I_novate Model United Nations
Fight, flight or flee? IAEA Talks About Concord Among Countries Flying with wings of Diplomacy Working For a “World Without Genocide” Chef Obama's Master Class Forthcoming Affairs of the IAEA Animosity prevails Are UN or Out?
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Dear Delegates, It is my distinct honour and privilege to welcome you to the first I_NOVATE Model United Nations, organized by the Management Society of Bhim Rao Ambedkar College, University of Delhi, from 19-20 July 2014. We each come with a different story of our journey along the MUN circuit, and it is my hope that through this Conference, we will be able to bring together all these MUN experiences under one umbrella. At a time when the world is facing significant challenges, including a global financial crisis, the increasingly harsh impacts of climate change, persistent violence and intra-state conflict, and an HIV/AIDS epidemic amongst others, I cannot stress strongly enough how important the role of youth is in preserving the health and sustainability of the planet, and in ensuring the well-being of its inhabitants. As young leaders, we have a unique opportunity to grapple with these issues together, be proactive, and craft creative solutions to help solve the plethora of obstacles we face. Participating in Model UN Simulations unites us, and reflects our common interest in broadening our understanding of global problems, and finding enduring solutions to these challenges. Being able to respect differences of opinion, compromise, build consensus and negotiate, are important skills you will acquire, that will serve you well in every sphere of your life. Mastering the art of diplomacy is not easy, and empowering yourself with such an ability at this young age is admirable. Model UN has been an incredibly significant part of my life. While I must admit, I have encountered my fair share of sceptics who often question my involvement in an activity which merely imitates what happens at an oft-criticised international body, I have never lost faith and hope in the ideals of the UN, and the immense ability of Model UN to equip youth with the requisite tools to effectively and cooperatively tackle the challenges faced by our generation. I hope this experience leaves you with a more accurate understanding of the workings of the UN, and inspires you to remain passionate and committed to making a positive contribution to humanity. Remember: there is power in knowledge, and by empowering yourself with this knowledge, you not only have the privilege, but also the responsibility to share this knowledge with those who are less fortunate. Never underestimate the power of the youth voice in effecting positive change around the world. Together, we have a pivotal role to play in shaping our future, and the world we leave behind for our children. So let us take this opportunity to make significant steps forward in acting together to strengthen the voice of the youth on the world stage. -VEDANT DIXIT
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The I_Novate MUN kicked its way into the circuit as Shivank Saxena, Under Secretary General welcomed the delegates to the first ever MUN organized by the Bhim Rao Ambedkar College. The two day event promises to be a pot of intense debates, blazing intellect and zest, hosting over a 100 delegates from various colleges and schools.
The Secretary-General Vedant Dixit welcomed the Chief Guest Dr. Abhijit Nair, speaking on the occasion the former National Geographic writer added zeal to the event with his mesmerizing speech and filled the room with excitement by talking about emerging with smiles and positivity in work. The opening ceremony was a bit light hearted than what one would expect, as Dr. Nair cracked a few jokes gaining the attention of the delegates, before he shared his philosophies. He encouraged the delegates to be excited about the conference and explained that every great and successful person would usually be the one who is excited and passionate about what they are doing. Emphasizing on the point, the only way to learn is by losing or through the willingness to make mistakes and rectify them; Dr. Nair successfully eradicated every bit of fear that probably existed in the minds of the first time delegates at the conference. He concluded his speech stating, “Work hard, Party Harder�.
Shinjini Srivastava Subhagata Bhattacharya
2 MUNs provide a significant medium for the youth to interact with each other: Abhijit Nair
IP : Tell us something about yourself Abhijit Nair : I was born and brought up in Delhi, I am a typical delhiite. I pursued my graduation from Kerala and accomplished my higher studies from the United Kingdom. I began my career with the advertising industry and eventually I joined National Geographic as a writer for their magazine. It is only now that I have ventured into academics. IP : Why did you decide to pursue journalism? Abhijit Nair : I wanted to travel the world. Barring the Australian continent, I have traveled to 78 countries! I guess it was my love for traveling that attracted me to journalism like bees to honey.. IP :What is the next notch in your belt of achievements? Abhijit Nair : These days I am writing a book. It is on Curiosity. IP : As in who killed the cat? Abhijit Nair : No, as in how important it is to be curious these days. People these days have everything at their beck and call, intellectual curiosity is at a bare minimum. It is imperative for people to be curios, to be able savor new things and most importantly, to be able to want to learn. IP : How important do you think are MUN conferences for the youth today? Abhijit Nair : These conferences are a significant medium for the youth to interact with each other. People learn to accommodate different perspectives with their own, and get an opportunity to build networks. These associations help build relationships, some of which may last a lifetime. IP : A message to our readers? Abhijit Nair : Be excited about everything that you do. Live every moment with excitement and happiness. Let there be exuberance and sunshine all around. You know, even if you talk to me about golf, you would see excitement in my eyes. Also, never be afraid of making mistakes. I always say , 'you learn when you lose'.
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As adrenaline flows through the ties binding Russia and Ukraine, Shruti Kochhar ponders upon the gravity of not only the flight but the legalities that crashed..
The state of affairs in Ukraine substantiates that the entire architecture of security that was established after the cold war needs to be overhauled. When the Berlin wall fell, Russia emerged as the only loser. The recent developments of the calamitous crash of MH-17 has left both the Ukrainian government and the separatists pointing fingers at each other, while the blood of hundreds of people that perished seeps fresh into the soils of the Russian border. While the president of the United States of America has stated that the plane has been probably shot by pro-Ukrainian rebels supported by Russia, Russian envoys have been quicker in stating that Ukraine has reaped what it sowed. Is it necessary for nations to succumb to the predisposition of blaming each other while global crisis ensues? The crisis in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine began last fall, following reports that the government dared to conform with prowestern records. Vocal opponents of Russia's tactics say that the NATO alliance has done nothing to subdue the ongoing unrest that
spreads throughout the region, if anything it is an equal contributor. There are various issues that are indispensable to this discourse. Although the legal aspect is the only ground that is touched upon in NATO, there is an urgent need for cooperative effort and strong implementation strategy to combat the security crisis at hand. Russia's aggression needs to be taken in account and stern action needs to be taken against the accusations made by the aforementioned nation. Moreover, NATO needs to make sharp and quick decisions to enhance the defense of the allies. Its allies have enjoyed security and stability for over 60 years, so the argument that NATO membership will do more harm than good is unfair. With the delegates slowly absorbing the intensity of the agenda at hand, lets hope the committee is able to take an appropriate decision on the course of action that needs to be carried forward. Amen.
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It was another calm early morning on the subway train. The train slowed to a stop to allow more passengers on. Many of the passengers found it strange that a man who got on at the last stop was wearing sunglasses, but soon dismissed the thought remembering how safe the subways in Tokyo were. Well they were mistaken. The man with the glasses got off the train before it reached its final destination, but wait, he had forgotten something. By the time anyone became suspicious; many people on the train were coughing. Those near enough to see the package and the clear liquid seeping from it began feeling dizzy and many were bleeding from the nose and mouth.
This and 4 similar incidents took place at about the same time in the Tokyo subway system on March 20, 1995. This, I would say marked the beginning of a frightening future for the world. But this kind of threat of organized and indiscriminate murder continues even today. In the global economy; companies, corporations, military industries have one single goal- profit. And profit with little or no consideration of the result is highly perilous.
Obviously, governments all over the world are working on terms to reduce proliferation of Dual-Use Technologies. -Shinjini Srivastava
5 As delegates understand the criticality of the mayhem that envelops Ukraine, Shruti Kochhar reports amidst a room full of 'firefighters' wanting to cease this fire. Over 2 days of deliberation, the NATO council attempts to find possible solutions for the crisis at hand. The delegates assemble together to find the spark that ignited this flame. The council raised points of pertinence regarding security and trade, with emphasis upon the sale of oil to Ukraine by Russia. 'Italy condemns any kind of escalation of violation in eastern and southern Ukraine', muses the delegate of Italy. 'We, as NATO members can give financial aid to Ukraine so that they have an inventory of weapons for the police to use at hand' . While the committee contemplates over provision of safety for Ukraine through NATO, the nation in question reiterates: 'Possible NATO membership is the least of our concerns right now. It will only result in the Russian and Ukraine NATO councils fighting.' Suggesting a possible answer to the dilemma that consumes this committee, Norway states that ' The priority right now is tackling the 'rebels'. Economic sanctions are useless, and the only ray of stabilizing hope will be targeted military sanctions to Russia.' The point made by the delegate was whole heartedly agreed upon by the committee. The positivity that the committee seems to be exuding is fresh and relatively uncharacteristic for the NATO council. Amongst the technicalities and legalities of political debate, the delegates were able to find common ground with practiced diplomacy and come to a consensus with respect the to the issue being discussed.
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Genocides in the post 1900 era have created mass graves in various parts of the world. There was no structured approach to deal with war crimes, or any universal agreement that political and military leaders should take criminal responsibility for the acts of their states or their troops. It was only the heinous crimes committed post World War I by Germany on Jews which forced the world to take note of war crimes like genocide.
Consequently, the United Nations (UN) adopted the Convention on Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in 1948. However, by the time such camps were liberated, an estimated 6 million Jews had been brutally murdered. During the last decade, some realistic steps have been taken to support the structures that can punish genocide. This was particularly done through the establishment of the two UN ad-hoc tribunals for former Yugoslavia and Rwanda and the International Criminal Court (ICC), and through the national prosecutions. Much still needs to be done to boost the machinery related to prevention. The genocide may end, people may be liberated, the culprits may be brought to justice, but the psychological impact created on the survivors of such events is irreparable.
The Delegate of Russia proposed the use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) for tracking of illegal arms that are smuggled from military units. But the impact of arms smuggled in from other sources was blatantly ignored. Such mishaps also raise questions on these countries’ weak security.
Raphael Lemkin, the man who coined the word genocide would quite certainly be outraged and embarrassed by the situation that persists in the world today. As individuals and as nations, we have failed Lemkin — and millions of victims. After the genocide of the Holocaust, the world said “never again,” but the list of genocides since then is extensive and regretful: Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, Cuba, Darfur, Syria, and Gaza. The problem of genocide cannot be generalized. Rather, an issue as sensitive as this must be treated differently in different areas of the world. Subhagata Bhattacharya
7 Welcome to Chef Obama's master class. Today, we will learn to prepare a scrumptious Russian Salad. ‘Serve on a platter of revenge. Tastes best when cold.' ~Ingredients~ • • • • • • •
½ cup of a chopped plane 2 cups of debris 2 aristocracies fighting for dominance over the world A tablespoon of blame A pinch of accusations Crisis, to taste. A NATO platter for presentation
~Procedure~
Take a quote made by the President of the United States of America after a catastrophe. Analyze it, ignoring the repercussions of the breach of security that has happened.
Fry the views of the accused in a pan with aggression . Add some hot 'Sunflower' oil and toss.
Sprinkle Ukrainian separatists with ties to Russia who inspect the wreckage.
Do not stage a foreign US policy , instead wait for the next crisis to puff up your chest and beat war drums.
Work with the NATO stealthily and avoid pressure to send military help.
Garnish it with long awaited, much stale positivity.
Your Russian Salad is now ready for hungry aristocrats of the world to feast upon on. --Shruti Kochhar
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Despite being in search of a storage site for nuclear discharge for more than a decade, Japan still doesn't have one. It seeks to continue it's fuel recycling program and contemplates the underground repository that can store waste. From being used in the power generators to the extensive use in medical and agriculture, radioactive substances have a wide range of applications. The management of radioactive waste must therefore be subject to standards of safety. Since the proliferating nature of the nuclear waste cannot be refrained from being noticed, proper treatment of nuclear waste is of utmost importance. Amidst the intense debating sessions in IAEA, a great amplitude of altercations were being made on the disposal of nuclear waste. A variety of
opinions flowed in from different countries. While the United States of America emphasised on the deep geological deposits away from the human civilisation for proper discarding of the nuclear waste, Ireland was completely against the use of nuclear technology. It seemed astonishing when Iran agreed with the solution put forward by the United States of America. China and the USA contradicted on the introduction of SNATF. The controverting ideas put forward by delegates in this manifestation of IAEA were inclined towards the disposal of nuclear waste , however, the proliferating nature of the radiological waste was ignored. -Sahiba Khurana
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Hatred and animosity is just what prevails Yes, mother earth now ails The face of earth is blotted with blood Terrorism and trauma is now breeding in its mud. Ukraine is miserable, Iraq is dreadful, Each one of us is now vengeful Murder! Blast! Genocide! This is the only sight. We are all born as humans but ruptured by segregation Are we going to live in this fashion? After wars; chemical and green Sensitivity is what we feign Oh man! Omit that kind Because the world is now rife with apathy and selfish minds Agony and gloom darkens every soul Wasn’t being human, our role?
-Sahiba Khurana
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ACROSS
4 Secretary General of the UN 6 Headquarters of IMF are in this city 7 To not vote
DOWN 1 UN was formed in this city 2 Number of Member States 3 He coined the term 'United Nations'
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Specialised agency committed to protecting child rights
5 6th official language of the UN
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How are the flags in the UN arranged?
10 Meaning of the olive branches
11 Number of new Vice Presidents selected at the beginning of every regular GA session
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Editor-in-Chief : Amlan J. Das Editor : Arushi Walecha Journalists : Shruti Kochhar, Subhagata Bhattacharya, Shinjini Srivastava, Sahiba Khurana Graphic Editor : Shubhi Mittal Photographers : Shivank Saxena, Rahul Rawat, Sarthak Taneja, Dhruva Kakkar, Sanchit Sehgal