THIMUN's Fashionistas

BY: JACQLYN HANNA, PRESBYTERIAN LADIES COLLEGE SYDNEY

Delegates from all over the world gather together at THIMUN-Singapore, bringing with them their individual fashion styles.
Standing in the midst of the stressed and anxious young teenagers, a sense of personality and professionalism emerges through the clothing they are wearing. The female members are seen in dresses, skirts and shirts, pants and shirts, and suits, while the male participants are all in suits with a large variety of colored ties and shirts, expressing who they are.
The past two days at THIMUN-Singapore, presents us with black as the most popular color worn by both male and female candidates. The hue black demonstrates a sense of formality and seriousness, which is how these teenagers want to be perceived.
“The fashion this year has definitely improved since last year. The girls seem to be expressing who they are more here at THIMUN-Singapore than they have at previous conferences, which I think is fantastic. The boys also seem to be courageous with their brightly colored shirts and ties,” said GA 3 Delegate of Thailand Renée Klioufis.
Although the females are in suits, they have each added their own personal touch to their outfits through their accessories. The most popular accessories seem to be large designer bags and colorfully printed scarves.
GA 2 Delegate of Liechtenstein Anton Kabischa, commented on the current fashion at this year’s THIMUN-Singapore conference, saying, “People should be combining their jackets and pants, and making sure they fit. I also like pointy shoes on both males and females. The badges do not really work well with most people’s outfits, so they should be subtler. Scarves are also really fashionable on girls.”
A popular trend amongst the male delegates is the combination of plain suit pants with patterned jackets and ties. Striped shirts are also in style.
Kahyun Park, Manas Bajaj, and Jingshen Zhao, Chair and Deputy Chairs of GA 1, stated, “We like grey, stripes, and black. Everyone seems to look acceptable. Earlier today in the Student Officers meeting, we had people wearing inappropriate clothing, so the Secretary General said not to wear anything that would make people cringe, and no converse shoes!”
The majority of females at the conference seem to have opted for flat comfortable shoes, as opposed to stilettos and other shoes that are based on looks rather than comfort.
The floral patterns, stripes and spots seen in bright colors on the female participants’ skirts and scarves, compliment the males’ ties, bringing together a sense of unity between all the members from all over the world. With bright colors coming through all the outfits, Delegate of Ireland Cristie Kennedy, said, “There are fascinating trends, and the bright colors are interesting.”
Chair of GA 2 Yoon Siang, summed up the overall fashion at this year’s THIMUN-Singapore as, “Pretty decent. Both the females and males are all dressed formally and appropriately.”

Advisory Panel on the Question of Nepal

by Emily Kim, Korea International School

With a room only a fourth the size of General Assembly and the small debating circle consisting of ten seats, one could easily stereotype the APQN forum as rather quiet. However, the enthusiastic, passionate delegates – or rather, “experts” – disaprove this assumption. Talkative participants like the zealous expert of the Communist Party of Nepal stimulated the debate, continuously presenting new amendments to the clauses.
As the forum itself is called the Advisory Panel on the Question of Nepal, APQN focuses on the issue of developing and stabilizing the small Himalayan nation. Conflict in Nepal started as Maoist rebels sought for a people’s republic in a country that had been a monarchy for over 200 years. The experts in APQN have had a hard time coming up with the perfect resolution. On top of the economic issues, there is the difficulty of reaching all the Nepali citizens living in rural, mountainous areas. Debaters are to recognize the different roots of the problem and come up with both political and humanitarian solutions.
Because the group is so small, the debaters got to know each other very quickly. By break time, everyone was busy socializing with one another, although most of the conversation revolved around MUN-related subjects. This intimacy among the participants helps create a more relaxed environment, which probably explains why the APQN room is not as tense as some of the bigger forums that have delegates eager to attack one another.
Another advantage of having a small group is that because everyone can be heard in the little discussion circle, there is no need for microphones, and thus, podiums. point of informations are simply asked in each expert’s seat, and for speeches and amendments, all they need to do is stand up and present.

ICJ –Intense, Concentrated, and Jumping with Joy

By EUNJI RHEE, INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF BEIJING

“Today [the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is] here to debate the delimitation of the maritime borders of Peru and Chile. We’ll be referring to international laws and listening to the cases that both countries bring to the court,” explained Judge Aisha Fakhroo from American School of Doha. Fakhroo added, “This case dates back to a long time ago, so we also have to consider previous cases.”
A long time is right. The dispute over the borderlines of Peru and Chile surfaced in 1879 when Peru and Bolivia engaged in a four year war against Chile over this matter. While Peru claimed that the marital border was undefined, Chile claimed that it was, in the Santiago Treaty of 1952. The controversy has grown more intense and finally in 2008, Peru decided to bring the case to The Hague. At THIMUN Singapore 2008, The ICJ committee will discuss this case for two days.
“On the first day of trial, we had an opening statement, followed by an introduction of evidence from the advocates of Peru and Chile. We evaluated the evidence by the significance it held, and then Chile called for three witnesses,” said President Jessica Hung from Overseas Family School. The ambassadors of Ecuador, the United States, and Chile stood as witnesses in favor of Chile. On the second day, the trial began with the ambassador of Peru, a witness that the advocates of Peru called for. The intense and incessant questioning from both Peru and Chile surrounding this witness exemplified the gravity of this hot debate.
The advocates of the two countries showed determination to win. “We think we are better prepared, with a multi-faceted case to back us up. We also have many more pieces of evidence,” remarked advocates of Chile, Chong Kee En and Toh Jia Jun from Hwa Chong Institution. Advocates of Peru, Jesse Chang and Hunter Putzke from the American School in Taichung, disagreed: “We believe that our case will succeed because the Santiago Treaty states that the border would be defined from the parallel to the land border in the presence of islands, which, there are none.” Although engaged in such an intense debate, the advocates are happy to be here. Chang added, “This is my first time in ICJ, and I’m glad to have this wonderful opportunity.”
Overall, events in ICJ seem promising. As Registrar Varun Arte from the International School of Beijing commented, “The forum is enriching, advocates are focused, witnesses are well prepped, and the judges are keen.”

Showing Potential of the Youths

BY: HEE SANG PARK, BEIJING WORLD YOUTH ACADEMY

Although their forum follows a very different procedure, representatives of theYouth Assembly have the same concerns and attitudes toward global issues as delegates of other forums. What sets the Youth Assembly members apart is their enthusiasm. Chair of the 1st forum of the Youth Assembly, Charles Tsai from the International School of Beijing, described the forum, as an experience which “ brings youth to solve global issues.”
The Youth Assembly works on an action paper, which is quite different from a resolution. Tsai explained it as “People who are in the same level as us establishing solutions,” and repeated the significant role in society by citing it as an example of the change a real-world organization made a few years ago just because of one action paper submitted in the Youth Assembly. He looked forward to his fellow co-workers finishing their work on time with fresh suggestions to embellish action papers and attempt to have a great impact on the plenary session this Saturday.
The Action Paper was the one task that they pursued with limited variety of readers, but people in each forum of the Youth Assembly also worked on group projects to appeal to a wider range of the population. The project aimed to relate to as many parts of the world as possible by actively using media that allows a great amount of people to access it. This year, forums of the Youth Assembly worked on assignments such as making web pages and videos.
Enthusiasm of the Youth Assembly is apparent not only when considering the projects that they have been working on, but also from interviewing delegates. Kevin Wu from Shanghai American School aims to “find out ways to increase global citizens and encourage youth to do more work for a world.” He thinks “children these days are too obsessed with their own world,” and explained that the Action Paper of Forum 1 will concern itself with how to urge youth to become more globalized citizens. Ji Hye (Amy) Park in forum 2 who is from Qingdao MTI International School also found the action paper to be very significant regarding the issue of “being aware of severity of gas emission and child labour” because she realizes that she is taking actions to support the solving of problems by making videos about them. Lastly in forum 3, when asked about his topic in Youth Assembly, Gabriel Macbeth, International School of Beijing said, “I think the problems are worth while topics that substantially affect both the world and personal lives.”

Human Rights

BY: YURA JUNG, KOREA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

As the delegate of Italy, (Krithka Chandra Mouli, Ruamrudee International School), begins to read her operative clauses, the first debate of the Human Rights Council started successfully. “This resolution is precise and effective. It also tackles the issue point by point. Moreover, it’s flexible without loopholes. Therefore, it is utmost important for the resolution to pass for the protection of indigenous people, ” said the delegate confidently.
The first resolution on Wednesday dealt with the Implementation of the Declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Starting with a quiet debate, the Human Rights Council progressed to an ardent discussion with strong feelings on both sides of the issue. Arguing against the resolution, the delegate of Bangladesh, (Dennis Kim, Yongsan International School of Seoul), spoke passionately about his stance on this issue and by the time he walked back to his seat, the room was filled with points of both agreement and disagreement. At the encouragement of the chairs, even the most timid delegates overcame their nervousness and spoke out their country’s opinion pertaining the resolution. Yet, as the number of delegates making speeches or points of information dwindled, the chairs once again rectified the quiet atmosphere by calling a caucus time, where the delegates were given three minutes to discuss the resolution with other delegates.
The room was filled with varying opinions about the resolution. Those who claimed that the resolution failed to recognize a effective solution reasoned their opinions by agreeing with the speech made by the Federation of Russia, (Sarah Han, Mont’ Kiara International School), who stated that the resolution only had “recommendations, but no valid solutions to carry out.” However, there were delegates who full heartily supported the resolution such as the delegate of Canada (Jason Lee, International School of Beijing), who claimed that the resolution “brings hope to the world.” Others, who were mute about their precise opinions about the resolution made amendments to enhance the resolution- out of the three amendments made by the delegates, two amendments passed.
Yet, when the delegate of Bangladesh gave a humorous speech against the resolution, many delegates in the room seemed convinced by his simple rhetoric query, “How many of the countries do you think will follow this resolution?” The question reminded the delegates to consider the countries they are representing rather than their personal opinions.
After numerous convincing speeches by both sides about the resolution, many delegates were left capricious, not knowing which side better pertained better to their representing countries. Nonetheless, after 90 long minutes of for and against speeches, points of information, and amendments, the committee moved to the voting procedures. With 31 votes against, 5 votes for, and 18 votes abstaining, the resolution failed. Despite the well-written solutions scrutinized in the two-page resolution, it was not appropriate for many of the countries in the forum. Although a resolution was not passed about the issue of the Implementation of the Declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples, many delegates became more aware of the abundant solutions to the issue.

ECOSOC

ECOSOC started its day with an intense debate on 2010 World population and the Housing Census Program. Every delegate seemed to be fully prepared and eager to stand out. The delegates of USA and Poland were the two main submitters of the first resolution debated. However, the first resolution seemed to show that United States was no longer a superpower— at least not in the U.N.
The delegate of USA started the debate with a convincing speech. However, when the chair asked for points of information, an ocean of arms shot up. The delegate of USA answered with some difficulty, citing information regarding monetary restrictions, responsibilities issues, and moral issues.
The delegate of New Zealand questioned the US delegate as to why the Security Council was responsible for holding and taking down records of financial transactions used for aid, and sending all records, claiming that the Security Council was not related to population issues. The US delegate replied by stating that the clause included relating organizations as well.
Even after the supporting speech by the delegate of Poland, points of information and amendment proposals continued. Another major issue that many nations objected to was the two clauses in the resolution concerned with the abandonment of children and rewarding people for finding kidnapped children.
The delegate of Barbados objected to the resolution, arguing that it promoted and allowed the abandonment of children due to the clause which stated that the parents had to pay a fine each time they abandoned their children. Delegates of other nations supported the objection by stating that the clause not only did not help solve the problem, but also made abandonment legal for the wealthy. The delegate of the Netherlands conceded and proposed striking out the whole clause regarding abandonment. The delegate of the United States of America tried to explain the motive of such a clause, but when the delegate of Belarus asked the US delegate if such clause promoted the code of “love and justice” the U.N. endorses, the delegate of United States of America had to step down.
The delegate of Somalia pointed out that some clauses promoted kidnapping by providing rewards if the lost child was found. Another amendment was proposed to erase such sub clauses. But even with the multiple amendments, the majority raised their hands against the resolution. Although the resolution appeared well-founded, most delegates agreed that small details had to be considered to reach a larger goal.

General Assembly 5

BY: BROOKE BULLOCK, AMERICAN SCHOOL OF DOHA

General Assembly 5 seemed fairly together on the situation concerning the Oil for Food program and methods to prevent corruption in UN organizations. A majority of the group signed on with the Delegate of Canada, Jessica Kung, as main submitter. Their goals, Kung said, are to “increase transparency, establish accountability, improve auditing processes, and create a program to report corruption.” This issue was sparked by a problem in Saddam Hussein’s regime. “[Hussein] stole 4.6 billion dollars that were supposed to go to civilian purposes,” said the Delegate of India, Adnan Gilitwala. Both delegates were eager for a solution.
The Delegate of India, Dion Loke, and the Delegate of Greece, Minji Jang of General Assembly 6 discussed their resolution with astounding zeal. They worked together on a resolution about compensation for civilian victims and their surviving heirs. “It’s the best resolution ever,” Loke boasted. With their main submitter and thirty cosigners, the Delegate of India and Greece formed a resolution covering deals with organizations and types of compensation to be given to victims. According to the Delegate of Greece they plan to “have headquarters at UNCC” which will urge “international NGO and small regional organizations cooperation.” Other resolutions were in process as students merged and signed on.

General Assembly 4

BY: Akilan Shanmugaratnam, Hwa Chong Institution
Commencing the debate on the first resolution addressing the stability of Iraq, the Security Council witnessed heated discourse between delegates of the fifteen member nations represented in the Council. The major bone of contention proved to be the issue of ethnicity, and by extension, the division of the three main ethnic groups residing on Iraqi soil – the Sunni Muslims, the Shi’a Muslims, and the non-Arab Kurds. There exists a distinct religious, linguistic and cultural dichotomy between these separate groups, and conflict has recurrently arisen, prompting the delegate of Italy to compare them to “rabid dogs” to be “put in cages”.
The resolution sought to mitigate this problem by proposing the partition of Iraq into three autonomous regions, presided over by a central government that should serve as a single, impartial entity with control over common resources.
The delegate of Russia astutely raised concerns that such delineations might merely aggravate existing fault lines. The delegate cited the historical cases of East and West Germany, and North and South Vietnam, underscoring the implausibility of peaceful coexistence.
The delegate of France did not hesitate to clarify that a temporary separation would, conversely, foster open-mindedness, thereby encouraging receptivity and acceptance between the various ethnicities.
Amidst this discussion, concerns were eventually raised over a conspicuous oversight that could not go unexposed – the protection of the rights of minority groups. This omission was hastily rectified by the delegate of Costa Rica, in the form of an amendment proposing the provision of military and police protection of minority ethnicities.
The delegate of China advocated a more pragmatic outlook, purporting that police would not willingly protect Iraqis of other minority ethnicities, though the delegate of USA allayed these concerns by declaring that his nation would devote troops to this cause.
This scintillating ideological tug-of-war moved the delegate of Indonesia, Siddarth Raghavan, to announce, “The standard [of debate] is very high, I feel like a dumb---, and you can quote me saying that.” Ronnie Yang, delegate of the UK, echoed the sentiment in milder terms, saying, “All in all, SC is doing good.” The first day of debate in the Security Council was certainly anything but MUNdane!

General Assembly 3

by Rukmini Mahurkar, American School of Bombay

Climate change, the conference theme, tied in perfectly with one of the 3rd General Assembly’s most prevalent topics, sustainable development. Delegates representing various countries agreed on one thing: Individual nations can progress economically while still collectively maintaining the environment.
Delegate of the Seychelles Julia Hendra started on a grave note, saying that “For most countries, the consequences of global warming are warmer weather and higher gas prices. For low-lying countries, the danger is floods right in our living rooms.” Delegate of Moldova Zoey Zhu urged, “We can change… if we do it now.” The soft-spoken delegate of Russia agreed, hoping that “we can live with more peace, more humanity, and more tolerance.”
Delegate of Iran Isabel Tanenbaum stated that their “nuclear programs are not meant to harm anyone,” and that “nuclear energy is simply an alternative power source” in the face of the crisis the world must confront. Delegate of Sweden Ho Lit Xian promised an “oil-free Sweden in 2020,” to which the delegate of Singapore added that his country’s new environmental plan had just been launched.
Delegate of Thailand Renee Kloufis ended with strength and optimism, saying that although the future seems daunting, “We can succeed.”

General Assembly 2

by Nayantara Dayal, American School of Bombaby

The 2nd Committee of the General Assembly (Economic and Legal) was off to a great start and teeming with positive energy in its lobbying session. The topic of focus under discussion by these eager delegates was the exploitation of African countries by industrialized and industrializing countries. One of the Deputy Chairs Choo Jun from the Hwa Chong Institution, estimated around five successful resolutions brought in by this topic.
An anonymous delegate shared a secret about one of these resolutions, saying, “I don’t want my resolution to pass and go onto plenary… I want it to be debated and criticized because that’s what makes it fun.” The delegate of Greenpeace Sang Min Oh from the Daewon Foreign Language High School, said, “The lobbying process really gives people the time to discuss their topics. We had a hard time choosing clauses because there were so many resolutions, so we broke off into little groups in order to produce good clauses.”
The delegate of Jordan described the issue on the implementation of trade policies as “hard work, although the lobbying process has been going well.” As the other Deputy Chair Aahan Bhojani puts it, the General Assembly 2 is “a committee full of young minds and hearts that will definitely arrive at fruitful solutions.”

General Assembly 1

BY: HANNAH REES, PRESBYTERIAN LADIES COLLEGE SYDNEY

During THIMUN Singapore, General Assembly 1 commenced discussing Disarmament and International Security yesterday afternoon. The chair and deputy chairs were Kahyun Park, Jingshen Zhao and Manas Bajaj, respectively. The floor was open for debate regarding the two resolutions that were lobbied and voted for yesterday regarding the fostering of Democratic progress in Myanmar. India and Canada’s resolutions – two “contradictories and direct opposites” as the delegate for Madagascar Ng Shu Hui and the delegate for Mauritius Jasmine Koh put it – are the two resolutions battled for support.
India’s resolution aimed to lift embargos and sanctions in Myanmar in order to improve trade to generate revenue, income and better infrastructure. Their response has been referred to as the “soft” response that pleases people and government, but may not necessarily encourage democratic progress.
Canada’s resolution planned to impose embargos and sanctions in a hardline approach to the issue that would pressure the government into democratic progress. It focused more closely on education and human rights than India’s resolution and is far more than “India’s plan to elevate their own power,” said delegate for Mauritius Jasmine Koh.
The question on everyone’s mind before the session commenced was the outcome of the debate. It seemed that India was the most popular candidate for the final resolution with Myanmar itself voting for the aforementioned resolution. Delegate of India Christopher Hoskings, speaking for their resolution, said “It doesn’t deal with human rights and issues because any [resolutions] that do, Myanmar will say no to.”

Advisory Panel President: Rachel Hemperly

“I love the Advisory Panel, and the potential of what it is able to achieve, even in a mock setting like MUN,” says Rachel Hemperly, this year’s Advisory Panel President for THIMUN-Singapore. One of the reasons Hemperly joined MUN was because she is ardent about politics, international relations, and the globalization theory. Therefore, MUN creates opportunities for her to learn more about her personal interests.
She has been in MUN for the past four years and has participated in everything from note passing to logistics, delegating to chairing. Her experiences include: BEIMUN, THIMUN 2008 and MYMUN 2006, 2007 and 2008. Sadly, she will be soon participating in her last high school conference in MYMUN 2009.
In THIMUN this year, Rachel will be chairing the sub-committees, Humanitarian and Political, and will also deal with the question on Nepal. As President, her goal is to encourage a flowing discussion and a debate involving many delegates.

ICJ President: Jessica Hung

She’s turning heads and creating quite a buzz as the President of ICJ. Jessica Hung is up and coming in the world of THIMUN Singapore, and we’ve got the scoop on this rising star. Previously seen at THIMUN Singapore (2006 and 2007) and Beijing MUN (2007 and 2008), Jessica has been a prominent face in the MUN world for several years. She originally joined MUN because there was no debate team at her school, the Overseas Family School of Singapore, but she was instantly hooked by this compelling world. Jessica strives to increase her knowledge of world issues while improving her speaking skills. She also leads the way in exemplifying what she considers the most important quality for an MUN officer: discipline. Motivated and committed to school and extracurricular activities, Jessica uses discipline throughout her life to keep on the all-star track to success. Jessica has words of advice for newbies though: “Be willing to adapt to different procedures… Make the conference run more smoothly.”

Hotels – (Kind Of) Wonderful

BY: HANNAH REES, PRESBYTERIAN LADIES COLLEGE SYDNEY

With around 1000 students from around the world attending THIMUN Singapore, our homes away from home are dotted across the country and include hotels the likes of the Hilton and the Regis. But what makes a good hotel?
The International School of Bombay are occupying rooms at the Albert Court Hotel. Students have commented that overall their experience so far in the hotel has been positive; the rooms are cosy, comfortable, and clean. Nayantara Dayal commented that the hotel “is conveniently located near Orchard Road and close to Hwa Chong Institution.”
Ravenswood School for Girls are currently residing in the York Hotel. The school’s choice of accommodation was influenced by the fact that they had stayed at the hotel before; it was a “familiar and safe option” as Ms. Charlesworth of Ravenswood commented, rather than the risk of a new and disappointing hotel.
Despite the positive experiences, some students have not been so fortunate in their accommodation. The Korean International School have been placed at the Bencoolen Hotel 81. Even though they have only had a short stay of two days, they are already relocating to the Link Hotel. Although this is not the likes of the Hilton or Regis, it is an improvement. The rooms at the Bencoolen were rundown and due for upgrades and renovations, whilst the food was of poor quality and anonymously described as “tasting similar to plastic”. Sex workers whose clients were staying in same location also visited the hotel.
But the question is: What determines a school’s choice of hotel?
The majority of schools at the Conference were placed in hotels recommended by Tour East. Their recommendation follows several criteria that ensure the client has a comfortable and enjoyable stay. A representative for Tour East, Janet, listed three main areas they evaluate in selection of hotels. The first criterion was price as “Most students come with a tight budget” and require a hotel that fits to their financial situation. Secondly they consider the location of the hotel, something that many Delegates and Press members commented positively on. Bencoolen Hotel, Albert Court Hotel, and York Hotel are all within prime locations and surrounded by appealing tourist attractions. They are in walking distance of Orchard Road, various shopping complexes, Raffles City, Raffles Hotel and Suntec.
The last criterion was looking for a hotel with a good track record. However, each individual’s experience and opinion is as Janet said, “subjective” which makes selecting a hotel on this basis difficult. Where one school may have no problem with the quality of a hotel, another school might.
With that in mind, if disappointing hotels are anything to go by, you will be guaranteed a comfortable stay if you stay somewhere familiar or somewhere you’ve been before.

First Threshold to Prolonged Moment

By: Heesang Park, BEIJING WORLD YOUTH ACADEMY

In the blazing weather of Hwa Chong Institution, with the cooperation of MUN directors and registration officers, the registration of delegates has been successfully completed. Staffs checked the students in from 9:00 to 17:00 on Tuesday, and continued from 9:00 to 11:00 on Wednesday. MUN directors from different schools came along with their delegates, and were friendly greeted by the officers.
One of the conference manager assistants, Pamela Usai, who graduated from Overseas Family School, shared her experience of two days as a registration officer: She witnessed “the registration flowing straight forward, MUN directors and delegates being very kind and cooperative.”.At times officers experienced minor troubles such as misspelling the delegates’ names, but overall, everyone was supportive and forwent arguing.
When asked which school had the biggest student body, Pamela named four institutions that have around 50 to 60 students: Overseas Family School, International School of Beijing, American School of Doha, and Qingdao MTI International School. Administrators expect these schools to have a powerful impact on the debate as a whole.
There are 73 establishments registered world wide with 133 delegations in total; the location of schools ranges from Asia and the Middle East to Europe. Many directors and students travelled from hot weather to the campus, some amazed by the immense size of Hwa Chong Institution, some astonished by the diversity of students in THIMUN-Singapore, and some waiting to enter the prolonged lobbying time with resolutions in hand.
Although registration is a trivial moment compared to the actual debate, it is significant as a threshold to the delegates’ most awaited moment after months of preparation.. It should be appreciated that although MUN conferences consist mainly of chairs and delegates, there are also secretariats, MUN directors, and most importantly, conference managers who put in endless effort to support the delegates.

Singapore: A Tourist’s Guide

By SEJIN PAIK, KOREA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL & RUKMINI MAHORKAR, AMERICAN SCHOOL OF BOMBAY

You’ve done your MUN prep, you’ve booked your tickets, you’ve done your packing, you’ve picked out your cutest outfits, you’ve checked out your hotel room—but wait! There’s something you’ve forgotten: venturing into Singapore.
There is so much to see in this seemingly tiny country, contradictions and resolutions, the huge assortment of cultures blending together while each one still stands out, unique: the hard lines of the shopping centers and the fluid movements of the surrounding greenery; and the scents of laksa (a typically Singaporean noodle dish) and McDonald’s mingling in the air. There’s the shopping (does the name Orchard Road ring any bells?), the world’s largest Ferris wheel (the Singapore Flyer), the restaurants, the temples, and the museums. If you haven’t already taken a tour, listen to what other people have had to say about their experiences in Singapore.
Two delegates of Malaysia, Sina Haase and Kathrin Eichinger, from Switzerland, talked about their time swimming with dolphins on Sentosa: “It was amazing,” said Haase, especially in light of the contrast between Switzerland and Singapore. Just being able to swim at this time of year was a luxury for them.
Another interesting attraction is the Night Safari, a tour of the rainforest in which ICJ advocate Supriya Balachander, from India, saw several varieties of exotic animals: lions, tigers, tapirs, flamingoes, porcupines, anteaters, and more. She commented that as she entered, she asked herself “why I felt as if I had just entered Disneyland.” The answer may lie in the amount of gift shops in the area!
Press delegate Hannah Rees, from the Presbyterian Ladies’ College in Australia, added that it was “fantastic,” to hear the lions roar—although her fellow delegate Ice Nakwichian commented that it “sounded like they were choking.” Rees loved how natural it was: “…it was open, with no fences—the animals weren’t caged off like they are in Australian zoos.” Nakwichian’s favorite part was the sleep she caught up on—she “kind of dozed off” at some point.
Delegate of Myanmar Isabel Tannenbaum had a different perspective. As a local (she attends the Singapore United World College), she was able to recommend the best places for newcomers to visit: Holland Village, for the varied international and local food; Vivo City, for its excellent shopping and direct train to Sentosa Island; and, of course, Sentosa Island itself.
In all of this excitement over the shopping and leisure activities available in Singapore, don’t think that the multicultural aspects of Singapore have gone unappreciated. Delegate of Portugal Lauren Kang from South Korea developed a different viewpoint of the country while on a trip to Little India. In Kang’s words, “seeing [the Hindu temples] and the religious motivation of the people was an experience that can never be repeated.”
Her words can be applied to all of us visiting Singapore for the first time. See everything you can, as soon as you can—it may be an experience you will never relive, so take advantage of this opportunity!

Getting to the plane...

by NATALIE BOYLE, TEDA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

For the most part, the only dreaded part of international trips is the flight, compounded with the chaos of the airports. Some people have gone so far as to suggest that a better way to fly would be to simply sedate travelers after they check their bags, so as to lessen the pain and frustration one often experiences with both the airport and the actual flight. Sadly, that day has yet to come, and so we still have to manage that agony.
The actual traveling undertaken by all MUN conference delegates is plagued by horror stories; four hour layovers and delays with nothing to eat or do are the bane of most delegates, and that’s just the airport. To top off the frustration of confusing and often dirty airports comes the ordeal of dealing with disgusting seat mates very close to you, unpalatable food and ten sleepless hours breathing recycled air. It’s amazing how much easier traveling seems to be when the airport isn’t, at least, a hell hole. In general however, flights never go as planned and patience is tested and then you get to Singapore.
Coming from the tiny Tianjin and Xiamen airports as Teda International School did, Changi Airport was a haven. “There’s food! And internet! And it’s clean!” said one very happy delegate, Amy Williamson. These stories of initial awe are perfectly understandable. Changi is huge, boasting three movie theaters, a pool, ‘napping areas’ and little foot baths next to the very fast travelators. Not to mention the fact that Changi is a shopper’s paradise; with over three hundred stores, it’s as big as most malls.
Unfortunately, at this point when delegates have only arrived, these facilities have been largely ignored and have been treated apathetically by delegates in their haste to get out and actually enjoy Singapore. When asked how the airports were in terms of cleanliness and facilities over the course of their journey, many responded with “umm . . . I dunno . . . Ok, I guess?” Most simply didn’t remember. As the conference gets into gear, delegates have other, more important matters on their minds, like how they’re going to rule the world one day.
For the most part, delegates are oblivious to the airports they pass through until they encounter a problem. Then they’ll simply debate with the poor lady behind the counter until they get what they want, and so their skills find a practical use, and travel becomes quite a bit easier.

...and what happened inside

by EUN JI RHEE, INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF BEIJING

Resolutions being read. Formal attire being selected. Fellow passengers wondering why a large group of teenagers have dominated the plane. Yes, you are on the flight to THIMUN-Singapore.
Over a thousand participants from all around the world gathered for The Hague International Model United Nations (THIMUN) Singapore, 2008. The location of departure, hours of flight, and name of airline may have varied, but the delegates shared a similar experience.
Delegates tended to break the ice in the plane by starting up conversations. With a lot of time on hand, topics for conversation were drawn from eclectic sources. “We talked about a lot of stuff, from Obama to Chinese homework,” stated Laura Du from International School of Beijing. Peter Huang from the same school agreed: “I actually spent a lot of time talking about foreign soap operas.” Proximity to friends can brighten up the journey. “I enjoyed the flight because all my friends were with me,” commented Hanna Tu from Shanghai Rego International School.
Hibernation was also a hot activity. The sedentary— and in some cases, comfortable— trip immediately proved to be an optimum environment for catching up on what many of the participants are deprived of— sleep. A lot of students who came from far distant locations stated that they enjoyed the reenergizing slumber. Mayada Alhasham from Dharan School remarked, “I had an eight hour flight from Saudi Arabia, and I enjoyed it [because] I could sleep for a long time.”
Some of the flights were shakier than others, Delegate So Hyun Eum from Daewon Foreign Language High School (DFLHS) reported an unstable trip: “I [suffer from] air sickness, and the plane was really shaky, so I had a hard time during the trip. I even had to skip lunch.” This turned out to be an unfortunate event for Eum, as Hilary Ahn, also from DFLHS, commented that “[Lunch] was good.”
There was a dramatic episode regarding possessions. Hyun Kyu Kim from Korean Minjok Leadership Academy lost, and then found, his wristwatch. “Near the end of the flight, I heard an announcement that said they found a brown wristwatch. I thought, ‘What kind of stupid person would lose his or her wristwatch?’… until I found out that person was me.”

Human Rights President Guan Zhen Tan

There is one part of MUN that connects most to "humans." It is an entity that reaches out to every single individual in the world: Human Rights. Without the protection of human rights, chaos would spread all over the world! So, let's hear it for Human Rights President, Guan Zhen Tan!
He attends school in Mont' Kiara International School in KL, Malaysia, and he's been participating in MUN since 8th grade. It seems that, ever since he laid eyes on MUN, he has completely fallen for it. He proclaims that MUN is the one “free time” that keeps him distracted from school.
His future plans are not clearly mapped out, but he certainly wants to excel in academics and be recognized for his resilience. His goal is to become a businessman. But don’t worry, he will use the money to save and support those that are the poorest around the world.

Security Council President Sharifah Amirah Al Idrus

“France. France? FRANCE!!!” Startled, first-time-delegate Sharifah Amirah Al Idrus puts her doodling away and yells “present” to the president. Little did this delegate know that soon she would become a president herself.
Starting from her initial MUN experience in 2004, this year’s Security Council President has a long history: she has been involved as a delegate in several conferences in Kuala Lumpar, her hometown, as well as several MYMUN’s, two THIMUN’s, and a KLASS Mini-MUN at school, which helped her realize her passion for Model United Nations. Al Idrus’ first chairing experience was at KLASS Mini-MUN 2007, which she continued to co-organize and chair after the school’s directors left. Outside of school, Al Idrus chaired at MYMUN and SGMUN, and more recently, she has been appointed as the president of the SC at THIMUN Singapore, and President of Disarmament at THIMUN. The motivation behind all these dazzling records? Al Idrus answers, “Interest keeps you motivated. MUN is one of those things you can learn to be good at. [Above] all, try to have the most fun possible!”
An avid reader, a gifted artist, and a brown belt in Taekwondo, this bubbly president has numerous talents even outside of the conference room. Her advice to this year’s newbies? “Remember that it's not just what you say but how you say it. And don't be afraid of making mistakes. Making mistakes is how you get better.”

GA President Samantha Sawan

Currently a 12th grade student at the American School of Doha, Qatar, Samantha Sawan has been associated with the MUN for four years. “I enjoy learning and researching about today’s most pressing issues and devising new and creative ways of settling these disputes,” she said.
Sawan hates spiders but loves sailing. She spent three weeks on a hundred and twelve foot vessel while learning how to sail. She is working towards getting her Captain’s license and wishes to sail around the world once she gets it.
A lover of all types of physical activities, such as softball, sailing and scuba diving, Sawan was never sure as to what she wanted to be. The only thing she was sure of was the fact that, as her hobbies suggest, she wanted to be active and never get caught behind a desk.
In this year’s THIMUN-Singapore Conference, Sawan will participate as the President of the General Assembly. “My hope for this Conference is that well-researched students from all around the world will be able to unite for a week of meaningful debates.”

Deputy Secretary General Hyun Kyu Kim

Strolling down the school hallway with his earphones plugged in, listening to Jason Mraz’s new album, carrying a couple of books and sharing a few quick chats with a friend before the bell rings, Hyun Kyu Kim, a junior at Korean Minjok Leadership Academy, might seem like just another ordinary kid. But what his physical normality may not reveal is that he is actually an MUN superstar. Having attended nearly fifteen conferences and chaired seven of them, Kim is no novice in the MUN society. He joined Model United Nations initially because of his strong fascination with global politics and international relations, but later realized that there was much more offered than just that. He considers the experience two times rewarding, because not only has he made close friends and great memories throughout the conferences, but he has done all of that while coming up with ideas to make the world a better place. To Kim, MUN is a “microcosm of the real world” that has helped him to become a stronger person both socially and mentally – it’s one of his passions in life, something he would never give up. As one of the secretary-generals for this year’s THIMUN-Singapore, Kim hopes to see that same kind of enthusiasm in all of the delegates throughout the three-day conference.

Deputy Secretary General Mareike Herzog

She rocked the THIMUN Hague 2008 conference and is now bringing back her superpowers to THIMUN-Singapore 2008. Her optimistic attitude brightens up the entire conference room, and her leadership skills allow people to look up to her at all times. Mareike Herzog, 17, proves her powers by already having experienced four conferences in executive positions. As a Deputy Secretary General for the upcoming THIMUN conference, she is prepared for new experiences, challenges, and opportunities in getting to meet new people.
Some may question how much MUN really impacts the real world, but Mareike has no doubt that it helps bring about great changes. She believes that MUN changes the world little by little, starting with the way many delegates and other participants perceive society. She hopes that in the midst of constructing debates, exploring global cultures and voicing strong opinions, the delegates may not only map out the blueprint of our future, but also plan the responsibility to realize it. Mareike finds herself attracted to MUN because she loves that conferences bring a number of dedicated people together, all working towards a better goal.
Ambitious, qualified and experienced, Mareike is ready to rock and roll for the first time at THIMUN-Singapore. She says, "Cheers! I'll probably talk your ear off, so feel free to hide!"

ECOSOC President Ho Woong Chun

Many people say attending an MUN conference is too much work, yet for this year’s THIMUN ECOSOC President, it is viewed as pure joy. Interested in learning about the world issues, Ho Woong Chun started his MUN career as an 8th grader. “I joined it with no hesitance,” he says. Although MUN is burdensome, Ho Woong likes utilizing his spare time to broaden his views about the world affairs through Model United Nations.
MUN, an activity not well known in Vietnam, encourages Ho Woong to go beyond his title as an MUN participant. Enduring the difficulties in creating a school paper, he successfully established The High School Herald Press Team. Yet, his attainments did not end with the creation of a successful student publication. Through this newly created extracurricular activity, this devoted MUN member discovered the necessity of conveying his ardor for the club and its objectives. Consequently, he became a founding member of the Mekong River International School Association MUN.
Ho Woong is more than ready for THIMUN Singapore 2008. To all ECOSOC members, your President’s main focus is impartiality. Speak up, and he will take the time to listen!

Secretary General Haebin Kim

Having acted as an ICJ advocate, President of Advisory Panel in THIMUN-Singapore, Deputy President, and President of ECOSOC at BEIMUN, Haebin has enjoyed many aspects of MUN, including the hard work that is required to be successful. Hence, MUN has played a great role in her life.
Her interest in MUN grew as she discovered a passion for making speeches and going overseas. Yet, it was learning about the real world that truly motivated her to become a member of MUN. Since then, she has learned that MUN is the “safest microcosm,” since it provides space that allows people to develop their skills in collaborating and making speeches.
Haebin faced her biggest challenges when leading forums because each was different from the others. Nonetheless, she successfully finished the conferences by collaborating with other team members and getting fully prepared. Serving as the Secretary General this year, she hopes to facilitate another successful event.