kcl mun 2012- '13 elections - candidate manifestos

King’s College London Model United Nations

2012-‐’13 Committee Elections

King’s College London Model United Nations – Elections 2012-‐‘13

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Foreword

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Distinguished delegates,

With a mixture of pride and a beginning sense of nostalgia, the current Committee looks back upon what has been truly successful year for MUN at King's. We've sent impressive delegations to 8 conferences (Nottingham MUN, Oxford International MUN, Cambridge MUN, London International MUN, Harvard National MUN, LSEMUN and WarMUN). In those conferences, our delegates have shown themselves to be truly exceptional diplomats, bringing home no fewer than 8 Best Delegate awards, 2 Distinguished Delegate awards and 1 Honorable Mention. Furthermore, we've organized a total of 19 weekly simulations in both terms of the academic year, during which we've discussed and produced resolutions for 11 topics ranging from the Israeli-‐Palestinian conflict to nuclear non-‐proliferation over a crisis in the magical universe of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter.

Besides that, we've also prepared 55 delegates for the conferences they've attended by organizing 5 pre-‐conference training sessions. In the second term of the year, we also proudly look back upon successfully organizing a Chairing Training Program in Cooperation with MUN University, thanks to which 6 delegates

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have been introduced to the key skills of what it takes to be an excellent chair.

But now, the time has come for the old to make way and the new to barge in, as they say, and that's why we're holding our Annual General Meeting. Several ambitious, gifted individuals have presented themselves and are now standing for the four available roles, which are President, Vice-‐President, Treasurer and Conferences Officer. We've bundled all their manifestos, which you can find on here.

In conclusion, I'd like to thank all of you, in the name of the incumbent committee, for all your dedication, efforts and passion, which have made this year so emotionally rewarding for us personally, and so successful for MUN at King's. Please do come along to the elections and vote for the future committee, and then join us for a drink, some old-‐fashioned banter and fun.

Kindest regards from all of us,

Sebastiaan Debrouwere

KCL Model United Nations Vice-‐President 2011-‐'12

Kofi Annan

UN Secretary-‐General 1997-‐2006

“The fact that Model UN exists to uphold the values of the United Nations among the young is particularly important, since it is from the young that we should draw our energy and inspiration as we strive to make the United Nations effective and responsive to the needs of people worldwide”


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The available positions Though our complete committee exists of 5 people, only four are elected at this point in time. The fifth position (Committee Liaison Officer) is usually put up for election towards the beginning of the new academic year, as to give new members a chance to get involved in the society.

Please find hereunder a short description of the available functions and their responsibilities, as well as the current person taking up the responsibilities:

President

Role: Coordinates general organisation; Provides liaising with KCLSU and external partners

Incumbent: Joelle Wong (2nd Year LLB)

Vice-‐President

Role: Prepares weekly training sessions, including Powerpoint-‐presentations, mailing list and study guide; provides extra training prior to conferences; Chairs weekly sessions

Incumbent: Sebastiaan Debrouwere (2nd Year BA International Politics)

Treasurer

Role: Manages money of the society; Handles payments for conferences; Reimburses fellow committee members for costs made for the Society's events

Incumbent: Daniel Frost (2nd Year LLB)

Conferences Officer

Role: Selects conferences; Organises conference applications; Registers delegates; Sends out pre-‐departure information; Possibly arranges travel

Incumbent: Cherie Koh (2nd Year LLB)

Harry S. Truman

33rd President of the United States (1945–1953)

“The United Nations is designed to make possible lasting freedom and independence for all its members.”


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The Candidate Manifestos: President

I. Adam Malczak (BA International Politics, 1st Year)

“King’s College London MUN Society is a unique organization. Not only it provides its members with extraordinary opportunities to attend some of the most prestigious MUN conferences, but it also engages a great bunch of students in entertaining activities throughout the academic year. Not every society is able to make all this in such a friendly atmosphere, but KCLMUN is. In order to maintain and develop what the KCLMUN has to offer, I hereby present my candidature for the post of the Society’s President.

I’ve been involved in Model United Nations for over 7 years now and I gathered huge experience both as a delegate to numerous European conferences and as a MUN organizer. I’ve also decided to seek more engagement with the entirety of UN programs and activities and co-‐founded the United Nations Association of Poland. Furthermore, during last year I served at the Committee and in my capacity as the Liaison Officer I have managed to get to know the structure and the details of all the operations Society needs to undertake in order to work properly. I believe that both my experience and managements skills will allow me to fulfill all my duties and obligations as the KCLMUN President. Running the Society effectively and to the benefit of all its members should and will be my priority.

In order to achieve this, I intend to build on the fantastic job my fellow Committee members did this year and to further improve the experience we all enjoy. I think that we should shape the work of the Society according to the wishes of the KCLMUN members. Here I propose to introduce periodical feedback surveys amongst the membership as regards our meetings time and place, range of events and conferences we attend etc.

KCLMUN is participating in several conferences a year, including those most prestigious in Europe and abroad. However, we should try to maximize our presence and provide opportunities for more students to attend more conferences all around Europe. Here, more information about available MUNs throughout the academic year is necessary.

Apart from more MUN conferences, I believe that KCLMUN can extend its range of activities, bringing more socials and academic events to its annual calendar. Movie screenings and workshops on public speaking might be of interest to many of our members, including myselfJ I intend to deliver this throughout the upcoming year.

What the outgoing Committee found as a very ambitious project is the MUN Varsity scheme under the leadership of the KCLMUN. I plan to organize, in cooperation with other MUN societies, joint University of London monthly sessions, where MUN enthusiasts from different universities could test their skills in practice while meeting other people and simply having lots of fun.

I hope that the KCLMUN will continue to grow, both in numbers and opportunities it generates. I do want to contribute to that my time, experience and commitment as well as the above ideas and I ask for your support in the elections.”


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The Candidate Manifestos: President (ctd.)

II. Karan Katoch (BA International Politics, 1st Year)

“The next President of the KCL Model United Nations Society should have vast experience, recognised talent and an unrelenting sense of ambition. This is why you should vote for me, Karan Katoch, as President.

I have previously held the position as President of a debating society, where I was successful in increasing its membership tenfold, while achieving success nationally. Through my organisation and chairing skills, my coordination of the society was commended by BBC Question Time debating judges. As President of our MUN Society, I would transfer these skills -‐ which I have since built upon -‐ into furthering the accomplishments of our current committee.

Having been part of the KCL delegation at the Nottingham and London MUN conferences, I was proud to receive an award at each conference in recognition of my performances.

Experience: Represented KCL at two Model United Nations conferences (Nottingham MUN and London International MUN). These were my first two conferences, won the Highly Commended award at Notts MUN and Distinguished Delegate award at LIMUN.

Experience in running a society Sixth Form, where I was the President of the Debating Society. I increased its attendance tenfold and achieved success in national competitions, reaching the final in the BBC School’s Question Time event. This demonstrates my proven ability to manage a society in its weekly meetings alongside coordinating our efforts.

Ambitions:

Recognise that the current committee have incorporated an excellent online infrastructure to disseminate information by using Facebook events, sending regular emails and uploading presentations to slideshare.

I want to increase the online presence of the KCL MUN society by utilising Twitter and Tumblr. As I currently run a blog which has 8,000 followers, I am proficient in understanding how to create and maintain a blog which will increase the presence of the KCL MUN society.

At the recent LIMUN, we sent 40 delegates and won 5 Best Delegate awards with 1 honourable mention. Just as this was an improvement on the year before, next year I envisage KCL moving from 3rd place to first place for the entire delegation.

By honing our skills through the weekly meetings, I want all members to have the chance to represent KCL in conferences throughout the year, while having the ability and knowledge to win awards.

Moreover, as President of the society I want to set the foundations in place for a KCL Model United Nations Conference. Ambitious as this may seem, I recognise, just as the chairmen and chairmen at LIMUN saw, that our MUN society is full of talented and eloquent individuals. As President, I would increase the membership of the society, increase the online presence of the society, so that when people think of MUN in London, the first name that comes to their head is King’s College London.”


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The Candidate Manifestos: Vice-‐President

I. Lara Nonninger (BA War Studies & History, 1st Year)

“My name is Lara and I am currently in my first year studying War Studies and History and I am running for the position of Vice President of the KCL MUN Society. I am running for this position as I have great interest in Model UN, politics and diplomacy and I would like to become more involved in the planning of the society itself.

Ambitions and Plans:

International Conference: I would like to promote the participation of more affordable international conferences, such as EuroMUN (the Netherlands), PIMUN (Paris) or any other conference the society’s members are interested in attending.

Invite key-‐speakers: I would like to invite key speakers/experts on certain topics and countries. This way, we can ask very specific questions and we are better prepared for the conference.

The United Nations as a career: I would like to promote some career events regarding the UN. As some might be interested to work for the UN after university, I am planning to invite former/present UN employees, peacekeepers and volunteers to share their experience and give advice on how to set foot in the UN.

UN-‐related trip: If there is enough interest, I would like to plan a trip to a UN Headquarters in Europe, Vienna or Geneva. These trips would include visiting the organisation and also exploring at the respective city. Of course, these trips would be planned at convenient times and at affordable prices for all.

I want you to have a say in the society: For the next year, I would like to see the members of the society suggesting issues we can debate about and which conferences we could attend.

The social side: for next year, I would like for the society to have hoodies, and also have more socials and dinners before conferences. This way, we can all get to know each other more and strengthen the KCL MUN spirit.

Experience: In terms of experience, I have been a regular member to the KCL MUN Society since the start of my time at King’s College and during that time, I attended LIMUN and WARMUN. During my school-‐time, I was the president of my school’s Model UN Club and organised the world’s largest high-‐school Model UN Conference in The Hague as Secretary General. From my previous experience, I am aware of the responsibilities this position requires and how much time it consumes. I am more than willing to invest the time and effort to make the KCL MUN Society a successful and popular society that all members can be proud of.”


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The Candidate Manifesto’s: Treasurer

I. Ally Jones (LLB, 2nd Year)

“My interest in pursuing the position of treasurer is primarily the challenge of financial budgeting, and the chance to deal with interesting people in a dynamic environment.

As the Dance Level Representative in my secondary school, where I was responsible for the accounts of the level, disseminating information and consolidating feedback, I have solid experience handling large sums of money and liaising with fellow society members. Interacting with different individuals taught me the importance of communication and I relished my role as a servant-‐leader -‐ an essential quality for a treasurer who has to serve members from different backgrounds. Juggling my studies and both performances was taxing and I had to prioritise my time, but I never regretted the sacrifices I have made for dance. On stage, I am a new person and the freedom to express myself in such a pure and unadulterated form leaves me with a strong sense of accomplishment.

Likewise, with MUN, the freedom to voice my opinions with a healthy level of competition and cooperation leaves me feeling like I have grown in my confidence, as well as my ability to build strong relations. My interest in both history and the disaster of the League of Nations spurred me to participate in King’s Model United Nations sessions, where I always feel welcome by the committee and the members. Stepping out of one's comfort zone can be very daunting and I want to do my part to make MUN newcomers feel comfortable joining and sharing our passion. While I would never lose sight of my ambition, I believe that I have a very important element of compassion, which would enable me build positive relationships, handle pressure better and make informed decisions. I feel that being a treasurer does not merely consist of handling money behind the scenes, but involves being part of a committee dedicated to ensuring lasting relationships and experiences for its members.”


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The Candidate Manifesto’s: Treasurer (ctd.)

II. Anita Wu Chen (LLB, 1st Year)

“Hi! My name is Anita Wu and I am running for the post of Treasurer.

This year, I was new to MUN and was really excited to learn what being part of the Society would be like. As I love reading about social issues, wouldn’t it be interesting to talk about them too? So I participated in my first MUN Conference at Warwick. I expected the experience to be intellectually stimulating, but I did not know that I was going to have a lot of fun too. One of the reasons why I wish to be Treasurer is because I would like to help make such conferences possible for members of our Society.

I have been Treasurer for the National Art Honor Society in my high school and I understand how the effective management of finances can open the way to exceptional opportunities. For example, because I was always careful in balancing our budget, at the end of the school year we were able to rent out a beautiful hall for holding an Art Extravaganza Festival. At this festival we organized fair events such as an exhibition of artworks, charity sales, face-‐painting and tie-‐dye booths, and much more. It was fun for everyone who participated.

I believe that through my previous experience I will be able to bring to the post the relevant skills of good organization, responsibility, creativity, and effective allocation of resources. As for the opportunities that I would like to put forward as Treasurer, one of these includes the possibility of hosting an MUN Conference at our home turf. For all of us who have been to MUN Conferences at other schools, we know that a great deal of effort is put into organizing them by their own Societies. I believe that we would have a lot of fun arranging and participating in our own Conference, but this would only be possible if there is someone who can effectively manage our finances—from trivial details such as making delegate pins, to the herculean task of planning welcome meals.

As I have had previous experience, I believe that I possess the relevant skills to successfully carry out the responsibilities that come with the post. I would really appreciate your votes because I am enthusiastic about MUN and wish to be part of its leading body. Thank you!”


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The Candidate Manifesto’s: Treasurer (ctd.)

III. Kireth Kalirai (LLB, 2nd Year)

“Hello, my name is Kireth Kalirai and I am standing for the position of Treasurer this year.

You may have seen or heard of me before, or you may have not. My experience of MUN dates back to my school days, where I was an active member of a fledgling MUN society that has flourished since. I went to all the conferences on offer over two years, and even picked up a distinguished delegate award along the way.

Last year, as a first year student at King's, I was an active member of KCLMUN, attending NottsMun, WarMun and LSEMun, and having great banter in the weekly sessions. This year I was elected to the KCL Law Society committee, so I haven't been as able to get involved as much. I still got to represent King's on the Security Council at LIMUN, which was an honour.

These aren't really the reasons why I'm standing for treasurer though. I've had my fair share of MUN conferences, and made my fair share of friends and adversaries along the way. I'll be in my third year next year, and I think it’s my turn to help the next generation of King’s students flourish at MUN. To do this, I want to make MUN really accessible to students of any background, and give as many opportunities to King’s students as possible. In short, this means subsidising delegates fees and travel, and providing funding to offer places at all the MUN conferences that the Conferences Officer and President want KCLMUN to attend. To do this, I want to search high and low for as many grants and funding sources as I can. I’ve had experience fundraising both in and out of KCLSU, by virtue of my positions on the Law Society and Motorsport Society. By using these contacts, and my experience of drafting fundraising applications, I believe that I can raise the funds to make sure you, the members, can attend the wide variety of conferences you deserve, and get some seriously subsidised socials as well.

Every penny that I raise will be poured back into the society, so I’m really hoping I can make a difference here. I really believe in this society, and I really believe in the calibre of delegates that we produce. In my first year, we always seemed to be the plucky underdogs, but with the extensive training process that the current committee have implemented this year, we’re now fulfilling our potential. At LIMUN, we were tantalisingly close to beating Oxford in the delegation ranking stakes, an incredible achievement. In the same way that I am seeing members of the Law Society reap the rewards of internships and vacation schemes, I would be honoured to provide a platform for you to attain awards at the most competitive conferences.

A vote is a powerful thing, and if there is a better candidate standing for treasurer, then please give them yours. But if you feel I am best placed to serve you, then please do consider giving me your vote.

Thank you,

Kireth”


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The Candidate Manifesto’s: Conferences Officer

I. Antonina Foldes (BA German Hons, 1st Year)

Unfortunately, KCL Model United Nations has not received a full manifesto for this candidate, potentially due to a technical glitch. Please find hereunder included what we have received. We shall allow the candidate to briefly rectify this at the beginning of the next session for reasons of fairness.

“Distinguished delegates,”


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The Candidate Manifesto’s: Vice-‐President

Recreating around a dozen different international organisations or committees, conferences offer an intense schedule of debate and negotiation followed by social events during the evenings. Most conferences will be visited by senior figures from the international affairs community, who offer delegates an insider’s perspective on the issues being discussed and an important link to reality. Conferences often include tours and other events to expose delegates to the culture of the host country and social events to offer the opportunity of meeting other multinational delegates informally. Some conferences also organise post-‐ conference excursions to explore the wider natural and cultural beauty of the host country once debate has been closed.

“Politics is the art of the possible.”

Otto von Bismarck Prussian-‐German statesman (1815-‐1898)


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Please note that we have displayed all the candidates’ manifestos as received, without any editing in substance or grammar.

Please also note that any member of the KCL Model United Nations is still invited to present his/her candidacy at the Annual General Meeting.

Winston Churchill Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1940-‐45 and 1951-‐55) “A new generation will come which did not experience the horrors of war and may probably forget what we have gone through.”

kcl mun 2012- '13 elections - candidate manifestos

Education

ba international

london international

distinguished

kcl mun society

2nd year llb

united nations

delegate awards

current committee