METiMUN Pre-conference update!

Dear delegates and metMun followers,

Let me give a brief insight into the Organising Committee of METiMUN 2011, the International Model United Nations Conference at London Metropolitan University.

As you may be aware, Model United Nations conferences or MUNs are simulations of the work of the United Nations’ organs and agencies in which students take on the roles of diplomats in order to gain an intimate understanding of the workings of an intergovernmental organisation. MUNs are held across the world and are a successful tool to encourage the participation of young people in international affairs and to enhance various skills such as research and negotiation skills, cooperation and team-working and well as public speaking.

This year on the 18th and 19th of November, London met MUN society will host the first of many to come LondonMet International Model United Nations (MetiMun) conference. The two-day conference will include a simulation of the Human Rights Council and the World Health Organization and the negotiations will focus on poverty eradication, sexual violence and disease.

Some participants might be adept in the art of MUN conference, while others may be beginner. Nevertheless these conferences are a great opportunity to engage with fellow like minded students and to get somewhat practical experience of the working of various UN committees and the United Nation in General.

Now let me tell a little bit about how the organising committee functions at the backstage of preparation for this conference. From the very onset of deciding to host this conference, there had been frantic meetings and self made deadlines for each member outlining the various tasks that need to be attended. We started quite early around April and to be honest at some point there seemed no end at the complexities and stress involved as everyone had different commitments in addition such as finishing coursework and all.

Throughout the summer we had many Skype meetings, new tasks and deadlines. We had to go through various details like finding sponsors, partners, conference materials, speakers and other administrative details.

But in all, this can be seen as a learning experience for the secretariat in addition to our commitment to provide a worthy MUN experience to all participants.

As this is our first MUN conference we are working hard to make this successful and set a benchmark for future conference at Londonmet. We would love to hear your queries, ideas or suggestion.

Mail us at:

metimun2011@gmail.com,

For more info visit our website at www.metimun2011.weebly.com.

Thanking in anticipation
Yours Sincerely

Under-Secretary General for Informational Services METiMUN 2011.

Speaker for METiMUN 2011 Conference!!!

Dear Delegates, 

 
We are pleased to inform you that we already have a number of very respected guest speakers confirmed.
These include Mr. David Wardrop from the UNA UK who is the chair of the UNA Westminster branch.  
http://www.unawestminster.org.uk/start.html
 
In addition, there will be speakers at the Saturday morning sessions of both committees, one of whom is Ms. Marie-Claire Faray from the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, speaking at the HRC.
www.ukwilpf.org 

 There are more news to come regarding our other guest speakers so please keep an eye on the METiMUN website www.metimun2011.weebly.com

and on our facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/METiMUN-2011/175370435860296
 
The Secretariat is looking forward to receiving your applications!!!

'Outstanding Society of the Year'

Lonondon met MUN Society is honoured to be awarded the "Outstanding Society of the Year" at the LondoneMet annual student Award Ceremony. The committee (old and new) would like to thank all the members for their cooperation and feedback on the various event we organised.


We are all looking forward to have you engaged with the society in many more coming events and especially welcome you to participated in our very own first LONDON MET MUN Conference (METiMUN2011) in November. For details and inquiry visit our page http://metimun2011.weebly.com/ 


Hope to see you guys. Enjoy your summer.... and Congratulations to  all the Students who completed a semester or recently graduated. Good luck in your future endeavours. 

Your old & new UNAMET Team

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, 18^th November, and three on Saturday, 19^th November 2011. A social night out is also on our agenda and it is planned for Friday, the 18^th. 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 1^st 2011 and closes on October 1^st.

Registration for delegations opens on August 15^th and closes on October 15^th.

How much is the delegate fee for METiMUN 2011?

The delegate fee is 15 GBP and needs to be paid before October 15^th 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! 

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

The Ambassador of Bulgaria at London Metropolitan University!

In politics decision making is not just an act, it involves processes which need to be considered for long term implications. Lyubomir Nedkov Kyuchukov ( Bulgarain ambassador to UK).

'A picture is worth a thousand words'

The Londonmet Model United nation was honoured to host a talk by the Bulgarian ambassador to the UK on the different issues surrounding the role of UN in the current international affairs. The Ambassador was welcomed by the team and our Senior Lecturer Stevin Curtis was also present to chair the debate that followed after his talk.

Mr. Kyuchukov started on a cheerful note apologizing for being late and joked that instead of UN reform he might need to talk on London Transport reform. Nevertheless He gave a brief introduction about the establishment of the United Nations Organisation after the Second World War and described about the structure; its goal based on Universal values and need for reflection about the composition and role of UN. The principle goal being international peace and security, he stressed that certain balance of force is a key factor for the function of UN based on nation state sovereignty.

Then he explained the need for reform in the UN system, especially in the Security Council. Current proposition maintains the need for addition of four new permanent members; Japan, Germany, India and Brazil. There is call for at least one representation from the African continent in order to maintain regional aspiration. There are different proposals, some calling for semi-permanent members and also readdressing the role of Veto- to reduce it to certain spheres. Inclusion of some Eastern European countries as non-permanent member in the Security Council was another proposal. However, there are numerous challenges to this proposal which need Mutual Corporation and understanding and prudent diplomatic efforts to accommodate interest of all members.

He moved on to touch upon the impact of globalisation, the need for legal and institutional reforms, and about the decrease role of nation- states. The case of Iraq and Afghanistan calls for re-consideration of the principle of Sovereignty. 

Finally he concluded with an overview that the main task at hand is to strengthen international institutions and legal framework to a global level. This needed to be done with certain balance of force without shattering or leaving institutional and legal vacuums.

The talk was followed by many interesting questions from the students and the answers were really interesting and different compared to academicians. Though there were still more questions we have to stop due to time constrains. The team wholeheartedly thanked the ambassador for his time and presented him a small present from Londonmet MUN society.

All students are highly recommended to attend future events if you are up for an stimulating intellectual debate!

check our facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=38641822142

visit http://www.bulgarianembassy-london.org/  for more info about Bulgaria.


The Bulgarian Embassy has endorse our society in the embassy website:


Have a look at - http://www.bulgarianembassy-london.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=698&Itemid=282   (to see our very own Londonmet MUN society being endorsed :)

   

Pray the Devil Back to Hell Movie Screening

Liberia is a country on the west coast of Africa with a unique historical background and a devastating recent past: Ravaged by two civil wars which cost countless lives and uprooted thousands, the country is now slowly recovering from those traumatic events.

The Londonmet MUN Society has screened the movie Pray the Devil Back to Hell once at City Campus and once at North Campus, because this uplfiting and inspiring story of how the courage of a group of Liberian women has helped in bringing the civil war to and end, reach a peace agreement between the warring fractions and oust then-President Charles Taylor is a must-see for everyone interested in the role of women in matters of war and peace and in non-violent protest in general.

The Women's Movement

The 2008 documentary tells the story of the 'Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace' movement which was led and organized by ordinary Liberian women, Christian and Muslim united, who were tired of the war and the atrocities connected to it. Their non-violent protests, consisting of sit-ins in public places where they prayed and danced and chanted, gathered so much momentum, that Charles Taylor had to take notice of them and could ultimately be made to attend peace talks with the rebles in Ghana.

Fearing the failure of the talks, a delegation of women followed the president to Ghana to continuesly exert pressure on the different parties, locking them into the building at some point until progress was made.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

Finally, their actions helped to contribute to an agreement during the difficult peace talks and led to Charles Taylor leaving for exile in Nigeria, bringing about peace in Liberia after 14 years of civil war. Since then, Liberia has held democratic elections and was the first African country to elect a female head of state, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

Their story is both hopeful and optimistic, an example of ordinary people being able to achieve the extraordinary. The documentary has won a variety of awards and tells a story which is not as widely known as it deserves!

The screenings were followed by a lively debate and were an enriching experience for everyone!

If you want to know more about future events, please email us on: munlondonmet@gmail.com to be added to our mailinglist or search for our Facebook Group: LondonMet Model UN Society!