UA’s Model UN Team Starts the Year Strong
- September 25th, 2020
- in International Main
September 20, 2020
The Alabama International Relations Club’s traveling Model United Nations team proved that even Covid-19 could not stop their momentum with a strong start to the 2020-2021 season. Despite a moratorium on travel and the adaptation to zoom debates, the team managed to win seven awards. The 24 delegates selected to represent Alabama at ElonMUN, hosted by Elon University, competed in three committees centered on the topic of immigration. These delegates, all new to collegiate Model UN, represent the next generation of the Alabama International Relations Club.
In the African Union committee, the delegates responded to terrorism across the continent, the role of authoritarian regimes, and the desertification of the Sahel. Debate focused on resources for refugees fleeing Boko Haram and those impacted by environmental disasters. Alabama delegates dominated the debate and took home all three awards in the committee. Freshman Shrishti Dubey awarded Best Delegate (1st place) representing Ethiopia. Freshmen Turner Koch, representing South Africa, and Abigail Brewer, representing Chad, brought home the Outstanding Delegate (2nd place) and Honorable Mention (3rd place) respectively.
In the Viva Italia? Migration, Politics and the Chaos of Italy Committee delegates discussed the impact of immigrants on the Italian economy and the consequences of accepting versus rejecting immigrants. The Alabama delegates shined brightly compared to their competitors, leading debate and progressing the committee to its peak, where the nation left the European Union. In her first ever Model UN Conference, freshman Ash Lussier took home the Best Delegate award, representing the Minister of the Interior, and junior Elle Sauli won the Honorable Mention representing the Minister of Health.
Several Alabama Delegates also competed in Erdogan’s Dilemma: The Growing Pressure of Migration in Turkey. Delegates were tasked with solving the complex issues of migration in Turkey while simultaneously dealing with different social and political crises. After successfully overthrowing the Foreign Minister, this committee established a successful plan to address the migration issue by redirecting funds and establishing new immigration protocols. Junior Carolyn Adams won Best Delegate representing Burak Özügergin and Julian Wyatt won the Honorable Mention representing Feleknas Una.
After finishing the 2019-2020 school year ranked #25 in the World Division of Collegiate MUN, the team has started the fall semester with an exceptionally strong performance. With the lack of conferences due to the pandemic, the team hopes to continue to build up its new talent for the spring season.
Up next for the Model UN team is Florida State University’s Regional Training Conference September 25th-27th. Students interested in learning about Model UN can attend a meeting of the Alabama International Relations Club (AIRC). Meetings are currently being held over zoom on Thursday evenings at 7:00pm. Information can also be found at https://international.ua.edu/airc/.
UA’s Model UN team is part of the Capstone International Center’s Alabama International Relations Club. The Model UN is the cornerstone of the AIRC, the premier student-led global affairs organization at UA that continuously provides opportunities for its members to learn, develop, find community and make an impact at the Capstone and the world beyond.