come to Thailand, we still have a very conservative culture.”While both of these issues are of big concern to people of the world, little has been done to change the horrible practices. Hopefully this has brought delegates a little closer to the reality of the issue and a little more passionate about standing up for what’s right. It is now up to each individual to see what he or she can contribute to resolve the problems of sexual tourism and sexual exploitation.

Darfur: topic of deate at Security Council

By: Titi Ogundele
The United Nations Security Council is the organ of the United Nations charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Just like in the real United Nations, Model United Nations has to deal with problems peacefully, not by suppressing them with an army, or other violent means. This year, one of the issues on the agenda for the Security Council is the Darfur Crisis in Darfur, Sudan.
For those who don’t know, the conflict in Darfur has been going on since 2003 after a rebel group began attacking government targets. The reason for this is because the rebels say the government is oppressing black Africans in favor of Arabs. Unlike the Second Sudanese Civil War in 1983, the current lines of conflict are seen to be ethnic and tribal, rather than religious.
Like many conflicts that occur in Africa, the situation in Darfur is very complex in terms of its problems and how to help. Due to the complexity of the issue, the Security Council must find ways to solve or at least help the problem by coming up with an effective and efficient solution that will appeal to most of the delegates. This can prove to be a daunting task.
In order to solve such a problem, one must look at all of the factors that make this conflict so serious. Besides the fact that rebels are killing the people they feel are oppressing them, many innocent civilians and aid workers are being caught in the rebels’ line of fire and are either killed or seriously injured. In response to the massive loss of life, the Security Council has sent in peacekeeping troops that are sent to protect civilians and aid workers who may be threatened. The issue now is for the Model United Nations Security Council delegates to build on what the real United Nations has started. According to the Delegate of the Russian Federation, more needs to be done in order to get better results. The Delegate of the Russian Federation, better known as Alex Ito, “…[feels] that [the security council] should send more humanitarian aid to the peacekeeping troops because they’re not functioning as effectively as was hoped for.”
Although the Russian Federation feels that the one of the solutions is to send more aid, other delegates have different opinions. The Delegate of South Africa, better known as David Cornu, feels that “the main problem is that Africa has many conflicts that tend to spill over into other conflicts.” With conflicts spilling over to other conflicts, solving the problems begins to become very complex in terms of satisfying different needs and wants. As a collection of different countries, the Security Council is bound to have delegates disagree with each other. Cornu also feels that James Miao, the Delegate of Ghana, has an ineffective solution to the crisis, which was to send in troops to suppress the conflict.
With such a diverse group of delegates and such a complex crisis, the debate over the Darfur crisis is bound to be very interesting and hopefully new ideas will spring forth on how to help those who are caught in the crossfire of this conflict and to help solve the problems that are so aggravatingly persistent.

Advisory Panel Looks to Better the Kashmir Region

By Sonja Chai
The new Advisory Panel on the Question of Kashmir is made up of around twenty delegates who are discussing a certain issue in order to provide a proposal to the Security Council on how best to rectify problems in the region of Kashmir. Kashmir is a particularly “contentious area,” explained Advisor Yuner Teh, who representing the Asian Development Bank. The region borders China, India, and Pakistan, and as a result, is the object of a power struggle. This is of great concern to “the international community, because all three nations are nuclear powers,” according to Kelvin Kwok, Deputy President of the APQK. Adds Kwok, “The international community therefore needs to step in and resolve this issue.” Each of the eight issues the panel will address over the course of the conference will fall under the category of either political or humanitarian concerns regarding the disputed area, with two different APQK groups debating in a clause-by-clause format during the first days of the conference. Later, the entire ADQK will convene in a plenary session to debate the proposal in its entirety before its presentation to the Security Council. Afterward, the Advisory Panel will meet with the SC for feedback on the clauses that will be compiled in the final draft.Humanitarian issues to be discussed include the question of economic development and the relocation of Kashmiri refugees. Other issues include the various political and religious groups—primarily Muslim, Buddhist, Hindus, and Sikhs—that render it difficult to broker peace, particularly when considered in conjunction with the human rights violations of the Pakistani and Indian armies in their struggle for control. Allegations include the shooting of unarmed protesters, and numerous civilian deaths. The response from militant groups has resulted in attacks on Hindu residents and the assassination of government official.The political aspects of the Kashmir region issues are mainly relevant to the militaristic presence in the area. Clauses submitted by advisors will be submitted regarding the question of the arms race, and the role of “localized military organizations” in brokering ceasefires, and the effect terrorism has on the regions economic development, civilian lives, and diplomatic locations. The final political issue, concerning border control and sustaining the Line of Control, will prove particularly pertinent in the discussion of a region struggling for sovereignty. When asked about the issues on board for discussion and debate, Advisor Yuner Teh of Shanghai American School, representing the Asia Development Bank, admitted to the “tricky” nature of the issues, mainly due to the fact that the region of Kashmir is one that is the source of a great deal of controversy, “because of the conflict between India and Pakistan over control of the region.” The APQK debate, as it unfolds, will follow usual General Assembly format with a few exceptions. Notably different is the more focused nature of the debate, with each clause by default entirely relevant to the subject at hand. The most prominent variation in APQK debate is the clause-by-clause debate in an effort to compile a complete and succinct proposal to the SC as possible. Also noteworthy is the lack of main or co-submitters—due to a lack of actual resolutions—and approval panels. “I think it’s a great forum, because this is the inaugural session and we are able to make our own rules,” said Deputy President Anirudh Sankar. “[In the absence of] main submitters, no one is fighting and it results in everyone working constructively,” he added. Deputy President Kwok agreed, adding that “the more intimate smaller group sessions result in a more specific focus” in developing a proposal.

To Pollute or Not to Pollute: ICJ Tackles Pulp Mills

By Ting Chen
The International Court of Justice kicked off on Wednesday with the Argentina and Uruguay’s heated dispute over the construction of two pulp mills on the eastern section of the Uruguay River, a resource shared by both countries. The day began with opening statements from the advocates of Argentina and Uruguay. Argentina had filed a case against Uruguay for contaminating the river with its pulp mill projects.Argentina is the first Latin American country to bring a neighboring state to court, and the pulp mill construction is the first World Bank project to become the focus of the case in an ICJ case. World Bank invested more than five hundred million dollars in the pulp mills. The International Financial Cooperation, a private sector of the World Bank, also loaned money to the project. According to a treaty of 1975, the Statute of the Uruguay River, one country has the obligation to consult the other side if a project is to be initiated. However, Uruguay authorized the construction of the pulp mill without the consent of Argentina. Argentina claims that these pulp mills would have a harmful impact on the environment and would damage the river’s ecosystem by dumping toxic wastes into the water. Local people living around the area are concerned about the pollution, deforestation, and increased truck traffic. Protests have been carried out continuously, and border bridges are also blocked. Argentina is calling for the mills to use totally chlorine-free technology instead of elemental chlorine- free technology or to cease the construction completely.Uruguay argued that they have “provided Argentina with relevant, accurate, and adequate information during the planning and construction of the [mills].” Furthermore, Argentina’s roadblocks on the international bridges are harming Uruguay’s economy by affecting the flow of goods transported into Uruguay. Uruguay believes that these mills will provide an infinite amount of economic benefit directly and indirectly. The justices have their personal views about the matter. “Although the delegations of Uruguay received their supported evidence from the ICJ website, their arguments are merely controversial and subjective,” comments Judge Huang. “On the other hand, Argentina’s stand point placed more of focus on the environmental damage that is done through pulp mills.” “The advocates for Argentina are doing a good job vilifying Uruguay’s actions; however, Uruguay has an abundant source of evidence to muddy the waters,” says Judge Su. The participants continued to work to reach a sound final solution.

GA Starts With a Bang!

By Jenny Suh and George Jieh
“Is this issue relevant to facilitating peace?” “What action can we take to involve my country?” and even “Does this tie make me look fat?” inquired students as the six General Assembly committees started with a bang this Wednesday. With topics ranging from blood diamonds to the economic development of land-locked Asian countries, the General Assembly forums inspired high hopes among the participants of this year’s conference. “I’m really excited about this conference,” said Emilie Jespersen, a delegate from GA 1. “I’m a bit nervous too, but that’s expected. I’m especially looking forward to exchanging ideas and building a strong resolution,” she added.Although GA is split into six different committees, all forums followed standard opening procedures. A preliminary roll call is held, followed by an ad hoc meeting that goes over procedures and motions. The delegates then have the rest of the day to lobby and merge resolutions.GA 1 dealt with the issue of blood diamonds, the situation in Southeast Asia, and maintenance of international security. Chair of GA 1, Samantha Sawan, described lobbying as a process where “delegates can get the best of each other,” and expressed hopes that the delegates would exchange ideas that would cumulate to “great results”. Delegate of Tajikistan, Hee Sang Park, experienced the atmosphere to be “quite friendly” and found all the delegates approachable. Next, GA 2 addressed the economic and legal aspects of issues such as effects of international migration on development. Philoemina Lee, Ambassador to Eritrea, said that she felt her expectations had been met. “This conference is going really well. I’m satisfied with the exchange of ideas that is going on and feel like I’ve already learned many things,” she said. Ho Woong Chun, the Deputy Chair of GA 2, said he was pleased with the amount of active participation that was taking place in the committee. Yuna Shon, Chair for GA 3, described the forum as “focusing on social, humanitarian, and cultural issues,” including the issue of child labor in newly industrializing countries. The delegates, Shon said, are “enthusiastic and passionate.” So far, she had no concerns, she said. GA 4 dealt with the issue of special politics and decolonization of certain countries. The division of the committee into four groups according to agenda facilitated the lobbying process in the committee, and much active and enthusiastic participation ensued. “The environment is really stimulating,” described Pamela Usai, a chair of the committee. “I expect a lot of debate and controversy,” she said. Tajuddin Marhim, Delegate of Niger, agreed stating, “I expected a lot of fire from delegates, and I’m not disappointed. Everyone is fired up and passionate. The discussions are very heated.” Similarly, delegates of forums GA5 and 6, which addressed different aspects of Administration and Budgetry of organizations and civilians respectively, also expressed satisfaction with the progress of the conference so far. Karen Chen, Chair for GA 5, applauded the thorough preparation of the delegates. Her fellow chair Pranay Puranik added, “I was surprised by the number of strong speakers. Everyone is involved, and there are no complaints so far.” Arthur Klatt, the MUN Director of Shekou International School described the participants of GA6 forum as “anxious to get to work” and expressed hopes that the committee would complete a resolution on all four topics addressed in the forum. Nonetheless, some concerns, such as the lack of a microphone in particular venues, were consistently expressed through the forums. However, these issues were quickly reported. Regarding the issue of microphones, Tajduddin Marhim optimistically stated, “A more comfortable venue would be nice, of course, but this one doesn’t interfere in our work, and that’s all that matters.” Chairs also devised methods to encourage more delegates to become involved.Overall, with the chorus of approval and acclaim, high expectations for GA in the next three days of the conference were established. As expressed by Tarjuddin Marhim,“Through this conference, [we can hope to] become more aware of global issues and experience how youth can make a difference in the world.”

Guest Speaker Expects and Accepts the Unexpected

By Jamie Chen and Natalie Boyle
At a moment’s notice, the intended guest speaker for THIMUN-Singapore 2007, Thelma Kay, was called away by the United Nations to deal with a situation in Myanmar. After the unfortunate loss of Ms. Kay, Mr. Dennis Boyle-Woods, Advisory Panel, has graciously stepped up to the plate. With a copious amount of experience behind him, Mr. Boyle-Woods is enjoying his return to familiar territory after his move from Beijing, China to Doha, Qatar. Mr. Boyle-Woods is grateful for more free time with his wife, a direct benefit of his transition to the American School of Doha. Due to a rigorous and exasperating schedule in Beijing, the time he had to himself and with his wife was dwindling, eventually catalyzing their move. Mr. Boyle-Woods claims that he “immediately felt at home” in Doha due to the warm people, students, and colleagues that he encountered in their sweltering new environment. The Boyle-Woods have even become comfortable enough to adopt two new kittens, Chandler, ironically similar to the beloved character in Friends, and Gracie, an uninhibited feral feline straight from the wild.Though the couple “[loves] the food” and Middle Eastern culture, the separation from ISB (International School of Beijing) students and colleagues is hard to bear. He categorizes the relationship that he and his wife shared with many ISB students and colleagues as “special,” probably “unlikely to happen again.”Mr. Boyle-Woods views the cancellation of the planned guest speaker as a “disappointment,” but also respects the reality of the UN’s fast-paced schedule. After spending many years in the MUN community, he considers this opportunity as an honor. In his speech during the opening ceremony, Mr. Boyle-Woods focused on ongoing gender equality and the standard student impact and future involvement in social issues after MUN. We are annually told that we MUN participants are the future of the world, the leaders of tomorrow, and the best of the best. Though we heard the same thing this year, it was delivered in a completely different and more effective manner. Certainly, we are young and privileged, but in experiencing MUN, we automatically put ourselves in a powerful position. Though our motivations may differ—some come for the shopping, others for the chance to miss class—some actually attend because they want to make a difference. Everyone has undergone a selection process in some form, and all have put in the effort and most importantly, the participants of THIMUN-Singapore, according to Mr. Boyle-Woods, “represent the best schools ” and are, in some ways, the institution’s “report cards.” To reiterate his point, Mr. Boyle-Woods cited several examples of former MUN participants who have become movers and shakers of the world community at a very young age. Mr. Boyle-Woods expressed the desire that we should all “keep [the issues] in the front of [our minds] and to remember that these are what we want to solve someday.” It is his hope that we are then able to go out after college and make a difference.In step with this year’s conference theme “Gender Equality,” Mr. Boyle-Woods focused on how far young women have come in the thirty-or-so years that MUN has been around. When the MUN movement began in the 1970s, it was mostly seen as an extension of debate clubs and a way for public speakers to gain valuable experience debating world issues. In the early days of MUN, seven out of every ten participants were male. Now, most conferences’ gender ratio is 60:40—but most delegates are now women.As the third annual THIMUN-Singapore commences, Mr. Boyle-Woods continues to be a beacon of inspiration for new and experienced delegates and MUN Advisors with his contagious passion and interest in the issues at hand. As a guest speaker, Mr. Boyle-Woods has not only influenced the MUN community as a whole, but has also challenged the youth of today to take their rightful positions as leaders who will create change in the future.

New Reactions from Old Mouths

By Joanne Lii
First impressions can make a world of difference when it comes to making a judgment. The vast number of veteran delegates at the THIMUN-Singapore conference this year is a statement to how compelling the international discussion was last year, but what are the veterans’ opinions of the new and improved THIMUN-Singapore III? Once caught in the excitement of creating and passing impeccable resolutions, it’s hard not to participate in more MUN conferences, especially one as large as Singapore’s mock session. So how has THIMUN-Singapore changed since 2006 and what are some of the new qualities to look forward to this year? Upon entering the THIMUN-Singapore conference grounds, the organization and efficient processes of registration and helping delegates find the proper room wowed old and new participants alike. The place setting of many of the rooms this year has made communication and efficiency improve greatly. This is partly due to the completion of the SALT center and better reorganization of what tools delegates need most often like computers. “It was also very helpful that the chairs did their research and new exactly what to do,” says Kevin Chu. Since many of the troubles that plagued last year’s conference, such as the misplacement of placards, were already dealt with before the conference began, participants feel activities will run much more smoothly throughout the four days. With the incredible amount of participants, veteran delegates must learn to be patient and get used to the number of people who wish to speak when given the opportunity. As Noam Jacoby from Singapore put it, “It’s going to be a long day.” However, returning delegate Maria Stanislavova believes the participants of this year are “friendlier and nicer and seem to know what they are doing.” They seem more willing and driven to accomplish the goals of this conference and actively find other delegates to discuss issues. Hopefully, the new participants will continue to impress old-time participants with their knowledgeable and skilled performances.Many first-time delegates attending THIMUN-Singapore were surprised at what they found. The grand setting and strict rules contributed to their feeling they had arrived at a much larger and more formal conferences as opposed to the more casual ones they had been to before. The Delegate of Iran, Arjun Nihalani says, “There feels like a lot of competition to pass a good resolution.” Although the conference seems intimidating at first, many hope to make lots of friends in such a huge international setting. Many delegates are much more passionate about THIMUN-Singapore III compared to previous years because of the central issues and the number of participants at this year’s conference. Ignacio Lames, the Delegate of Panama in the Security Council, feels that because of the sheer number of people, the event gives people, and especially teenagers, the sense that young adults can make a difference, too. He adds that he “quite likes it more this year.”Such a large activity is sure to attract many people who want to make a difference or just want to make lots of friends. The MUN conferences are continually changing to give delegates greater experience in a more comfortable setting. Although most people agree with Tay Kai Xian that “it is still too early to tell if the conference will be better than last years,” they have high hopes from what they have seen so far.

It Opened with a Bang!

By Tiffany Sung and Grace Leo
It is amazing to see more than one thousand participants from all over the world gathering at the third annual session of THIMUN-Singapore. As the Opening Ceremony is about to start, students wearing professional-looking black suits crowd into the narrow corridors and enter the huge Hwa Chong Auditorium, ready to witness the moment when the exciting, long-awaited four-day conference would officially begin. Hwa Chong Institute features one of the most impressive campuses in all of Southeastern Asia, and students could not stop complimenting the grandeur of the auditorium and expressing their desire to have a similar facility at their own schools. However, the chattering faded away immediately when Arie Pittman, the President of the General Assembly, stepped out and declared, “May the house please come to order?”The opening of the 2007 THIMUN-Singapore conference started with an exciting performance by the Hwa Chong Institution (HCI) choir. Despite the small number of members in the singing group, their performance of a Pamugun-Philippino folksong about the chase of a swallow by a hunter still resonated with incredible energy and power. When the performers cried out in a surprising scream, all the lethargic delegates who had stayed up all night talking with friends and working on last minute changes to their resolutions suddenly became wide awake.This year, Gender Equality is the central theme of the conference. Frances Laughlin, the Secretary to the THIMUN Board of Directors, addressed the problem in a serious tone. Ms. Laughlin drew the assembly’s attention to the disparity between men and women and reminded us to work hard to develop a consensus and move forward towards greater equality. To help the more inexperienced delegates get a better understanding of what they might undergo in the next four days, GA President Pittman shared her experience as a delegate and Secretary General. Throughout her MUN career, Pittman has learned that Model United Nations “gives youth of the world an opportunity to make a difference and develop ideas that will become the faith of the world.” She encourages us to “think big” while providing realistic solutions to issues happening in the world today. When this year’s Secretary General Sanam Kader took the floor, the listeners came to realize how fortunate we are to be here and to participate in such a meaningful event. As Kader said, we gather here today to “embrace internationalism, the spirit of THIMUN.” With the originality and creativity of the younger generation, students can offer their own perspective and make a real contribution to the global community. Kader encourages all participants of this year’s THIMUN-Singapore conference to “strive for excellence” because they are the ones who will be able to make a difference in the future. While the delegates, officers, and guests begin to realize what a huge responsibility they have, pressure was eased by the Hwa Chong string orchestra’s elegant performance of the first movement of Gustav Holst’s St Paul Suite. The ceremony’s excitement was again stirred when Mr. Boyle-Woods, honorary member to the THIMUN-Singapore board and current teacher at American School of Doha, came under the spotlight. As he walked to the lectern, students immediately gave the popular supervisor of the Approval Panel, Youth Assembly, and Security Council a huge round of applause. Mr. Boyle-Woods points out that despite the unresolved issue of gender inequality, changes are already taking place in the world around us. As an eloquent and entertaining guest speaker, Mr. Boyle-Woods was a very suitable choice for the opening of the ceremony.Ms. Pittman had the honor of officially opening the conference. When she announced it with a flourish and a bang of the gavel, cheers and shouts were heard from the audience. It is a great start for the days to come. The wise words of the speakers enthused the delegates with purpose. We must now set off on this great journey to make THIMUN-Singapore 2007 the best one yet!

Plan of Action in Action

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?

The THIMUN Pocket Book of Editors

By Jennifer Tseng
THIMUN Newspaper- (noun) Definition: 1. Editions of news transcending all others. 2. Publication used to educate readers about the on-goings of the world and the conference while delivering their daily dose of laughter. Synonyms: Passion/Laboring Editors. Antonyms: Relaxation and laziness. This year’s Munity-East press team boasts several new and returning editors, all dedicated to bringing you, the reader, accurate and interesting information about the conference. Two co-editors-in-chief lead the group. “Use your talents. They for use were made. What’s a sundial in the shade?” Johnson Lin, working as one of our coeditor-in-chiefs this year is certainly living up to his favorite quote from Benjamin Franklin. Lin is ardent about the press because he enjoys the power to publish words of adolescents for the world to see. Lin’s goal this year is to “provide a diverse and interesting paper to the readers.” The EOC also expresses that his greatest inspiration stemmed from Mr. Longbotham, who is “really enthusiastic about [the] press and has provided me great motivation to work.” As a career Johnson hopes to work with the media or in technology. During his spare time however, Johnson enjoys climbing mountains and chewing Eclipse Mints. Jason Cheng, serving as the other EOC, is completing his sixth year of MUN conferences. Cheng commented that he enjoys the experience of being in MUN because he loves the pressure of being surrounded by the best from each school and seeing the newspaper published. After all, even though the delegates are just students, they are given the right to draft resolutions and sanction nations: How much more powerful can one get? Jason has set high goals this year to further improve the conference paper: “I want the readers to feel that our newspaper is the best that they have ever read…this year we are going to change the way they (people) think by bringing them to another level of creativity! MUNITY-EAST ROCKS!”“I love to write really sarcastic articles that are dry to the point of dehydration.” said Raymond Chuang, our Assistant Editor. Raymond has always been a happy-go-lucky person, and this trait obviously reflects in his writing such as the features article, “Through the Eyes of a Dumb Delegate: ‘Common Sense, Not so Common’” and last year’s “Suits and Ties, a Tradition Demystified.” Chuang is passionate about the press because “The press is a chance for me to print out my voice, a voice that will be preserved forever on paper.” To Raymond, the conference was created as a way for students to raise awareness to today’s global issues, learn to negotiate, and to walk in the shoes of people of different ethnicities.Other schools inlcuding NEHS and ISB are also represented on the editorial staff this year. Press Advisor Mr. Longbotham “wanted to offer kids from other schools the opportunity to take on the responsibility of a title. They are important in that they can help us supervise submissions for the pre-conference issue.”Assistant Editor Andrew Tarn is a senior at National Experimental High School in Taiwan. Andrew’s dedication to journalism is the reason why he chose to join MUN press over being a delegate. The “action-tight feeling” in the pressroom, and the satisfaction of seeing his work published greatly appeal to Tarn, particularly, “the unique experience of selling newspaper in the morning.” Tarn looks to the past editors as examples and inspiration because they did a great job in bringing the newspaper to where it is today: “My predecessors on the press team have really motivated me to live up to my duties.” Assistant Editor Chuan Liu hales from the International School of Beijing and has been in MUN for four years, serving three years in press. Chuan joined MUN out of curiosity. However, as the days progressed, Liu unexpectedly “fell in love with creating the newspaper . . . and with the family-like atmosphere.” Liu stressed that, “To see everyone running under the sun and getting all soaked with sweat just to sell an extra issue was a memorable experience.” Through MUN, Liu gained valuable experiences both as a leader and an initiator. To Liu, the press serves as the witness and recorder of mankind’s attempt to improve by first raising awareness, then solving the problems. Photo editor Miko Shih is looking forward to a year of hard work. Miko said that “even though there are deadlines and work to do, I still think it’s a fun experience.” With the help of her brother Tom, a delegate, Shih became involved in the press, and he continues to serve as a great inspiration for her to work hard.Thanks to all our editors, we can look forward to a series of page-turner newspapers this year.

Arie Pitman Shines Again!

By Ai Wen Chan
Juggling college applications and SAT’s, this inspiring senior still makes time for the frenetic world of MUN. This year, Pittman holds the prestigious position of Secretary General for BEIMUN XV so it doesn’t look like her schedule is going to free up anytime soon. Striding through the doors of any MUN conference with her Zara suit and Steve Madden shoes, she radiates composure, confidence, and professionalism. In November, Pittman will step up to the podium as President of the General Assembly for THIMUN Singapore III. This position allows Pittman to oversee the six General Assembly forums, which include a total of six conscientious chairs, six aspiring deputy chairs and last but not least – the diligent delegates themselves. On top of this, this senior will also be responsible for writing some of the speeches for the ceremonial events. Given that Pittman viewed last year’s conference as “a great experience”, she looks forward to fiery debate and to seeing this year’s conference as a good opportunity to “[nurture] the General Assembly chairs on their chairing and leadership skills.” Pittman began her MUN career as a freshman and was soon chosen to be a delegate at THIMUN- The Hague representing “Doctors Without Borders” in the Disarmament Forum. During Pittman’s sophomore year, she was a returning delegate to the Netherlands representing the INTERPOL in the Disarmament Forum; that same year, she attended Haarlem MUN where she was the deputy chair of the General Assembly I Committee. In her third year of MUN, Pittman attended THIMUN-Singapore as one of the Deputy Presidents of ECOSOC and was a Co-President for the Human Rights Committee at BEIMUN XIV. By the time the seniors throw their hats on graduation night, Pittman will have attended eighteen MUN conferences altogether.Given the choice of joining STUCO, Habitat for Humanity or Roots & Shoots, Pittman chose to participate in MUN. Why MUN? Pittman believes that MUN “provides an amazing opportunity for students to attempt to solve some of the problems plaguing our world [today].” She is convinced that “everything that is learned in MUN, from the speaking, writing, debating to the exercise of diplomatic skills, will inevitably help us in our everyday life, both in and out of the classroom.”Excluding this rigorous world of MUN, Pittman’s all-time favorite hobby is traveling to new places with her friends and family, for she sees this as a profound opportunity to “learn about the world’s diverse cultures and traditions.” Aside from traveling, she revels in the teamwork involved in the exciting and fast-paced sport of basketball. Traveling and teamwork have helped Pittman excel in her MUN career. Finally, Pittman reveals that she is very fond of spicy food – especially Mexican food. The well-known spicy Singaporean food will indeed complement the heated debate at THIMUN Singapore III and will definitely prove a memorable experience for her.

Annabel Tseng Exuberates True MUN Spirit

By Jamie Chen
With the right mindset, Annabel Tseng, senior student at ISB and president of ICI, is preparing to finish her longstanding MUN career this year in November at THIMUN- Singapore with a bang. After attending THIMUN- The Hague, BEIMUN, and THIMUN- Singapore for a second time, Tseng has learned what’s important about participating in MUN and what should be accomplished: having fun while “[solving] real issues in the world”- not just passing resolutions in forums at the conferences. She intends to create an enjoyable atmosphere for the ICJ delegates that will be attending THIMUN- Singapore 2007, but don’t mistakenly believe that she’s a pushover; she emphasizes that “[They’ll] be doing work too.” She hopes that her forum will become known as one of the “fun,” yet productive forums. Tseng has high hopes for the quality and vivacity of the arguments that the ICJ delegates will bring to the table in regards to the two cases for the forum that she will be chairing; the navigational rights in Costa Rica and Nicaragua and the Pulp Mills on the Uruguay River. She believes in the vigor and the passion of attending advocates. Through the clouded fog of anticipation for passing resolutions, Tseng notes that it’s not always easy to focus on the right goals and what should take priority during an MUN conference. As a conference veteran, Tseng hopes that new attendees will remain true to the spirit and purpose of MUN, which is finding solutions for real issues that our world faces and will potentially face in the future. With her heart in the right place and her determination to help make a better world, Annabel Tseng leaves her mark on the MUN program and its participants. Tseng’s life is not without vicarious thrills and excitements; the most memorable occurred at BEIMUN XIV. While participating in the conference, she was unexpectedly asked to chair and “got to bang the gavel a few times.” Tseng recalls that experience as “awesome” and an unexpected pinnacle of her MUN career.

Wong Returns for Second Year as President of SC

By Jen Wang
Serene Wong (12), of the International School of Beijing, is hardly intimidated by her upcoming return to the role of President of Security Council at THIMUN-Singapore III. A senior this year, Wong has participated in THIMUN-Singapore since its inception two years ago. Starting as a delegate in GA4, she was promoted to President of Security Council at THIMUN-Singapore II, and is now continuing in that role at this year’s conference. She is now in her 4th year of doing Model United Nations and THIMUN-Singapore will be her last overseas conference. “It will be hard to accept the fact that this is my last year involved in MUN,” says Wong; “it’s a bittersweet moment.”Since THIMUN-Singapore takes place in Asia, Wong is excited about the issues before the Security Council in the upcoming conference, noting that many of them are Asian-oriented. The issues this year include: the situation in Myanmar and the protection of human rights and minority groups; the situation and question of peace in Sri Lanka; the question of peace and stability in Lebanon; and the situation in Darfur, Sudan. This year, Wong hopes to be able to “improve the quality of heated debates and the feasible outcomes produced throughout the conference” because of her previous experience in to the role of President of the Security Council. Wong also notes that “the Security Council is a one-of-a-kind forum where the countries have the power to solve the most pressing issues involving peace and security” and loves the fact that “within days, the whole forum becomes a tightly knit group.”However, Wong doesn’t spend all her time in MUN, even though she wishes to continue MUN in college and perhaps study something MUN-related. She has also been on the swim team for three years and is involved in forensics, which she explains “does not solve crime” at school. In her free time she enjoys watching movies, hanging out with friends, and going out to try different restaurants. Also, recently she has started to try her hand at cooking, and trying out different recipes. She hopes to continue this interest.Wong ends by exclaiming how excited she is about returning to Singapore for yet another conference, and even though it’ll be hard to say goodbye at the end of the four days, it will have been another conference filled with memories and new friends that she’ll remember for years to come.

Hae Bin Kim: From ICJ to APQK

By Nadia Yau
Some may remember Hae Bin Kim from last year’s THIMUN Singapore Conference. Hailing from the International School of Beijing, this unassuming 11th grader attended the conference previously as an advocate for the International Court of Justice. “My partner advocate and I prepared two full binders of research, speeches, and evidence – because I actually believed my ICJ student advisor when she said that I needed ‘two binders full of research’ to be even close to being prepared for ICJ.” Needless to say, things should be a little different at THIMUN for Kim this year. She has managed to by-pass the endless hours of research needed by moving to the post of President of the Advisory Panel on the Question of Kashmir. Kim cites AP’s intense and focused debate, and the overall aim of advising the Security Council as what stirred her interest in the forum. “I was also attracted by the fact that it’s AP’s inaugural session in THIMUN Singapore this year. I guess I wanted the tingling sense of adventure and challenge in terms of setting up a new session as a president!” Kim’s MUN experience began when she joined MUN as a freshman back in 2005. She credits her decision to join MUN to the fact that she “felt so out of touch with everything that was going on in the world.” Just as any other avid student, Kim was aware of global issues but recalls, particularly, that she felt left out at conversations at the dinner table. “MUN looked like a great way to get myself engaged in the world.”Though when she first began Kim felt intimidated by the endless amount of MUN jargon that she had to learn and didn’t quite grasp many of the MUN procedures for her first in-school MINI-MUN conference – “I just memorized ‘honourable delegates and esteemed chair’ just to not offend anyone” – she made up for what she lacked with infinite hours of hard work, just as she did later in ICJ. “I didn’t know what to expect for ‘points of information’, so I printed out pages of statistics [to] read off – back then, I thought reading numbers looked cool. So I ran off photocopies of the statistics for other people in my merging group.” Kim has come a long way from there, attending a total of fourteen conferences, from MINI-MUN at ISB, to THIMUN in The Hague during her freshman year, BEIMUN at Beijing, SEOMUN in her native country, Korea, MYMUN in Malaysia and, of course, THIMUN here in Singapore. Doubtless, her industriousness and astuteness in learning has paid off, especially – perhaps – from that one fateful MINI-MUN incident: “Luckily, one delegate in my merging group found [the numbers] helpful in answering a point of information, and he later thanked me for saving his face.”Though she needs not prepare binders upon binders full of information, nor run off pages upon pages of statistics anymore, Km’s assiduousness still shines: “This year, my APQK officer team put together a brief and a chairing book especially for APQK. It was neither mandatory nor necessary to do so, but we did it because we thought the resources would help APQK to be successful in the future THIMUN Singapore Conferences.” Certainly, hard work seems to be the key to Kim’s performance. Kim confirms this when asked what it takes to reach a position such as her, stating, “The answer to that would be just to keep trying, and trying.” She adds with a laugh – “Another would be to regard to MUN with love and care! I know it sounds cheesy, but, because I really love the MUN program, I am able to put an extra something into everything I do for MUN.”Concerning her original goal in joining MUN, Kim has indeed achieved her goal of connecting with the world around her through engaging in the world of MUN. Kim recalls her first THIMUN the Hague Conference, in which she was a delegate of South Africa in GA2: “Never before had I seriously thought about anything close to poverty, sustainable development, or human rights abuse. I never realized what a great economic force the African continent was.” Through Kim’s accomplishments, the claims of MUN as a program that turns students into world-conscious global citizens is, most definitely, confirmed. In addition to passion for the program, Kim also cites experience as a major ingredient to success in MUN. “I’ve been all over the place in MUN: regular MUN forums, Security Council, International Court of Justice, Youth Assembly, and finally, Advisory Panel…I learned so much from each of them.”

Arie Pitman Shines Again!

By Ai Wen Chan
Juggling college applications and SAT’s, this inspiring senior still makes time for the frenetic world of MUN. This year, Pittman holds the prestigious position of Secretary General for BEIMUN XV so it doesn’t look like her schedule is going to free up anytime soon. Striding through the doors of any MUN conference with her Zara suit and Steve Madden shoes, she radiates composure, confidence, and professionalism. In November, Pittman will step up to the podium as President of the General Assembly for THIMUN Singapore III. This position allows Pittman to oversee the six General Assembly forums, which include a total of six conscientious chairs, six aspiring deputy chairs and last but not least – the diligent delegates themselves. On top of this, this senior will also be responsible for writing some of the speeches for the ceremonial events. Given that Pittman viewed last year’s conference as “a great experience”, she looks forward to fiery debate and to seeing this year’s conference as a good opportunity to “[nurture] the General Assembly chairs on their chairing and leadership skills.” Pittman began her MUN career as a freshman and was soon chosen to be a delegate at THIMUN- The Hague representing “Doctors Without Borders” in the Disarmament Forum. During Pittman’s sophomore year, she was a returning delegate to the Netherlands representing the INTERPOL in the Disarmament Forum; that same year, she attended Haarlem MUN where she was the deputy chair of the General Assembly I Committee. In her third year of MUN, Pittman attended THIMUN-Singapore as one of the Deputy Presidents of ECOSOC and was a Co-President for the Human Rights Committee at BEIMUN XIV. By the time the seniors throw their hats on graduation night, Pittman will have attended eighteen MUN conferences altogether.Given the choice of joining STUCO, Habitat for Humanity or Roots & Shoots, Pittman chose to participate in MUN. Why MUN? Pittman believes that MUN “provides an amazing opportunity for students to attempt to solve some of the problems plaguing our world [today].” She is convinced that “everything that is learned in MUN, from the speaking, writing, debating to the exercise of diplomatic skills, will inevitably help us in our everyday life, both in and out of the classroom.”Excluding this rigorous world of MUN, Pittman’s all-time favorite hobby is traveling to new places with her friends and family, for she sees this as a profound opportunity to “learn about the world’s diverse cultures and traditions.” Aside from traveling, she revels in the teamwork involved in the exciting and fast-paced sport of basketball. Traveling and teamwork have helped Pittman excel in her MUN career. Finally, Pittman reveals that she is very fond of spicy food – especially Mexican food. The well-known spicy Singaporean food will indeed complement the heated debate at THIMUN Singapore III and will definitely prove a memorable experience for her.