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| Featured Project |
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11th MUNA – Preparing the Youth for Global Challenges
November 4, 2008, Makati City
By PP Patti King, RC Makati Jose P. Rizal
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Watch the youth from various high schools and colleges interact and debate on political, human rights, illegal drugs, human trafficking, health, environment, moral, exploitation and other international issues and concerns. See them in action as they build consensus, resolve conflicts and solve problems in an atmosphere of compromise and cooperation. This will happen in the 11th Model United Nations Assembly (MUNA) at the World Health Organization Regional Headquarters, United Nations Avenue, Manila on January 17 and 18, 2009. |
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| MUNA is a yearly event organized by the Rotary Club of Makati Jose P. Rizal (RCMJPR) as a continuing commitment to the development of the youth. It was launched in 1997 under the club’s Youth and International Services programs aimed to encourage and enhance the youth’s understanding of international affairs. Based on the UN General Assembly, the youthful delegates simulate the proceedings of the United Nations crafting resolutions and declarations to deal with problems facing the international community. |
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In the 11th MUNA, a new dimension will be added: the UN Security Council. Expect to see the youth, once again, get engaged in heated debates and aggressive lobbying as they tackle global issues that raise divisiveness among and within countries, such as:
- Illegal drug-trafficking in financing terrorist organizations
- Exploitation of Africa by more industrialized countries
- Elimination of racism and racial discrimination, particularly against indigenous peoples in Asia
- Expansion of human trafficking and illegal prostitution
- Legality of and access to abortion
- State of Human Rights in the Palestinian Territories
- Pesticide use as a threat to human health and the natural environment
- Preservation of freshwater ecosystems
- Reduction of the world’s reliance on fossil fuels with respect to sustainable development
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Why Schools and Rotaract Clubs Participate
Participation in MUNA promotes student and teacher interests in international relations, increases the students’ capacity to engage in problem solving, teaches aspects of conflict resolution, improves research and communication skills, and opens opportunities to meet new people and establish new friendships.
The popularity of MUNA continues to grow worldwide. More than 200,000 high school and college/university students participate in various MUNA events every year. Some exercises take place in the classroom, others are school-wide. Still, others are national, regional, or even international in scope. Today, there are more than 400 conferences that take place in 35 countries. Depending on the location, the average conference can have as few as 30 students or as many as 2,000.
In the Philippines, since the first MUNA in 1997, the number of participants have increased and expanded to include not only high school, college and graduate students, but also teachers and young professionals. All have discovered how multilateral diplomacy works and how the United Nations operates in discussing issues of global concern.
On the average, RCMJPR hosts some 140 delegates a year, plus 50 advisers and observers representing some 28 schools within and outside the country. They include Brent International School, British School, College of St. Benilde, which founded a course based on the MUNA, Southville Foreign University, Cebu International School. Schools in Hong Kong and Singapore, like St. Andrews and ITE College East, have also sent their delegates. |
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Successes of MUNA
Over the years that MUNA has been running, thousands of participants have developed good leadership traits, improved their social and intellectual skills, gained wisdom in creating cooperation among people and countries. In an observation by the United Nations, MUNA students tend to become good leaders in politics, law, business, education and even medicine.
The positive impact of MUNA projects have spread far and wide and, as a result, have been encouraged by Rotary International to be adopted by local Rotary organizations. RCMJPR takes pride of having established its very own MUNA, as a service project, 11 years ago for District 3830, and happy to help produce effective leaders of tomorrow. |
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