易胜博官网

The Galapagos Islands set a breathtaking backdrop for a focused on global sustainability for six members of team and their faculty advisor, who experienced firsthand the need to protect the world鈥檚 fragile ecosystems. It was the first international conference for the group who has attended the national conference in New York for 14 years.

The team won 易胜博官网鈥檚 first-ever Outstanding Delegation Award for its representation of Russia and its positions on environmental policy, an award for best position paper, and two best delegate awards. The group also counted gaining an understanding of the island鈥檚 fragile ecosystem and bringing diplomacy to Galapagos schoolchildren as major wins.

鈥淚t meant a lot to be studying and researching climate change in a place that was first of all, amazing, but also so vulnerable,鈥� said 易胜博官网 senior Crystal Napoli. 鈥淭he location was key. We went from talking about waste and pollution in the conference to participating in a beach cleanup where we saw sea lions laying on plastic.鈥�

After a four-day meeting with their National Model United Nations counterparts representing 20 other colleges from the United States, South America and Canada, 易胜博官网 students apprenticed with a local organization and cleaned beach debris in San Cristobal, Galapagos. At Playa de los Marinos, one of San Cristobal鈥檚 key beaches, there is a conflict between the local economy and environmental preservation. The Galapagos people do not have enough resources to build a fully functioning marina, so fishing and shipping boats pull directly up onto the sand. Workers fix and clean the boats on this beach, inadvertently depositing plastic fibers, paint chips and fiberglass pieces onto the sand, polluting the ecosystem of the Galapagos sea lion and other wildlife, explains Napoli.

The National Model United Nations (NMUN) is a nonprofit organization that advances understanding of the United Nations, diplomacy and contemporary global issues. Its programs and conferences aim to provide a diverse group of students and their faculty advisors a forum for addressing global concerns in a real world context. The NMUN-Galapagos conference took place in January, and focused on environmental issues and offered service learning opportunities to students.

At the conference, 易胜博官网 students represented the country of Russia, with the goal of authentically representing Russian policies as they pertain to environmental policy. Some of the the 易胜博官网 delegation covered included access to clean water, protecting World Heritage Sites against armed conflict and preserving collective security as the world faces climate change-related migration threats. While in conference committees, students were required to represent their country accurately, negotiate for agenda items, form alliances and draw upon previous research to emulate what UN representatives from that country might advocate for in terms of environmental policy.

Alynna Lyon, associate professor of political science and advisor to the 易胜博官网 Model UN club for the past 14 years, says that preparation for the conference dates back to fall 2016. In order to attend, students knew they had to sharpen both their research and fundraising skills. Under the leadership of Lyon and Napoli, the team raised more than $17,000 from a combination of organizations between 2016 and 2017. These included securing a $10,000 Emeriti Council International Service Grant, which Napoli authored, and donations from alumni, the 易胜博官网 Parents Association, the 易胜博官网 Sustainability Program, the College of Liberal Arts, the Department of Political Science, the Hamel Center for Undergraduate Research and 易胜博官网 Enrollment Management. In May 2017, the 易胜博官网 team received its country assignment of Russia and worked hard to research and submit a position paper prior to the conference.

鈥淲e earned the assignment to represent Russia because we have demonstrated in past conferences that we are a serious school, and we have that reputation because students have worked hard to get us to that place,鈥� Lyon says.

Lyon explains that students draw upon multiple resources 鈥� voting records, resolutions, public statements and news media 鈥� to better understand a country鈥檚 position. In some cases, students must pay attention to what leadership is not saying, or what actions they take after they make a statement.

鈥淲hat Russia says might not be what Russia means, for example,鈥� Lyon says. 鈥淪tudents have to determine: is this rhetoric or real policy? Russia may have to take the position to block policy and be obstructionist. For example, they don鈥檛 want international regulation around their coastline.鈥�

Lyon adds that students worked hard to represent Russia, but also practiced their diplomacy skills to reach a consensus with other countries to pass UN resolutions.

Senior Aaron Promer, a history and international affairs major, transferred from the University of Vermont to 易胜博官网 in part because of his interest in Model UN. Promer says he was hooked on the club after attending his first meeting and is especially proud to be a part of the Model UN legacy 易胜博官网 has left.

鈥淩epresenting Russia was interesting because you have to take a step back. They put on a face of 鈥榳e really want to help,鈥� but is that the reality of it?鈥� he asks.

Junior Christian Mayoral joined Model UN as a first-year student and credits his teammates for showing other members how to prepare for a conference. Mayoral says he learned a lot about Russian policy and how environmental issues have been portrayed by the Putin administration.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not a regular competition,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 diplomacy 鈥� where you are not trying to win, but you are trying to achieve the most favorable outcome for your country.鈥�

After the conference, the 易胜博官网 delegation spent time at five different schools in greater Quito, Ecuador, bringing diplomacy to more than 200 students in grades 6 through 12. In the workshops, the Quito students first participated in a simulation, in which they were asked to establish collective security by defending against pirates and to promote international trade by maintaining a road system.

鈥淏efore I went to the conference, sustainability was a buzz word I had heard. I really didn鈥檛 understand my stake in it,鈥� Napoli says. 鈥淏y taking part in this conference, I was excited to better understand that it鈥檚 not just about sustaining the planet, but understanding more about the people who are affected. Women, children, and indigenous communities are all huge stakeholders is sustainability, but they are often left untapped.鈥�