LEARNING JOURNEYS
SJI MUN 2018
This year , the Society of International and Current Affairs ( SICA ) organized the SJI Model United Nations ( SJIMUN ) 2018 . The theme of the conference was “ Unity among Worlds ”, which aimed to address presently high levels of divisiveness within both international and national institutions through challenging delegates to search for specific solutions in establishing unity in incredibly polarised topics and scenarios .
We were honoured to have Ambassador Barry Desker as our guest of honour . Ambassador Desker is the Distinguished Fellow at the S . Rajaratnam School of International Studies , Nanyang Technological University . He is a Member of the Presidential Council for Minority Rights , Singapore and a Member of the Board of Directors of the Lee Kuan Yew Exchange Fellowship . He is also Singapore ’ s Representative and current Chair of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights , and Non-Resident Ambassador of Singapore to the Holy See and Spain . In his speech and at the Question-and-Answer session , Ambassador Desker spoke on his experiences within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and discussed various pertinent issues related to International Relations .
Ambassador Barry Desker making his opening speech
Over the three-day conference , SJIMUN delegates engaged in serious discussions about the topics such as the Rohingya crisis , data protectionism , Syrian civil war and the healthcare system in America . In addition , the Historical Crisis Council placed delegates as heads of government and military bodies on opposing sides of the Vietnam War , and the Futuristic Crisis Council pitted Earth and Mars government cabinets against each other in a war for Martian independence . In these crisis councils , delegates could submit directives , which had carried the potential to start wars and rob other delegates of power , or alternatively , save other delegates and unite cabinets . Hence , delegates had to decide based on their portfolios ’ stances and the interest of their cabinet what they had to do and consider the consequences of these directives .
During the conference , the SICA members served various functions . The Secretariat organized and oversaw the overall operations of the conference . The Council chairs guided the debates within each specific council and crafted informative and relevant study guides to ensure that the delegates understood the topics up for discussion . The Crisis backroom staff assembled engaging storylines for delegates to work with and processed hundreds of directives sent by delegates . Supporting staff such as conference managers , notepassers , political actors and photographers held various special functions to ensure a smooth conference .
Ambassador Barry Desker in a panel discussion at opening ceremony
Besides this conference , the SICA provided a platform for students to participate in Model United Nations conferences hosted by other schools and organizations . In 2018 , SICA members participated in the Middle Eastern Summit , the Dunman High Model ASEAN Plus Summit , the OnePeople . sg Model United Nations and the Hwa Chong Conflict Resolution and Inquiry conference . These conferences served to educate members about current affairs whilst also preparing them for the SJIMUN 2018 .
SJIMUN Secretariat 2018 ( From left to right , Ashleigh Low , Teh Meng Wee , Soh Yi Fei Titus , Lo Zhu Ernh Jonah , Raja Muthu , Khuat Minh Van Nhi , and Erin Gan )
JOSEPHIAN ANNUAL 2018 63