A combined delegation of eighteen 14 SWA active student-members from LaGuardia Community College, Adelphi University, Fordham University, St. John’s University, Brandeis University and the International Pacific College (IPC) in New Zealand represented SWA as an NGO in the National Model United Nations Conference (NMUN) held in New York City on March 22-26, 2005. The NMUN Conference is the world’s largest university-level simulation of the United Nations. The 2005 NMUN Conference was attended by 3,263 student delegates from 226 schools on five continents.

The NMUN educates students about the United Nations and other contemporary international issues. The SWA delegation, accompanied by two faculty (Dr. M. Reza Fakhari of LaGuardia and Prof. Carol Davenport of IPC) and three SWA staff (Paul Raynault, Shahram Hashemi and Tatiana Kotlyarenko) participated in the workings of 8 Committees that closely parallel the Committees of the real United Nations and which deal with a variety of global topics and issues. Three students and one faculty traveled from New Zealand to attend the Conference. The expenses of the SWA delegation to attend the NMUN Conference were partially covered by a NAFSA grant awarded to Dr. Fakhari of LaGuardia.

The National Model United Nations (NMUN), which annually sponsors the world’s largest university-level simulation of the United Nations, has accorded the SWA the status of an NGO to be represented in its 2005 NMUN Conference (www.nmun.org). The Conference educates more than 3,100 students (50% from outside the United States) about the United Nations and other contemporary international issues.

The preparation took about three months, meeting almost every other weekend at LaGuardia Community College. In order to write the Position Papers for the 8 Committees, putting forth the interests and concerns of SWA regarding the pressing global issues tackled by each Committee, the students, faculty and staff of SWA had to articulate what our emerging organization stood on key issues. This exhausting but satisfying endeavor involved transnational collaboration between the group assembled in NYC and the students and faculty at IPC in New Zealand. Each Position Paper was reviewed by the two sides and the compromised version was sent to the NMUN.

All the Position Papers are posted below. Right before the actual NMUN Conference, a Mock Session was held jointly with the delegates from Vassar College-Dutchess Community College on March 20th, 2005 at Vassar College, led by Dr. Richard Reitano, a Board Member of NMUN.

Position Paper from SWA Delegates from LaGuardia Community College, Fordham University, Adelphi University, Brandies University, St. John's University International Pacific College to National Model United Nation Conference:

- UNESCO by Angela Perez (LaGuardia) & Svetlana Kotlyarenko (Brandies)
- The Inter-parliamentary Union (IPU) by Bafode Drame (Fordham) & Jennifer      Young (IPC)
- The World Health Organization (WHO) by Felipe Bustos (LaGuardia) & Ariel      Alvez-Moats (LaGuardia)
- United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) by Sybille Ngo Nyeck (LaGuardia) &      Dawne Chin (IPC)
- The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) by Anthony Navatto      (LaGuardia)
- The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)
     by Georgi Panterov (Adelphi) & Alina Vrejoiu (St. John’s)
- United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
       by Karl Roberts (IPC) & Pieri Herazo (LaGuardia)
- The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East       by Melina Petratos (LaGuardia)

You will need Adobe Acrobat to view these files. If you need Acrobat, go here.