AIMUN Review

I was very impressed with the second annual Asian International Model United Nations Conference (AIMUN) that took place from March 14 to 17 at Peking University in Beijing, China.

The entire experience was like eating at a good Asian fusion restaurant. AIMUN seemed to borrow the best parts of Western conferences and infuse it with an intriguing Eastern flavor, ultimately creating a unique MUN experience that was both professional and personable.

Besides seeming well-organized and orderly, what struck me about the conference was its emphasis on formality and presentation. Walking into the classroom building where the conference took place, the first thing to jump out at you was a 50-foot floor-to-ceiling banner with the conference's name in English and Chinese. Opening ceremonies featured a number of speakers from the university and the local diplomatic community residing in Beijing, whom the Secretariat made sure to thank with gifts. The conference program was replete with a welcome letter from Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon. In committee, the rapporteur displayed on a projector screen detailed minutes that provided a history of speakers and motions raised. And in the middle of the first session, every committee went outside to have a professionally-taken photo.

Fortunately, this formality did not make the conference too corporate. What impressed me more about AIMUN than its presentation was its focus on networking. Every morning committee session featured a tea break, where delegates could chat and snack. Every evening featured an event intended not just for delegates to dance and party, but to meet and interact with one another. Instead of an evening committee session on Thursday, as is normal for many 4-day conferences in the United States, the Secretariat held a nice semi-formal cocktail party. On the last night of the conference, the Secretariat organized a talent show showcasing the different countries and cultures in attendance. One delegate performed an ancient Chinese sword dance; a couple of delegates recited traditional Thai poetry; the women of the Bangladeshi delegation performed a high-energy cultural dance.

On a personal aside, I definitely got caught up in the personal nature of the conference. To illustrate the best parts of American culture, I played guitar and sang "Purple Haze" by Jimi Hendrix. I even won an award for my performance! Well, the judges gave every performer an award, but I won a plush doll rat for being "the delegate you would most like to take home to Mom and Dad." I was flattered, although I don't know how my girlfriend would feel about that...

I was impressed with the conference overall, but there is still room for improvement. The quality of debate, in particular, was okay. In my committee, the Security Council, I felt that debate stalled over the more complicated aspects of our topic, Israel's embargo on the Gaza Strip. I also found it difficult to convey the nuances of my ideas. This is not a problem because of how the conference was organized, but because the conference is young. This was the first conference for many delegates, who were still trying to get a feel for MUN. Although most delegates possessed a good command of the English language, I understand that debating in a second language is nonetheless difficult. And Chinese censorship may have hindered the research of many delegates. But I still had an excellent time in committee and I really enjoyed meeting fellow delegates. I am confident that the quality of debate, and the conference as a whole, will improve.

From its emphasis on ceremony to its focus on interpersonal interaction to overcoming the language barrier, I thought that the conference reflected a different approach to MUN that may be uniquely Asian. This may be my first and only international conference, but my experience at AIMUN was unlike anything I had seen in the United States or heard about in Latin America or Europe.

One poignant example took place during my last committee session, when my committee went around the room and every delegate took turns speaking on what they had enjoyed most about the weekend. For some, it was practicing their English; for others, it was debating interesting topics; but for all, it was meeting everyone there. Everyone felt like they had made a major personal investment in the conference, and after appreciating everyone's company, they were genuinely sad to be leaving. There was a certain intensity to that session that I had never felt before. And there was a certain gravity to the moment, personally and even politically. As our Director put it, "this conference would never have happened 10 years ago." I've seen delegates cry over a heated debate or after being screwed out of an award, but in my entire MUN career, I had never before seen anyone cry in committee because the conference itself held so much meaning. That session made me proud to be an MUNer.

This was my first international conference and my last one ever. I'm happy to have ended my MUN career on such a high note. Thank you, AIMUN.

Back from China!

I just got back from China! It was an amazing experience, and I was really impressed with the Asian International MUN Conference (AIMUN).

I'm sorry I wasn't able to blog these past few weeks. I tried to post updates, but then I found out that out that BestDelegate.com is blocked!!!

Actually, all Blogger sites are blocked (that's the blogging website I use). And apparently, all MUN-related websites are blocked, too, including those for conferences. So my website is hit with a double whammy.

Oh censorship...and this was only the beginning of my many revelations about China...

But I did take notes throughout my trip, so I plan to write a few posts about my experience over the next couple days.

Hong Kong

The team and I have been in Hong Kong for two days, and I have become very impressed with this highly cosmopolitan city.

The streets are relatively clean and service is fast and efficient. Locals and foreigners seem to interact comfortably and seamlessly. Luxury goods and fashions from East and West sit side by side on the streets of Kowloon. European sports cars drive down lanes lines by Chinese shopping stalls. And whether arriving by plane, looking out your hotel window, or appreciating the view from Peak Tower, the Hong Kong city skyline is magnificent, bustling with skyscrapers and high-rises, home to both financial institutions and public housing, an interesting image representative of the gap here between rich and poor.

The team's experience also reflects the diversity of experiences that this city offers. We took a 3 mile cable car ride to see this towering, 90 foot statue of the Buddha. We saw a random Chinese celebration involving a dragon and fireworks in the small fishing village of Tai O. And we traveled all the way up the highest mountain in Hong Kong to see this magnificent view of the city.

But the most meaningful experience for me, so far, occurred as we were walking through the Central Square of the city. On our way to the highest mountain in the city, we found ourselves in a sea of Filipino women, thousands of them just sitting around on cardboard boxes, chatting and playing cars. Some members of my team thought they were waiting for a bus. Others thought they were homeless. But no--they were OFWs, overseas foreign workers from the Philippines working in Hong Kong as housemaids and domestic helpers.

I'm Filipino, and I speak a little Tagalog, so my teammates prodded me to ask one of them why they were here. So I approached one group and asked them in my broken Tagalog. To my chagrin, they completely ignored me. I then remembered my experience in the Philippines last Summer, where a straight-on approach sometimes comes off as too aggressive. This group did not see me as a fellow Filipino; they saw me as a foreigner invading their space.

I tried again with a different group. This time, I used a technique I saw on VH1's "The Pickup Artist." With my back turned to this group of Filipinas, I turned 90 degrees and asked, "Excuse me po, pero bakit maraming ng Pilipino na dito?" (Excuse me ma'am, but why are there so many Filipinos here?") This technique, called the "over-the-shoulder," is supposed to be less intrusive than a direct approach.

And apparently, it worked. This set responded positively. They responded in a rapid stream of Tagalog that I mostly could not understand, but eventually, I figured out why they were all chilling here. Sunday is a day off--for all of them. So they all come to the centralmost part of the city and meet up with friends and relatives.

The experience was bizarre yet somehow reassuring. It was weird to see all of these people just sitting around on the ground. It was also slightly disconcerting; the biggest export of the Philippine is its own people, and I learned last Summer that the dream of many young Filipinos, typically educated, is to leave their own country and work abroad. But seeing all of these people still gave me a sense of hope, in that, despite being abroad and away from the homeland, they still find time to meet loved ones and bond as a community--even if it means chilling on cardboard boxes in a random part of town. It's a very Filipino value, the bayanihan spirit.

So I started with Hong Kong and ended with the Philippines. I'm looking forward to Beijing!

Leaving for China

Tonight, I'm leaving for the Asian International Model United Nations Conference (AIMUN) in Beijing, China!

I'm really looking forward to this trip. The Yale MUN team and I will first travel to Hong Kong to pick up some suits and shirts. Then, we head over to Beijing for the conference itself, which takes place from March 14-17. Afterwards, we'll go sightseeing around China. This trip is especially meaningful to me because, in my 8 years of MUN, I have yet to go to an international conference.

The conference itself should be especially interesting. I'm familiar with different flavors of American-style MUN, and I know a little bit about Latin American and European MUN, but I have heard absolutely nothing about Asian conferences. Given that Peking University is hosting the conference, and its attendees are mostly Asian schools, I have no clue as to what to expect from other delegates.

For me, MUN is competitive, educational, and experiential. From a competitive standpoint, I don't know if my strategies will work, or if awards are even all that important at this conference.

But from an educational perspective, I think I can learn a lot. I'm on the Security Council representing China. I will be debating Chinese policy to Chinese students. This could be intricately interesting or extremely embarrassing.

And from an experiential view, meaning the holistic experience of this trip, I believe this will be a hallmark of, not only my career in MUN, but my journey throughout college. I'll be doing something I love in a place that I've never been with people that I care about. College doesn't get much better than that.

I don't want to drum up this trip too much, lest the reality falls short of my expectations. I've been on international trips before, and many things tend to go wrong. People get sick; days get too long; activities aren't as exciting as one thought; and even the best of friends starting fighting with one another.

But let me just say that I'm really thankful to even have this opportunity. I'm thankful for the Yale International Relations Association, who's sponsoring this trip, and Yale MUN team Head Delegate JT Kennedy, who's organizing it. I'm thankful for Yale, the Macmillan Center, and the residential college masters who graciously agreed to fund part of this trip. I'm thankful for my parents and grandparents, who've supported my MUN endeavors ever since my freshman year of high school, and who continue to support me now.

I'm sorry for getting sentimental, but give me a break--I'm graduating in two months! (God willing)

Anyway, I plan to write updates throughout this trip. Wish me luck!

How to Win Best Delegate: Framing

I haven't written a "How to Win Best Delegate" post in a while. This one regards a very helpful analytical tool you can use when making speeches.

In an MUN context, the concept of "framing" refers to "framing the debate," i.e. breaking down one large, complicated topic into many smaller, simpler issues. Framing can help you structure your speeches and resolutions, and more importantly, it can help you look like a leader.

My first speech for any topic is typically a framing speech. For example, at this year's Harvard National MUN Conference (HNMUN), I debated Security Council Reform as the representative of the United Kingdom to the Security Council. For my very first speech, I said something similar to the following:

"Thank you, honorable Chair, and good evening, fellow delegates. Now, the United Kingdom views the larger topic of Security Council Reform as comprising three smaller issues. First, membership expansion; second, the veto; third, working practices.

Regarding membership, the United Kingdom supports the G4 plan, which gives permanent non-veto seats to Germany, Japan, India, and Brazil. Moreover, we are flexible regarding the number of non-permanent seats to be added.

Regarding the veto, the United Kingdom believes that any conversation on this issue will deadlock progress on actual reform. The members of this committee know that the Permanent 5 will not give up or grant to others their veto power.

And regarding working practices, the United Kingdom wants to incorporate informal practices into the formal rules of procedure, particularly the Arria Formula. We think that non-state actors should be allowed to address this body.

That is the United Kingdom's position on membership expansion, the veto, and working practices. Thank you very much, and we look forward to working with all of you this weekend."

See how I broke down the massively complicated topic of Security Council reform into more easily digestible issues? That's framing. There may be countless other things that could be considered issues, but I'm not trying to break up the topic into every single issue. I'm simply trying to emphasize the most important ones. Essentially, framing is about coming up with a structure. In a speech, framing helps both the speaker and the listener.

A cohesive structure helps the speaker stay within the typical one minute time limit. It also helps him look like he knows what he's talking about. Someone who knows how to analyze a topic, i.e. breaking up one big thing into many smaller things, looks like they've done their research. And, framing helps the speaker transition from point to point and improvise parts of their speech.

For my speech above, I basically wrote down three words on a notepad: "Membership, Veto, Practices." I knew that I wanted to outline my country's position, and I remembered a bunch of stuff from my research, but for the most part, I improvised a minute-long speech based on these three words. See my post on "Making It Up."

A logical structure helps the listener follow what you're saying, which also means that they're more likely to listen. Have you ever fallen asleep listening to another delegate drone on and on? You probably thought of this other delegate's speech as boring. There are likely 3 three reasons for this: 1) you didn't care anyway, 2) you didn't like listening to the other delegate, i.e. he or she had poor delivery, or 3) you couldn't follow what they're saying, i.e. the speech lacked structure.

Look at it the other way. After a boring speech, have you ever woken up because a delegate gave a great speech? You probably thought of this delegate's speech as exciting, at least somewhat. Again, there are likely 3 reasons for this: 1) you started to care about what he or she was saying, 2) you liked what you were hearing, i.e. the speaker had excellent delivery, or 3) you understood what they're saying, i.e. the speech had a logical structure.

In short, you want to be the second speaker. Assuming your audience cares, then you want excellent delivery and interesting things to say. Having a structure helps you say interesting things.

Most importantly, framing can help you look like a leader. The committee can't find solutions if it doesn't know the problems. By breaking up the larger topic into smaller issues, you are showing the committee the problems, which implies that you can lead the committee towards the solutions.

Framing helps delegates and dais staff remember you. If your frame "sticks," i.e. people like the way you broke up the topic, then other delegates will say something like, "Just like the United Kingdom said, we have three issues to deal with: membership, veto, and practices..."

Of course, different delegates can present different frames. This is an advanced MUN concept, but the "strongest" frame will win out, meaning that the committee will collectively like one delegate's frame better than those of other delegates. In another post, I can write about "dismantling" other frames. But for more information, you can read George Lakoff's book Don't Think of an Elephant! or the Wikipedia page on framing (social sciences).

Framing is most useful for speeches, but it can also be used in resolutions. A resolution can comprise any number of operative clauses. If you have 10+ of them, then you need some way in which to organize them. How to do so? Frame it. I'll discuss this in a separate post on resolution writing.

In closing, think of framing as coming up with a list. What are you 3 favorite places in the world? What's your Top 10 Favorite Movies? Who's in your Fave 5? However you form these lists from the myriad number of places, movies, and friend you've known--that's framing.