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Edition 3, 1st November 2015
COMMUNICATOR The City of The Hague Whilst participating in MUNISH, visiting the national heritage and key locations in The Hague is truly a ‘must’ to complete your experience. This ‘International City’ fits in with the theme of this year’s MUNISH: Good Governance and Cooperation. Good governance and cooperation are of crucial importance because member states have to work together to come up with solutions for the future. Good governance is also important for the cooperation within a member state, requiring collaboration between the government, political parties, and citizens.
The Hague is also home to the Peace Palace. This is considered the home to many international judicial institutions such as the World Court, and the The Hague Academy of International Law, which attracts law students from around the globe. The Peace Palace therefore also plays a significant role in the cooperation between the Dutch government and governments from other countries, and this makes the location extremely relevant with regards to our theme.
Another important judicial organ to discuss is the International Court of Justice, situated in the city’s How are these areas in The Hague linked to our center, near the Peace Palace. The Court’s main goal is to settle legal disputes and provide opintheme? ions on legal questions related to the law. These The ‘Binnenhof’ and ‘Tweede Kamer’ (the Inner legal questions are related to the United Nations, Court and the Second Chamber of The Neth- who play an important role within the Court. erlands) are very much linked to this year’s MUNISH theme. The Binnenhof serves as a How can we promote good governance and coopmeeting place for the State General and the eration in other countries? Ministry of General Affairs. The Tweede Kamer is a more modern structure that is part of We can bring as many students from as many the Binnenhof. Political parties debate relevant countries to MUN events, as a start. Our generissues within the walls of this modern building. ation contains the potential leaders of the future. Hopefully, by working together, we can remember The Tweede Kamer and Binnenhof play a signifi- what we’ve discussed and learned through our cant role in governance because, together with the MUN experiences, and pursue this in our future prime minister and the Dutch political parties, the careers. government decides on changes in the country and the development of the law.
Rita Alves and Julée Al-Bayaty de Ridder Illustration: Daniela 1Fais
How The UN Has Changed The World
Illustration: Daniela Fais In 1945, after the Second World War, the world was desperate for peace. This led 51 world leaders to come together with a shared goal, forming the United Nations on October 24th, 1945. The UN works towards a better, safer world by promoting sustainable development, maintaining international peace and security through protecting human rights, upholding international law, and delivering humanitarian aid. As MUNISH celebrates its 25th anniversary, the UN celebrates its 70th by introducing the “Turn the World Blue� campaign. By lighting up national monuments, buildings, bridges, and other iconic landmarks in blue, the official colour of the UN, they hope to promote the message of peace, world development, and human rights.
Goals have been met, three years in advance. Sustainability plays a key role in counteracting climate change, and thus the UN is supporting efforts to reduce emissions and to build climate resilience. The Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, has launched numerous initiatives to improve the accessibility and use of renewable energy.
The UN has been working towards maintaining international peace and security by launching political missions in the field and special envoys. The Peacekeeping Program has proven to be the most effective; there are currently 16 peacekeeping operations in progress, out of the total 69 launched since 1948. These operations navigate countries along the path from conflict, to peace. By countering terrorism and handling the disarmament of chemical, biological, and nuclear weapThe UN deals with a large variety of global is- onry, the world is on its way to becoming one sues and strives to resolve them in the best way filled with peace, made possible by the efforts of possible, in order to bring good governance and the UN. peace to our respective nations. In September 2000, world leaders set eight Millennium Devel- In protecting human rights we are all brought to opment Goals, promoting sustainable development, the same level of humanity, in the hope that we to be achieved by 2015. As a result of the UN’s will view and respect all people equally. The UN actions, three of the Millennium Development aims to help the world see women and men as 2
range of issues which each member state faces, such as human rights, disarmament, international crime, refugees, migration, problems of nationality, and the treatment of prisoners, to name a few. Having numerous tribunals across the globe simplifies the maintenance and handling of these issues. Without the UN, the world could have fallen into chaos, nations may have remained divided, and people would have been left struggling to survive, especially so shortly after the Second World War. The establishment of the United Nations has guided us to a modern, international age, and the generations to come will be far more united than those before us. We can only hope that that our actions today will change the lives of those not yet born, for the better. Amy van Rooyen
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Thank you to our sponsors equals and to heal the wounds created by racism, until they are nothing more than faded scars. In doing this, the UN hopes to achieve respect amongst everyone, no matter the difference in gender, religion, ethnicity, or race. In 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was brought into the realm of International Law, encouraging the organization to protect human rights through legal actions and instruments. It is International Law that binds the member states of the UN together. They tackle a wide 3
Committee News
Friday afternoon, the first day of MUNISH XXV, was spent lobbying and getting to know the different opinions of the member states. As the President of the General Assembly and chair of GA1, Pieter Sellies enthusiastically reported how well everything went: “For people who have never met before, there has been excellent cooperation today, and we are all excited to start debating tomorrow”. Saturday marks the beginning of fruitful and active debates, along with speeches and discussions from speakers who, through their vast experiences, have come to share their knowledge. We managed to secure an interview with Professor Michael McClain, a speaker whose speech has taught us a lot about the actions currently being taken towards bettering the global water shortage. Professor Michael McClain is the Chair Professor of Ecohydrology and the Head of the Hydrology and Water Resources Chair Group at UNESCO IHE. UNESCO IHE is based in the city of Delft in the Netherlands, but employees travel all over the world to cooperate with other organisations, to improve the availability and sanitation of water. After his presentation to the Special Conference 2 (SPC2), we interviewed Professor 4
McClain, asking him a few questions about the vital role he plays in the accomplishment of improving the availability and sanitation of water: How long have you been working with this organisation and can you briefly tell us about what your position requires you to do? I have been working in this position for over 7 years now. As a professor of ecohydrology, I have an educational responsibility to advise PhD students and I also supervise a Master’s program in hydrology and water resources. I teach in the classroom, and lead projects around the world that implement these areas of knowledge, like supporting authorities, to allow them to better understand and manage their water resources. How did you actually find yourself to be in this position? I have always been interested in water as a resource, and academically I have always been interested in its management. So not just the pure science of studying, but studying it in order to manage it better. And for over 10 years, I have always worked internationally. My Masters Degree was in The Bahamas,
my PhD was in Brazil, in the Amazon, and then when I started my first academic position in Florida, I was also running some projects in Africa and South America. So I have always worked internationally and this institute in Delft, UNESCO IHE, is like Mecca in a way: it’s a leading institution in the world for higher level water education, that focuses on all dimensions of water, so it was the perfect place to go. I had the opportunity, so I leapt on it
program to help improve safety and security for people in that basin. It’s the Mara River basin, in Serengeti National Park, so we work in some of those iconic African savanna wildlife areas. This requires me to travel to Kenya an average of 3 to 4 times a year. What will you be talking about in your speech today? Because this is a gathering of delegates from all around the world, I am going to focus on talking about the global issue of water safety and security, and how, at the level of a United Nations meeting, delegates might address these issues.
Do you travel a lot? If so, what countries do you visit the most and for what reason? Yes, I travel a lot. In the recent years, I have mostly been working in Kenya, Tanzania, the Republic of Georgia, the Caucasus, Brazil, and Columbia. I usually travel to these countries because of partnerships. In Delft, we are a relatively small institution, but we seek to have a global impact by building partnerships with other institutions around the world. In Brazil we were working with a long-term partner on strengthening their activities involving a combination of education and research. In Columbia it was similar, although we had Dutch funding to support our continued work together. In Kenya and Tanzania it is a combination of them, but also with the involvement of the Dutch Embassy in Kenya, which sponsors a large program for this cause.
What advice can you give to young people so that we can help resolve the global water shortage problem? Well, to learn about it, and understand how it relates to other objectives that we are trying to meet in our lives; it is important to do everything we can at each step of that process. Experiences like this are perfect to start doing this. We are not going to talk about water like we would in a classroom, but about water as it’s blended into human welfare and development. The biggest challenges are not in the technology, they are in the management, the governance, and in the agreement on all decision makers, such as is being modelled here at MUNISH. This is the arena in which sustainability will be achieved, in this international arena of negotiation and cooperation between countries. Marianne Burke
What project are you working on at the moment? Well, several. The one that I would highlight is the one in Kenya, as it is a project that involves a large consortium of organizations. Here, in The Netherlands, we have multiple universities that we are working with, as well as foreign organisations such as GIZ, a German development agency, and, of course, a lot of partners in Kenya itself since it is a river basin scale
Photos: Cecile Pilon 5
Current Affairs Syrian Crisis The world has been facing issues with humanitarian faults on a massive scale since 2011, when the Syrian refugee crisis began. Syria has been experiencing major internal issues, which have resulted in a civil war. Due to the level of conflict, Syrian citizens have been impacted in ways we cannot imagine. Parents who are raising their children want to build a future for them that excludes the violence they have been exposed to. The world needs to join forces and focus on this issue in order to resolve it, but unfortunately international response has been inadequate, leaving the crisis “forgotten” to many nations. The news of this crisis has recently been the spotlight of many news channels, newspapers, and social media. In particular, the photograph taken of a 3 year old boy, lying dead on a beach in Turkey, which has caught significant media attention. Within hours after its publication, the photograph went viral, becoming a trend on Twitter with the hashtag “#KiyiyaVuranInsanlik, meaning “humanity washed ashore”. Syrian refugees are now forced to migrate, many of whom have no choice but to leave their country. Arab States located near or next to Syria have not accepted any refugees, while other European countries are accepting thousands. Many migrants decide to travel to Europe, in search of a place where they can live in a safe environment. The most common destinations are Scandinavian countries and Germany. Although a lifestyle in the Scandinavian countries is very expensive, the government and NGOs fund the migrants. Germany is another ideal location to choose as the German Prime Minister, Angela Merkel, has been promoting immigration in 6
her country since the beginning of 2015. It is estimated that 800,000 Syrian refugees will be migrating to Germany this year. However, some say that the German reaction to this crisis is the perfect example of hypocrisy and lack of empathy, which was publicly displayed during Merkel’s speech in July, in which she made a Palestinian girl cry after she said that she would not be able to stop her family’s deportation, and that she would probably not be able to study in Germany. On September 21st, the European Union approved a plan committing itself to taking in 120,000 refugees. In addition to this, the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, has organised the first World Humanitarian Summit, which is set to be held in Istanbul on the 23rd and 24th of May in 2016. It is of significance to note that there are more refugees in Istanbul than in the rest of Europe. According to the UN, “the goal of this summit is to bring the global community together to commit to new ways of working together to save lives and reduce hardship around the globe”. Many different organizations are also currently involved in the effort to help the Syrian refugees, by offering them a safe home and an acceptable standard of living. The International School of The Hague is also doing its best to contribute towards improving the struggling refugees’ situation. The school tries to collect as many donations as possible from students at school and has had many charitable events collecting things such as long shelf life foods, bedding, toys for children, and clothes. Magdalena Villa Julée Al-Bayaty de Ridder Rita Alves
Illustration: Daniela Fais
Heads of Press
Journalists
Nadia van der Meer Sissi Ma
Marianne Burke Magdalena Villa Justine Meyer Julee de Ridder Amy van Rooyen Rita Alves
Layout Leon Janssen Annelijne Brouwer Sean Delaney
Editors Dagmar Brekelmans Emily Woodward
Visual Media Liam McClain Emilie Masson Valentina Bravo
Beatrice Ejlal Aaron Wang Axelle Do Rego Cecile Pilon Svetlana Martimort Sian Blake Dani Fais Adrian Oderwald - Blazquez
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Day in the Life of a Security Council Delegate Islamic State (IS) with regards to Syria and the situation in North Korea. The discussion about the Islamic State will involve how to withstand the aggression that the IS is using within the region. As you may know, North Korea is one of the very few totalitarian nations and is the most self-isolated country in the world. The nuclear crisis in North Korea is creating a large impact on international diplomacy, and this will be the SC’s focus. “I cycled to school this morning, just like any other day, as it only takes me 20 minutes by bike to get here from my house! In the Security Council, instead of debating resolutions as a whole, we submit individual clauses throughout the debate and discuss each of them. When we first started yesterday, we had a very short lobbying session to merge some of the clauses, but generally the SC doesn’t do much lobbying. We then discussed Participating in MUNISH, whether as delegate, our different opinions with the other delegates and admin, or part of the BOD, guarantees you to went straight on to debating the clauses, which is have a weekend unlike any other. Everyone in pretty much what we’ve been doing since then”, MUNISH has very different roles to play, with a Isobel tells us. wide range of responsibilities and goals. We look for interesting individuals, who have roles which Here are Isobel’s thoughts on being in the SC and are rarer compared to mass roles, to share with why she chose to be in this committee: you and give you a better idea of how much variety there is throughout MUNISH. “It is really interesting to debate such significant global issues. I love working together with othWe asked Isobel Bowring, the delegate of Russia er delegations to find the best possible solutions in the Security Council (SC), about her routine for everyone. Listening to other people’s opinions during the day as a Security Council delegate. really interests me, as you can see how different Isobel Bowring is sixteen, half Dutch, half Eng- people interpret things. I chose to be in MUNISH lish, and is a student at ISH. She has been to as delegate of the SC, as I have been a delegate many different MUN conferences aside from MU- in other committees before and I like being inNISH annually for the last three years, because cluded in conferences connected to global issues. she loves the MUN atmosphere and how much There are many different personalities and characshe learns at each conference. This year, the Secu- ters involved in MUNISH, and it’s really interestrity Council will be discussing the question of the ing to see where those differences can take you.”
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opposition. We want to keep Al-Assad in power so that all of Syria can fight against the IS. We want the war in Syria to stop, as IS can easily get in due to the war. Since the United States-led coalition is not willing to work or communicate with Russia and Al-Assad, we aren’t able to get the civil war to stop. If Syria were to resolve their issues and the civil war were to end, then they could form a strong military and a strong country to fight against the IS very easily. A lot of people from the opposition of Al-Assad is now joining the IS, so this shows that the war really needs to stop before it gets out of hand.
As Isobel is in the delegation of the Russian Federation, we asked her what her views on the discussions are: “The Russian Federation believes that we can not keep fighting between Bashar Al-Assad and his
We see great economic interest in North Korea and the Korean Peninsula due to the trading. We do not want them to be isolated because of the United States, as the United States is willing to stop trading due to their isolation. We do not support nuclear weapons, so it depends on North Korea giving up their nuclear weapons.” Justine Meyer
Photos: Axelle Do Rego & Aaron Wang 9
Humans of MUNISH Why did you apply to be Head of Admin at MUNISH? I had previously been a delegate so I wanted to try something different, develop some new skills, and, of course, help make MUNISH 2015 the best conference yet! What is it about MUN that excites or interests you?
Name: Teresa Serrano Age: 15 Nationality: Portuguese MUNISH Position: Head of Administrative Staff
First of all, the issues of course! I have experience as a delegate as well so I really enjoy debating the topics and when the debate is “flowing” nicely, I find it really interesting and exciting. I like how the debate is all about having different people with different ideas, working together for a common goal. I also really love meeting people from all over the world. MUN conferences are great to meet others, you make great friends and because you end up going to the same conferences, with the same people, after a while, you already know each other really well, you’re even friends on Facebook! What is the toughest part of MUN?
Most memorable moment of an MUN conference:
When it’s over! I always miss it the minute it ends. We research and prepare for weeks and There are so many..it’s really hard to say which months prior to the conference, enjoy every single one is my favourite! I think perhaps the first time moment it lasts, and once it’s over we can’t wait I was the main submitter of a resolution. I had for the next one. some experience in MUN but not much so I was really nervous but excited as well. I remember What are your expectations for MUNISH 2015? I prepared for weeks, writing the resolution and then editing it to make it better. Then, it came to We, Heads of Admin, as well as the BOD and the time for me to go to the podium and give the chairs, have put in a lot of effort and have dedopening speech...it was by far the most memorable icated much of our time to make MUNISH 2015 moment of my MUN career so far. a great conference, so I hope it is memorable and that everyone enjoys the debating and the meeting Most memorable moment of your life: of new people. When my brother and cousins were born, but I think I’m a person who doesn’t need much to be happy - a simple day at the beach reading and being with friends is enough for me. 10
Rita Alves Photo: Cecile Pilon
Global Issues Network
“A better world starts with us”, is the motto for all the students involved with the Global Issues Network (GIN). GIN is a group wherein students, inspired by the UN Millennium Goals, collaborate with one another to create initiatives and raise awareness for various issues, as well as emphasize the need for everyone to become responsible global citizens. Within GIN, there are 11 different initiatives, including Amnesty International, LGBT, and “FeminISH”.
Amnesty International is a movement which joins people around the globe to fight for a single cause: human rights. Once research to identify where human rights are being violated has been completed by members of the movement, the information is analyzed and used as an attempt to influence companies and governments to make a difference. The supporters of this cause, whose numbers are now over 7 million, then take action through campaigns, petitions, and “press for action” letters from institutions that can make a change. Amnesty International at ISH raises awareness for these issues in similar ways within the school community, especially through petitions now focused on Raif, a blogger who was arrested and sentenced to 1000 whiplashes for having a blog that questioned government policies.
Among ideas such as making posters and videos on the issue at hand, the group is planning on an educational feminism event where members of the ISH community can learn exactly what feminism is and get rid of any negative pretences that are associated with feminism. The number of global issues is constantly increasing and nothing will change unless we fight for our rights and for a better world. The initiatives here mentioned are only are only 3 out of the 11 at GIN. Visit the GIN website (http://www.globalishuesnetwork.com/) to find out more about the others and how you, too, can make a difference.
“Think big, do something!”
GIN’s LGBT group focuses on the recognition and acceptance of homosexuality and transgenderism at ISH. One method to accomplish their objective of making the school community aware of this, is through their catchy slogan, “Hey, hey! Ho, ho! Homophobia’s got to go!” They already have various ideas to raise awareness for their cause, including an LGBT lesson where they aim to help students avoid being afraid of honesty about one’s sexuality and teach students how to support a loved one once they “come out”.
The FeminISH group of senior GIN members concentrates on the main idea behind feminism: gender equality. Since the creation of this group, different initiatives have arisen to raise awareness for the issue and to increase the number of feminists at ISH.
Rita Alves Illustration: Daniela Fais 11
Sudoku
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Wordsearch Communicator Munish Governance
Environment
Stahili Humanitarian International
Security
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Wordseach & Sudoku: Amy van Rooyen & Rita Alves
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