Peninsula Delegates Rotary Peace Conference

On Oct. 22 of last year, the Model United Nations (MUN) program hosted the inaugural Rotary Peace Conference. MUN is an educational organization that serves as a simulation of the United Nations (UN), where students perform in ambassador roles while debating global topics. Each delegate researches their country’s involvement regarding the assigned topic and discusses global solutions that will resolve the issue. This can enhance their knowledge of diplomacy, international affairs and world issues. MUN conferences cover many subjects surrounding current or past global issues such as artificial intelligence, nuclear proliferation and the Russo-Ukrainian war.

The Rotary Peace Conference was the first MUN conference held at Peninsula after the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The gathering was sponsored by Rotary, an organization that provides service to others through the fellowship of community leaders, and Best Delegate, one of the largest MUN organizations in the nation. It was a historical conference discussing topics that revolved around the theme of peace, touching on aspects such as nuclear disarmament and international armed conflicts. The conference was split into two divisions, Novice and Advanced, with each consisting of the League of Nations, UN Human Rights Council and Disarmament and International Security Committee (DISEC). In addition, the Advanced committees also had the China-Japan Executive Committee and the Nuclear Disarmament of the Korean Peninsula Committee, which combined as the Nuclear Disarmament Joint Committee for debate. DISEC was the first committee of the MUN assembly to address issues related to global security and threats to international peace. The student delegates presented their ideas to the committees and address issues related to global security and threats to international peace. The student delegates presented their ideas to the committees and formed resolution groups with other countries to find a new solution that delegates voted on to pass. Senior and Undersecretary General of Communications, Irene Oh, was given the chance to chair the Nuclear Disarmament Joint Committee.

“I am extremely grateful to [have been] a participant in this year’s Rotary Peace Conference,” Oh said. “Being able to chair the Nuclear Disarmament Joint Committee, I was able to [exercise] my public speaking and also [increase] my global awareness of the topic. Being in the conference required me to have an [immense] respect for other countries and speakers.”

Preparation for the conference included a great amount of planning and organizing funds. The Secretariat Generals, seniors Jessica Espinoza and Jennifer Espinoza, as well as Peninsula MUN’s head adviser, Dr. Jim Dimitrou, spent many hours inviting other high schools to participate in the conference. A total of nine schools came from across southern California to participate in the Rotary Peace Conference, which summed up to 106 delegates, 37 chairs, 10 school advisers and other parent volunteers and guest speakers. Notable guest speaker, Kevin Chan, who is the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of the program Best Delegate, engaged firsthand in the Rotary Conference by speaking about his youth experience in MUN and how he hopes to inspire participants to challenge themselves and keep an open mind during the conference. The MUN Board helped with logistical organization aspects like making posters, printing campus maps and researching committees to chair the conferences. Jessica Espinoza details the process of commencing the Rotary Peace Conference.

“Getting the [Rotary Peace Conference] off the ground was a very tedious but [rewarding] process,” Jessica Espinoza said. “The hardest part of the [task] was finding schools that were interested in the conference because not many schools in the South Bay were granted the opportunity to have the Rotary Peace Conference. Though, in the end it was a great turnout considering it was the [school’s] first conference.”

The Peninsula MUN team has fewer delegates this year after decreasing participants from previous years, but they have been able to maintain a strong reputation among the local and global MUN community. The team continues to be nationally recognized and Dimitriou has the honor of being an official Global Educator. They hope to build stronger team spirit and continue to participate in conferences along with carrying on the tradition of the Rotary Peace Conference.

“As MUN is becoming one of the highest grossing clubs in the nation, our club is always open to new conferences and opportunities,” Dimitriou said. “This year’s Rotary Peace Conference was a huge success and we will definitely be doing more in years to come. We also have many more exciting conferences coming soon like [ones at] the University Of California, Berkeley and University of Georgetown.”