UW News

April 4, 2002

UW is stage as student delegates debate issues

With terrorism and a Middle East crisis setting the stage, UN “Secretary-General” Jasmine Marwaha will convene 450 delegates at the UW April 5 and 6 to debate pressing world problems.

They are not real UN officials, of course, but Marwaha, a UW junior, and the 450 high school delegates from four states will gain an unparalleled immersion in world affairs, problem-solving and diplomacy at the Washington State Model United Nations.

Each high schooler — after months of studying one of 188 different nations — will vigorously debate current issues from that country’s perspective. Topics include the Middle East conflict, climate change and missile defense.

“Terrorism will not be the direct topic but we will address the root causes of terrorism, like the small-arms trade, refugees and drug trafficking,” Marwaha said. “We’re also fostering the global awareness that so many other nations accuse of us lacking. You might say this is an attempt at fighting the war on terrorism — one high school student at a time.”

Friday’s noon opening ceremony will feature an address by Jorge Madrazo-Cuellar, Mexico’s consul in Seattle. Against a backdrop of the world’s flags, a roll call of nations will cap the ceremony at 1 p.m., paving the way for the debates to begin.

UW students, who run the sessions and helped organize the conference, spent a year preparing students at the 32 participating high schools, in concert with their teachers.

One of the UW students, senior Jorge Roberts, first became involved with Model UN when he was in high school in Mexico City. Upon arriving at the UW last year, he resurrected a Washington program that had been dormant for several years.

“It can be a life-changing experience for a kid,” Roberts said. “It was by far the best thing I did in high school.”

Debates will take place Friday from 2 to 5:30 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (full schedule at www.wasmun.com).

Last year’s Model UN involved 270 students from 21 schools and was such a success that the program was expanded this year to include students from across Washington state as well as from Idaho, California and Texas.

“Teens in our society are often criticized for their lack of involvement,” said Ian Moncaster, president of the World Affairs Council, which organized the event in conjunction with the UW. “Yet here we have 450 kids volunteering hundreds of hours of preparation and spending their spring break working to solve the world’s problems. The truth is we’re having trouble keeping up with the demand.”

The program is sponsored by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, with support from the Frank Russell Co. and United Nations Association of Seattle.

UW sponsors are the Office of the Special Assistant to the President for International Affairs, Office of International Education, Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies outreach centers; Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs, Office of Admissions, Office of Minority Affairs, Office of Student Affairs, University Relations, Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Education, Student Activities Office, University Bookstore and the Foundation for International Understanding Through Students (FIUTS).