Fourteen students from the Department of Politics and Government participated in the National Model United Nations conference April 1-5 in New York City. They represented Namibia in the international conference that brings together college students from countries around the world. The students are Jack Abraham, Jazmine Benson, Damien Broadhead, Annalise Daniels, Ash Ebikhumi, Johnnie Gordon, Allison Henrichsmeyer, Sara Jasim, Pano Kirimis, Ethan Larson, Sascha Palmer, Will Pounder, Trevor Shue, and Atharv Walimbe. They represented Namibia on seven different committees.
Prior to the conference, students spent several months studying the history and politics of Namibia as well as the global issues discussed at this year’s conference. During the conference, students spent several days discussing critical global issues and drafting working papers that address these issues jointly with other students in their committees. This year, the issues have encompassed many pressing global challenges, including the relationship between disarmament and development, eradicating rural poverty, the protection of the rights of children in armed conflict, environmental sustainability in the textile and fashion industry, and promoting restitution or the return of cultural property to its country of origin. On the last day of the conference, students attended the closing ceremony in the General Assembly Hall at the United Nations headquarters.
The Illinois State team was recognized as an Outstanding Delegation at the end of the conference. This award recognizes students’ knowledge of the issues they researched, their knowledge of the rules of procedure, and their leadership and active engagement and participation in drafting working papers that address these challenges jointly with other delegates in their committees. Two students, Damien Broadhead and Will Pounder, also received a position paper award.
