22.3.23 Model United Nations – The Pirates of the Three Oceans
After learning all about the work of the United Nations and practicing their debating skills in the first half of the school year, the P-Seminar “Model United Nations” held their first debating session in a fictional “Security Council” in March 2023.
Model United Nations (MUNs) are simulation games in which participants take on the role of a delegate representing a country at the United Nations (UN). The delegates debate global political issues, negotiate compromises, and pass resolutions as a representative of a UN member state. At Model UNs personal opinions do not count, but the declared aim is to reflect the official position of the state to be represented as realistically as possible.
The issue at hand was an imaginary piracy crisis in the three world oceans affecting the global trade and international security of our globalized world. Our “Nymphenburg Security Council” was chaired by two former presidents of Model United Nations Association Munich e.V. (www.munam.org): Dominik Schwab and Lisa Hoffäller. They moderated the debate in alignment with the official UN rules, provided the delegates with educational tips and gave strategic advice.
The afternoon was full of heated discussions about a diplomatic solution or military actions against the pirates. The arguments took many turns, and it was not easy to find common ground in the beginning. However, the delegates were able to come to a compromise step-by-step, and finally adopted a joint resolution. At the end of the day, everyone went home tired, but already hungry for more: And so, the P-Seminar will visit an international MUN conference later this year!
