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***image1***In a flurry of placards and resolutions, delegates discussed global issues at this year’s Kaiserslautern Model United Nations conference, which included more than 160 delegates from Department of Defense Dependents Schools in Germany.
Delegates arrived with hopes of finding solutions to many of the pressing problems of the world. Ultimately, each delegate wants their resolution to be passed by the forum.
One goal of the KAIMUN conference is to prepare students for The Hague International Model United Nations in January, where the theme is the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger.
Each school prepared a resolution addressing one of the topics that will be discussed at THIMUN this winter. Ramstein chose a question regarding U.N. peacekeepers.
“A new approach must be found for protecting peacekeepers,” said Phillipp Schmoll, Ramstein American High School MUN director. “They must be safe and they need protection – this will provide for more successful peacekeeping missions.” Ramstein students proposed that a special police force be assigned to the peacekeepers for protection.
Students do extensive research before the conference. Afton Cissell, the head of delegation from Wuerzburg, said students from her school have researched Israel for the past couple of years, reading all current events.
Other schools drew from their past experiences. Sydney Croxton of Patch lived in the country she represents, and therefore had direct knowledge on issues. Troy Hess of Wiesbaden contacted someone who lives in Lesotho, the country he represented. Tom Giovingo, a fourth year MUN student, has attended conferences in Germany, Russia, and Prague and said the conferences have given him experiences to help him prepare for KAIMUN.
As a general consensus, the directors, delegates and parents said the MUN program is a beneficial and good experience for high-school students. Throughout the conference, productive debate resulted in many passed resolutions and pleased delegates. And, students left the conference with a feeling of satisfaction knowing that they solved some of the world’s problems.
