Model U.N. lets high school students tackle issues of nuclear weapons, water rights, Narco-terrorism

Ben Dills was not sitting in his high school classroom this Monday afternoon. A senior at… Ben Dills was not sitting in his high school classroom this Monday afternoon. A senior at North Allegheny High School, Dills was not playing hooky, either – he was playing the United States.

Dressed in a nice shirt, tie and khakis, Dills represented the United States at Pitt’s Model United Nations simulation. Held at the William Pitt Union, the event drew more than 365 students from 32 different schools.

The students represented more than 56 different nations, as well as the countries of the African Union, which were represented in an additional simulation offered at the conference.

“It’s amazing how 30 people can talk for hours about nothing,” Dills said, discussing the roadblocks students faced in their simulation of diplomatic policy.

The goal of the simulations was for students to form resolutions on pressing issues that face the world today.

Some of the topics included reduction of the small-arms trade, space-based nuclear weapons, water rights, domestic violence, peacekeeping missions, the Falkland Islands, AIDS education and Narco-terrorism.

To form a consensus on answers to these problems, students had to compromise with other nations to form resolutions that would be passed by the Assembly. Only after enough countries agreed on a solution to the issue could the working paper be finalized and voted on by all the countries.

Students realized the difficulties that U.N. policymakers face when trying to form resolutions in the U.N.

In addition, debate required adherence to tedious rules, such as voting on the amount of time speakers would be given to voice their countries’ opinions. Deciding upon little procedures can end up taking a lot of time, according to Dills.

“You can debate the most frugal things,” Dills said.

Despite the complex procedures and difficulty delegates had compromising, the students managed, on most of the topics, to form resolutions that were overwhelmingly supported by the most of the Assembly.

Education was a constant theme in most of the resolutions; also common was the creation of committees that will meet in the future to discuss how the resolutions are working and to determine if any changes are necessary.

Students seemed to have an understanding of how complicated the world can be. Their resolutions used education, communication and compromise as the keys to solving conflicts.

Ashley Faust, Secretary General for the Pitt Model U.N., believes that participation in the simulation was a valuable experience for the students.

“Not only do they learn about the countries they represent, they learn about the topics they have to represent,” Faust said. “It exposes them to global politics. They really get a feel for what is going on in the world.”

In the past, part of the simulation has been held in David Lawrence Hall.

“This was the first time we had it all in the Union, so everything worked out nicely,” Faust said.

After the Assembly passed the resolutions, awards were given out. Judges watched the simulation and recognized the top three countries and delegates from each committee for doing an exemplary job. Turkey and the Russian Federation, represented by Mt. Lebanon High School, received the awards for first and second places, and Germany, represented by Fox Chapel High School, received third place.