The Daily SAIMUNER #10

THE DAILY

SAIMUNER

No. 10

Friday, July 6th 2018

www.saimun.net

General Assembly: Resolutions passed After a few speakers on the GSL, UNEP’s resolution on using sustainable and renewable energy in Sub Sahara to provide electricity for its inhabitants. There has been an increasing demand for electricity thus causing an overdependence on fossil fuels. An estimate of 68% of Sub Saharan inhabitants have no access to electricity. They planned to use solar equipment along with wind turbines.

Kuria Kasumba

PHOTO / Courtesy

General Assembly

It all began with a well articulated resolution. The Security Council was first to present their carefully worded document to the General Assembly.

The resolution spoke of solutions for the future of stateless communities around the world.

It however centered around the Rohingya in Myanmar where strife and violence have besieged refugees. Since the paper was developed by the Council, there was no need for any deliberations upon it. The reason being that the veto powers would vote for and not against their own resolution and it would still be passed either way.

DISEC started strong with definitive perambulatory clauses. They did well to describe the issues affecting territorial sovereignty and military intervention thus got theirs seconded. The solutions were various and included the placing of trust into different governments. There were many speakers in time for the resolution and each spoke fervently. However, in time against, the delegates from China and Russia brought about the point where the resolution was simply too vague. It was stated that it has various loopholes that could be easily taken advantage of. With a close vote, the resolution passed.

Though the thought was well, a delegate brought out the fact that solar panels only harness about 16% of the sun’s energy therefore proving inefficient. Marshall Islands raised that 1.05 billion dollars was too much for African countries to raise at a time. Eritrea claimed it’s not a lasting resolution. Most of the speech from the delegates was about interfaith dialogue where different religious leaders come to a consensus. In time against, only few delegates raised their placards. It seemed they did not raise valid enough points to sway the assembly because the resolution passed with a large margin.

Next on the agenda was the topic of provision of educational opportunities for all, and in specific refugees. The UNHCR produced a highly detailed resolution using Lebanon as a site for the two year pilot program. It was chosen because it currently has the largest number of refugees. After a few more deliberations, it was settled and another resolution passed.

The last resolution to be deliberated on was SOCHUM’s. their topic was the on the protection of children in conflict zones and whether or not the Geneva Conventions were enough and apply to child combatants. Time flew by as the deliberations for the resolution were stated.

In time against, the delegate of USA said the resolution was highly implausible. Since it was written in terms of articles, it’s detailed nature forced it to have up to 17-18 articles. When put to a vote, the resolution passed.

Another day, another successful feat.

2 DID YOU KNOW

Know you continent: Liberia

THE DAILY SAIMUNER

Michael Omondi Did you know that Liberia is a country found in Africa and is one of the states that was exempted from colonization from European powers.

When slavery was abolished in America early 1800s and the world but mostly America, there were slaves in America who were agitating to go back to Africa which was considered their original homeland. They protested vehemently under a society called the Church Missionary Society that the then president of America called James Monroe decided to send to Liberia all the freed slaves who wished to go back to Africa.

In 1822, the first batch arrived from America, settled in and named the country Liberia. They decided to name the Capital City after James Monroe for allowing them to go back to Africa.

They named the Capital city Monrovia after the then president’s last name. This is also the reason the Liberian flag resemble that of the United States.

PHOTO / Courtesy

Liberia Flag

She became president in the year 2006 after a run off of the presidential election. In 2011 she won the Nobel peace prize becoming the second African woman to do so. In the 60s and 70s when countries were coming from independence, Liberia was the place to be for the African elites on holiday due to the beautiful beaches of Monrovia.

Did you also know that for the longest time Liberia had the longest airport runway in Africa for the national airlines? This is because it was said that had one of the NASA satellite shuttles veered off course on its way to the moon and happened to be somewhere above Africa, then it would land in Liberia. The runway was therefore about three and a half miles long. Lastly, did you know that during the cold war Liberia was the largest

PHOTO / Courtesy

Liberian culture

CIA listening post in Africa. The Americans could listen to everything that was happening in Africa through Liberia. Well… that is all about Liberia and if you didn’t know, now you know.

After that process, the freed slaves who had arrived in Liberia started subjugating the locals just as they had been subjugated back in America.

The locals were known as Mendingos and the new comers were known as Americo-liberians. The Americo- Liberians ruled Liberia for the next 133 years and no Mendingo ever ascended into power as the Americo Liberians did not allow. In 1980, Samuel Doe; a military general mounted a successful coup.

Did you also know that the first female president in Africa was Ellen Johnson Sirleaf from Liberia?

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Liberia/ West Africa

COMMITTEES

THE DAILY SAIMUNER

Things to learn from the Crisis Committee

3

By Michael Omondi

among members. This was very crucial towards ensuring that the members had fun and debate does not become one dimensional.

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Crisis Committee

The crisis committee concluded their deliberations later than everyone else as the nature of their deliberations did not make it easy for them to convene with other delegations at the assembly.

Even though it was a committee session where diplomacy and deliberations is the standard practice, it was a session which can be used as a learning experience in the near or distant future. During my presence in the committee, here are the three things I learnt.

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Crisis Committee

Since it was the last day, the chair took his time to express his gratitude for what he termed as having the best committee for this year’s conference.

The members reciprocated the same to the chair and said all that was possible because it was a symbiotic association and therefore he deserved it.

Good research is very fundamental. It has always been emphasized how good research is the cornerstone of a good debate. In this committee, members had their facts on the tips of their fingers and this ensured that no fictions and fallacies were propagated during the debate.

Thinking on one’s feet is very important. The Crisis committee involves coming up with solutions for hypothetical issues emerging each and every now and then. Coming with solutions did not present any challenges. The challenge was to agree on which solution to adopt and which one to be left behind.

Make sure you’re having fun! Crisis committee seemed to enjoy every bit of their debate despite their numbers not being like the other committees. This can be credited to the chair as he ensured that there was a good rapport

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Crisis Committee

Fun Page

Today’s: Closing Ceremony

Today’s program: Friday 6th July 2018 9.00 - 11:00am Closing Ceremony 12.00 - 1.50pm Lunch

Today’s weather:

Nairobi

Gossip Girl xoxo It is the end of the conference and I want to help a young lady get to talk to her crush.

Perhaps she should look for another girl who has been able to date six at the same time from different committees. Girl if you see a sister with delegates Omar- ECOSOC, UK and Andorra SOCHUM, Russia- DISEC and ChadUNHCR talk to her perhaps she can give you some pointers or one or two guys.

If you don’t get her, go ahead and talk to the chair of SOCHUM rumour has it that she was able to make her co-chair dump his current girlfriend to be with her. Sister’s got to help each other out. Don’t they?

Until next year. All my love, Gossip Girl XOXO

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12˚C EDITORIAL Editors Soila Kenya Linda Ngari Eunice Magwambo Writers Kuria Kasumba Cynthia Mwenda Ayomide Alajogun Michael Omondi Photographers Ayub Mungai Klein Nettoh Carol Karanu Isabelle Mongina Christopher Saruni