“Peace, Dignity, and equality on a healthy planet.”
Amidst a period of devastation and vulnerability left by World War II, representatives from fifty nation-states gathered in San Francisco, California for a conference to prevent global warfare from ever afflicting humanity again. After two months of diligent work, they were able to accomplish this through the United Nations Charter. While simultaneously assuming the role of a constitution, it has implemented the international league known as the United Nations. And just four months following the San Francisco Conference, on the 24th of October, 1945, it was officially ratified by a majority’s vote, binding these states to the ultimate goal of world peace. Now, after eighty years, the United Nations has broadened its focus to not only maintaining peace, but addressing rapidly evolving issues such as climate change, malnutrition, and human rights. It has extended into six main bodies enforcing numerous proactives that work alongside governments internationally. In essence, the United Nations safeguards a harmonious future.
History of our Model United Nations
Diplomacy doesn’t stop here at an international level. In fact, our very own California High School students have taken the role as delegates, advocating from the perspective of their country on global matters in our school-supported club Model United Nations. Since its formation during the spring of 2007, Model United Nations members have attended countless local conferences and even those held at universities such as UCLA, Berkeley, and UC Davis. Our delegates are not limited to California, participating and winning awards at conferences in Boston, New York, Washington DC, and others across the United States. In addition, this last 7th of December, California High School held its very own seventh annual CondorMUN. Over the course of several months, current members and alumni alike worked to create a welcoming learning experience for new delegates and foster a robust debate for seasoned MUN-ers. Furthermore, the determination and commitment of CondorMUN staff led to the biggest turnout of school delegations to date. As a testament to the effort made by our Condors, congresswoman Linda Sánchez of California’s 38th congressional district came to deliver a humorous yet encouraging opening speech for the twenty-two middle schools and high schools in attendance. The President of Model United Nations at CalHigh, senior Carter Crail, praises the club commenting, “The proudest moment I’ve had during my tenure in Model UN is finishing all the committees and preparation for our annual CondorMUN conference…Seeing it all put together and be a success truly made me proud of our club, delegates, and everyone who helped us along the way.”
What it Takes to be a Delegate
To accurately mimic the actual United Nations, high school and middle school students choose a topic and attentively educate themselves on their country’s stance. This delegate may do so through writing a position paper detailing the background, past solutions, country stance, and the new solutions they plan to endorse in the committee. Throughout the conference, a delegate will have the opportunity to represent their country in speeches, talking to other delegates, and more. This combination of public speaking along with the workload discourages many from joining, when in actuality, many note that these fears alleviate as the committee progresses. Sophomore Drew Luna, who was a first-time delegate and attendee of CondorMUN, states, “I was very nervous for my first committee, but as time went on I learned more from other people and had fun in my committee.” Joining MUN nurtures collaboration, communication, and confidence. Still not convinced? President Carter Crail addresses those who are nervous but interested by saying, “You’ll always be nervous about new things in life, and taking the first step towards exploring new areas can reveal what you truly wish to do.”