Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Successful MUNA 2010

Rotary District 9670 MUNA 2010  is now over, but I am sure for all the participants there will be long lasting memories of great camaraderie and friendship, high quality debating and negotiating, new knowledge and understanding, and the experience of "stepping in someone's shoes from another culture"... Congratulations to all the teams and their counsellors. This MUNA is up there as one of the best!
 
 
Thanks to the Rotary Club of Muswellbrook for hosting the event again - this must be the ninth! Thanks also to our sponsors Coal & Allied, whose sponsorship makes it possible for students and teachers to enjoy and learn from the MUNA experience cost free, and to allow a team representing the district to participate at National MUNA in Canberra later in the year.
 
 
Congratulations to team India, from Merewether High School who earned the opportunity to go to MUNA in Canberra, and to team Myanmar ( Burma) who were highly commended and are the reserves. The peace Prize was awarded to team Israel from Singleton High School.  All the teams are winners - certainly no losers" at MUNA 2010!
 

You evaluations have now been considered carefully, and we have already worked on improving some of the aspects you mentioned for next year. We will be negotiating  with the Rotary Club of Muswellbrook about some changes to the format of Friday night's dinner, and we will recommend that the briefing be completed before dinner... we do not condone nor are happy about the lack of sleep for MUNA participants. Overwhelmingly, participants noted the interaction with others/getting together with like minded students /new friendships as the best part of MUNA. We think so, too!  Please add any further comments at the end of this post, especially good ideas for next year.
 
Thank you all once again for participating and special mention to Pam Wellham ( Rotary Club of Wallsend-Maryland) , who coordinated this event  and to the MUNA  committee  especially Phil Lawler and his fellow Muswellbrook Rotarians.
POST SCRIPT: Please send any photos you have of MUNA 2010  and any suggestions/ ideas for resolutions etc. Please send  them to Wilma  Thanks

Friday, April 30, 2010

Only a week to go - MUNA 2010


Here is a list of the participating schools and the countries allocated to them for  District 9670 MUNA 2010


Warners Bay 1 - China

Warners Bay 2 - USA

Singleton 1 - Israel

Singleton 2 - United Kingdom

Cessnock - Canada

Mudgee 1 - France

Mudgee 2 - Ireland

Muswellbrook - Sweden

Callaghan CC Waratah - New Zealand

Merewether 1 - India

Merewether 2 - Russia

St Phillips 1 - Myanmar

St Phillips 2 - Iran

Scone Grammar - Kenya

Swansea - Spain

West Wallsend 1- Argentina

West Wallsend 2- Italy

Cobar - to be confirmed

CallaghanCC Jesmond - to be confirmed
 
If you have any questions about MUNA 2010, please leave a comment via this blog or contact Pam Wellham or Wilma Simmons email

Sunday, March 14, 2010

MUNA 2010 RESOLUTIONS

Rotary District 9670
Model United Nations Assembly 2010

RESOLUTIONS
Please note:

There is no guarantee that there will be time to debate all of these resolutions. The selection and order of these and any other resolutions will be debated at the discretion of the Secretary-General.
• Some motions may change without notice, at times related to world events after the publication of resolutions and prior to MUNA.
• The Secretary General will also consider the inclusion of a resolution presented by individual Member States or blocs, provided that the resolution is proposed in writing, with an identified proposer and a seconder, and presented to the Secretary-General before the beginning of the assembly

Security
1. This Assembly decries the provision by member states of safe haven for terrorists and their training facilities. We urge all states so doing to desist, and call on all nations to cooperate with international action to combat terrorism.
2. This Assembly condemns Israel’s recent decision to advance planning for new housing units in East Jerusalem and considers this expansion to be a serious violation of Roadmap, which calls for two States – Israel and Palestine – to live side by side in peace and security.
3. This Assembly notes the 40th anniversary of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NNT) and agrees with the Secretary General that 2010 will be a “historic year” for progress on disarmament and non-proliferation goals ... and efforts to rid the world of weapons of mass destruction”. We therefore urge all member states to establish urgently the 2008 United Nations- backed five-point action plan to reinvigorate the international push towards disarmament.
Human Rights
4. This Assembly deplores the widespread exploitation of “guest workers”, who, while contributing to the economic prosperity of the host nation, are commonly denied satisfactory standards of living and political rights. We propose the establishment of a UN sponsored independent organization to
a) investigate “guest worker” rights in member states with well established schemes like Singapore, the United Arab States and USA amongst others,
b) set employment standards for “guest workers”,
c) develop procedures for successful return of workers to their own countries and / or immigration processes,
d) develop a means to enforce agreed standards and procedures
5. This Assembly insists that all member states practise religious tolerance by;
a) not having any state sponsored religion;
b) allow for the open practice of any United Nations recognized religion openly inside the borders of a member state;
c) outlawing any form of religious discrimination;
d) declaring any member state that does not outlaw religious discrimination ineligible for membership in any form to the UN Security Council.
6. This Assembly calls on all member states to accept capital punishment as a form of cruel and unusual punishment and to abandon all forms of capital punishment for crimes except for crimes involving the taking of more than three lives.
7. This Assembly acknowledges that all nations have the right to control their borders and many people believe that they can better their lives by emigrating to another country, even if illegally. As a consequence, the practice of “people smuggling” is growing. We urge all member states to take individual and collective action to combat such activity, while condemning those nations who incarcerate those seeking refugee status and impose lengthy and complicated procedures for dealing with alleged illegal immigrants.

Economic Development/ Technology
8. This Assembly condemns the increasing practice of securing the support of other member nations for certain courses of action through offers of developmental aid. The impact of this practice has recently been evident in the issue of commercial whaling
9. This Assembly deplores the use of the internet for illegal and or other questionable purposes and urges all member nations to support the development of more effective censorship controls , policing of access to and use of the technology through:-
a) development and consistent application of International laws of censorship.
b) agreement by member nations to the establishment of an appropriately authorized international body responsible for enforcement of the laws and for investigation of offences that stretch across national border
c) the hearing of any resulting charges by the International Court of Justice.

Environment
10. This Assembly calls on all member nations to support international action to limit the gaseous emissions that contribute to global warming, with its many serious consequences. At the same time we assert that developed nations, who have contributed the bulk of emissions to date, must take a leading role in this matter and come to a definite agreement about acceptable reduction percentages worldwide.
11. That this Assembly endorse the Protocol on Environmental Protection contained in the Antarctic Treaty in order to emphasise that Antarctica should continue to be used exclusively for peaceful purposes and that the ban on mining and mineral exploration be maintained.
12. This Assembly in declaring 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity acknowledges that this year is a critical one for governments of all member states to take action to protect species by ensuring that the international trade in wildlife is properly regulated and conserving the planet's wild fauna and flora from over-exploitation. In addition, we call for urgent measures to tackle the illegal trade in tiger products, rhinoceroses and other species considered on the brink of extinction

...............................................................................................................................................................
Rotary District MUNA Model United Nations 2010 Memo
To: MUNA 2010 Participants - Rotary District 9670:

From: Secretary General
I urge all participants to think about proposing a resolution to be considered for inclusion to the following list of resolutions. Note: Our resolution format has been modified and simplified from the strict United Nations format, for ease of reading . Please submit proposed resolutions to me before MUNA.
• Please address any queries about resolutions to the Secretary General
email- wilmasimmons@hotmail.com
• Recommended as part of preparation :
a) UN website www.un.org – the news service is particularly useful and couched in accessible language.
b) MUNA website www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/modelun
c) Other MUNA links – various Rotary district websites.
• Here are some guidelines about debating the resolutions at Rotary District 9670 MUNA.
1. RESOLUTIONS
1.1 The order of resolutions for debate is at the discretion of the Secretary- General.
1.2 One topic will be compulsory for all member state to speak. It will be announced at the briefing.
1.3 Counsellors may send messages in writing to the team to support the discussion, only before and after the debate on a resolution. Messages will not be passed during debate. Communication between counsellors and team members is by note, passed by the assembly staff. Diplomatic messages may be passed between member states via MUNA staff only.
1.4 Each resolution is read out by the Secretary-General. Any nation team may then move the motion. The mover may speak briefly before a seconder is found.
1.5 Additional resolutions may be foreshadowed and presented to the Secretary-General. It will be the Secretary-General’s decision whether to include an additional resolution on the agenda.
1.6 Additional resolutions must be presented to the Secretary General in writing, with a proposer and a seconder identified before a time decided by the Secretary General.

2. RESOLUTION DISCUSSION: The rules for discussion are:
2.1 The mover and the seconder will speak to the motion.
2.2 The next speaker will speak against the motion.
2.3 Following speakers will then alternate between speakers for and against the motion.
2.4 An amendment may be proposed and seconded during the discussion of a resolution. There will be a limit on the number of speakers during an amendment debate – to be decided by the Secretary General.
2.5 Except for the mover (who has the final right of reply), member nations may speak only once to each motion and each amendment.
2.6 If a member wishes to speak a second time, it may request another nation to move to this effect. A seconder is required. The motion is put without discussion. A simple majority is required to pass it.
2.7 The Secretary –General will rule on the time limit for speakers.(usually 1- 3 minutes)
2.8 The last speaker in the discussion of a resolution will be the mover as his/her right of reply after which the motion is then put. A simple majority is required to pass it.

3. BLOC MEETINGS: A bloc meeting (a group of countries with shared interests) may be held to discuss mutual standpoints on issues.
3.1 Prior to discussing a motion, a bloc meeting may be called by the Secretary General or requested by member nations.
3.2 Blocs may request a short meeting time during the assembly to discuss certain positions and motions and/or to determine international alignments and agreements.
3.3 The calling of these bloc meetings is treated as a motion with proper procedures applying. A motion calling a bloc meeting must be passed by two-thirds of the assembly.
3.4 Counsellors may observe bloc meetings and may advise their teams, after the bloc meeting and before the assembly debate resumes.

I wish you all the best with your preapration for MUNA 2010.
Secretary -General Wilma

Thursday, February 25, 2010

MUNA 2010 District 9670


Rotary District 9670
Model United Nations Assembly
7-8 May 2010


The first team has registered - so please check where the registration forms are in your school for Model United Nations Assembly, 2010 Rotary District 9670  in Muswellbrook.
Not sure what country you'd like to represent?
Check out the member nations at this site - United Nations Press Release with updated information

To all Rotary clubs in District 9670, please be ready to sponsor your local school's team.

Stay informed about this year's Model United Nations Assembly - check this blog regularly.

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Model United Nations Assembly( MUNA) in Canberra


The General Assembly:
  • Strongly condemns the ongoing systematic violations of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rightsof the people of Myanmar
  • Strongly calls upon the Government of Myanmar to ensure full respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms and to protect the inhabitants of the country…
This is only part of Resolution 4 at the National Model United Nations Assembly held in the House of
Representatives Chamber, Old Parliament House, Canberra 14th to 16th August 2009. In all there were six resolutions:

• Towards a new international economic order;

• Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban treaty;

• Situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran;

• Situation of human rights in Myanmar;

• Protection of migrants; and

Security implications of climate change.

The two winning teams from the District 9670 MUNA held in Muswellbrook in May this year participated in thisnational event. James and Tristan , from St Phillip’s Christian College, Port Stephens and Nilarni  and Alexander  from Merewether High School spent an action filled weekend in Canberra.
James and Tristan represented Israel while the Merewether team represented the United Kingdom.

Over the weekend, the program included some exciting guest speakers, one of note being the Counsellor to theTurkish Embassy, Tuna Yucel and Christopher Woodthorpe, Director of the United Nations Information Centre.

The young people were also treated to afternoon tea with the Governor-General, Quentin Bryce.

The students commented that it was a really difficult task to prepare and debate these resolutions as they weremore detailed and complicated than those at MUNA in Muswellbrook. This national event however did haveteams from all over Australia (East Doncaster, Sale, Southport, Wagga Wagga, to name a few areas), as well asteams from Rotary District 9710.

The students found the weekend and thecompetition most enjoyable. The thrill of debating in
the beautiful building of Old Parliament House andthe thought that in years gone by, people like Sir
Robert Menzies and Gough Whitlam wereprominent speakers in the same chambers, madethe journey south very worthwhile.
Our team of Nilarni and Alexander  representing the United Kingdom received the Totenhofer Peace Prize. The adjudicators determined this prize that is awarded to the teamthat makes the most significant contribution to issues concerned wit the promotion of world peace. Well done, Nilarni and Alex!

Congratulations to both teams for a great result and for their diligence over the weekend and the lead up to theNational MUNA. A big thank you also to their supervisors/counsellors for the event.

Sincere thanks is extended to the Rotary Clubs of Salamander Bay and Newcastle Enterprise for their
sponsorship of this event. 

For more information, contact Pam Wellham or Wilma Simmons, Rotary Club of Wallsend-Maryland via comments on this blog post

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Photos from MUNA 2009

Photos of individuals from MUNA 2009 have not yet been published for privacy reasons. If you object to seeing a photo of yourself on this blog, please inform the MUNA coordinator or Secretary General via the comments section.

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Congratulations

Congratulations to all the participants in the Model United Nations Assembly MUNA 2009. It was a very stimulating, educational and enjoyable experience. Special congratulations and best wishes must go to the teams who were :


  • highly commended - UK ( Warners Bay HS) and Lebanon (Merewether HS) ,

  • winners of the Peace Prize - Cuba ( Hunter Valley Grammar) and

  • joint winners of the opportunity to represent Rotary District 9670 at the MUNA in Canberra - India (Merewether HS) and Iran (St Phillip's , Port Stephens).

Thanks to Pam Wellham and her MUNA committee, Muswellbrook mayor , Councillor Martin Rush and the Rotary Club of Muswellbrook for a really outstanding MUNA . Your commitment, hard work and dedication to the promotion of world understanding , peace and goodwill are valued and appreciated .

Wilma Simmons, Secretary General 2009

Monday, May 4, 2009

MUNA 2009 Compulsory Ice Breaker Resolution


This assembly

a) acknowledges that the burden of the current global financial crisis is distributed unevenly, hurting particularly developing countries affected by recessions in richer nations;

b) demands that the General Assembly Economic Crisis Summit (June 2009) include active participation by developing nations;

c) urges that the upcoming summit ensures it is more than a "talk fest" and aims to fix the deeper structural problems in global economy management for the benefit of all nations.
Note : This resolution will be the "ice breaker" and will be debated first, with the participation of every nation. Time allowed : one minute only.