Alaska students tackle “Global Economic Justice”

The UAA Political Science Department hosted the 31st Annual Model United Nations of Alaska on Feb. 21, 22 and 23. High school and college teams from more than a dozen schools formed 43 delegations from Azerbaijan to Togo to address this year's topic, "Global Economic Justice." Ten UAA students acted as the administrators of the policies and programs of this year's Model U.N., the Secretariat: Alex Pfaffe (Secretary General), Meneka Thiru (Under Secretaries General), Sean McGrane (Under Secretaries General), Nithya Thiru (President of the GeneralAssembly), Rebecka Bowlus (U.N. Women), Jeremy Sacks (Security Council), Peter Lynch (U.N. Energy), Duke Kahumoku (U.N. Water), Adam Jackson (World Bank) and Alyssa Bish (Human Rights Commission).

The Model U.N. conference simulates the procedures of the United Nations. Students arrive for committee meetings with their position papers and work to pass resolutions like "A resolutions to halt human trafficking," which was sponsored by Brazil (UAA) and passed by the Model U.N. Security Council. Or "Ending the Water Crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa," a resolution sponsored by Sudan (West High School) and passed by the Model U.N. Water Committee.

Participation in a Model U.N. allows students to become intimately familiar with both a particular issue and a particular nation-state. Participation also allows students to gain a greater appreciation of the dynamics of the relations among states and the United Nations' role in the international system.

For more information about participating in next year's Model U.N., contact the Department of Political Science at (907) 786-4896 or visit the Model U.N. website.