“I’ve been traveling pretty much non-stop (...) to try and be the first person to visit every country in the world without flying, and today I just have!” It took Graham Hughes nearly four adventure-packed years to be able to claim this. He finally yelled it into a camera, bursting with pride, on November 26th, 2012, after setting foot in his last and 201st UN country, Su-dan. That day, the 33-year-old self-described adventurer, film-maker, travel blogger and TV presenter from Liverpool, Eng-land, uploaded a YouTube video of himself taking a swig of cham-pagne straight out of the bottle and shouting: “LOVELY!”

Hughes certainly did not come up with the idea to traverse the globe while sitting on his couch eating potato chips off of his stomach. He had backpacked through about 70 countries and managed his own successful film company, Hydra Studios, before deciding to combine his passions for travel and filmmaking and embark on the record-breaking journey he named The Odyssey Expedition. Backed by National Geographic, Lonely Planet, and BBC, he set out with not much other than a camera to document this formidable trek through the world. He avoided planes, pri-vate transportation, restaurants and hotels, which, despite saving him countless dollars, made for a very difficult journey. To com-plete this nearly impossible feat he must have had some serious motivation, found in Hughes’

will to spread awareness and col-lect donations for WaterAid, a nonprofit organization that helps make much-needed toilets avail-able to people all over the world. He advocates for the cause vigor-ously, speaking out about how a lack of sanitation contributes enormously to child mortality and how the issue is largely ne-glected. “You might just save a real actual baby human’s LIFE,” writes Hughes on TheOdys-seyExpedition.com, encouraging readers to support the cause.

Hughes’ drive also stems from a determination to stand out from the crowd. Described on The Odyssey Expedition’s website as “the squeaky wheel after the oil,” Hughes was said to never have trouble drawing attention to himself, even as a child. That little itch inside most of us that urges us to do some-thing worth remembering ap-pears to have dragged Hughes across 201 countries and into the book of Guinness World Re-cords. It might be that his main goal, above immersing himself into unknown cultures and ac-quiring new perspectives, was to become a household name.

But it gets harsher. “My worst moment was in Congo, when they put me in jail for a week for being a spy,” laughs Hughes during an interview in Australia’s Today Show. “I just had to pray to God that I didn’t get malaria,” he adds to MSNBC News, cringing with the memory. He admits that he never expect-ed this kind of trouble when he set out on his journey, but also...

It may not have struck many this morning, but as we all tucked into our breakfasts,

whether it was bananas or bacon and eggs, we were influ-enced by international policy of regarding energy and sus-tainability, the theme of the THIMUN XLV conference. It is different from our stock-standard thoughts of “recycling”, but the trip the bananas took to Europe and the gas that cooked the bacon only came to be because of debates and discussions our global leaders conducted. This week, as we model the discussions of the UN, the theme “Energy and Sustainability” has been woven into the week’s commis-sions; we will all be introduced to the complexity of this topic.

Even though it happened “behind the scenes”, choos-ing this week’s theme was the shotgun to start the race that is THIMUN 2013. MUNITY spoke to co-chair of the THI-MUN foundation, Mr. Alain Meidinger, who proposed the

issue of Energy. The Board as a whole then combined this idea of Energy with Sustainability to complete what is now this week’s theme. Meidinger ex-plained that this was a result of “long reflection”, coupled with media influence. Ad-ditionally, Meidinger stated that, “For myself, due to the fact that I am a History and Geography teacher, it has been a second nature to find and develop ideas for THIMUN”. The board seems extremely excited about the tangible pos-sibilities for this theme, given that it is relevant to all nations and people in the world. As Meidinger put it, “for me, the most exciting part is that ALL countries, small or big, power-ful or not, have something to say on this theme. No country, no one person can live without energy.”

Like THIMUN, the UN has also placed a significant amount of focus on energy and sustainability recently. 2012 was named “International Year of Sustainable Energy for All”. Through raising aware-ness, the UN hopes to achieve

the following: “To ensure uni-versal access to energy to modern energy services; To dou-ble the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency; To double the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.” While it is obvious that this will take a considerable amount of time, we can also see the amazing impact these advancements will have on the world when accomplished. However, energy and sustainability is not only a vision for the future, but has affected the global community’s past.

While not many delegates will remember it, Meiding-er prompted an event related to energy and sustainability. In 1973, OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) raised the price of oil. This economically limited energy source had a radical impact on global relations. The Arab nations of OPEC announced an embargo against the United States in response to the U.S. decision to resupply the Israeli military during the war. They continued to do this to other nations that supported Israel. Drastically...

THIMUN XLV: Energy and Sustainability

One man’s OdysseyBY MAIA ALFAROBalboa Academy

CONFERENCESTUFF TO DO IN THE HAGUE

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

PAGE 3 THIMUN NEwS

MOVIETUESDAY NIGHT: RABATPAGE 8 THIMUN NEwS

BEYOND THIMUNWHERE ARE MUNers NOW?PAGE 7 THIMUN NEwS

GREENAMSTERDAM’S CARBON FOOTPRINTPAGE 10 THIMUN NEwS

BY CHARLOTTE SMITHACS Hillingdon

What is sustainability about?

Theme, Page 2

JACK BLETHROAD

Odyssey, Page 4

Provisional Programme of THIMUN Events

Monday

9:00-17:00 - Lobbying;

Security Council, ICJ and Advisory Panel in session

15:00-16:30 - For-mal Opening

Friday

9:00-11:30 - Committee & Sub-commis-sion meetings16:30 - Closing

Ceremonies20:00-24:00-

THIMUNDance

Thursday

9:00-17:00 - Committee &

Sub-commission meetings

17:00 - MUN-Di-rectors meeting

with Board of Directors

Tuesday

9:00-13:00 - Plenary ses-

sions; opening speeches of GA

14:00-17:00 - Committee &

Sub-commission meetings

Wednesday

9:00-14:00 - Committee &

Sub-commission meetings

14:00-17:00 - Cul-tural Activity Day

(no session)

Theme, continued from Page 1cont’d from page 1...the price of oil per barrel dou-

bled, and then quadrupled, leading to increased costs for consumers worldwide. The embargo coincided with a recession, centering around the U.S. Many European nations, as well as Japan, attempted to disassociate with the U.S. Middle Eastern policy. As a result, the US was placed in such a horrific situation that it was forced to negotiate an end to the embargo from a weaker position. This event ultimately impacts most energy relationships between nations that we see today.

Now, compare this to an issue today. We are con-stantly told that oil reserves are dwindling, and therefore global economics will be strained even further. Let’s con-sider the Iranian wish for nuclear power, for instance.

The nation says that they will use this power to supple-ment their people’s growing energy needs, but other na-tions, particularly the US, are concerned that allowing the use of nuclear power for energy will result in nuclear weapons. This highlights the power of energy, and the ef-fect it is having on global politics. The world strives to move past the disaster of the OPEC crisis, and the only way to achieve our goals and resolve issues of energy and sustainability is through international cooperation.

For the sake of the future, we should be mindful about human rights, and the morals that holding or with-holding energy has. Is it fair that one person could have the ability to control someone else’s energy? Does every-one have the right to access energy? Should it be inter-national protocol to share energy? Will we have enough energy in the future to sustain the health care that is required worldwide? We, the international community, need to use our energy sustainably to maintain future stores. Imagine a world where there is no gas for your oven, no MRIs, no showers… let alone computers, televi-sions, or your iPhone. The impact of the decisions made worldwide, especially by the UN, is going to determine the near future. We need to take a stand to ensure that our nation’s policies are going in the direction our world needs. As Meidinger put it, “As an MUNer you proclaim yourself to be a citizen of the world. Prove it! Prove it now by thinking, acting, and merging ideas with the other del-egates. This point is at the base of sustainability”.

2 MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013 INTERNATIONAL THIMUN TRIBUNE

PAGE TWO

Dear Reader,Welcome to the first issue of MUNITY of the THI-

MUN XLV conference! MUNITY is the official, daily newspaper that covers all things related to THIMUN. Just as all delegates will be working hard on their res-olutions in their rooms, our reporters will be scurry-ing around conducting interviews, our photographers will be chasing down people to photograph, and our layout editors will be building the day’s template--all to help create the next issue of MUNITY from scratch.

Within the pages of this week’s issues, you’ll find articles on everything from what was passed in what room to international flags and their meanings. You’ll also find candids of delegates hard at work, and even

a few Sudokus. This year, we’re continuing last year’s format of emulating papers from all over the world. Each day, we will emulate a paper from a different country for a total of five different papers. THIMUN isn’t defined by individual countries, but rather by the cooperation of all of them. By framing the daily hap-penings of the conference in the newspapers of five different countries, we hope to embody this. We are confident that our reporters will successfully capture that essence of cooperation and dedication to achiev-ing resolution that defines the main goals of not only THIMUN, but also international relations as a whole. Your editors,Mariana Domingues and Vicky Liu

Welcome to MUNITY XXI!

Editors in ChiefMariana Domingues, Carlucci American Int. SchoolVicky Liu, John Burroughs School

Text EditorsSuh Young Choi, Mont’Kiara Int. SchoolNora Stai, American School of ParisCharlotte Smith, ACS Hillingdon

ReportersZeina Abu-Hijleh, ACS AmmanMaia Alfaro, Balboa AcademyJack Blethroad, John Burroughs SchoolGabriella Ciemny, Zurich International SchoolMichiel de jong, Gymnasium HaganumMegan Johns, Grange SchoolsAntoine Lebrun, International School The HagueNicole Lester, British School in the NetheralandsTiffany Mauth, American School of ParisKatelin Quanbeck, Brussels American SchoolThomas Rososchansky , ACS HillingdonAnna Soer, Lycee Francais Vincent v. GoghEllen Smith, Grange SchoolsAlice Tow, Ellesmere CollegeIrene Yu, Pacific American School

LayoutNoah Lehrecke, John F. Kennedy SchoolVictoria Pairet, International School BrusselsTyler Payne, International School BeijingJames Roh, International School Beijing PhotographyTamara Bataski, American School of KuwaitTomas Clarkson, British School in the NetherlandsDaniel Cole, Dwight London SchoolChristina Lennartz, John F. Kennedy School

MUNITYPRESS TEAM

TUESDAY WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY FRIDAY

DID YOU KNOW......that Greenpeace prefers to see countries

using nuclear energy more than coal or oil?

...that 1.4 billion people still do not have access to modern energy, while 3 billion rely on “traditional biomass” and coal as their main fuel sources?

...that replacing outdated stoves and open fires with modern energy service would pre-vent 800,000 children dying annually.

Furthermore, our Secretary General, Thomas Evans, divulged his own opinions on the theme. He is interested on the impact of the keynote speaker and speeches on how the theme is interpreted by commissions. Though Evans stresses all issues are important, he believes that “the development of sustainable agricultural practices in the context of a green economy” is a very important topic to be discussed in the Environment Commission. As he explained, this is because it deals with “a clash of interest between food provision and sustainability,” two factors, which often do not smoothly go hand in hand.

If we apply the theme to our lives outside the confer-ence room, it still dramatically affects us. Evans states that the nature of this topic will be “much closer to the participants”, directly affecting every single one of our lives. From simple things like recycling, to a game played by myself and many fellow Londoners called “spot the Prius”, it is evident that sustainability is attached to much of our lifestyle. Every time you rush out of a room and leave a light on, every thirty-minute shower you have to unwind, every bottle you don’t recycle; these are seemingly minor actions that greatly affect the future of sustainability. Hopefully, while we are all thinking from the big picture during the conference, we will all begin to notice the smaller things we can do ourselves, and perhaps the simpler ways we can compel our own local governments or organisations to think about energy and sustainability as a “healthier” trend to follow.

The Hague is a place with attractions for every type of person. As the third largest city in The Netherlands, it is also the seat of the Dutch government and parliament, the Supreme Court, and the Council of State, leaving it with the duty of developing socially and economically whilst maintaining its beautiful, historical appearance. During the time of participa-tion in THIMUN there will be many op-portunities to enjoy, the different culture and surroundings, or simply to appreciate what The Hague has to offer.

If you are interested in expanding your knowledge whilst staying in the Hague, you may want to take a visit to some of the most visited tourist attractions. The recently-built Louwman Car museum has quickly become a spectacle of interest throughout tourists and citizens alike, at-tracting many with the world’s largest and most famous collection of historic auto-mobiles on public display. The Gementee museum, located around the corner from the World Forum where THIMUN is held, is filled with art and historical knowl-edge that is completely free for students. The Madurodam park contains 1:25 scale model replicas of famous Dutch castles, public buildings, and large industrial projects as found at various locations in the country. The park was opened in 1952 and has been visited by tens of millions of visitors since that date. A personal favou-rite of mine is the Prison Gate Museum

in the centre of The Hague. A guided tour round the old dungeons leaves you with a haunting yet factual experience of the history involving torture, imprisonment, and laws. Even the locations of some of the rooms at THIMUN, such as Museon and WFCC, add to the list of intellectual and enjoyable places.

There is much shopping to be done in the centre of the Hague. Of course there are your common clothing shops, but the atmosphere feels very different from anywhere else in the world with the aroma of the fresh stroopwaffels (cookies made from sandwiching two thin waffles with caramel) and delicious thick frietjes (belgian fries that usually come in paper cones and with mayonnaise). A daring visitor could take on the traditional Dutch culture by eating raw herring, sold out-side the parliament buildings.

For those looking for a good place to eat, Popocatepetl provides a varied menu of Mexican meals. The atmosphere of the restaurant conjures a feeling of Mexico City itself, adding to the enjoyable food and leaving you with a more than satis-factory dinner experience. For those who prefer Italian food V.I.P and Vapianos are both excellent restaurants to go for a pleasant meal. V.I.P is considered to be cheaper, but food-wise, Vapianos,with its tasty self-order meals of varieties of fresh pastas and collection of pizzas, has been acknowledged by many as slightly bet-ter. Throughout the youth in The Hague, SUMO is the latest hype of places to eat. SUMO provides customers with a five

round menu, the majority of which is su-shi based. On each round you are able to choose a “small meal” for a great value.

Upcoming debates or amendments may be taking over your mind, but fear not--The Hague offers a mix-ture of entertainments such as the cinema that are per-fect for a small break . In The Hague there are two main cinemas called Spuimarkt and Buitenhof, both offering excellent quality movies with a latest addiction to an IMAX screen for an overwhelming movie experience. Another option is the Plein and Grote Markt , a square of bars/restaurants with inside and outside seating (with outside warmers) for chatting and re-laxing with friends. It’s both enjoyable at night and during the afternoon where warm snacks can also be ordered. Another pleasant way for one to spend an afternoon is a walk on the beach or a walk along the pier. The beach at Scheveningen offers not only that but also has upheld its traditional roots and is a great place to enjoy a Dutch pancake.

As you can tell, during your stay in The Hague, you will never be bored. Its mix-ture of beautiful history and

modern facilities allows for a city of en-tertainment and delight. A chance for broadening cultural knowledge is in store for students participating in THIMUN. The Hague awaits your exploration.

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013 3INTERNATIONAL THIMUN TRIBUNE

PAGE THREE

THIMUNewbiesBY ZEINA ABU-HIJLEHACS Amman

The world outside the ForumBY NICOLE LESTERBritish School in the Netheralands

Buitenhof TOMAS CLARKSON

Confused? Don’t be! This article will explain everything. DANIEL COLE

Welcome to THIMUN! If you are reading this article, you most likely would like a few tips on how to make your conference ex-perience smoother and just that much better.

First, a run down of the con-ference. THIMUN was first or-

ganized in 1968 by Paul Sand from the American School of The Hague. Ever since then, it’s been a place where students debate UN issues after months of re-search and preparation. The first day at the conference is set aside for “lobbying and merging.”In the past couple of years, lob-bying at the conference has be-come less and less popular. As of recently, students have been lobbying online beforehand through social networks and the THIMUN discussion forum. However, during “lobbying and merging”, delegates find other

delegates to impress or merge with and start

working with them to make sure their reso-lutions get enough signatures to be de-bated. As soon as

a resolution has enough sig-

natures, it is taken to the

a p p r o v a l p a n e l

w h e r e it is looked o v e r

b e -f o r e

it is debated. For the rest of the conference, delegates will be de-bating resolutions in their com-missions. On the last day, the Ambassador and another dele-gate are invited to go to Plenary, the final debates on passed reso-lutions from the committees of the General Assembly.

Before you leave your hotel, go to the bathroom! Trust us--the hotel bathroom will be much cleaner than those at the confer-ence and much less crowded. You don’t want to waste any valuable time outside of your room at THIMUN looking for a clean bathroom! Just in case, on the day before the confer-ence when your school stops by the THIMUN building, check out the closest bathroom to your room so you know where it is if you need it. If you’re looking for a clean, uncrowded one, you should check for remote, hidden ones at the ends of hallways. Of course, cleaner ones will be far-ther away, so go to the bathroom before you leave your hotel!

Also before you leave your hotel, double check to make sure you have your jacket. Your most important possession on your way to and from the conference is definitely your coat. Do not underestimate The Hague’s cold

weather; there is a reason THI-MUNers all talk of the Hague

Plague. Without the proper out-erwear, you will end up sick. The coat check at the entrance of the conference only costs a euro if you don’t want to keep carrying your jacket everywhere you go.

A word about how to dress: THIMUN does have a pretty strict dress code. Men are ex-pected to dress in suits and wom-en in skirts, dresses, trousers, or blouses. Although THIMUN is a fashion show to some, make sure to dress properly. Tennis shoes, colored hair, and facial piercings are not allowed, but the restric-tions don’t stop there. In the past, admins have asked people to go home and change out of inappropriate clothes; many of whom were girls with too-short skirts or low cut shirts. Regard-ing shoes, all THIMUNers should either wear comfortable yet for-mal shoes to the conference or have them in their bag for their way to and from the conference. A word to the girls: although the attraction to high heels is hard to resist, last year, girls who didn’t resist could barely walk by the 5th day of the conference.

There are many options for your daily lunch. Everyone at the conference will be given tick-ets for the conference-provided food, but the food doesn’t appeal to many delegates. However, it is still a good idea to go to the caf-

eteria and scope out the food--it is free, after all. And even if you don’t see anything you like, use your ticket to grab a free soda or maybe a muffin. The food you can buy from cafes located inside the World Forum usually consists of pizza, fries, and candy bars, most of which is quite expensive. There are also a multitude of small cafes and restaurants close to the conference that would work beautifully--that is, if you have enough time. Students of-ten only have around 40 min-utes to eat lunch, hardly enough time to choose a restaurant and order. The recommended plan is to bring your own food. On your way to the conference in the morning, look for a conveniently located grocery store. There are a couple of Albert Heijns located just a block away from the World Forum. Here, you will find more choices at lower prices.

Get ready to lobby, merge, debate, and meet new people. Throw yourself out there--seize all of the opportunities you can! Your THIMUN experience will be what you make of it.

...makes it clear that he was never short of remarkable experiences.“Sailing through the Atlantic, there was a day when about fifty dolphins swam with us for two hours,” he gushed to BBC. “It was awesome. It was just awesome.”

On the Today Show in Australia, Hughes raved about how he met “so many amazing people.” In Iran, a country with a government hostile to the British, strangers constantly offered him food and housing.“I’ve slept on a lot of couches,” he recounts to BBC News. “I’ve slept in a lot of shared taxis in Africa where, you know, the taxi’s designed for seven people and they somehow fit sixty people in.” His journey provides ample evidence that in “some countries, you really can’t judge them by the governments,” a fact that needs to be kept in mind for the success of internation-al cooperation and the United Nations.

The memories of the Odyssey, both good and bad, provides for quite a col-lection of stories. And apparently even episodes: National Geographic agreed to compile Hughes’ self-recorded video blog into a TV Series named “Graham’s World” that has already begun airing. Give the show a watch; if reading about The Odys-sey Expedition did not inspire you to trot the globe yourself, seeing Hughes in action just might. Or perhaps his reflective words to the Associated French Press will do the trick: “If you’re American you can’t go to Mauritania, you can’t go to Cuba, if you’ve got an Israeli stamp on your passport you can’t go to Arabic countries, if you’ve got a Malawi stamp on your passport you can’t go to Algeria.... The world’s not open to ev-eryone, but if it is open to you, you know, I think it’s worth exploring.”

Lucky enough for us at THIMUN, we don’t even need a passport to explore cul-tures from all over the world. This week, cross oceans just by crossing your room!

Odyssey, cont’d from Page 1

4 MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013 INTERNATIONAL THIMUN TRIBUNE

PAGE FOUR

Today begins the XLV session of The Hague International Model United Na-tions! People have been buzzing with ex-citement and enthusiasm for weeks and even months, and now the moment is finally here. After conducting endless re-search and writing draft resolutions your hard work is about to pay off. Thousands of delegates march into the World Forum Convention Centre, full of adrenalin and with a distinct mission in mind; a mission that encapsulates THIMUN’s core: unit-ing, negotiating, solving, speaking, criti-cizing and peacemaking. For years, THI-MUN has been a place where the world’s youth assemble to discuss global affairs, meet new people, and attempt to change the world, one step at the time. However, to achieve this you must challenge and push yourself to be the best delegate you can be. To help you be the best delegate you can be, MUNITY has gathered some valuable advice. “Know your country’s policy by heart,” advises the Deputy Chair of GA5. She contin-ues, saying that, “There is nothing worse than other del-egates know-ing your policy

better than you do.” She also stresses the importance of research. While research might not be too fun, the more you know about the topic, the more interesting the debate will be. She concluded with some wise words: “You will not regret speaking at THIMUN!’ You should not be afraid of speaking. Seize the opportunity--ev-eryone remembers what their first MUN experience was like and understand that delivering a speech for the first time can be frightening. For the newbies, a delegate from Spe-cial Conference 1 advises to begin with submitting a small amendment, and then giving a stunningly powerful speech. This tactic will give you the opportunity to show the other delegates your rhetorical abilities, something that might help you later on in the week. He also suggests to respect the admin staff. They are indeed the backbone of the conference; without them, THIMUN would not be possible. Another delegate from GA 2 recommends to “never, ever insult a country,” as it is neither wise nor appropriate to offend other delegates or their respective na-

tionalities. He also recommends be-friending delegates who represent the G20 countries; they can become

precious allies when de-bating and assembling a resolution.

However, one must also acknowledge the fashion aspect of THI-MUN. Many boys and

girls put a lot of thought into what

t h e y w e a r d u r i n g the con-ference.

But guys, please remember to tie your tie correctly! Girls, remember that your legs can still be stunningly beautiful when only half of your thighs are visible! More-over, a Human Rights Committee 1 del-egate recalls the shame when the admin staff kindly asked her to wear a more ap-propriate skirt.“Bring a pen...and bring sufficient paper,”a delegate from GA 3 advises, who adds “bring a water bottle--it will become essential to your survival at THIMUN!” She concludes by stating, “You should al-ways be on time.” After interviewing several delegates it becomes evident that even the most experienced are not as intimidating as they may seem. They, too, have dealt with overcoming their fears, and pushing themselves to the limit in competing with other ambitious delegates. Although com-petition is prevalent in MUN, you should try to remember that the goal of the United Nations, and therefore MUN, is to collaborate with people from the entire world to make the world a better place. Instead of giving up when your resolution is rejected, amend it. Try to compromise by changing clauses or conditions. You should remember that no resolution has been passed without changing parts of it. No one is born a delegate--like a good resolution, we have all developed through our experiences, by changing and adapt-ing. Because by being an honest, diplo-matic, and courageous delegate, one will ultimately succeed. The bravery to defend that what you believe in and the ability to constructively criticize that which you do not agree with, will be your greatest tool both as a delegate and as an indi-vidual. This courage, along with unfailing motivation, will undoubtedly aid you in achieving your goals at THIMUN 2013.

Delegate 101

Are you a confused delegate seeking advice? Look no further! TAMARA BATASKI

TAMARA BASTAKI

Where are delegates from?

BY MICHIEL DE JONGGymnasium Haganum

A red dot means a THIMUN school

access is quite re-

stricted, as they

can only enter

limited areas.

THIMUN Badges: What does it all mean?

Meet Thomas Evans, Secretary General of THIMUN XLV

Meet Thomas Evans, THIMUN 2013’s Secretary General (SC).

You could describe Thomas as the kind of student who does everything perfectly: impeccable language, followed by a very neat attitude and top grades; making him much admired by his fellow Year 13 school-comrades. The position of SG awarded by the Board of Directors has deep mean-ing for Thomas, as he is a senior and this year’s THIMUN conference will be his last. His position suits him well; Secretary General is the most distinguished posi-tion one can obtain at a MUN conference. The person holding this position is re-sponsible for informing and training the students taking part of it. While the Board of Directors takes care of renting the building and any other logistic issues, the Secretary General makes sure that all stu-dents know what they are doing in accor-dance to their position. In short, Thomas is an essential pillar of this conference.

Since 2008, Thomas has been going to the International School of the Hague. During Year 9, the school (which happens to be one of THIMUN’s co-ordinators) of-fered him a place as delegate at DeMUN, Demonstration Model United Nations. As this conference was his first, Thomas was a bit reluctant to speak in the begin-ning. He, however, gathered some cour-age and managed to take the floor several times during the debates. He recalls this conference to have been a “good experi-ence”. This event, spent debating heavy and complicated issues, led him to pur-sue his MUN career in other conferences, such as MUNISH (Model United Nations

at the International School of the Hague). The tremendous amount of effort Thomas put into these conferences resulted in his nomination as Deputy Secretary General for his first THIMUN conference in 2012, where he was charged with supervising ECOSOC. Even with the jogging between the two THIMUN buildings that manag-ing ECOSOC calls for, he still considers THIMUN 2012 as a great and fun experi-ence; the walkie-talkies proved to appeal to him very much.

The effort that culminated in Thom-as’s nomination as Deputy Secretary General last year was joined by the hard work necessary to achieve the position of Secretary General. To become part of the Executive team, of which the SC is an es-sential component, one must go through an interview with three members of the Board of Directors. “I think that there is always a certain amount of nervousness involved with events of this kind of size, but I very much enjoyed the interview; the Board members are all very nice people.”

However, being the Secretary Gen-eral makes Thomas’ week at THIMUN far from easy. His role is divided into two parts: pre-conference preparation and work during THIMUN. The pre-confer-ence preparations mainly consist of con-ducting the Student Officer Training, or-ganized by the Executive team, formed of one Secretary General and four Deputies, Xiaman, Guilherme, Jek Jin and Océane; as well as organizing the research reports processes. Each deputy is in charge of one or two committee(s) and thus collects the research reports written by the chairs of each committee. When all have been corrected by the Executive Team, the re-search reports are put at the disposition

of each delegate online, approximately one month before the start of the confer-ence. “We had no major difficulties, ev-eryone worked well and now that the re-search report creation process is coming to a close, I can say that I am happy with how it went.”

During the conference, Thomas’ work as Secretary General is to ensure that everything runs smoothly, whether it re-quires running through the THIMUN building with his walky-talky (to make sure he is available at all times) or mak-ing sure debates go along the rules of procedure, answering all the questions regarding the conference. If there is any-thing worth knowing at THIMUN, you can be sure that Thomas can point you in the right direction. For Thomas, organizing the world’s biggest and most exciting MUN conference can be very tricky, stating that “the most challeng-ing aspect about organiz-ing a conference like this is bringing all the individual elements together. For ev-ery function that needs to be performed, there are many individual tasks that have to be done, and in my opinion, making sure that everything gets done smoothly and in a timely manner is one of the most challenging things about the organisation”.

This year’s THIMUN is the first one to be or-ganised by an Executive Team with members out-

side the Netherlands. However, even with this challenge, Thomas managed to put together in an orderly, functional and structured manner all aspects of this con-ference, making his pre-conference works a huge success, as of course was expected by all by Thomas’ excellence. For all as-piring Secretary Generals, Thomas Evans is definitely an example to follow. Precise, polite, professional, available at all time, easy to talk to, knows what he’s talking about, and last but not least, caring. Look forward to a spectacularly coordinated week.

The story behind the most famous face of the ConferenceBY ANNA SOERLycee Francais Vincent v. Gogh

INTERNATIONAL THIMUN TRIBUNE

PAGE FIvE

BY NORA STAIAmerican School of Paris

can go wherever they choose, under any cir-cumstances, regardless of the situation

access to all conference rooms and can enter any forum at any time.

access to “public”, or rather, “general” areas in the World

Forum Center (such as the caf-

eteria etc.) as well as their respective committee rooms

Amidst the excite-ment and fast-paced at-mosphere at THIMUN, it is easy to forget seemingly

insignificant details: where you placed your placard; in which pocket your pencil is; where that lost-looking co-submitter wandered off. However, one must never un-derestimate the vitality of your official THIMUN badge; literally opening the majestic door to the THIMUN world, your badge is instrumental to your participation at this conference. No badge, no entrance to the World Forum. Yet this is merely a facet of your badge’s func-tion. Other than the obvious, the large, laminated badge you wear around your neck is the first impression fellow MUNers will have of you. Your badge and the scorching color so loudly printed upon it, is the screaming sym-bol that disseminates your MUN-identity to your peers. To put it briefly, the color of your badge trans-

mits a mes-

sage to admin, as well as to everyone else, about which MUN category you fall under and where you are permit-ted to go. With the follow information, you’ll be able to identify and distinguish a student officer from a press member, ICJ participants from delegates, and so on.

In terms of some practical information, here are a few extremely important tips. First of all, everyone must wear his or her badge at all times; if you do not have your official THIMUN badge, you will not be permitted to enter any THIMUN building or forum. If you have an additional smaller plastic badge: you must always be in possession of both badges, as your smaller badge can-not be used for identifica-tion. Secondly, If you have lost your badge, Confer-ence Management will

give you a replacement badge that costs 30 Euros. Bring your passport photograph and identification proof when acquiring a new badge. Furthermore, visitor badges are available at the visitors Reception Desk at the Conven-tion Centre.

To conclude, for aforementioned reasons as well as other obvious reasons, wearing your badge at all times in the THIMUN buildings is imperative. Not only is your badge your pass to both the buses and the trams for the week, in doing so, you’ll undoubtedly avoid embarrass-ing scenarios, such as not being permitted to enter the conference and consequently having to run back to the hotel in heels. Em- barking on such endeavors

are clearly not recom-mended. So, above

all else, remember your badge!

Secretary General Thomas Evans AnnA Soer

permitte

d to

enter all fo-

rums, as long

as voting is

not in prog-

ress.

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013 5

6 MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013 INTERNATIONAL THIMUN TRIBUNE

PAGE SIX

The Security Council aims to maintain and promote global peace and security. It

identifies threats to peace and acts of aggression, by calling upon those involved to peacefully settle the dispute. It specifically encourages coopera-tion through adjustment and settlements. When necessary, the Security Council will impose sanc-tions or authorise the use of force to resolve these matters. The Security Council will be presided over by Laurent Hooimeijer. This conference, it will address the situations in Syria, Somalia and Libya, as well as the conflict between Sudan and South Sudan. The committee hopes to maintain and restore peace and security on a global level.

The Special Conference, focusing this year on Energy and Sustainability, will

address many of the environmental and ‘green’ problems, including promoting awareness of the importance of sustainable energy when creating jobs, supplying energy in rapidly expanding cities in LEDCs, and reducing dependence on fossil fu-els. President Adam Willems wants to remind del-egates that if they come informed, the debate will go off without a hitch and will make THIMUN the best conference attended. The chairs from both sub-commissions are excited to create construc-tive solutions to all the issues. Willems would like his committee to be professional yet interesting to the participants. “Once your conference tally runs into the double digits, you don’t remember a conference for the questions you debated, but for the fun and quirky things that “went down” in your committee,“ shares Willems.

The Disarmament Commission measures to fight the spread of terrorism in

LEDC, ending the embargo on DPR Korea, and establishing a code of conduct for activities in outer space are all controversial topics in the world today that will be discussed in the Disar-mament Commission. The President of the Dis-armament Commission Meric Atelsalp from the American Robert College in Turkey will be lead-ing both of the sub-commissions and wishes all delegates to participate.

The Economic and Social Council, or ECOSOC, is concerned with global econom-

ic, environmental and social matter. It debates operations related to issues such as universal sus-tainability and economic growth. Lead by it’s Pres-ident Evangelos Chakatsis, ECOSOC will discuss the international use of biofuels and the impact this will have on food security. They will also be ad-dressing the promotion of youth employment and the creation of jobs for a more sustainable future, as well as promoting sustainable economic growth for social development. ECOSOC is also going to consider how to bridge the gap between grass roots movements and the UN. Discussion will also include the possible introduction of new criteria, which would allow the UN to better consider the success of country, including the well-being of the nation’s citizens and its protection of the environ-ment. They will also discuss the International Year of Family Farming (2014), involving enabling effective programmes of sustainable development by women to be carried out, ensuring global ac-cess to innovative forms of energy and working to improve the achievements of the Millennium goal, which looked to the “eradication of extreme pov-erty and hunger”.

The main issues to be debated in the En-vironment Commission include

measures to combat plastic waste dump in the oceans, development of sustainable agricultural practices in the context of a green economy, and measures to make Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) a standard solution to global warming. The Environment Commission is divided into two sub-commissions due to the number of issues to be addressed. The President of the Environment Commission, Kay Lee from Shanghai American School, hopes to make this year’s debate intrigu-ing; “I’ve heard of committees where when debate lulls sometimes the Chairs put up a song at a del-egate’s request while they have a caucus. There have even been occasions where Chairs have put up episodes of TV shows, like Glee, during lob-bying!” said Lee. Lee and the rest of the chairs hope that all participants will gain a better un-derstanding of the various environmental issues in the world and that in time, we will all work to-ward solving them together for this generation.

The focus of the commission will be human rights violations and the welfare of those

facing abuse of their basic human rights. The Human Rights Commission will be addressing current issues, such as the events in Syria, Cote D’Ivoire and the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The issue of human rights is of utmost importance internationally. Human Rights Com-mission President Ayse Unluturk said she “truly believes that a group of educated young persons can have a big influence on the course of events in our world, … the youth of today are the adults of tomorrow.” When asked about her approach in chairing, she shares that “the most important thing for chairs is to know when to smile and when to draw the line.” Unluturk and the rest of the HRC chairs would like to remind delegates that challenges have the power to bring success to those who are prepared to confront them.

The Sixth Committee considers all of the GA’s legal questions. It is the primary

forum for dealing with the adoption of resolu-tions concerning international law. Chaired by Charlotte Bunemann, the Sixth Committee will try to reach consensus over how much assistance to provide to the survivors of the Rwandan geno-cide of 1994. The committee will particularly be considering the orphans, widows and victims affected by sexual violence. This committee will also determine a code of conduct for the UN Dispute and Appeals Tribunal judges. They will exchange ideas on how to implement these uni-versal jurisdiction principles applied in UN legal institutions. The sixth Committee will be aiming to define and monitor the legal responsibility of international organisations.

All administrative and budgetary responsi-bilities are entrusted to the Fifth Com-

mittee of the General Assembly, chaired by Cemre Paksoy (this year marks his fourth and fi-nal THIMUN). The committee will “consider the budgets of UN Programs and work together to up with more efficient administrative and financial policies for UN Missions”. At this conference, the Fifth Committee will address the financing of missions in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Abyei. They will be hoping to find solutions to financing initiatives that promote accessibility to clean water. They will also be discussing the scale of assessments for the appointment of the expenses of the United Nations.

The Fourth Committee of the General Assembly addresses a variety of issues, in-

cluding decolonisation, refugees, human rights and peacekeeping. The Fourth Committee will be chaired by Arthur Shin, who will be expect-ing “thorough research of the topics, as well as country policy and the preparation of novel ways of solving issues”. The committee will be hoping to decide upon appropriate measures to create a socially and economically secure Somalia, pri-marily through supporting the creation of a sta-ble government. The committee will be hoping to solve the question of New Caledonia, which still remains a French colony. They will also be dis-cussing possible ways to break the apparent link between the illicit trafficking of rough diamonds and armed conflict. The Committee will be con-sidering countering restrictions on the dissemi-nation of information on decolonisation.

The First Committee of the General As-sembly deals with disarmament and threats

to international security, seeking to find solutions that promote it’s principle of cooperation whilst considering matters that challenge global stabili-ty. At THIMUN XLV, the First Committee, chaired by Yasemin Akcaguner, will be addressing the impact that disarmament has on development, as well as the impact of missile development on global security. They will also be discussing the problem of unexploded ordnance and looking to solve this through international cooperation. The committee will additionally debate the establish-ment of nuclear free zones in the Pacific Ocean. The First Committee will be looking for solutions that maintain international peace and security, without threatening development.

The Second Committee of the General Assembly will be chaired by Victor Dewulf,

who is looking forward to “finding financial solu-tions to some of our everlasting global problems”. This year they will deal with the role the UN plays in promoting development, in the context of glo-balisation and interdependence. The committee will be considering the measures that can be tak-en to promote and support the use of renewable energy in less economically developed countries. This committee will also discuss the financing of research into new technologivs which will reduce the carbon footprint made by household activi-ties. Furthermore, they will look to implement a sustainable development agenda in all Member States’ institutions. The Second Committee aims to bring about resolutions which do not stifle eco-nomic growth, particularly in countries in special situations.

The Third Committee of the General Assembly will be chaired by Maximillian

Kehlan, and will be discussing a range of issues relating to social, humanitarian and cultural af-fairs, notably considering global issues of human rights. This particular committee seeks to address important questions of social development and to promote fundamental freedoms throughout all Member States. This year, they will be specifi-cally examining suitable protection for minori-ties in South American Nations from the effects of deforestation. Another topic the committee will be debating is the promotion and protections of human rights when considering the context of peaceful protest. They will also be addressing the encouragement of education about environmen-tally sustainable lifestyles in less economically developed countries, along with looking towards the abolition of female genital mutilation.

What is happening in the committees?BY IRENE YU & ELLEN SMITH

Pacific American School & Grange Schools

Princeton, Harvard, Stanford, Georgetown, London School of Economics, Cornell, University of Pennsylvania, and King’s College of

London is a list of elite colleges with reputations highly regarded enough to make eyes widen. Yet one is left to wonder if MUN still influences the college-life of these ex-MUNers. It is evident that MUN makes up an indis- putably significant part of all our individual high-school experiences. After high school, while some may go on to work in the UN, others may decide to pursue something entirely unrelated to MUN. We’re not all here at THIMUN with a common goal; MUN serves each individual in a different way. Nevertheless, it is clear that, whether it be making a first speech, typing away in the press room, bonding with other delegates over the bone-chilling Hague-weather, or lis- tening attentively in the back of a large conference room, owur experience here at THIMUN will set its mark on our lives. So where are MUNers now? Has MUN become a mere relic of their high-school years, or is it an impor-tant facet of their present?

Participating in MUN also provides students the opportunity to develop eloquence, charisma, and leadership. Take Lara Laila, for example. She participated in THIMUN 2011 as a Delegate of Germany and believes that because of THIMUN, “I am now able to appreciate the skills of lobbying, negotiating, consensus building, and compromising, [as well as how to] apply those skills in other... situations as well as becoming a more confident speaker.” THIMUN has aided in sculpting Laila’s character, and has influenced her to value the world of politics, to eagerly take responsibility, and to make a difference. Nadim Atalla, a THIMUN delegate for the past four years, elaborates, “Attending THIMUN has given me the skills of debating, thinking quickly, and social skills. Delegates must be able to pitch their ideas in a concise but intellectual way in order to attract people.” A person can be incredibly knowledgeable, but if they lack social skills to effectively communicate their information to society, their knowledge becomes stagnant. Skills gained at THIMUN are further evidenced by Helena Carreras, a freshman at the International University of Southern Europe, who participated in the THIMUN confer-ence last year. She is confident that attending THIMUN also improved her ability to communicate her ideas effectively. She explains, “I learned to improve my writing, and listening skills. It also taught me to be more patient.” Not only are these social skills essential to the conference, they are skills that Laila, Atalla, and Carreras will be able to use throughout their careers and lives. These lessons gained from MUN of leadership skills and exposure to international affairs are prominent qualities that emanate among MUN participants. But MUN does more than just develop an individual’s skill sets. For Alexandre Kleis, Brian Carden, and Sietse Goffard, their experience at THIMUN has left a clear mark on their view of the world and their career path.

By nora stai & gaBriella ciemnyAmerican School of ParisZurich International School

PAGE SEVENINTERNATIONAL THIMUN TRIBUNE

No matter where our journey leads us, our experiences at THIMUN will take root and lay the foundation for who we will be-come. The blueprint to collaborating effec-tively with strangers and future confidants will be imprinted in our minds-- as will an understanding of debating, global relations, and of the ways in which one communi-cates one’s ideas potently and articulately. Acquiring these qualities, however, is a long and crooked road; staying firmly on the path is an achievement in itself. These accom-plishments cannot be measured or quanti-fied; we will not be able to grasp the full extent of MUN’s impact for years to come. For now, however, it is up to us to ensure that THIMUN 2013 becomes more than just a memory-- whether that involves improv-ing our debating skills one step at a time, or simply following the path of our shared passion for international relations wherever it may lead.

NOW?

‘ersWhere are

Alexandre Kleis, a freshman at the University of Pennsylvania, began participating in MUN in 2009 as a delegate in several conferences around Europe and was offered a chair position at PAMUN twice. It is clear that MUN had a significant impact on Kleis as he explains, “MUN is a true passion for me, and it became an inte-gral part of my life in high school. It gave me wonderful leadership experiences and it shaped who I am today.” Kleis is currently pursuing engineering and international affairs at UPenn. After years of participating in MUN, his desire to study in an international atmosphere began to emerge, and justified his decision to study at UPenn -- a university which has a 12% international student popula-tion. Although, Kleis is studying systems engineering at UPenn, he is also active in several extracurricular activi-ties to “further [his] interest in international affairs”. He says, “While I don’t think MUN has influenced my decision on my major, it definitely gave me an open-mindedness that is extremely useful in university, and it has given me the desire to travel and live abroad in the future in order to gain a better understanding of certain cultures.”

While many simply attend THIMUN because they enjoy the intensity of a heated debate, or merely because they want to meet people from all over the world, many are driven by their interests in international affairs. The combination of such interests and the taste of the real world THIMUN provides can steer us to our future pursuits. Brian Carden, a freshman at Georgetown Univer-sity, belongs to the latter. After studying business for the past year, he has learned that an ardent pas-sion for politics plays a key role in his understanding of business. “International economics,” Carden states, “as well as politics, plays a large role in influencing business practices. The world is intercon-nected now more than ever; what one country does can both directly and indirectly affect business in another.” That being said, an understanding of international affairs and the way in which one coun-try’s actions can affect the rest of the world, is vital to fully developing a deep understanding of other areas of knowledge. The acknowledgement of this dependency is what ultimately influenced Carden’s decision to study business in the US capital. His experiences in MUN have also molded his present. Last fall, Carden´s knowledge of debating and chairing led to his appointment as one of the directors for “The Prague Spring Committee” at the annual National Collegiate Security Conference at George-town. Cleary, his MUN experiences have been the instigator of current positions, as well the genesis of many valuable skills. Carden affirms that the most important thing he has learned from MUN is adaptability: “Being thrust into debate on topics on which you have limited knowledge, can be chal-lenging, but through experience one finds that these situations become less frightening and more alluring as time goes on. Don’t be afraid to fail and give it your all. Chances are that not everyone will be an expert, so be confident in your ability exude poise and eloquence, despite restricted knowledge on the issue at hand.”

For Sietse Goffard, a sophomore at Harvard University, his MUN experiences collectively shaped his percep-tion of global affairs and of the habitual procedures of international politics. Entering the world of MUN at the age of 12, he quickly immersed himself in multiple facets of MUN. It was here that Goffard developed an ardent passion for global relations, economics, politics, and international law. Chair of GA5 at THIMUN, Deputy Secretary General twice at PAMUN, and a participant in over a dozen additional conferences, Goffard has been involved in most areas of MUN. These experiences greatly influenced his decision to study economics and government: “All those years debating, researching and writing resolutions truly cultivated my interest in diplomacy and international affairs.” He further ex-plains that as a result of experiences like THIMUN, he feels more optimistic about international relations, particularly supranational institutions like the UN: “I believe that the UN can indeed make a difference when it comes to preventing conflicts, protecting human rights, or promoting global development. It is for this reason that I feel that international relations is indubitably a field worth studying.” However, MUN´s effect on Goffard stretches beyond an increased un-derstanding of global relations. Participating in MUN has taught Goffard countless lessons, one of the most significant ones being the importance of audacity. There are no easy solutions to global problems, and the challenges we face are often far more complicated than it seems on the surface: “This is precisely why it´s so essential to be audacious, even a little daring, when it comes to resolving these challenges. Think big. Be creative. And never be afraid to speak.” Further-more, Goffard affirms that being exposed to a stimulation of the the UN proved useful in multiple ways: “For one, they helped me grow as a leader; chairing committees and running conferences in high school left me more self-confident and prepared for the activities I currently do at Harvard.” Yet this is merely one aspect of MUN´s benefits, as Goffard additionally acknowledges the importance of the acquaintances and friends he made at MUN conferences: “My MUN experiences connected me to a network of like-minded peers who are all passionate about international relations, gov-ernment, and global development.” He goes on to say that while it may be difficult to keep in touch, he has upheld many friendships created at conferences--- the gravity holding them together being the mutual fervor of global affairs, debate, public speaking, and much more.

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013 7

Daniel cole

“Rabat” is the film chosen by as THIMUN’s Tuesday Night Movie. The directors will have this special evening on the 29th of Janu-ary, where in the schedule we are told that there will be “evening entertainment”. The Dutch film, by Jim Taihuttu, follows the story of three young friends on a road trip. Nadir (Nasrdin Dchar), the protagonist, is asked by his father to drive their old family taxicab from Amsterdam to his uncle in Rabat as the car is emotionally treasured, when his two best friends decide to invite themselves along. This comedic drama por-trays the theme of overcom-ing xenophobia, a message quintessential to the mission of THIMUN. Producer Julius Ponten and the main actor Nasrdin Dchar will be present during the screening and after the film for questions and answers with the public.

The film’s different ten-sions highlight this xenopho-bia and discord, which are the main themes of the film. Characters resent one another and hold back secrets. Situa-tions present themselves that underline the international issue of foreign policy--such as when the dynamic trio are rejected from a club merely for being Muslim immigrants. These situations depict the obvious themes of the film, characterizing distaste, stereotypes and unaccepting attitudes towards strangers.

While the movie considers many serious issues, the mov-ie is also filled with comedy and also reinforces the posi-tivity of unity and friendship. The comical trio (Nasrdin Dchar, Achmed Akkabi, and Marwan Kenzari) constantly portray to audiences their 17 years of friendship. Despite the struggles and secrets kept from each other, the long-

time friendship and loyalty between the three best friends is evident, bringing a light and endearing sensation to the film. THIMUN’s message of

ideally working in harmony ties in excellently to this film. The humorous back and forth and amusing situations create the idea that with laughter in our lives, racism and chauvin-ism can be overcome and that cooperation is the true way to success.

Screenwriters Taihuttu and Victor Ponten fight the stereotypes of the immigrant youth through delivering the three friends’ ups and downs.

This reveals a more human side to these “foreigners”, expressing their grounded morals of friendship, love, honesty, acceptance, laughter and loyalty. Contrasting to the denouncement of these char-acters as immigrants who are negatively received by many

characters, their relatable personalities and true friend-ship continue to illustrate the theme of acceptance, which is an attitude that is necessary

for the MUN state of mind.

Additionally to the theme of Xenophobia, the film depicts the struggles of being a foreigner, as director Alain Meidinger was able to give us feedback on why the film was chosen. He told us the film

was an inspiration to him, as most students who

came to these confer-enc- es did not live in their

country of origin and therefore regularly

faced the clash of two cul-tures. Meidinger said the mul-ticultural situation of students “might have advantages but as well downsizes. But both advantages and downsides are elements for a young person to grow… and as it is shown in the film, to become a better person.”

This coming THIMUN conference can only exist with the cooperation of fellow MUN participants. This film’s message of eradicating xe-nophobia and foreign seclu-sion is essential for success, reached by a unified approach to tackle issues and foster international cooperation. But the message of acceptance doesn’t stop there--it extends to apply to everyday situa-tions. For true collaboration and progress to take wing, one should always greet others with an open mind in their daily lives.

“Rabat” is a bittersweet movie about a road trip. It takes the audience on a jour-ney that delves into the lives of three childhood friends and the rise and fall of their relationships. It shows us not only the dangers of xenopho-bia, but also the bonds and maturity that are necessary to pull through. The charisma and humanity of the film will make you laugh, cry, and most importantly evaluate your own life in a way that will make you consider and ap-proach situations differently, as well as treasure the rela-tionships that matter in your life. Every now and then a film is released not to force its way to a high grossing figure, but to remind us that love and respect will always triumph in the end.

8 MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013 INTERNATIONAL THIMUN TRIBUNE

PAGE EIGHT

The title of this year’s THIMUN 2013 conference is “Energy

and Sustainability.” Lucky for us, Mr. Philippe Benoit, who has over twenty five years of experience in energy matters in both the public and private sectors, has been selected as this year’s Keynote speaker.

Despite Mr. Benoit’s French name, he is Ameri-can. He graduated from Yale University with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Political Science.

He then went on to earn a Juris Doctor (JD) from Harvard Law School and a DESS (similar to a mas-ter’s degree) in Law from the University of Paris.

Mr. Benoit is currently working in Paris, France at the International Energy Agency (IEA) as Head of the Energy Efficiency and Environment Division. The division he heads at the IEA analyzes carbon capture, climate change, and storage and energy efficiency policies. Prior to working at the IEA, Mr. Benoit worked at the World Bank as the Sector Manager for the Energy Division in the Latin America and Carib-

bean Region. Mr. Benoit also worked at SG Invest-ment Bank as Director of the oil and gas division. In addition, he has worked on Wall Street focusing on the financing of large scale energy projects. He has held various leadership positions focusing on energy matters throughout Europe, the United States, the Middle East, and Africa. Mr. Benoit is also an accom-plished author and has written a book about energy sector financing, titled: Project Finance at the World Bank. *The next issue will hopefully feature

an interview with Mr. Benoit

THOMAS ROSOSCHANSKYACS Hillingdon THE TUESDAY NIGHT MOVIETHE TUESDAY NIGHT MOVIE

BY GABRIELLE CIEMNYZurich International School

But before Tuesday...A word about Monday’s Keynote Speaker

kosmopolisutrecht.blog.com

“What is the definition of a democ-racy?” When my teacher asked me this a few months ago, I replied, “When everyone has an equal say in the running of the country?” Well, that’s the most logical answer isn’t it? A democracy is when every citizen has an equal say in the decisions that affect them; when a citizen cannot be punished for argu-ing against a certain issue or policy. Looking back at that day, I can’t believe how naïve I was.

We all know democracy goes back to An-cient Greece and has been developing ever since. However I believe John Ball, a priest at the time of the revolution in England, best described democracy saying,“From the beginning all men by nature were created alike. Therefore I exhort you to consider that now the time is come in which ye may recover liberty.” Surely most of us, certainly as a citizen of a democracy myself, agree that everyone is born equal. Therefore a ‘full’ democracy should be when we, the people, are free to express what we wish and be heard. In theory, this reflects many coun-tries across the world, but how free are the people of those countries in reality?

The Democracy Index, first started in 2006 and has been updated in 2008, 2010 and 2011, was produced by a private company, the Economist Intelligent Unit. It measures the state of 167 democracies around the world on a scale of zero to ten. It judges the democracies on the fairness of their elections, the security of voters, the influence of foreign powers on government,

and the capability of the civil servants to implement policies. There are many de-mocracies that are considered extremely flawed in the Democracy Index 2011, such as Argentina, Brazil, The Dominican Republic, etc. However, I’d like to focus on the coun-tries that are considered to be “Full Democ-racies” such as the UK, USA, and Australia.

The UK is ranked 18 on the ‘Full Democ-racies’ list in the Democracy Index, and ever since the UK’s government was formed in 1707, it has insisted that it is a democratic state. The UK claims it encourages opposi-tion when it comes to the scrutiny of its government. However, in December 2012, the UK’s claim to a “full democracy” got a cold, hard beating from reality.

Over the past few years, controversy and outrage has been building up in the UK’s press industry. The dreadful scandal of ‘phone-hacking’ occurred. Journalists had been hacking into the phones of not only celebrities and politicians, but also those of missing persons. Hacking into the phones missing persons meant that the police were able to track whether there was any activ-ity going on (also meaning the missing person could still be alive). The press has manipulated this ability in the past, most notoriously in the case of Milly Dowler, a missing 13-year-old girl. The family derived false hope from activity on her cell phone that was later found to be the actions of the press. The body of Milly Dowler, the missing girl, was later found six months later, dead (and had been dead for some time). How is this related to democracy you ask? In July 2011, Lord Justice Leveson was asked to investigate the role of the press and the

police in the phone-hacking scandal. On 14th December 2012, Lord Justice Leveson concluded his phone hacking inquiry by tell-ing the government that restrictions should be enforced on the press to stop ‘any failure within the media’ therefore censoring the press. If a country limits free speech, can it really be a “Full Democracy”?

The democracy of the US is ranked 19 on the ‘full democracies’ list, just after the UK. In spite of its excellent opening – ‘We, the people’ – the US constitution establishes a political system that severely excludes (even today) large sectors of the population. The problem with its democracy is REPRE-SENTATION. The US congress represents half of the population through just 18 sena-tors, a ratio of around 155 million people to 18 senators. The other half of the popula-tion (primarily the conservative states) are represented by 82 senates, implying that the population has severely uneven representa-tion. Professor Robert Dahl, the Sterling Professor of political science at Yale Univer-sity, stated, “This makes the US one of the most under-representative legislative bodies in the world.” In other words, this means the US congress makes legislation without having a fair representation of the whole country. Taking this into account, does the US still seem very democratic to you?

Australia is closer to the top of the ‘Full Democracies’ list, ranked number 6. It is a Liberal Democracy; Liberal Democracies op-erate politically under the principles of liber-alism. Liberalism is known for its beliefs in equality and liberty. However, Liberal Democracies actually reject unlimited free-dom. An example of this is Australia’s voting

system. Not the system exactly but the law on compulsory voting (Commonwealth Electoral Act 1924). Every citizen is required to go to a poll booth and vote. Even if they don’t want to vote for anyone, they are still forced to attend a polling booth. If they do not, they are fined $20. Forcing someone to vote is perhaps just as undemocratic as not allowing someone to vote.

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea- it sounds like a fairytale! This is because North Korea claims to be a multi-party state, guaranteeing people’s human rights, when the truth is that North Korea is a single-party state under a totalitarian family dictatorship (also described as an absolute monarchy). They also have very strict restrictions on freedom of speech. According to the US Department of State on Human Rights, the state regularly detains thousands of political objectors without fair trials and punishes the family of the ‘crimi-nal’. Since everything that North Korea does, goes against everything a democracy should stand for, North Korea should not be considered a democracy. Of course North Korea is not part of the ‘Full Democracies’ category in the Democracy Index. However, there is some truth to North Korea’s claimed equality-- everyone is equal in his or her ability to speak his or her mind. Therefore it makes the nation quite democratic.

However, North Korea is clearly not democratic because they take away citizen’s free speech, but nor is the US, UK and Aus-tralia due to some imperfections that show that they are not quite as democratic as they might seem. Therefore I conclude with my final question- does democracy really exist?

INTERNATIONAL THIMUN TRIBUNE

OPINIONS PAGE NINE

Of course it’s a democracy...if everyone agrees with me

By suh young choiMont’Kiara Int. School

By alice towEllesmere College

THE QUESTION OF

SY IANot a day has gone by this year with-out hearing about the atrocities occurring in Syria. The conflict that began in the country in March 2011 has expanded to agitate not only the civilians of the nation, but the international community as well. Although the Arab Spring in 2011 triggered a general atmosphere of uprising and revolt, the question of Syria roots back to much deeper causes, and still remains unanswered.

The revolts from the Syrian people first began in March after a group of teenagers were imprisoned and tortured for expressing views of opposition toward Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s regime. The Syrian masses were infuriat-ed by such a violation of the freedom of speech, and reacted in the form of protests that began in the city of Deraa. By late July, the revolts had spread to all corners of the coun-try, especially after the formation of the leading rebel party, the Free Syrian Army. Although the revolution’s direct cause was the imprisonment of these teenagers on that fate-ful day of March, it was the maltreatment from President al-Assad and the Baath Party for over a decade that was the true instigator of this civil unrest.

President Bashar al-Assad rose to assume his position in 2000 after the death of his father. Initially, he seemed eager to provide reform for the Syrian population, declar-ing that the nation’s people deserved their own “democratic experience,” despite remaining under the same political party’s views since the 1960’s. Once appointed, he stood by his word, providing leniency for the country’s media and freeing previously jailed political activists. This image of reformism, often referred to as the “Damascus Spring,” however, was short-lived. By the second year of his presi-dency, al-Assad had already reduced the freedoms that were once provided. Moreover, throughout the whole first term, he had failed to repair the economic system in Syria that worked in favor of the upper class as well. The resentment only intensified as President al-Assad was appointed again in 2007, which is internationally believed to be the result of a political sham. By this time, the president’s views had been highly influenced by Baath party loyalists and his own family members, who fervently supported previous meth-

ods of civil repression. Signs of reform had disappeared. Oppression permeated so much that the populace was left no choice but to fight back.

Since March of last year, demands for President al-Assad’s resignation have grown to become such a violent or-deal that the United Nation’s attempts to pacify the conflict have not been entirely successful. In April 2012, former Sec-retary General Kofi Annan issued a proposal for a ceasefire within the country in hopes of preventing further violence from the government’s forces against its people. Much to his dismay, both sides of the Syrian conflict defied this re-quest. The infamous Houla killings in May, which raised the death toll to over 15,000, became unquestionable proof that the problem was still unresolved. On June 1st, President al-Assad worsened the situation by vowing to exterminate all opposing forces, adding fuel to the already scorching con-flict. This statement created a rift within the UN. Nations such as the United States and the United Kingdom officially condemned Syria’s government, while others like China and Russia decided not to do so. Such internal disagreement has prevented a concrete decision on a solution, and because of this failure to act unanimously, the UN’s influence on the Syrian conflict diminishes.

Whilst analyzing this increasingly desperate situation, one cannot refrain from pondering who bears the greatest fault in causing Syria to remain in turmoil to this day, as there are many parties who have become involved in pro-longing chaos. This matter is difficult to judge, as all have contributed both liabilities and constructive achievements. Was it the international community, failing to reach a con-sensus on the issue, or the Baath party and its faithful, long term members? Was it the various rebel groups dismissing the advice of other nations, or simply President al-Assad himself?

Each group has erred, aided, and overall contributed to the Syrian conflict. Due to their own diplomatic relations

with Syria, China and Russia seem blind to the mass killings that the regime is caus-ing, and have refused to impose sanctions on the nation. On the other hand, the U.S and U.K have resorted to this very method, which represents an incentive for the Syrian government to surrender, but also deteriorates the country’s economy, plung-ing thousands of Syrians into unemploy-

ment. The Baath party members have also shown incongru-ence in opinion. Many officials such as Deputy Oil Minister Abdo Hussameddin abdicated their positions in March of this year, showing signs of the party’s possible dispersion. Nonetheless, other bodies under the party, such as the Na-tional and Regional Command, have remained dedicated to the president, ruthlessly murdering to express their loyalty. The rebel groups and civilians within them play even more integral roles in this ongoing conflict. Their enduring hopes of a democratic nation have helped them remain leveled with the government’s forces, yet their destruction has had a self-harming effect, with an estimated 200,000 Syrians having fled the country since the beginning of the uprising.

Despite the various claims being made, the cause of the Syrian civil war is ultimately boiled down to President al-Assad. He deceived his people not once, but multiple times; before being appointed: once in order to persuade the Syrian citizens during the first year of his presidency, another time to cover his true methods of liberalized au-thoritarianism, and finally during the early months of the revolt, to temporarily appease the protesters. It is plausible that al-Assad’s initial belief was to move towards a demo-cratic Syria. If this is the case, however, he was too easily influenced by the Baath party loyalists who had more con-ventional perspectives. As the president, al-Assad had the responsibility to remain steadfast to his own views and the changes desired by the Syrian people. As the president, al-Assad holds the responsibility of protecting the citizens of Syria and leading them, rather than working against them. Until he realizes that this is the essential quality he lacks, the Syrian president will continue to see bloodshed in the country he promised to properly govern when he accepted his presidency.

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013 9

Former U.S. President John F. Kennedy once said, “Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own respon-sibility for the future.” It is through our pre-decessors that we learn from our mistakes, often understanding our faults and miscal-culations when we are already in the midst of the messy result. However, as Kennedy says so well, we must not quarrel and clash in searching our past to find who or what to blame. Rather, we must face the facts and do what we can to ensure a better future.

This is much the case with the environ-mental issues our world currently faces.

The UN will confront these problems in the Rio+20 Conference from

the 20th to the 22nd of June 2013, during which they

will focus on Sustain-able Development.

This topic will also be tack-

led during THIMUN 2013; the 2nd Com-mittee of the General Assembly will discuss financing research into technolo-

gies to reduce the carbon

footprint of household activi-

ties. As a THIMUN participant, a visitor

to Amsterdam, and a member of our global com-

munity, it is of great relevance and interest to see how Amsterdam is

reducing their carbon footprint, and from a greater perspective: how the world is coping with the situation.

The matters at hand are questions whose answers are vital for the safe and prosperous continuation of human life on earth. Our ecological and carbon footprint is a prominent topic of debate in today’s world. An ecological footprint is a mea-sure of the human demand for the Earth’s resources. It has recently been revealed that our ecological footprint surpasses the earth’s ability and capacity to regenerate the used substances. By using up more resources than can be re-created, nations increase their ecological footprint on the environment.

As of 2010 the Netherlands is ranked 25th in the world for their CO2 production

level. The average Dutch person pro-duces about 15.7 tons of CO2 per year. However, in total the

Netherlands emitted a mere 263.44 million metric tons during 2010. Although these results could be lower, the Netherlands is doing quite well in keeping their emission level low. With solid evidence proving the dangers of excessive atmospheric CO2, action by the international community is crucial in order to prevent an increase in ecological and carbon footprints. This is why assemblies such as THIMUN and the Rio+20 summit are of utmost urgency.

Amsterdam is a city very committed to cleanliness and is very conscious of their ecological footprint. With a score of 83.03 out of 100, Amsterdam is ranked 5th overall in the European Green City Index. The city ranks highest out of all European cities in the water, waste, transport, and land use categories. This makes it an ideal example for other nations to follow. Despite this, Am-sterdam still has room for improvement. For example, the city performs relatively poorly in air quality, ranking 11th, and in CO2 emissions, where it ranks 12th out of 30 cit-ies. The city’s main weak spot is the amount of CO2 emissions per person: 15.7 tons as of 2010. This high statistic is mainly due to transportation and traffic, although indus-try and building heating also contribute. Amsterdam suffers particularly from traffic congestions and its proximity to heavy industry; the main pollutants that lower air quality are fine dust and nitrogen oxides.

In an attempt to decrease their carbon footprint, the city is highly committed to reducing traffic jams by encouraging public transport. They plan on extending parks and riding facilities, thus encouraging electric vehicles and bicycles. Additionally, to lower the emissions from industry and building heating, Amsterdam is set on using renew-able energy from the city waste incinera-tors. The city already has one of the most energy efficient district heating networks in Europe—most of the heat is produced by the Waste and Energy Company, by converting biomass and biogas from waste and sewage

into heat and electricity. Nonetheless, al-though Amsterdam ranks fifth in the energy category, the Netherland’s primary energy sources remain natural gas, coal, and oil—non-renewable resources. While Amsterdam does have a significant installed wind capac-ity, there is room for potential improvement in the consumption of renewable energy. Recently, Smart City Amsterdam—a collab-orative project between the city, it’s inhabit-ants, and businesses—was launched with the intention of reducing energy consumption and lowering CO2 emissions. This includes the installation of smart energy monitors, shore power units to allow cargo vessels and river cruisers to connect to the elec-tricity grid when in port rather than using on-board diesel generators, and finally, the establishment of a “climate street” including smart meters, an energy feedback display, energy scans, and smart plugs. All of these render a community more efficient and are implemented to encourage lower energy use, for a Smart City and a better future.

All in all, Amsterdam is an exemplary city in terms of environmental and ecologi-cal concerns. Moreover, because the city has a reasonably small population, it can address these concerns with a tighter focus. Most importantly, after seeing tremendous results and progress, Amsterdam still strives to leave a lighter footprint on the environ-ment.

So whether you are an MUN member or a world leader, remember that even the smallest of things can have a huge impact on the environment. Next time you’re not using your computer, unplug the charger! It is with minute examples such as this one that everyone can participate in the act of reducing our ecological footprints and pre-serving our precious Earth! And what better way to do so than an international gathering amongst members of the future generation? The THIMUN ‘13 conference is a great and effective way to begin brainstorming for the solutions our world desperately needs. Good luck!

Simple green tips are all over the internet; type in the word “green” and a hundred sites with various suggestions will appear. But here at THIMUN, a lot of the tips aren’t particularly…useful. It’s highly doubtful anyone here will be buying hybrid cars anytime soon, or looking into using cloth diapers as opposed to disposable ones. So what are some tips we can use?

Tip 1: Reuse your drinking receptacles. It’s hot, thirsty work pushing resolutions through the commis-sions, and no doubt delegates want to refresh themselves with a lovely bottle of water. But why not be eco-friendly while doing so? Buying a cheap disposable plastic bottle is easy, maybe, but is it worth the cost? It takes about 700 years for a regular, run-of-the-mill plastic water bottle to start decomposing, and if the petroleum used to make the number of bottles used each year was used to power cars in-stead, people could run about 500,000 cars for a year. Cars may be going down the path towards eco-friendly fuels, but just think-if people didn’t buy disposable bottles, they’d be giving us just that much more time to find the right source for their vehicles. And we won’t even get started on the evils of Styrofoam coffee cups. It can take around 100 years in order for a Styrofoam cup to biodegrade, and Americans alone throw away nearly 25 billion cups annually. But wait! We’re not saying people shouldn’t buy water bottles, or that they should never buy coffee to go. But instead of buying disposable bottles, they should try buying some that are reusable. They’re inexpensive, better-looking, and they probably hold more water than an average 8 fl. oz. bottle.

As for coffee mugs, many stores here in the Hague will give a slight discount for those who bring their own ceramic coffee mugs, which are easy enough to bring from home and are much more environmen-tally friendly.

Tip 2: Turn com- put-ers off completely at night. People everywhere depend on laptops, especially here at THIMUN, and nobody likes to have to shut down their computer completely; it’s true. But apart from the health of a laptop, there still remains the concern of excess power drain. Take Macbooks, for example. A recent test showed that a charg-ing Macbook, plugged in but simply closed, emits approxi-mately 473 lbs. of CO2 emissions per year-and that’s less than when it’s on and running, which produces roughly 650 lbs. CO2 emissions are contributing to global warming, which is a heavy burden for the environment to adapt to, especially with all the forests being exploited for industry. Yes, it is a pain to have to reboot one’s computer, but aren’t those few minutes worth it?

Tip 3: Unplug all extraneous chargers and appliances when not in use. This tip goes hand in hand with the second tip, in regards to saving energy from the “phantom drain.” Phantom drain is the nasty trickle of energy that is wasted whenever unused chargers are left plugged in. Then again, exactly how much energy gets sucked up by the phantom? While this amount of drainage isn’t massive, it’s important to remember that it all adds up eventually…and that it really doesn’t take all that much effort to pull a charger out of its socket when done with it. An idea when one returns home might be to plug various chargers into a power strip, and turn the strip off when finished charging one’s electronic devices.

Tip 4: Try out a stainless steel soap bar.

It probably sounds like something out of a crazy, “Back to the Future” kind of movie. Stainless steel soap? Actually, these bars have little to do with actual soap, but they are incredibly useful for removing nasty odors from your hands. Scientists don’t really know what causes the steel to remove odors, although they hypothesize that it has something to do with the ions in the odors bonding with the odors in the steel. Why would using stainless steel soap be any better than using a regular, store-bought soap bar? Aside from the odor-removing part, regular soaps are full of harmful chemicals and lab-produced fragrances that contaminate our oceans every time we wash them down the drain. Anti-bacterial soap has its own evils, as well. Not only does it kill off certain kinds of helpful bacteria, remain on our hands (thus helping nasty bacteria grow more resistant), and poison our aquatic systems in millions of trace amounts a day, most brands contain MIT, or methylisothiazolinone. This anti-bacterial ingredient is a proven nerve agent, and is actually related to Agent Orange, a nerve toxin used in the Vietnam War. This doesn’t seem helpful, though...

Amsterdam treads lightly

How to be moreBY KATELIN qUANBECKBrussels American School

10 MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013 INTERNATIONAL THIMUN TRIBUNE

PAGE TEN

BY TIFFANY MAUTHAmerican School of Paris

VICKY LIU

Green, Page 11

green

JACK BLETHROADJohn Burroughs School

INTERNATIONAL THIMUN TRIBUNE

PAGE ELEvEN

Product Sustainability

CHRISTINA LENNARTZ

Green, cont’d

from Page 10

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013 11

VICKY LIU

...Yes, of course we don’t want to poison ourselves, but even with a stainless steel soap bar it isn’t as though we can go without using soap. So what can delegates do to help keep these chemicals off our skin and out of our oceans? There are many common brands of vegetable soaps in supermarkets today, which contain far less chemical mix-ups than regular brands. Castile soap is an option, as well. This soap contains no animal products and is usually made out of plant oils, which ends up be-ing all-around better for the environment and your skin.

Tip 5: Recycle your papers. Here at THIMUN, delegates most likely start out with anywhere between 30-40 pages of printed paper for resolutions and policy statements, then print more and more throughout the week. The timeworn cliché “save the trees” may get old after a while, but the point still remains: it takes approximately 24 trees to make a ton of paper, and the U.S. alone uses about 90 million tons of paper a year. That’s nearly 2,160,000,000 trees! But paper can survive between four and seven trips through a recycling plant before it be-comes no longer reusable…which means that the deforestation for industry can be slowed. Recycling lessens the amount of trash going into landfills, saves money in the long run, and is all around good for the environment. And yes, you know what that means: if you don’t intend to keep this lovely issue of MUNITY, recycle it!

Every year, thousands of new ‘green’ products flood malls and grocery stores worldwide. We’ve all seen the specially labeled goods and heard the up-beat slogans that promise we’re doing the “right” thing by buying a more sustainable product. While it is true that many of these goods are, in fact, more environmentally-friendly alternatives to their traditional counterparts, it

is hard to call them revolu-tionary. The term product sustainability is a measure of how envi-ronmentally friendly an item is. These days, the word green sells product, but doesn’t necessarily guarantee innova-tion or truly eco-friendly design. The most exciting and influential sustainable products are imaginative, futuristic, and modern. That said, they must also be easy to access and come at a justifiable cost to truly make a difference. Today, a steady stream of interesting green inventions are coming onto the scene that have not yet been perfected enough for everyday use for the mass-es. The inventors of these products have questioned norms, taken financial risks, and have taken a look at the items people use most from a completely different per-spective.

Of course, there is noth-ing that people everywhere use or need more than clothes. Chilean fashion designer Alexandra Guer-rero saw an opportunity with

her new “green” line to solve two problems at once: waste in the clothing industry and cigarette waste. One may logically question how these two issues could be in any way related. Guerrero dis-covered that when cigarette butts are thoroughly sani-tized in a machine called an autoclave, rinsed in a sol-vent, and are shredded into tiny fibers, they can be made into a durable and stylish fabric for all types of cloth-ing. Although the idea be-hind this clothing line might

come across as slight-ly bizarre, the environmental benefits of the clothing are enormous. According to the U.S. National Center for Biotechnology Information, polyester is the most widely used manufactured fiber in the world. Unfortunately, polyester is made from pe-troleum, a finite and rap-idly depleting resource. In addition, cigarette butts are one of the most com-mon forms of litter seen in urban areas, and can take up to ten years to fully decompose. Luck-ily for the consumer, Guerrero’s clothes solve both problems, and in addition, are stylish, relatively afford-able, and unrecognizable as a bunch of stitched-together cigarettes.

While clothing is a more

practical commodity for some, for much of the agri-cultural world, farm equip-ment plays a key role peo-ple’s lives and businesses. The importance of farming in Africa cannot be under-stated, and its sustainability will be essential for Africa’s future success and develop-ment. Sulaiman Famro, a 65-year-old farmer and engi-neer from Nigeria, has devel-oped a machine he believes can save his country money, time, and valuable resources. According to AfriGadget, his Farmking, a “4-in-1 farm-ing device,” is capable of

chipping, milling, grating, and filtering 2.5 tons

of milled cassava into starch. In addition to

saving fuel (one fuel source for

what would normally require four), his ma-

chine also saves incred-ible amounts of time and labor. It has the ability to process remotely, meaning it can work all night without human supervision. Not only that, it saves Nigerian farm-ers the enormous waste of current machines. Instead of falling to the ground and needing to be picked up by farm workers, his machine not only catches the cassava but fully processes it within minutes. Hopefully, Famro will be able to convince the Nigerian government to implement the Farmking on a much larger scale.

Finally, we must con-sider how all of these exciting, sustainable products are going to get

where we re-ally want them--from the fac-tory to our front doors! Luckily, GreenWrap, a protective wrap for products be-ing shipped, is working to take the waste out of transporting goods. Geami, the U.S. based company that manufactures GreenWrap, is on a mission to take the waste out of transportation. A recyclable alter-native to bubble wrap, GreenWrap provides even more protective cushioning for roughly the same price. Not only is it recyclable, but it is made from responsibly man-aged forests that are geographi-cally close to the factory, meaning less fuel is used in transportation. With more and more pur-chases being made online ev-ery year, it is necessary that a green way to protect items being shipped is available. With GreenWrap now on the market, it will be up to retail-ers to utilize it (or similar products) in the future for delivering online purchases.

Although the vast major-

ity of products consumed and used on a daily basis worldwide are not designed with sustainability in mind, the tide is turning due to the work of inspired designers. While it is true that it will take time for these cutting-edge products to become mainstream and reach their full potential, it is exciting to see their development and implementation happening

now.

12 MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013 INTERNATIONAL THIMUN TRIBUNE

PAGE TWELVE fUN PAGE!ACROSS

6. A delegate representing either an organisation or a country that is not a fully rec-ognized UN country9. Delegates hold this up to be recognized by the chair to speak or to make a point of information.15. A change (addition, removal or adjustment) to a clause or a resolution.17. Delegates who might not support the resolution, but want it to be debated.18. When a delegate gives the floor to either another del-egate or gives the floor back to the chair.19. A question raised by the delegate pertaining to the resolution or to the commit-tee.20. Name of the press team at THIMUN.

DOWN1. Something called out by a delegate who agrees with a motion.2. The order in which resolu-tions, breaks and other events will occur in. It is the commit-tee’s schedule.3. When a delegate does not support or reject a reso-lution, they can choose to _________.4. A group of member states who share similar views, or are of the same culture, po-litical policy, language, trade group, geographical region, etc.5. Someone who assumes the role of a representative of a nation or an organisation in a specific committee.7. Documents written by delegates, which aim to solve a specific situation.8. The minimum number of delegates required for debate to start.10. When the debate session _______, it means that ses-sion time has ended.11. A metaphorical area, which delegates can obtain to be able to speak on a resolu-tion or clause.12. The most experienced del-egate who is in charge of their delegation.13. If a delegate doesn’t agree, they call out "_________!"14. for a resolution to be ________, it means that the resolution has the power to be forced into action in member states.16. The group of people who form the chairing team. They consist of a Head Chair Presi-dent and deputies.

THIMUN Crossword Puzzle Test your knowledge of some essential conference vocab!

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W.P

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CA

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Lighter Side:Because sometimes it IS all

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