BMUN 72 UNESCO

  Hi delegates! As BMUN grows nearer, I wanted to offer some advice on your solutions and what our dais expects for committee!  Before diving into the different types of solutions we are hoping to see in committee, I wanted to take this opportunity to revisit our learning goals and expectations for research in hopes that your solutions end up addressing these key points: To expect global issues before they occur and propose solutions that prevent them.  Identifying subtle conflicts in bigger issues.  Identifying the main contributors of racial conflicts between societies.  Identifying the potential for the weaponization of climate change.  Please keep these learning goals in mind when forming solutions! They are key points we want you to address!  Need stepping off points to start thinking about solutions? Start at the synopsis! As you read, highlight key issues that need to be addressed as well as ways they have been addressed in the past. From here you can think critically about wha

  If you are interested in getting feedback on position papers, solution help, or getting other questions answered, sign up for a 15 minute office hour slot! They will be from 3-6 p.m. on March 4th. The zoom link is below as well as the sheet to sign up.  See you there!  Sincerely,  Clara Bardeen  https://www.wejoinin.com/sheets/tetif https://berkeley.zoom.us/j/93811599760?pwd=ZTdpQ3Z3RzlHMUllbUNYRUNGcHhLdz09 Meeting ID: 938 1159 9760 Passcode: 538124

Hi delegates! To help you out at conference, we want to go over some key ideas from Topic B.  Biological terrorism is a growing modern threat because of the rapid advancement and increased availability of gene editing technology, and the facilitation of pathogen spread by steadily warming climates. Because this is a multi-causal issue, solutions should include a multifaceted approach. The development of CRISPR technology and widely available gene editing kits has placed powerful technology in the hands of everyday civilians. The recreation of horsepox, an extinct smallpox cousin, proved that stitching together dangerous viruses from DNA fragments is fairly easy and accessible. Because of this, it is difficult to regulate dangerous gene editing and respond to potential biological terrorism attempts, and countries have to address biological threats from a variety of angles. One concern is that there is virtually no way to trace the bioterrorist attacks back to the perpetrators. Some biol

Hello delegates! Before the conference, we would like to introduce you to some of the most important ideas of Topic A; Art and Entertainment as Weapons of War.  The quote that pretty much summarizes the overarching theme of this topic is by Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky who said “art is not a mirror held up to society but a hammer with which to shape it.” For millennia, art has shaped political identity but has also festered feelings of violent nationality. Through the culmination of racial, religious, and national prejudice worsened through artistic expression (such as literature, music, and posters) many bloody conflicts have been excused. Art can also be used in an economic sense through looting and reselling to provide the money necessary to fuel conflict.  While these conflicts have been occurring for centuries, in recent years through the development of the internet and social media the exact definition of “art” and “individual expression” in the context of violence has beco

  Hi Delegates! I wanted to check in with you to provide some more insight to how our committee is going to work at BMUN 72.  UNESCO will be using Standard BMUN Procedure.  Our committee will begin by opening a running Speaker’s List (standard speaking time is 1 minute, 30 seconds) and those speeches will be followed by 2 30-second comments by other delegates. This is the default timing for the Speaker’s List and can be amended if agreed upon by the committee. The Speaker’s List can also be interrupted by Moderated Caucuses and Informal Caucuses that give delegates the opportunity to exchange opinions on policy, solutions, and more specific aspects of the topics at hand. In our committee, our dais plans on leaving the flow of committee up to you delegates, so we suggest you come prepared with specific subtopics and policies you hope to discuss! During Informal Caucus time, delegates are expected to draft and write Resolutions which will then be presented to the committee during a Forma

Hi again delegates! Coming up to conference, we wanted to offer some tips on honing your public speaking skills. Prepare beforehand: Come to committee with a well thought out idea of what you’d like to say. Take the time to research your assigned country's position and solutions that align with your country's policy, and anticipate potential questions or objections. Craft your message: Before speaking, outline the key points you want to convey during your speech. Structure your speech in an easy to grasp manner that emphasizes the most important components of your ideas, and opens the door to further discussion during later mods. Arguments should also be supported with evidence and examples.  Maintain command of the room: Standing straight with open posture makes you appear confident and authoritative, which will invite a more positive reception of your ideas. Projection, eye contact, and appropriately slow pacing also help with this. Seek Feedback: After your speech, don't

  Hi delegates! Just wanted to check in and offer a bit more guidance on your position papers. As a reminder, UNESCO will be using standard Position Paper format detailed on our committee website which is https://www.bmun.org/committees/unesco. Besides the general format, we wanted to offer some tips on the research process and the formation of your paper.  Research The biggest favor you can do for yourself in the writing process is to really apply time and effort into understanding the topics beforehand. Luckily, your generous dais has written the key to beginning this process: your synopsis! Not only do we recommend reading this synopsis, but we hope that you will interact with it. Ask questions, make connections, reflect on what you learned. Familiarizing yourself with the synopsis is the key to a smooth research experience.  After reading the synopsis, don’t stop there! This piece is just a stepping stone for the research we hope you will complete. Maybe read some additional case s

Hi delegates! We are so excited to welcome you to BMUN 72 and the UNESCO committee. In this committee, you will be attempting to identify the underlying causes of major issues and conflicts. In identifying these causes I hope to see solutions that both acknowledge country prejudice and work towards lessening global strife. Our first topic addresses Art and Entertainment as Weapons of War. Our second topic addresses Bioterrorism in the Era of Climate Change. This blog will act as our committee’s more informal avenue for discussion and communication before the conference– and we’d love to see you interact with it! The purpose of this blog is to (1) allow you to actively engage with the content of this committee and (2) give you all the opportunity to learn about other countries’ policies before the debate actually starts. You can post comments on posts that we make and write about literally anything relevant to the topics at hand! For example, if you’ve found follow-up content or researc

Welcome to UNESCO! We are excited to see everyone very, very soon and are looking forward to hearing all the amazing solutions. Before we get into conference logistics and guidance, we would like to take a moment to introduce ourselves.  Hello everyone! My name is Clara Bardeen (she/her) and I am going to be your head chair for UNESCO 72. Currently, I am a second-year majoring in Microbial Biology with a minor in Chemistry. This is my second year of BMUN and sixth of MUN, and I am very thankful to be spending this time chairing the best and most fun committee in the UN! On a more personal level, I grew up in Riverside, California but I was born in Urbana, Illinois! When I am not looking into how microbes and pathogens interact in class or lab, I spend my time doing taekwondo and DJing for the college radio station, KALX. I am also a part of Space Technologies at Cal, where I am working to engineer a probiotic yeast that can sustain space travel and naturally produce Vitamin E for nutri