MUNOFS 2009 Issue 2

! " # $ % &

!1

!"#$%&'&$(&!)*!+,,-&!)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!./012!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!0(3#4&'!)5*!)667!

ODEL UNITED NATIONS OVERSEAS FAMILY SCHOOL

./012Short But SweetThe closing ceremony was short, but sweet. It started

off with Karly Franz who gave an insightful speech on

MUNOFS 2009. Time flew at this year’s conference and

it was to many a learning experience she said.

Following her speech, Adriel Tjokrosaputro played the

piano and sang, ‘I look at you’ by Whitney Houston in the

spirit of MUN. It was a magnificent and inspiring

performance.

To conclude this year’s MUNOFS, Student President and

Secretary General for MUNOFS, Max Martchenko gave a

brief speech. He thanked the administration team, the

canteen staff, the Information Technology crew, the

maintenance staff, the press, the delegates and the chairs -

in short, everyone who played an important part in making

this year’s conference a roaring success. And with that he

concluded, “Now it is time to declare this session

officially closed”.

Jason Klanderman

The Value of Youth

“Kofi Annan once said, young people

should be at the forefront of global change

and innovation. Empowered, they can be

key agents for development and peace.

Therefore, let us ensure that young people

have every opportunity to participate fully

in the lives of their societies,” Karly Franz

proudly stated at yesterday’s opening

ceremony.This quote reflects the theme and

importance of the youth and has showed

participants the value of youth and how

important it is especially for younger

generations, as they will be the ones to

shape the future.

Over the course of the conference, pressing

issues such as combating child trafficking

and finding solutions to guarantee primary

education in LEDC’s have been discussed.

These extremely sad problems have been

brought to the table and bravely

highlighted. The keen insights of the

delegates have allowed them to challenge

and discuss these controversial issues. The

opening statement made an impact on

everyone and was also unmistakably

present at the closing ceremony as well. At

the closing ceremony Karly stood at the

podium and said, “Time really does fly. It

is unbelievable that over the last 48 hours,

all of you, as delegates, have prepared

solutions to some of the world’s most

pressing issues. I hope you have learned

that the first step to change is awareness.”

She said that the most important point was,

“Understanding each other’s points of view

is crucial in overcoming an issue.”

Courtney Cohn

2

L I K E T H E R E A L T H I N G

Tired of wearing your casual

clothes day in and day out? Feel

like you have nothing to wear?

Now is your chance to suit up!

MUNOFS has arrived and as you

would have noticed men and

women alike have on their best

formal attire. But the question

remains – why do delegates have

to dress up so formally?

As with the United Nations

conference there are certain codes

of conduct including dress code.

These are there to ensure respect

to all cultures and their customs.

All delegates who are attending

MUNOFS are required to wear

formal clothing.

For men, suits are encouraged

with long sleeved shirts, a tie,

long pants and dress shoes.

Women can wear their nicest

dresses or pants and dress shirt.

As far as the shoes are concerned,

dress shoes for the men and

sandals for the women are

acceptable.

While the clothing rules may

sound simple enough, the codes

of conduct are slightly more

complicated.

Respect is the most important rule

of the all the codes of conduct.

Delegates are required to be

courteous, professional, use

formal language and remain in

role throughout the conference.

This includes addressing other

delegates as Mister or Madam

and not interrupting someone

while they are speaking.

However, these rules and

regulations should not deter

people from joining, actual UN

conferences are very similar to

MUNOFS - it is just like the real

thing.

Jason Klanderman

Common Misconceptions of what MUN stands for:

According to the Model United

Nation’s website, “Model United

Nations”, or MUN, is a simulation

of the United Nations General

Assembly. MUN was begun in the

1920’s by groups of students, even

before the United Nations began its

operations in 1945. The focus of the

organization is bringing students

from different

schools together

to discuss and

propose solutions

to current world

issues.

Student membership of MUN is

voluntary but the individual benefits

are significant. Communication

skills and knowledge of current

events, conflicts and issues are

central to the experiences students

are exposed to. Students develop a

wide range of skills, including a

better understanding of problem

solving, research and conflict

resolution.

Time and time again there are

misconceptions involving various

issues, and MUN is no stranger to

these. Some people I interviewed

were under the impression it is a

cult. They did not want to be

involved until they realized that

t h e y w e r e c o m p l e t e l y

misunderstanding the purpose of

MUN.

Some might even think that MUN is

a waste of time and that they might

help society in better ways, but what

better way than to do it from school

with the help and strong support of

teachers. Some also think that this is

a competitive issue-debating club,

where there is an obvious winner

and a loser.

Without being properly informed,

students are ignorant to what MUN

really is. Correcting these

misconceptions is in the hands of

the MUN organization and

participating students and teachers.

Aniroodh Shankar

What does a Secretary General do all day?

What does a secretary-general

do while the conference is

running? “First, I have to make an

inspiring opening speech and

declare the conference open. Then

I lead the Student Officer team

during the conference. We monitor

all procedures at the conference,

making sure that all rules and

regulations are obeyed and that the

committees run smoothly. I don

not rest until the conference closes.

Of course, there is always a

debriefing and clean up too!”

I asked Max how he reached the

position of Secretary General of

MUNOFS. “After four years of

commitment and experience in all

aspects of MUN, I managed to

reach one of the top positions by

serving as an advocate in the

International Court of Justice. This

was one of my

greatest MUN

experiences. I

won my case

unanimously,

representing the

Republic of

Guinea against

Congo.”

What’s your next MUN

challenge Max? I am going to

serve as the head chair of General

Assembly third committee at

Thimun Singapore 2009.

Herve Bougard

MUNOFS October 24, 2009


! " # $ % &

Mauris egestas lacus sit ameVivamus pulvinar, purus ultricies ultrices ullamcorper, dolor diam euismod

nisl, vel consectetuer eros mi sit amet lorem.

— Quisque Massa

4

Controversial Capital Punishment

A strong debate concerning the

abolition of the death penalty

warmed up the Human Rights

Council Yesterday. The main

submitter of the resolution to

abolish the death penalty was the

delegate representative of

Congo, co-submitted by five

other delegates. One of the main

arguments advanced against

capital punishment was that,

executing criminals does not

leave room for natural human

error, as the action is, as the

resolution stated, “irreversible

and irreparable.” However a

point of information raised

during the debate, was that while

accepting the impossibility of

certainty, there is still the

question of suitable punishment

for what the delegate of Japan

described as “heinous” crimes.

Many delegates in the Human

Rights Committee supported the

delegate of Indonesia, who

stated, “Execution guarantees the

recognition of the victim’s

human rights.” “Two wrongs

don’t make a right” argued the

delegate of Costa Rica. The

resolution and other delegates

asserted that there is no evidence

that the death penalty deters

crime. To deal with death by

death might only lead to an

unending cycle of violence.

Fu r the rmore , t he r e a r e

alternative measures, such as life

imprisonment, that, according to

the resolution, offer sufficient

deterrence to potential criminals,

and punishment to the actual

offender, while offering a chance

of redemption. Still, as the

delegate of Iraq pointed out, life

imprisonment is an expensive

waste of a country’s resources. This

was a gripping debate.

Going Global

The school has two Model United

Nation clubs – one in the Middle

School and one in the High School.

The Middle School MUN is not a

club for those trying to earn an ECA,

but is a requirement for those who

have the interest and the enthusiasm

to learn about the MUN.

In the Middle School, MUN is not a

requirement so the students who

participate show true dedication. It

gives them insights into the UN and

they take part in MUNOFS. Both

groups enjoy the challenge of

perfecting their resolutions before

the conference. A real sense of

accomplishment is achieved through

teamwork and the improvement of

personal negotiation skills. It is very

satisfying to get your resolution

passed!

MUM at OFS offers many

opportunities to its members. It is a

great to spend time with students

from all grades and learn from each

other. Regular meetings allow

participants to discuss and argue in a

fun and productive way. As, there is

the lure of travel to exotic places to

meet your peers from other nations!

MUN allows students to empathize

with the often difficult situations in

other countries.

Students at OFS are lucky to

study with students from all

corners of the globe and MUN

offers another dimension to their

world understanding.

MUN is about becoming a

global citizen. IT is about

awareness and action. The

students in Middle and High

School at OFS who join MUN

increase their knowledge of

world issues and enjoy the

fellowship of other students who

want to act responsibly and show

their concern for our planet.

Aniroodh Shankar

The Solution Starts Small

One of the environmental

committee’s blazing hot topics

for this year’s MUNOFS was the

issue of deforestation – an issue

that contributes to global

w a r m i n g e v e r y d a y .

Deforestation – the logging of

large numbers of trees, without

any o r no s ign i f i can t

replacement of trees in return –

is a dire issue today. Heading

with many heavyweight

arguments were delegates of

countries such as Egypt,

Australia, and North Korea, with

arguments bouncing back and

forth in a dispute with many

plausible defenses as well as

solutions. An argument put

forward in the debate was that

for less economically developed

countries, it was a necessity to

let deforestation occur – as many

people create a living out of

trades such as logging. Another

delegate suggested that funding

from government bodies put

towards prevention of the

practice could be misused

instead of being used for its

intended purpose. This is

Rebecca Pardey


5

The General Assembly

The General Assembly (GA) is one of the five principal

organs of the United Nations and is comprised of all

members. This is the only committee in which all are

given an equal vote on matters concerning the UN

budget, appointing non-permanent members to the

Security Council, and recommendations on issues.

The actual GA meets under its president annually in

sessions that last from September through to December,

but can be assembled in emergency situations. There

are also a number of established subsidiary areas that

specialize in discussing disarmament, finance, trade ad

development amongst others.

In recent years, concern has been raised over the

fairness of voting. Since the passing of resolutions and

recommendations requires a two-thirds majority vote.

Mohammed Omar

A Miniskirt CAN Make a Difference

Colourful smiles are sometimes a feature of delegate's

speeches. The ECOSOC council witnessed this during

the debate of a resolution designed to improve the

economic and social development of indigenous people

of Africa, Australia, Asia and South America. By means

of 'grassroots level' education, reduction of

discrimination, economic liberation and political

representation, the resolution hopes to improve living

conditions for, as Alexander Louis, Vice President and

Chairperson of Humanitarian Affairs of the UN

Association of Singapore said, “The people the world

has all to often forgotten”. The delegate of Algeria,

Rohit Subramanian, argued that this resolution would

reduce the spread of aids, malaria and other

transmittable diseases. The delegate from the Russian

Federation felt that the resolution contained strategies

already in place. Algeria countered with the fact that

while this may be so, they didn't seem to be working

and needed more emphasis. After a lengthy debate, the

voting started. With 24 votes supporting the resolution,

12 abstentions, and 9 votes against, the resolution was

passed. As Rohit asserted during the debate, “My

resolution is like a miniskirt, it is short enough to be

attractive, but long enough to cover the important

parts”. Who would have thought that a miniskirt could

make a difference?

Jason Klanderman

General Assembly


! " # $ % &

!6

THE MUNOFS EXPERIENCE – ROUND II

All good things must come to an

end as this year’s MUNOFS

conference ended with the closing

ceremony today. The MUNOFS

participants - the various delegates,

the Chairs, the administration, the

visiting schools and of course, us

journalists, leave with newfound

knowledge about ourselves and the

approach of MUN.

Thelma Heinztelmann from the

German European School of

Singapore (GESS) believes that

MUNOFS has taught her how hard

it is to have a conflicting opinion

with that of the country assigned.

"It's really hard to talk with passion

and conviction for something that

you don't personally support.”

However she said, “…it's a good

way to improve my English…"

Jie Pan from National Junior

College (NJC) said that he expected

to be cold and alone with no one to

support him, but it turned out pretty

well. But these views are only those

of the delegates. Courtney Cohn,

copyeditor of Footprints said, " I

guess MUN just looks more

complicated than it really is. The

truth is that at the end of the day

we're still the same lazy teens, not

some high sounding diplomats."

MUNOFS has brought success to

everyone, in different measures, but

the true lesson we all have learnt is

to make the best of each experience

and explore all the opportunities

that we are lucky to have. Until

next time its “Sayonara”

MUNOFS.

Malavika Nair

The MUNOFS Was Cold

Taking a break from the cold

air-conditioned room to thaw

our hands, we stalked outside

the room waiting to ask the

delegates questions. The

moment the delegates were

released for a break, they stood

up to yawn and stretch like cats

and we seized the opportunity to

talk to them.

Tan Yi Zhen from Ang Mo Kio

Secondary, representing Ghana,

spoke to us, pausing in between

to run back to the table for more

sandwiches. She had spent the

past three days researching and

making preparat ions for

MUNOFS.

She voiced her problems over

delegates who dodged questions,

“Sometimes the delegates don’t

give you the answer you want

and the Chairperson doesn’t

allow you to continue and it

gets really frustrating.” She

cleverly roped in Michael Utama,

also from her school, to help her.

Michael was active in the debate,

rattling off the rebuttals like a

machine gun until he felt the

other delegates saw his point of

views. He even admitted it when

we spoke to him. “When they

shoot me, I have to shoot them

back!”

Despite the fierce debates, Yi

Zhen and Michael found comic

relief when some delegates’

anxiety to express their view

points resulted in graphic

descriptions of methods of

execution like, ‘chopping off

heads’ and ‘frying convicts for

the next five to six minutes

until they die’. The laughter that

ensued broke the tension in the

room.

Yingxin, JingJie, Stephanie

THE FOOTPRINT

Editor-in-Chief

Ghazal Heidari Marvi

Editor

Courtney Cohn

Layout Editors

Kyungseo Han

Yewon Park

Reporters

Ashwarya Ramani

Herve Bougard

Jason Klanderman

Malavika Nair

Rebecca Pardey

Kyungha Lee

Mhd. Antonio van der Putten

Heeyoung Lee

Anthony Walsh

Stephanie Ang

Nee Ying Xin

Tan Jing Jie

Special Thanks

Mr Glover

Ms Chanrai-Hills

Mr Moon

Ms Holden

Ms Keene


7

The Rules of MUN Debating

3. THINK FAST, TALK SLOWLY

MUN doesn’t require marathon speeches,

but instead thrives on coherent, effective

communication. If someone asks a question you’re

not comfortable with, buy yourself time by using

sentences of a general nature that you have

practiced beforehand. If you get into a real fix, stay

calm and remind yourself that you are representing

a country and your personal morals shouldn’t get in

way. This should help you stay firmly with your

country’s stand on the issue.

1. RESPECT

All delegates are entitled to opinions.

However ridiculous their reasons may sound to

you, they still represent an effort that they've

taken, and which you should acknowledge with

your respect. Don't insult any delegate;

differences of opinion may explain why the

opinion is wrong, but not why the delegate is

wrong. Always, thank the delegate.4. TAKE NOTES AND LISTEN

As the main submitter recites the operative

clause, make notes. This helps you to remember

what your main idea is when you have the floor.

Often delegates whose resolutions or amendments

are being discussed feel offended when someone

quotes something incorrectly. Be calm, and listen

well, as the chair may confront you to clear up

misconceptions.

2. USE UNDERSTANDABLE WORDS

Many people tend to use elaborate words

to impress other delegates. While elegant

language might gain a lot of attention, remember

not to overdo it. Using flowery language might

make delegates think you are showing off, or that

your ideas have more style than substance.

If you're in MUN, you've probably written

resolutions, and you’ve probably thought about

how effective they are—but you may be unsure

how to express your views. Here are some ground

rules for debating.

Anticipating Approval

I step inside the Environment Committee room.

Everyone seems to be abuzz and on their toes.

There are groups dotted all over the place,

clustered together around a common laptop

screen, five or six to a group. There are

people shouting, discussing and

criticizing contents of the documents

pulled up on their computer screens.

Mia Samuel, a delegate for Brazil,

comes up to me. I ask her what's going

on. “ People leave things to the last

minute,” she says. “It's typical.” She's

talking of course, of discussions in support of

their respective resolutions, and how the resolutions

have to be carefully crafted before being sent to the

Approval Panel to be passed or rejected.

Mia turns to me. “It's okay though. Everyone leaves

approval to the last minute. Things happen later on

when everyone goes to the Approval Panel, but the

anticipation is cool. ” And so, I left the Environment

Committee to their own devices.

I checked in at the Security Council, who,

after inspection, seemed laid-back and

happily chilling out. I was slightly

alarmed at the scene, thinking there

were signs of incredible laziness.

However, Ash tells me, “We passed

three resolutions, which was really

good, since the tension was amazing.

We're ahead of everyone else so we're just

quietly discussing at the moment.”

So, I sighed a breath of relief at the sight of the

committee delegates kicking back after completing

intensely crafted resolutions. After all, with 3 passed

resolutions, they deserved a break.Courtney Cohn

Malavika Nair


! " # $ % &

8

\

Hot Debate: Child Trafficking

“The persistently dire problem of child trafficking in

the world today,” was this year’s Human Rights

Council’s chosen debate.

Child trafficking is sadly a reality in today’s world.

The Human Rights Council along with main

submitter, the delegate of Russia and its co-

submitters Australia, Cape Verde, Japan, Belarus,

Cameroon and Malaysia made the noble decision to

make this an important issue to discuss at this

weekend’s conference.

According to the submitted resolutions, the Human

Rights Council commends the idea of prosecuting

criminals guilty of engaging in the illegal act of

labor exploitation and child trafficking. The Council

also understands that before the problem can be

completely solved, factors and problems need to be

considered such as, “…inadequate governmental

ability in addressing the root causes of child

trafficking”.

Nic Espinoza, Deputy Chair of the Human Rights

Council said, “Russia and the co-submitters did an

exemplary job in drafting the resolution.”

He went on to say that, “The debate proved to be

heated and fruitful, due to it being a provocative

subject. It was practically a landslide approval from the

delegates.”

Behind The Scenes Just how much work do OFS students and

administration staff do in preparation for each

MUN conference? Many people would struggle to

imagine the amount of hours put in by this year’s

conference managers, Jaya Malhotra and Viviana

June as well as the rest of the administration staff.

This is their story…

“Preparations started at the beginning of the

semester,” said Viviana. Once the administration

staff was assembled, there were many other stages in

the preparation process. Jaya and Viviana were in

charge of the gathering of delegate names and the

countries they would be representing and making

name cards. They were also responsible for making

the name plates for each country. This required a

multitude of hours and afternoons after school and it

was, because to their effort and the assistance by

some administration staff members that these dull,

yet essential task were completed.

The administration staff has also had to create name

plates for each country, print off resolutions for the

delegates during Saturday’s conference and

throughout MUNOFS they were also responsible for

passing and screen notes from the delegates.

And the responsibilities did not just end there – there

was work to be done in the kitchen! As if Viviana

did not have enough to do she spent the best part of

her Saturday evening making cupcakes for everyone

attending the conference. They were voted as, “The

best cupcakes ever!”

Courtney Cohn


9

The Inner Workings of the Security Council

The name might sound all powerful, and the

outcome of the votes tough to overturn, but have

you ever wondered what actually goes on in

Security Council?

Based on The Security Council within the United

Nations, the committee at MUNOFS tackles high

profile, and often sensitive issues. Debating

resolutions on current situations, such as the issue of

Honduras, the issue of Iran’s Nuclear Policy, and the

Issue of Piracy on the High Seas, Security Council is

truly not for the faint hearted, and generally consists of

more experienced delegates.

The Security Council within the UN is the only

committee allowed to authorize the use of armed

forces, and peacekeeping operations. While,

unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the

committee at MUNOFS, this does tend to give debate

an extra dimension. As not all countries are eligible to

members of Security Council, the MUNOFS Security

Council experience tends to be more intense. There

are fewer delegates in the room, so there tends to be

more opportunity to engage in high level discourse.

The major powers also have the power of 'veto'

which adds drama to the debate and requires expert

diplomacy to avoid. Security Council at MUNOFS

promises to be an engaging and enriching

experience.

Ashwarya Ramani

From Political To

Personal Connections

Confession time – hands

up if you have ever

thought of MUN as a

serious , dry and

political affair only for

students interested in

international affairs?

Well, if you are being

honest, the thought has

probably crossed most

of our minds.

Thasbeeh Moosa, who

is representing Iran at

MUNOFS, has a very different view on this.

Not only is this his first year that he has participated in

MUN, but this is also his first year at OFS. At first

Thasbeesh joined MUN for CAS, but after a few

meetings he realized how much fun it was.

He explained that you are not allowed to represent a

country to which you have a connection. He is on the

Economical and Social Council (ECOSOC) which

deals with numerous issues such as: universal access

to safe drinking water; reducing health risks from

environmental pollution and hazards, renewing

measures towards reduction of greenhouse gas

concentrations in the atmosphere and the right of

indigenous people to maintain control over their

social and economic development. Reducing

greenhouse gas emissions is one of the issues

Thasbeesh is focusing on.

Most of what happens at MUN is networking -

meeting new people from different cultures, not only

from OFS, but also from the other participating

schools. Hopefully you have found out that this event

is not only about serious political debating, but a

great way to improve your political networking skills.

You never know when they will come in useful.

Jason Klanderman


! " # $ % &

!10

Nulla vitae elit at neque laoreetVivamus dapibus, risus ac congue auctor, ligula purus placerat lectus, sit

amet pretium magna wisi sit amet est. Suspendisse imperdiet nulla

Taking a Step Back

As the only MUN conference to

actually be held at OFS, to say

that there is significant pressure

on the organizers is somewhat of

an understatement. Experienced

MUN-ers and new MUN-ers alike

may struggle to co-ordinate with

the endless aspects of the

conference.

However this year, the MUNOFS

conference has been left almost

entirely to the organization of the

11th grade delegates, entrusted by

the veteran MUN-ers of 12th grade

to pull off what will no doubt be a

challenging, but rewarding

spectacle.

Max Martchenko, who is currently

completing his fourth year as a

member of MUN at OFS, was

paramount to the MUNOFS

conference last year. This year, he,

along with the majority of the 12th

grade participants, is primarily

involved in the general organization

of the event, acting as Secretary

General of the conference.

Although his role is undoubtedly

vital to the success of MUNOFS,

by a mutual decision taken by the

MUN team, the hard work this year

has been left to their younger

counterparts like 11th grader

Viviana June. Those in their final

year of high school felt they would

not have the time to meet the

demanding commitment.

Twelfth graders responsibilities are

limited to training the chairs to

control the various debates that

take place throughout the

conference. They also train the

novice delegates to be prepared for

the relatively pedantic MUN

procedures, regarding both

resolutions and debate.

Rebecca Pardey

Visitors

While students are the main

focus of MUN, there are a lot of

other people around who

endeavor to make MUN success.

I interviewed a teacher from OFS

Middle School, Ms Nomita Kumar.

This teacher brought her students

to the MUNOFS debates. Since

middle school will start MUN for

the first time in March, she wanted

her students to see how high school

debates work. “Middle school

students are so keen to understand

how people contribute the MUN”.

Her main purpose in visiting high

school MUNOFS is to see how the

lobbying is taking place.

I also spoke with Mr Colin Sellar,

from Lycee francaise de Singapour,

who came to see MUNOFS

without his students. Because the

school is in holiday, he came alone.

However, he is happy to be here,

since he helped organize the

MUNOFS. He hopes “to observe

how the lobbying and negotiating

goes”. He also interested in how

the resolutions emerge.

Heeyoung Lee

Break Time For MUNOFS Delegates

Resolutions have been discussed

and passed and it is time for a

break until the next conference.

So just what do MUNOFS

delegates do during their break

time?

Well believe it or not, they are often

still debating ideas and resolutions

while enjoying the snacks provided.

A lot of delegates get so caught up

in the flow of the debate that they

continue the discussion outside,

while still managing to maintain a

polite formal discussion even

without the chairman present.

Most people think delegates would

save their ideas to avoid running

out of resolutions during the debate,

but they actually discuss issues in

more detail than they would have

inside the actual conference. This is

because they are allowed to speak

out whenever they want.

However the discussion outside the

room is not as formal and structured

– rather it is several small groups

going in different directions rather

than discussing the issue as one

group.

Perhaps some delegates have not

understood the reason for having a

break in between conferences.

Others however may have they

right idea – playing football in their

suits or perhaps not.

Anthony Walsh


! " # $ % &

11

List of Participants

Ang Mo Kio Secondary School

DPS International School

Canadian International School

Overseas Family School

National Junior College

Raffles Junior College

German European School Singapore

Hwa Chong Institution

Emmar International School

The Fruit of Our Labour

The keyboards click away and the sub-zero air-

conditioning does nothing to curb the beads of

sweat trickling down the stressed faces. “Ten

minutes till deadline guys,” booms Mr. Glover as he

paces back and forth through the labour camp more

commonly known as K104.

In the sad confines of this newspaper laboratory, a

team of journalists were held hostage and juiced for

all their creativity. Originally volunteering to cover

what they thought would be just a simple

conference, these dedicated young men and women

were oblivious of their ominous fate.

Each journalist was coerced into producing three

articles a day, complete with pictures of course.

Apart from cajoling exhausted delegates into

divulging exciting snippets to be formed into

articles, these journalists also had to meet their

deadlines.

And let’s not forget the catch: The limited space on

the paper meant that not all our work would be

published. So why did we do it? Why did we wake

up at 5:30 in the morning on a Saturday and Sunday

to come to school and do work? Why do we subject

ourselves to torture as Mr. Glover scrutinizes our

work? We do it, because we crave excitement; we do

it because our passion is to write; we do it for the

sense of fulfillment at the end of it all to see the

words we painstakingly crafted published for all to

read.


Fixing Speech Mistakes Without Embarrassment

Being a MUN delegate requires a lot of concentration

and preparation. It is not always easy for delegates to

present their ideas when pressure gets to them; they can

end up making mistakes. Here, Akhil Jacob Thomas, the

delegate for Mexico, tells us about how he copes:

“Well, first of all, if I do make a mistake I just continue on

and switch to another point as soon as possible. I pretend

as if the mistake didn’t happen, hoping that listeners may

think they misheard me! I also try to look more confident

after my mistake as a way to mask it. From there, I then

come up with a new point and try to improvise on the

spot.” He added, “ A good delegate never shows weakness.

We are in a debate here, we must stand firm.”

Anthony Walsh


11

V

Executive Decisions

The Executive Team for

MUNOFS has worked tirelessly

to ensure a success fu l

conference, yet they somehow

manages to stay out of the

spotlight. This group of elite

MUNOFS ins iders have

organized much of the

conference, from the issues to the

placards. Read on to partake in

their views on the conference.

The Executive Team have been

working since August to construct

a truly noteworthy conference

experience, sacrificing much of

their own time to ensure MUNOFS

is a success. Says Max

Martchenko, Secretary General,

“I've been working a few hours a

week well in advance, with the

conference team.”

When asked about the exciting

improvements in store for

MUNOFS '09, everyone on the

team showed enthusiasm over the

increase in the size of the

conference. “Committees have

approximately doubled in size and

on average consist of 45

delegates”, says Jaya Malhotra,

Conference Manager. The

increased size of committees lead

to high hopes of an exciting and

stimulating debate. Karly Franz,

the Deputy Secretary General,

hopes this change will make

debating more interesting for

participating delegates and give

them more time to speak.

Furthermore, according to Karly,

the plenary has been cut shorter to

allow more time for insightful

debate within committees. The

benefits of joining MUN

according to Viviana June,

Confe rence Manage r, i s

developing speaking skills,

making new friends and trying

new things. And more importantly

as Max points out an introduction

to politics and world issues.

At the end of yet another

successful conference, we should

really be thanking those who

worked tirelessly behind the

scenes – the Executive Team.

Ashwarya Ramani

The Secretary General of the MUNOFS:

I am here with Max Marchenko,

who is the Secretary General for

the MUNOFS conference. Some

people might wonder as to what a

Secretary General does. Here is

Max to answer!

So, what does a Secretary

General do? “A Secretary

General basically ensures that

everyone is doing the jobs they

are supposed to do, and that the

conference is running smoothly

without problems. I am the head

of the conference”.

So, do you mean like being a

boss and telling everyone what

to do? “Well, not exactly. I have

to make sure that everyone does

their job. I problem solve if there

are problems with notes or

delegates having to reprint their

statements. I would say that it is

more of a responsibility rather

than being a superior. It is not so

much that I order everyone

around, it is more that I make

sure there aren't any problems”.

So are there problems?

Conflicts? “Well there are

always some problems at these

conferences; like delegates

having to reprint their

resolutions. It can also become

very intense with good, strong

debating. It is my job to ensure

that the delegates coming from

other schools keep to the

etiquette”.

Antonio


! " # $ % &

5


14

EC

OS

OC

The E

conom

ic a

nd S

ocia

l Council

Economic and Social Council

Model UN involves many committees, such as one

called ECOSOC, which is one of the main

committees of the UN. It stands for Economic and

Social Committee, and as soon as you hear this, you

are exactly right in assuming that it is -logically-

about Economic and Social issues. In this committee,

delegates discuss the economic and social topics that

are progressing worldwide, as well as identifying

problems, and lobbying resolutions. At this current

time, the hot topics are 'Safe Water', and 'The Rights

of Indigenous People'.

Those involved with ECOSOC's debating have to

share their country's opinions on the matters

discussed. They must be sure to prepare their

discussion and stance properly so that they can take

everything that is thrown at them.

Lee Heeyoung

MUN UNITY

Each year, approximately 60, 000 high school and

university students participate in a variety of Model

United Nations programs worldwide. The fact that so

many schools come together at a given place and time

with one common goal opens up the opportunity to

build new friendships and meet new acquaintances.

For this reason, every year as MUN takes place

around the world - and as it occurs in our very own

school - unity is strengthened. Not only are there

more friendships, but a greater understanding of other

schools is also created. Rivalries between other

schools tend to dissipate during MUN conferences.

This is evident in our very own MUNOFS, as student

Jeffrey Hoe remarked how he made new friends from

schools such as the Tanglin Trust School and the

Belvedere School. Furthermore, he discussed how he

became more aware of the way other schools

cooperate and work in general. This allowed not only

him, but other students to learn different methods of

cooperation and team work from the other schools.

Learning from each other, appreciating our

differences, acknowledging our common humanity -

it is this feeling of unity, more than the creation of

resolutions, that make the MUN experience truly

invaluable.

Abhineet Kumar


15

Special Conference The Heat On Health Is On

This year in MUNOFS, a special conference has

been dedicated to issues concerning health. While

everyone agrees that health is an important

matter and wishes to contribute to the betterment

of health in general, their political stances may

differ.

Saturday’s conference saw the discussion and debate

of the first two resolutions on malaria. While the first

set warmed up the delegates, the second set them all

ablaze. There were thoughtful speeches. Interesting

points of information and of course some sub-zero

temperature wars between nations. If you have ever

wondered just how far you could take a disagreement

without being inappropriate – the question may have

been answered.

When Dhruv Medapalli, a delegate of China and an

OFS student, answered a request for information

from Jacob Thomas, a delegate of Mexico and also

an OFS student, he ended his response with a

sarcastic, “Yes, sir.” In response, Jacob replied,

“Thank you, SIR.” From that moment it became

obvious that ‘the fight was on’. Both delegates

eventually received warnings from the Chair.

With the tension in the air growing throughout the

two days, disagreements such as these are bound to

occur with delegates putting forward insightful

ideas. While these disagreements are interesting to

witness, we must not forget the true spirit of MUN:

criticize constructively.

Malavika Nair

Your Deputy Secretary General

Karly Franz, the deputy Secretary General of the

MUNOFS, opened the conference with an

inspirational speech advocating the value of

MUN to both the individual and the community.

She quoted Kofi Annan in saying, “young people

should be at the forefront of global change and

innovation.” Karly’s faith in the significance of

MUN stems from her belief that “awareness is the

key to change”, as there is no hope for the future if

those who shall have to deal with it are ignorant of

the issues facing them. Karly seems to speak for the

committed delegates participating in this conference,

as we heard Vanessa from NJC echoing this

sentiment, “We’re going to inherit the world – we

might as well get the practice.” As well as giving

motivational speeches, our diligent DSG believes in

the value of action over the words, as she hopes to

spend time working for NGO’s in the future.

In this vein, we asked Karly which of the numerous

world issues we are facing most dominates her

attention. She immediately responded, “Healthcare!”

She resents the fact that healthcare has become a

“privilege not a right.” Even developed nations with

the means of guaranteeing healthcare allow

thousands to go untreated every year; and although

countries like her home country America, are working

towards eliminating this problem, she feels that more

drastic action is required. The vexation that clouded

her face when discussing health cleared, however,

when asked of her opinion of the conference so far.

She believes that it is even better than last year,

surpassing her perpetual optimism

Rebecca Pardey


16

V

Talking Up A Storm

Getting your resolution authorized by the

Approval Panel is only the first small step

towards actually getting it passed in the final

MUNOFS conference. Before declaring success,

delegates must prove their resolution can

weather the storm of debate. Luckily for the

delegate of France, her issue did not seem to

generate a deluge of uproar in the EcoSoc

conference, as in

g e n e r a l t h e

m o v e t o

e n c o u r a g e

universal access

to safe drinking

w a t e r w a s

popular. That is

not to say the

r e s o l u t i o n

e s c a p e d

unscathed. By contrast, the Delegate of North Korea

for the same conference has to tread carefully to avoid

cascades of dissent from her fellow delegates, as she

was held accountable for all of her country’s economic

and social policies. In light of this, she finds it is safest

to support policies that did not breach national

sovereignty of the countries, as this is North Korea’s

primary stipulation. Unfortunately for the delegate of

Congo in the General Assembly advocating

improvements in Primary Education in LDCs, despite

her passionate speeches, the delegate of Estonia did not

hold back his hailstorm of criticism. The Delegate of

Congo, from NJC, was disappointed less by the failure

of her resolution, which she admitted had been

somewhat rushed, and more by lost opportunities to

defend the clauses under attack. From these delegates,

we learn the strongest umbrellas are of coherent

thinking, structured argument and an impressive

vocabulary, but even under this protection, the more

controversial resolutions struggle to survive intact.

Rebecca Pardey

Taking The floor

During the debating sessions in MUNOFS

committees, delegates are asked to “take the

floor” to speak in support of their resolutions or

when debating against another country’s

proposal. This requires a degree of braveness which

can be difficult to come by if you are a new

delegate. Therefore, it is understandable when

students hesitate to speak. At the start of debates

there can be awkward silences. When this happens,

the chair has to resort to tactics such as calling on

particular nations who have an obvious interest in a

topic to speak. It is only when debates become

heated that the majority of delegates find it easier to

become involved.

Another problem for new delegates is the formal

language which must be used when speaking or

when asking ‘Points of Information’. Some of these

language rules seem peculiar to an outsider. An

example of this is the ban on using first person, ‘I’.

Instead, the speaker must refer to themselves as,

“This delegate believes that...”. Before returning to

their seats, delegates must ask to, “Yield the floor”.

This can lead to some comical results at times.

Delegates must, of course, also keep their language

‘diplomatic’ at all times.

Herve Tom Bougard


17

Why Have Committees Choose For Themselves?

The committees are a major component of the MUN

conferences, as they dictate issues that delegates must

focus their resolutions on. The six committees available

offer an interesting range of issues, from the abolition

of the death penalty, in the Human Rights Committee,

to universal access to safe drinking water, in the

ECOSOC Council. There is some debate over whether

delegates should be allowed to choose the committee

they work on for themselves – rather than it being

assigned to them – however, for MUNOFS, delegates

had the liberty to select their own.

Nic Espinoza, Deputy Chair of the Human Rights

Council, explained that in majority of conferences

committees are assigned, but for MUNOFS delegates

have been allowed to choose, and for good reason:

“Usually [committees are] assigned, but because

MUNOFS really is at beginner’s level, it’s a choice

that’s been made to let delegates choose for

themselves.” The reason for this might be that relatively

novice delegates would feel more confident when

allowed to make their own selections, especially

considering that the committee you are in determines

both whom you work with and what you have to

know. Bearing this in mind, Nic Adds, “usually the

most experienced get the ‘better’ selections.”

Mr. David Taylor, Dean of International Relations,

supported this statement, adding,

“ We’re letting delegates choose for themselves so

that they can investigate things they are really

passionate about – something that they really want to

do.”

Courtney Cohn

Walking The Talk

Ms. Bentin urges delegates to translate the MUN

spirit into their daily lives beyond the conference. “

On Monday, when you are back in school, reach out to

someone you don’t like and make them your friend.”

This was the challenge OFS high school principal, Ms.

Bentin, issued in the conclusion of her opening

ceremony speech on Saturday. The reaction in the

audience was obvious.

When students take part in MUN they may think they

are just learning about the theory of solving worldwide

issues. In truth though, these ‘lessons’ amount to nothing

if we don’t put them into action. There are many things

operating behind the scenes and many obstacles to be

overcome for just two people to get along. It may be

hard to make a friend out of your ‘enemy’ in just two

days, but imagine the sense of accomplishment if you

make it happen. It is obvious making friends with

someone you do not get on with at school can hard;

there could be a lot of history between you both and

your approaches to many things may clash.

Bearing this in mind, it stands to reason that it would

be much harder for hostile countries to reconcile their

differences. There would obviously be so many more

problems than just personality differences to

overcome. Apart from differences in culture,

background, political viewpoints, there could also be

deep-rooted hostility resulting from wars and

allegiances. How can two such countries, with such

large differences ever make peace? This is what the

UN strives for and sometimes accomplishes, and what

the MUN strives to emulate.

Let’s return to the challenge in Ms. Bentin’s speech.

We may be thinking that to make an enemy our friend

is an insurmountable challenge, but if we can’t

reconcile our personal differences, how then are we

going solve issues on a global scale? UN meetings

last only a few days, so too do MUN conferences. If

countries can overcome their differences so too can

individuals like you and I.

Herve Tom Bougard


Have You Got What It Takes To Pass a Resolution?

Model UN involves many skills such as public

speaking, diplomacy, global awareness and even

dressing for success. What many delegates seem to

forget is something very elementary when creating

and passing a resolution. While seemingly basic and

meticulously outlined to every participant eons

before the big day, actually having a resolution

passed takes a surprising amount of finesse. So just

what are the stages of passing a resolution? Read on

to find out.

Writing

You know your country inside out. You know your

issue through and through. Yet many delegates are

daunted at having to integrate the two. However,

this is surprisingly simple with a few tricks to keep

in mind. It is vital to choose your issue well. Not

only should it be something you are interested in, to

keep you awake during an arduous debate, it should

also concern your country the most. Then just find

an angle to work with, adopt your country’s

worldview and write.

Approval Panel

If writing the resolution tested your research and

lobbying tested your ability to stand out, then this is

the process most likely to test your organization

getting a resolution through the approval panel

before a deadline requires time management. One too

many coffee breaks and there goes the chance to debate

your own resolution. One guarantee about this phase is

the lines that form near the deadline. There will be

lines - long lines, which make it best to try to get there

a little early. It is vital your resolution be formatted

well and succinctly written or the process begins again.

Debate

And now the moment you’ve been waiting for. The

most intense, terrifying, exhilarating part of the process

is split into two phases - the committee and plenary

phases. A resolution has to be passed within your

committee before it is selected for debate in the

plenary. A resolution is never passed without a fight.

One of the keys to success is to be prepared for any

criticisms over the clauses. Having an idea of how to

response takes away the fear of having to think on the

spot. Still a little unsure? Well don’t let it show; even a

somewhat incorrect statement can slip through when

made with confidence.

Lobbying

You know you have a great resolution; time to

convince everyone else of your brilliance. Lobbying

can be tough as it’s the part of the process most left to

chance. However, now is when you can share ideas

with other delegates, to form what is surely a

comprehensive and highly honed resolution guaranteed

to wow during debate.

Ashwarya Ramani


19

The Solution Starts Small

One of the environmental

committee’s blazing hot topics

for this year’s MUNOFS was the

issue of deforestation – an issue

that contributes to global

w a r m i n g e v e r y d a y .

Deforestation – the logging of

large numbers of trees, without

any o r no s ign i f i can t

replacement of trees in return –

is a dire issue today. Heading

with many heavyweight

arguments were delegates of

countries such as Egypt,

Australia, and North Korea, with

arguments bouncing back and

forth in a dispute with many

plausible defenses as well as

solutions. An argument put

forward in the debate was that

for less economically developed

countries, it was a necessity to

let deforestation occur – as many

people create a living out of

trades such as logging. Another

delegate suggested that funding

from government bodies put

towards prevention of the

practice could be misused

instead of being used for its

intended purpose. This is

obviously a very difficult issue

to tackle, as our region is

c u r r e n t l y e x p e r i e n c i n g .

Complicated and expensive

plans are difficult to implement

in the kinds of areas where

forests still exist. Perhaps by

starting smaller-scale programs

to see what alternatives work

best for local inhabitants, a more

global solution can be found.

Courtney Cohn

Paradigm Shift

Involving young people in

politics has long been

considered unacceptable with

society commonly taking the

stance that it’s a topic best

dealt with by adults. But

centuries of leaving the

responsibility solely in the hands

of men and women and keeping

the youth sheltered and mute has

not solved anything. Despite

e c o n o m i c g r o w t h a n d

technological advances, we still

experience the very same issues

that have plagued us since the

very birth of civilisation. We still

see starving children, war,

disease and poverty. What if all

over the world, we let go of

social taboos and decided to

educate our children about the

reality of the problems we face?

Would this catalyze change in

the global politics of the future?

With their fully developed

opinions on matters and social

responsibilities, changing the

minds of adults can sometimes

require a complete paradigm

shift. Children however, are

innocent and compassionate in

nature, no matter where they

come from, and global issues

like hunger and deforestation

really affect them and spark a

need in them to help, especially

since they are not confined by

social responsibilities. So what if

we cultivated this desire? In time

these children might develop

into inspired young adults

adamant on ending war, hunger,

poverty and other global issues

once and for all? During the

MUNOFS opening ceremony

yesterday, Karly Franz shared an

inspiring opinion by quoting

Kofi Annan who once said,

“Young people should be at

the forefront of global change

and innovation. Empowered

they can be key agents for

development and peace.

Therefore, let us ensure that

young people have every

opportunity to participate

fully in the lives of their

societies”. And it seems that we

are getting there, because this is

exactly what Model United

Nations strives to achieve. This

is what we have been working

towards this weekend.



20

Resolutions Passed!

General Assembly:

• Resolution passed to work towards the guarantee

of primary education in less developed countries.

• Resolution passed concerning the issue of forced

labour relating to the Asian Region.

Human Rights Committee:

• A landslide victory to the Delegate

Representative of Russia to develop systems to

combat child trafficking.

• Two resolutions passed for the abolition of the

death penalty, one of which was submitted by the

Delegate Representation of France, passed by

just one vote!

Environment:

• Two resolutions passed – one submitted by the

Delegate of Representative of Pakistan,

combating deforestation.

• Resolution submitted by the Delegate

Representative of Saudi Arabia concerning the

reduction of the world’s reliance on fossil fuels,

passed!

Eco Soc:

• Universal access to safe drinking water,

submitted by the Delegate Representative of

France, passed!

• The resolution to reduce health risks from

environmental hazards – successful!

• Algeria’s resolution to renew measures towards the

reduction of greenhouse gas concentrations in the

atmosphere – approved!

• The rights of indigenous people to maintain control

over their social and economic development, co-

submitted by the Delegate Representative of North

Korea, passed!

Special Conference of Health:

• One resolution concerning the prevention and

treatment of Malaria was successfully passed.

• Two resolutions were also passed to review the

global response strategies to the threat of pandemics

- submitted by the Delegate Representative of Saudi

Arabia and New Zealand respectively.

Security Council:

• R e s o l u t i o n

p a s s e d

c o n c e r n i n g

piracy on the

high seas.

• A successful

resolution passed

on the issue of

Honduras.

Rebecca Pardey

MUNOFS on Education

“Education is not preparation for life, it is life itself,”

so said Max Martchenko who quoted John Dewy in

the opening ceremony of the value of MUNOFS.

Considering the opportunity presented in this

conference as a means of enriching education, the

issue of primary education in less developed

countries (LDC’s) raised by the General Assembly is

critical.

The resolution submitted by the General Republic of

Congo emphasizes the importance of education in

reference to her own nation, in the development of

societies and economies in LDC’s. The resolution

itself epitomizes the value of MUN - combines the

best clauses from sixteen delegates’ resolutions, from

Morocco to Austria.

The widespread support for this issue compared to

some of the more controversial resolutions, is an

indication of the unanimous faith in the value of

education, which MUNOFS so ardently supports.

Rebecca Pardey


Documents

MUNOFS 2009 Issue 2