Signature Resources

Milestone Four

   While my project has been focusing on a lot of organizing, planning, meetings, and training, through researching how other schools and universities have gone through the process of planning a conference, I feel more prepared for what is coming. Although only few really document their steps on planning a MUN Conference, a few resources such as the United Nations Association of the United States provided clear and detailed information about every step needed to be done in order to be successful. In addition, the best delegate website (which is always updated) gives tips and advice from chairs and secretary generals who have gone through the process. As a goal, I am setting myself to publish my story about how I carried out the conference, and I will publish it here shortly after the conference takes place. I am really happy with the information I got from my sources, although there isn't anything scientific to prove in Model UN. 

Rhoades, A. “&Plan: Tips, Tools, and Words of Wisdom for Planning College Conferences.” Best Delegate. May 5, 2014. Web. December 8, 2014.

With this article, I learned that building up a strong base of staff members is really challenging. Recruitment is crucial, and I should have the proper balance of personalities on your secretariat to accomplish the goal, and especially drama students can be great in Crisis Committees. I used all of this advice when selecting my Staff, and for now, I am really happy with the results. In addition, I also learned that one of the most challenging aspects of running a conference is that you have to create your secretariat, and carefully consider each position; what responsibilities will the role entail, and who would best fill it? I believe my Secretariat is perfect for this conference, and I am looking forward to see their work!

Parvis, Leo F. "The Importance of Communication and Public-Speaking Skills." Journal of Environmental Health 63.9 (2001): 44. Student Resources in Context. Web. 8 Dec. 2014.

As you may know, Model UN is a very Public-Speaking centered activity. In order to be successful, one must speak learn to be concise, clear, and clever. In this article, Leo Parvis guides us through the importance of public speaking skills, and highlights that institutions and universities have been paying less and less attention to Public-Speaking, while it is a crucial thing to learn how to do. Some Public-Speaking skills that resonated the most with my club were the following:

* Always be prepared ahead of time.

* Be organized and prioritize your materials.

* Review the materials a few times.

* Anticipate questions that may be asked.

* Find reasonable answers for those questions.

* Know your audience--to whom are you giving the speech?

* Use your hands and visual aids to emphasize important points.

* Use quotes from famous people.

* Give details and explanations in simple language--colloquially

* Add some flavor to your speech--include humor.

* Speak loudly and clearly.

* Be specific in your message and get to the point.

* Keep your speech to a reasonable length and allow time for questions.

Whatley, Chris. “Model UN Conference: Planner’s Guide.” United Nations Association of the United States of America. Web. January 20, 2015.

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Whatley, Chris. “Model UN Preparation.” United Nations Association of the United States of America. Web. January 20, 2015.

These two websites were the ones who introduced me to a clear and concise list of things I should do before the conference. I will be writing a new blog post soon about information I have found useful from the UN Association of the US. It is really interesting to read their recommendations, and they have useful resources for teachers, and students.

Conna. “Living by the Five Cs: The Ultimate Model UN (and Life) Philosophy.” Best Delegate. April 22, 2013. Web. December 23, 2014.

This article does not specifically talk about how to plan a conference, but it talks about the philosophy of Model UN, and I think that I need some of this advice for bringing together my Staff and making them feel like they have character, commitment, confidence, chemistry, and they are caring about the conference. 

Brennan, Mary. The Importance of the Model United Nations Experience. 1996. Web. January 25, 2015. 

My final source is a reflection on why Model United Nations is so crucial in a students journey through either High School or College. It reinforce the fact that the MUN Experience is so much different than just a classroom discussion experience, and it raises interesting points about the idea of giving or not giving awards in a conference, which is my next topic for discussion with my Staff.

Thank you for reading, and I know it is a long post, but it has been interesting reading different articles about the process and the experience!

Cami