Model United Nations Assembly (MUNA) Report
T.J Ellis
IT WAS THE 20TH OF MAY. ON A CHILLY MORNING, THE SHORE MUNA SQUAD ARRIVED AT ARDEN HIGH SCHOOL, READY TO DEBATE A RANGE OF ISSUES. MUNA, or the Model United Nations Assembly, is an annual international competition that aims to test the debating skills, knowledge of the country applicable to certain issues and national dress of students who represent a selected delegation. The countries of Japan, South Africa and the United Kingdom had the pleasure of being represented by the highly capable Michael Kwak, Daniel Kang, Braden Dent (United Kingdom), Oli Mezrani, Killian Featherstone, Ari Carboni (Japan), Lucas Gillespie, Will Nugent and Tom Ellis (South Africa). The morning brought about excited discussion between each delegation, with conversation ranging from potential alliances, to who wore the most outrageous costume. Day One saw the discussion of four resolutions, being:
- McDonald’s as a world food.
- Action on climate change.
- Borders and national sovereignty.
- Exploitation of space.
It was obvious from the get-go that Shore was a school that was not to be messed with, with National debater Michael Kwak silencing his competition with an array of words that few could even comprehend, and Daniel Kang dominating proceedings in a particularly regal crown and outfit. Unfortunately, the Shore MUNA team was struck apart, with debating mastermind Michael Kwak having to attend a national debate and GPS footballers Braden Dent and Killian Featherstone representing Shore well.
The Shore team arrived on day two of MUNA to seal the deal, with a total of two resolutions to be debated over the five hours. Alliances were further strengthened, but bridges were also burnt. The delegation of Russia dealt with the challenge of even speaking at this point, as they struggled to provide an amendment to given resolutions without severe clamour from the NATO delegations. Although no Shore team placed in the top three, we knew where we truly belonged – back home. It was truly an unforgettable experience. As a non-debater myself, getting used to ‘the lingo’ took some time, but was worth it by the cessation of the resolution. I’d like to congratulate my fellow Shore delegations on their outstanding performance. Additionally, I’d like to thank Mrs Reid for her efforts over the past weeks in preparing us for this monumental event. She’s allowed the Shore MUNA team to flourish yet again, and I’m sure she’d be more than able to do the same next year. MUNA is such an excellent opportunity for all Shore boys, as it allows you to meet and collaborate with people from all types of backgrounds and contexts and have some fun too.
