Saturday 14 May 2011

GENERAL FAQ SECTION


   

                                                  Prepared by Plamena Solakova
                                           Co-Secretary General, METiMUN 2011

What is Model United Nations?

Model United Nations is a simulation of the work of the United Nations General Assembly and its other committees and agencies. A Model UN conference is one which is organized by students and for students, on high school or college/ university level, and usually lasts between 1 and 7 days. Such conferences are held all over the world every year and aim to increase the interest and encourage the participation of young people in international affairs and world politics.

How big can a MUN Conference be?

MUN conferences usually vary in their sizes. They can include as few as 30 students and as many as 2 000. Some of the biggest ones organized annually are London International MUN, European International MUN, Paris International MUN, Scotland International MUN and many others.

Who is who in a MUN Conference?

The Secretary General is the person in charge of the whole conference. All major issues should be addressed by him/ her and that is the person responsible for the smooth going of the whole event.
There can also be a couple of Under-Secretary Generals, usually responsible for finance, public relations, administration, etc. They work with the Secretary General and report directly to him/ her.
Also an important part of each organizing team is having motivated and hard-working officers – for communications, media, photography, etc. They also report to the Secretary General but work more with the general public and the participants.
Regardless of what role each team member has, a MUN conference is successful only when everything is coordinated well and much preparation is done in advance.

Why should I participate in a MUN Conference?

If you are interested in participating in a MUN Conference, you might want to consider the benefits it offers. It will certainly help you to improve your research and writing skills, as well as your negotiation, cooperation and team-working skills. Public speaking is also a big part of the MUN process which will help you in your future career plans. In addition, leadership is what each young diplomat needs, and such a conference is the best place to work in that direction. Last but not least, having fun and getting to know new people and places is also a top priority for the organizers of MUN conferences worldwide.

What is METiMUN 2011 going to be like?

With METiMUN 2011 we will give a start to a series of conference that the MUN Society at London Metropolitan University is planning to organize in the upcoming years.
Amongst the committees at METiMUN 2011 will be the Human Rights Council and the World Health Organization. The topics discussed will be current and thought-provoking.
Our two-day conference will include four committee sessions – one on Friday, 18th November, and three on Saturday, 19th November 2011. A social night out is also on our agenda and it is planned for Friday, the 18th. As inspiring and diverse as London is, this is certainly the destination for anyone willing to get to know new and different people and places and have loads of fun!

When does registration open and close for METiMUN 2011?

Registration for chairs opens on August 1st 2011 and closes on October 1st.
Registration for delegations opens on August 15th and closes on October 15th.

How much is the delegate fee for METiMUN 2011?

The delegate fee is 15 GBP and needs to be paid before October 15th 2011.

Who should I contact for general queries?

Please contact the Secretariat at metimun2011@gmail.com or visit our Facebook page: LondonMet Model UN Society.
We are looking forward to welcoming you at METiMUN 2011! 

Tuesday 10 May 2011

HIV - the world’s biggest humanitarian crisis'. Red Cross Event.





UNAMET organised a talk by Mr. Maxwell Madzikanga from the British Red Cross about 'HIV and its impact on communities' at London Metropolitan University. Mr.Madzikanga is a Health Advisor for HIV affiliated with the Humanitarian Policy Team in the International Division of Red Cross.

The British Red Cross works on a wide range of  humanitarian 
issues including disaster management and have long term partnerships on HIV/AIDS work in South Africa. 
The 30 minute talk centrally focused on themes about how the Red Cross as an organisation approaches to HIV programming, the various practical tools and mechanism to support HIV programming and especially about a local based 'peer education approach'. 

He began the introduction with some videos about the role of volunteers, the peer eduction system and about the issue of stigmas surrounding HIV. 
This might be of interest to you!

The role of volunteers video -


World Cup 2010 Peer education video- 5 minutes

BRC stigma and discrimination video


The talk then focus on the Objectives of the British Red Cross HIV programmes in various countries. Mr. Maxwell mentioned that prevention, expanding care, treatment and support and Reducing HIV stigma and discrimination were major work undertaken. He also emphasised that as a stable and financially stronger organisation, BRC support capacity building of Red Cross National Societies in other developing countries. Few countries where the British Red Cross is involved with HIV programme are following:
       South Africa-ongoing
        Lesotho-ongoing
       Ethiopia-coming to an end
       China-ongoing
       Turkmenistan-ongoing
        Kyrgyzstan-ongoing
       Kazakhstan-ongoing

In regards to the Peer Education system- he mentioned that a peer is a member of a group of people sharing the same characteristics. The selection of peer educator is quite interesting, they are identified by the student who are already in the peer education system. The   HIV Peer Education involves selecting, training and supporting members of a specific group to educate members of their  peer group about HIV and related topics. 

The reasons for peer education approaches lies with the fact that the youth normally do not trust HIV and safer sex messages emanating from “official” channels and in many cases adult-led information channels are perceived to be  more judgemental, non-adapted, and authoritarian. Another reason being the difficulty in obtaining clear and correct information on sex, STIs and HIV. 

Due to presence of shared norms and values, Mr. Maxwell suggests that PE is seen credible, necessary and a successful way to reach young people, drug users and other vulnerable populations.

Following are few lessons learnt that Mr. Maxwell underlined:
       Need to implement and follow standards for HIV peer education
       Effective youth participation in all stages of the project cycle
       Criterion-based selection of peer educators is important i.e. age, skills, attitudes 

He conclude to mention that training and supervision of peer educators should be consistent and regular.

The talk was followed by interesting debate surrounding the HIV issues and both the students and the speaker had a stimulating and delightful time with better ways and knowledge about HIV and work of Red Cross in general.


You can contact the speaker at:
mmadzikanga@redcross.org.uk

Or for more information, go to
www.redcross.org.uk/What-we-do/Health-and-social-care/Health-issues/HIV 

To join the society check out our facebook page http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=38641822142