“We’ll start a new program call WAVE.” said the delegate of China, raising her placard. The delegates of 20 other nations turned their heads, interested by the sudden outburst.
This was a scene from one of the many conferences we held at the UCLA MUN summer institute, where students across the globe gather to learn about the procedures of united nations and practice their learnings in mock sessions. Out of many available pre-college programs, I chose UCLA not only for its locational convenience, but also for the life experience at a college I wanted to attend in the future.

Before coming to this program, however, I had to write research papers for the topics that my committee, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, was about to discuss. While this may seem like a tedious task, it helped in the long run when we started discussions on solutions to help the refugees in the Central African Republic.

For the first three days of the program, we had classes ranging from international relationships, writing research papers, and the basic procedure of United Nations. In the procedures class, we learned how to make “points,” “motions,” and “yields,” which are actions taken in the sessions. We also learned how to write “resolution papers,” where countries with the same ideas/viewpoints join as a bloc to write their solutions for the current crisis. These papers are then voted on to be passed or vetoed. In discussing the two topics, the UNHCR mainly split into two blocs. Eventually, our committee turned out unanimous in our solutions for helping refugees, so we were able to pass all 5 resolutions for the two topics we discussed. However, I’m sure this is not how the real United Nations work, as there will be many blocs formed based on alliances and rivalries.

Just as I’m not sure how rivalries and alliances go in the real world, I’m also fairly certain the real delegates don’t break character, as we may have done from time to time. For example, the nation of Iran was one of the main advocates for female refugee rights, but that may not be possible in real life. What was interesting was that the delegate of Russia never once broke character, always pitting himself against every other country in the committee.

Many of us came into this program for a serious conference with strict rules to follow, as shown when we were taught the procedures of model united nations. However, when the real event came on, all of us enjoyed debating about current topics with each other. Sometimes conversations were heated, and the resolution groups were heavily divided among action plans. Other times, the committee was united, working towards different aspects of the same goal.

Through it all, this program has helped me realize the importance of following up on current events. I would’ve never known about the Central African Republic crisis if I didn’t have to research for my paper, and after the conference, I realized that this was an issue worth noticing and giving more media attention to. Not only that, I have also made connections with those in my committee, and continue to chat with them on a regular basis. I have gained the confidence to speak up during UNHCR sessions and actively participate in the discussion to pronounce my own ideas toward the solutions. I enjoyed my time at UCLA, exploring activity options after a stressful day and touring the beautiful campus.

This was truly an experience of a lifetime, and even if it was for just a week, it will definitely make a lasting impression in my future. I hope you will also consider this program in one of your future summers as well!

<Julieanna Guo/ Alhambra High 12th>