Volume 1: February MMX www.worldmun.org

The WorldMUN SpiritHarvard World Model United Nations’

Inaugural Community Newsletter

Inside this Issue:

WorldMUN 2009 Recap...2

Meet our 2010 Team.........3

Alumni Involvement.........4

Dear WorldMUN Community, We’re excited to inaugurate the first bi-annual newsletter for the friends, family, and alumni of WorldMUN. Coined, the ‘WorldMUN Spirit’ , after the spirit of friendship and understanding across borders which serves as our guiding principle at conference, this newsletter is aimed to update our community on the conference, especially as we gear up for WorldMUN’s 20th anniversary in 2011! In just a month, WorldMUN will travel to Taipei to host our 19th annual conference on March 14-18, 2010. Working with a phenomenal host team from National Taiwan University, we will organize 22 simulations, for upwards of 2,000 delegates from a record high of more than 60 countries. We’re excited to welcome the President of Taiwan– Ma Ying-Jeou – as keynote speaker and to host cultural events at many of Taipei’s most stunning venues, like the National Palace Musem & Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall.

We’re pioneering several innovations this year: organizing WorldMUN’s first Spanish Language committee and first Joint Crisis Cabinet; developing and launching a brand new website at www.worldmun.org, and hosting a training workshop for high school students new to Model UN, to help us fundraise for Taipei. Today, the main challenge we face are how to make our conference more

accessible for delegations who are unable to finance their trip to WorldMUN, and managing the costs of this rapidly growing-conference. As WorldMUN reaches more of the brightest and most ambitious students around the globe (including many with high financial need) our fundraising efforts are now more than ever pivotal to the sustainability of WorldMUN. As we move forward in achieving our organization’s goals and broadening its reach, it is comforting to know that generations of committee chairs, participants, and friends share in our tradition of creating an educational experience that brings together tomorrow’s leaders to debate, problem-solve, and form lasting friendships today. Thank you for all of your support in the past, in the present, and into the future.

Sincerely,The WorldMUN 2010 Team

The WorldMUN 2010 Conference logo, designed by our host team -note that the attenae spell 2010!

Several Members of the Harvard World-MUN 2010 Team at Annual Fall Retreat to

New Hampshire

Harvard WorldMUN Secretariat 2010

Working with host team United Netherlands, Harvard WorldMUN held its largest conference yet in The Hague, Netherlands this past March. Attracting more than 2,400 delegats, the conference led by Secretary General Timur Kalimov (’09), took place at The World Forum & The Peace Palace, hosting a simulation of the International Court of Justice, in the very room where real arbitrations of the ICJ take place! Delegates had the chance to visit the International Tribunal for Rwanda and Former Yugoslavia and the Special Court for Sierra Leone, and meet international policymakers and experts at a cocktail event - “Drinks For Diplomacy” - at the Dutch Foreign Ministry, gaining exposoure to the real workings of international organizations in The Hague - “The City of Peace and Justice.” Social events included a night in Amsterdam celebrating Queen’s Day (in true Dutch orange fashion!) and WorldMUN’s traditional Cabaret Night & Global Village celebration. Speakers included former Dutch Prime Minister Ruud Lubbers and former UN Chief Weapons Inspector for Iraq, Richard Butler. We were excited to welcome nearly 10 Harvard WorldMUN Alumni at conference, many of whom planned a social venture competition & hosted a career panel for delegates, helping delegates to bring the ideals of WorldMUN to life post-conference.

By the NumbersTotal Delegates.............. .2,487Countries Represented.........50University Delegations..... 256

WORLDMUN 2009 ATTRACTS 2,400+ DELEGATES!

North America 19%

Northern Europe

22%

Central Europe 18%

United Kingdom

12%

Southern Europe

10%

Asia-Pacific 10%

Middle East & Africa - 5%

Latin America

4%

Growth of Conference Size

0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000

Sharm El-Sheikh, 2004

Edinburgh, 2005

Beijing, 2006

Geneva, 2007

Puebla, 2008

The Hague, 2009

The Peace Palace, seat of the International Court of Justice, hosted the WorldMUN Security Council and ICJ simulations.

Spotlight: Abel Acuna - Class of 2011WorldMUN is very much a hidden gem at Harvard. Even though I technically was not eligible to go as a freshman, I essentially indentured myself to the secretariat of WorldMUN Puebla in exchange for the conference trip. I spent a good deal of my time playing translator and errand-boy, but it was certainly worth it, WorldMUN has created many of my best memories here at Harvard. My favorite part of WordMUN is opening ceremonies and seeing the thousands of delegates who have flown in from all parts of the world to make WorldMUN a reality. This year, I will direct SPECPOL, and I can’t wait to meet the delegates in my committee.

Spotlight: Benat Idoyaga - Class of 2012Why WorldMUN? After hearing about the conference from many friends (at Harvard and in Spain, where I’m originally from!) I knew I had to find a way to The Hague for WorldMUN 2009! I served as Assistant to the Business Director at conference. Building relationships with members of the Harvard Team, Host Team and university delegations felt incredibly rewarding. This year, I will be chairing WorldMUN’s first foreign language committee, a recreation of Franco’s cabinet in 1969 run completely in Spanish. I am excited for the challenge, and I could not think of a better way to inaugurate my first directing experience!

Spotlight: Ken Li - Class of 2012I am the Director of Business for WorldMUN 2010. I am a sophomore living in Winthrop House, and I study anthropology and film studies. Originally from Los Angeles, I was drawn to WorldMUN for its unique opportunities in international travel and exchange even though I initially knew nothing about it. So far, my position has let me see how the organization works from a wider perspective. It has been a pleasure interacting with the NTU host team, and everyone on both sides of the Pacific is very excited for the conference in March. The most rewarding part of pre-conference has been the opportunity to make new

friendships on the Harvard team. In addition to heading our team’s sponsorship campaign, I plan to organize a MUN training conference for local high schools with the Harvard team working as instructors. This seminar will hopefully expand WorldMUN’s role around Cambridge and raise revenue for conference costs.

The 2010 WorldMUN DirectorsAbel Acuna, 2011: SPECPOLCansu Aydede, 2011: DISEC

Alec Barrett, 2011: UN Senior Management GroupEddie Grom, 2012: African Union

Keshava Guha, 2012: Joint Crisis CommitteeRicky Hanzich, 2011: Security Council

Benat Idoyaga, 2012: Consejo del ReinoJerry Kung, 2011: UN Human Rights Council

Nara Lee, 2011: Korean War CabinetJennifer McKee, 2011: UN Development Programme

Edlira Nasi, 2011: UN Legal CommitteeDominik Nieszporowski, 2012: Historical General AssemblyFallon O’Dowd, 2012: UN High Commissioner for RefugeesRemen Okoruwa, 2011: International Atomic Energy Agency

Cristina Ortiz, 2010: World Trade OrganizationSamir Patel, 2012: UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs

Akeel Rangwala, 2011: International Monetary FundHunter Richard, 2012: World Health Organization

Danny Selgrade, 2012: NGO ProgramReema Shah, 2011: SOCHUM

Upasana Unni, 2011: Joint Crisis CommitteeJonathan Yip, 2012 : UNESCAP

MEET OUR 2010 WORLDMUN TEAM!

RECONNECT WITH WORLDMUN!

1992, Miedzyzdroje, Poland 1993, Prague, Czech Republic

1994, Luxembourg 1995, Geneva, Switzerland

1996, Amsterdam, The Netherlands 1997, Budapest, Hungary 1998, Brussels, Belgium 1999, London, England 2000, Athens, Greece

2001, Istanbul, Turkey 2002, Belo Horizonte, Brazil 2003, Heidelberg, Germany

2004, Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt 2005, Edinburgh, Scotland

2006, Beijing, China 2007, Geneva, Switzerland

2008, Puebla, Mexico 2009, The Hague, The Netherlands

2010, Taipei

Join WorldMUN’s 20th Anniversary Celebration!

Nearly two decades after the conference held its first session in Miedzyzdroje, Poland (see all past conference locations at right) WorldMUN has grown from hosting 100 delegates to hosting more than 2,000 delegates from 65 countries each year, and has traveled from Europe to Asia, South America, North Africa and the Middle East. Over the years, WorldMUN has grown to represent one of the largest and most diverse Model UN simulations in the world. Join us as we help to plan a celebration of WorldMUN’s 20th Anniversary in 2011, reuniting all of WorldMUN’s past teams (300+ alumni!) and its current undergraduates. If you’re interested in helping out in organizing our 20th Anniversary, please e-mail worldmun20@gmail.com - a planning committee will be formed this spring. Otherwise, keep an eye out for your invitation and make sure we have your updated contact information! We’re looking forward to reconnecting with you!

The Resolution Project: Alumni Multiply WorldMUN’s Impactby George Tsiatis, WorldMUN 2003 and 2004

At WorldMUN 2009, I was very proud to award the first Resolution Fellowships to three teams of delegates. Half a year later, these teams are operating successful ventures in Rwanda, Mexico and Venezuela respectively. IT Empowerment for Rwanda has secured its facility and hardware it needs to operate an internet café in Byimani, Rwanda, with free IT training so that local farmers can check weather and check commodities prices. Unidas is bridging the gap between a women’s shelter in Mexico and microfinance institutions and is in the process of collecting educational materials to prepare the women of the shelter to take on microloans. Green Garbage is piloting a recycling project to secure support for a larger recycling venture in Caracas. These ventures had their origins back in 2006, when a group of WorldMUN alumni began to brainstorm about what would become The Resolution Project, with the hope of adding a real-world component to delegates’ experience at WorldMUN and of inviting greater involvement from the WorldMUN alumni community. Over the past several years, Resolution has partnered with organizations like Ashoka and McKinsey and has developed several initiatives for current delegates and alumni: the Social Venture Challenge, in which delegates are invited to be social entrepreneurs and submit sustainable plans for addressing a social issue and competing for a Resolution Fellowship that includes seed funding and continued support; the Career Panel, in which young professionals from the

public, private, and nonprofit sectors describe how they found their ways in their careers; and our online social network. So we ask a few things of you:

1) If you are not registered with Resolution (http://alumni.worldmun.org), email us at info@resolutionproject.org and we will send you an invite - this will allow you to keep up with fellow alumni, current Social Ventures, and future developments of our Career Resources.

2) Join our Facebook Cause as a supporter.3) Drop me a line at george@resolutionproject.org and

tell me what you’ve been up to - between Andras Forgacs, Oliver Libby, Howard Levine and the numerous other alumni who are involved, we will likely be able to re-route you to other past alums you may have lost touch with.

4) Join us in Taipei from March 14-18, 2010! We’ll be there running the Social Venture Challenge and the Career Panel and we would love it if you could be involved!

We all have access to far more resources and contacts than we did in our college days, and by bringing those to bear for students who have the idealism and energy to pursue important issues, we can work together to have a powerful impact in many communities around the world. We hope you will join us in these efforts in whatever capacity you find yourself able!