By Joyce Marquardt, Contributing Writer
According to a 2012 Psychology Today post, "Our fear of standing up in front of a group and talking is so great that we fear it more than deathGÇ¥ (Croston). This is a fear that seven bold Sky Valley Education Center (SVEC) students were prepared to face at a Model United Nations (MUN) high school conference held October 29-31 in Panama City. What one of those students was not prepared for, however, was having to present her speech in front of Juan Carlos Varela, the recently-elected president of Panama.
Sophomore Alexandra Ash was schocked when President Varela walked in her committee room just as the delegates were about to give their opening speeches. Although she felt that his presence was "a little intimidating GǪ and just a little bit more pressure,Gǥ she also thought it was, "more fun to speak to someone who had such high stature and had done so much work politically.Gǥ It was a great relief for Ash when the president shook her hand as he was leaving and told her that her speech was "very impressive.Gǥ
President Varela was the keynote speaker at the 22nd Panama Model UN (PANAMUN) conference, which was hosted by the International School of Panama (ISP). Over 450 students from the United States, Panama and Latin America gathered to discuss and resolve current world problems in a three-day simulation of the United Nations. This year's theme was Technology for the 21st Century, and delegates grappled with issues as diverse as measures to stop Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, addressing the issue of cyber-terrorism, how to integrate technology in refugee camps, questioning the use of lethal autonomous weapons (LAWS) in post-conflict areas, evaluating the emergence of alternative currencies (such as Bitcoin), and evaluating the use of drones.
SVEC's delegates were selected to represent the Russian Federation on six committees: Ash on the Security Council; Frances Scott-Weis on the Disarmament and International Security Committee; Samantha Hastings on the Special Committee on Refugees; Nora Cyra on the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific; Aidan Emmons on the UN Peacebuilding Commission; and Connor Cheney on the Economic and Social Council. Representing Russia was an honor, as this country is usually assigned to well-prepared delegations who can take on such a demanding role throughout the conference.
Additionally, Olivia Stratton represented the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Historical Security Council, which dealt with events after World War II such as the Berlin Blockade and the 1948 Arab- Israeli War. Stratton, a junior and second-year MUN veteran, enjoyed the challenge of working in the past and considering alternate outcomes for history. "It was possibly my favorite committee I've ever been on,GÇ¥ Stratton commented after the conference. She especially liked the procedure of the Security Council which used clause-by-clause voting on resolutions, which "felt very efficient.GÇ¥ Stratton added that, "we got more resolutions passed in that committee than I have in any other committee I've ever been in.GÇ¥
The conference began with Opening Ceremonies, in which delegates were motivated by President Varela's announcement that he would personally be reading resolutions passed during the conference. They were also inspired by PANAMUN's Secretary General and ISP's high school principal to not give up their humanity in the face of increasing dependence on technology or forget their ideals as they grow up and meet the practical demands of the real world. Students then dispersed to their assigned committee rooms to lay the groundwork for the next two days of debate with Opening Speeches and Lobbying. During lobbying, delegates share their ideas for resolutions in an informal setting and try and merge their solutions with allies and members of regional or economic blocs. This process can look somewhat chaotic as delegates gather in groups all around the room simultaneously talking, negotiating, and typing.
According to Cheney, a SVEC freshman, lobbying is an "experience where you not only get to know other delegates, but you build on what they know and what you know to create resolutions.GÇ¥
For Cyra, lobbying was the highlight of the conference because she got to "collaborate with people of with different backgrounds and ideas.GÇ¥ She was pleasantly surprised and challenged by some of the "out-of-the-box solutionsGÇ¥ other delegates proposed.
The next two days involved debating the merits of each proposal, motioning for amendments, and voting on the final version of each resolution. Halfway through the second day, the lively debate was interrupted by a news flash: ISIS had just gotten its hands on the codes for the U.S.'s nuclear arsenal and was making demands on the leaders of Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Israel to resign in 48 hours in order to establish control in the region. Luckily, like the conference itself, this was a simulation. In order to address this crisis, 11 of PANAMUN's committees discussed and voted on solutions, and then picked a delegate to propose these ideas in an ad hoc Crisis Committee. SVEC was proud that two of its delegates were chosen for this honor: Scott-Weis and Cyra. On the last day, this committee's resolution was brought before the entire General Assembly for debate and a final vote.
Scott- Weis, a freshman who was participating in MUN for the first time, was excited to be chosen because, "It was an opportunity I didn't really think I would get.GÇ¥ However, she "was also really nervous about it because it was something I had done less research on.GÇ¥ Despite her lack of experience, she stood her ground and persuaded the majority of the committee to pass a controversial clause. "My favorite part of the whole conference was the Crisis Committee. It was a lot different than my other committee, especially since it was smaller and you got to speak a lot more.GÇ¥
The conference closed with an awards ceremony. Cyra, a sophomore and first-time delegate, received an Honorable Mention Award for her active participation and solid contribution to helping resolve her committee's three topics. While Cyra enjoyed getting the recognition for her hard work, she would have gladly traded in her award for another day or two of debating.
Besides participating in PANAMUN, students also had a variety of opportunities to learn about the culture, history and environmental diversity of Panama. Before the conference began, students were able to tour colonial ruins, visit the brand-new Biodiversity Museum designed by Frank Geary, hike in the rain forest, and of course, visit the 100-year-old Panama Canal. Emmons, a freshman in SVEC's Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) program, thought the canal, "was incredible GǪ especially how it was run by gravity'such a simple concept behind it, but so complex, too.Gǥ Other students were amazed by the wildlife in the Canal Zone, an area originally protected by the U.S., and now by Panama, in order to safeguard the source of rain and fresh water needed to run the canal. Students saw a variety of birds, butterflies, and monkeys in the wild that normally they would have to go to a zoo to observe.
A few students experienced a bit of Panama and beyond by staying with a host family during the conference. For Hastings, a sophomore and third-year Spanish student, this trip not only meant travelling outside of Washington for the first time, but being exposed to language and culture in an authentic way. The family she stayed with was a Venezuelan family now living in Panama. "I got to experience how they woke up and began their day.GÇ¥ She also got to "hear a lot of Spanish and jokes in Spanish, which was really cool and entertaining.GÇ¥ Additionally Hastings enjoyed eating different foods in the home and in local restaurants. Now that Hastings is back in the U.S. she has continued her friendship with her host via Facebook GÇô an example of just how technology can make the world so small and accessible.
Croston, Glenn, Ph. D. "The Thing We Fear More Than Death." Web log post. Psychology Today. N.p., 28 Nov. 2012. Web. 12 Nov. 2014.
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