Pace University’s New York City Model United Nations program won four awards at the National Model United Nations conference in Washington DC (NMUN DC), 21-23 October 2011. Over 25 Model UN student represented the Colombia, the Philippines and the United Kingdom in simulations of the Security Council, General Assembly committees, Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
The students representing Colombia and the United Kingdom were named “Distinguished Delegations”, while the Philippines group were awarded an “Honorable Mention.” The students who represented Colombia in the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), were recognized as “Outstanding Delegates” by their fellow participants.
NMUN DC brought together over 400 students from almost 70 higher education institutions around the world for a three day opportunity to learn the challenges and rewards of multilateral diplomacy in the nation’s capital.
Participants discussed issues of small arms proliferation, gender-based violence, poverty, religious repression and insecurity in the Middle East. They also received policy briefings and listened to keynote speeches by representatives of the US State Department, the Arms Control Association, the US Peace Corps and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
“We are each responsible to raise global awareness about the United Nations and its mission,” Jennifer Hathaway Spalding, NMUN DC 2011 Secretary-General, told participants. “As you depart Washington, DC at the end of our weekend together, I hope you return home with a renewed sense of purpose and a deeper appreciation of what it means to be a global citizen.”
Key to the Pace NYC Model UN program’s formula for success is the role of its student Head Delegates, Amanda Corsaro ’12, Krupa Patel ’12, Katie James ’14 and Michael Zona ’13, who act as co-facilitators with the Faculty Advisor, helping to teach classes, organize logistics, mentor junior delegates and lead their fellow students.
“I couldn’t be more thankful for such an amazing experience,” said Corsaro, who has been a member of the program since 2010 and is a criminal justice and political science double major. “Model UN has not only made me a better person, but it has also opened my arms to a new family.”
Located only two express subway stops from the iconic United Nations complex on the East River, Pace University’s New York City Model UN team has a 60-year history of excellence in regional, national and international competitions. In October 1950, Pace fielded its first Model UN team, representing Ecuador at the ‘Intercollegiate Model Meeting of the United Nations Security Council’ at the UN headquarters just a year after the building was built.
“We believe that Model UN fosters students’ familiarity with world politics, cross-cultural awareness, leadership capacity, public speaking abilities, knowledge of legislative rules of order and problem-solving skills,” said Dr. Matthew Bolton, Assistant Professor of Political Science in New York City. “The Model UN program nurtures the kind of global citizenship and thinking professionalism to which Pace is dedicated in its educational mission.”
For further information contact: Dr. Matthew Bolton, mbolton@pace.edu, (212) 346 1828.