HSMUN and Beyond

 

The 2016 HSMUN was the 14^th year the model United Nations simulations have taken place at the University of Alberta. The focus is on 500 students in grades 10 to 12. The simulation provides an opportunity for each student to grow and become a more globally active citizen. It gives youth the chance to develop their public speaking, diplomacy, and understanding the dynamics of policy creation.

 

Most of the organizers of the annual HSMUN are not political science students. Which was news to me! Sirisha, Keon and Donald are actually Science students with an interest in international politics.

 

Committee representations at the HSMUN include: IAEA, DISEC, UNICEF, LEGAL, Security Council, and the Historical Security Council. The simulation is covered in 3 days over reading week and are full days from 9am to 4pm. Traditionally there is an Opening Plenary, followed by the Committee Sessions, then a Banquet and Closing Plenary. Fair and equal distribution of countries are available based on first registered for the simulation and only one “Power of Veto” available per school (to ensure power is shared equitably among participants).

 

Traditionally there was a historical council crisis that would allow youth to discuss what would happen if a different scenario occurred for these world events. Just seeing where the decisions could have gone. Moving forward, a fictional event with fictional speeches to get students to think outside of the box to develop their skills in maneuvering in the political world.

 

A challenge for the organizing committee of the HSMUN team has been succession planning.  There is a large turnover as a majority of students coordinating the simulation are only involved for 1-2 years before they themselves graduate. The new executive has created a succession guide for roles to help reduce barriers in planning and streamline efficiencies.

 

A majority of funds donated to the HSMUN is to support out of town students with bursaries (travel and financial aid bursaries). HSMUN is marketing the simulation to rural students and even outside of Alberta. Volunteers have been conducting lots of outreach to spread the word on the event. The last HSMUN saw students from British Columbia and rural Alberta. There is interest from the Yukon for students to attend in 2017. To save funds, the executive will be actively sourcing a local speaker versus paying people to come to Edmonton to share their experiences with the United Nations. For example, former Senator Douglas Roche resides in Edmonton and was the Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations for Nuclear Disarmament Committee. Perfect and right in our own back yard!

 

And finally, the current executive is working on getting the Political Science department more involved. The University has been helpful with administration support over the years. Moreover, a larger role would be ideal including helping to find sponsors and establishing the HSMUN as a club on campus with some funding from the U of A. The executive is also committed to growing the participation from out of town students, developing a mobile friendly website and promotional videos. The growth of the HSMUN over the years is because of the commitment of engaged volunteers and the changes reflect the proactive vision.  Good job!

 

I am definitely looking forward to hearing from the HSMUN team after the 2017 simulation to see how their growth and succession planning progressed. Feel free to follow their changes on their website as they progress by going to https://hsmun.org/ until our next Rotary update in 2017.