On the 10th of February 2010, Susanna Lam, Rachel Chiu, Seow Kian Seng, Shaun Elijah Tan and Jolynn Tjhia flew to Washington D.C. to attend the 47th North American Invitational Model United Nations (NAIMUN) conference at Hilton Washington. Delegates from all over the world and across the United States braved the snow to take part in NAIMUN XLVII in the hopes of solving issues plaguing the world today. Students of Georgetown University organized simulations of 36 different committees, which ranged from the UN Security Council to regional groupings like the European Council.

The high quality of debate and discussions allowed delegates to craft well-written resolutions within a span of less than three days. All delegates representing countries – big and small, developed and developing – contributed in shaping the final resolutions passed by the House as they were given equal voting and speaking rights to push forward the stance of their assigned countries.

In addition to having committee sessions in the mornings, afternoons and evenings, delegates of certain committees were even awoken at midnight to solve crises! This provided delegates with the chance to experience life as an ambassador to a country. Native speakers of foreign languages and translators were brought in to role-play the Midnight Crises to make the situation an even more realistic one. Even though the delegates were sleep-deprived, they were still able to maintain decorum at all times and resolve the crises with much poise.

The US Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, also graced this prestigious conference. Many other speakers with specialties in different committees were also invited to speak during committee sessions, making the simulation an even more realistic one.

Besides debating on these pressing issues, NAIMUN allowed delegates and moderators alike to make lifelong friends with the common interest and desire to make the world a better place. Activities such as the Ice Cream Social and the Delegate Dance were great bonding sessions for delegates to interact in an informal environment after days of hard work in attempting to solve global issues.
Furthermore, NAIMUN also supports charity-based initiatives, with this year’s chosen charity being Save the Children. Through fundraising efforts, NAIMUN XLVII managed to raise $18, 500 for this worthy charity.

We would like to thank Mr. Timothy Tay for his guidance during the conference. NAIMUN XLVII was indeed an excellent experience for all of us and it has certainly molded our perspectives of various international issues. We look forward to participating in more Model United Nations conferences and perhaps even working for the actual United Nations in the future.

Jolynn Tjahyadi Tjhia, 2AH