This article was originally written by Caroline Bello.

In MUN crisis committees, there are two different kinds of research you’ll need to do to prepare- research about the “topic” (meaning the committee, crisis, and historical context) and research about the person you’re representing. However, while in traditional MUN committees you may be researching UN topics using UN sources, it gets trickier for crisis topics. Where do you find information about the Biafran Revolution in Nigeria in 1969? Or the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan? While many crisis delegates simply rely on Wikipedia as their crutch for topic research, there are a few other ways to get information you can much better leverage for your committee.

Research Tip for Historical Crises: If you’re in a historical committee, it’s tempting to research everything that happened in the crisis, along with its date and time, so you can walk into committee like Nostradamus. However, once you’ve started committee, the actions of your committee will mean the crisis will diverge from what actually happened historically. While it’s important to study what happened during and after the crisis, these events may not transpire in the alternate course of history your committee is taking. Keep this in mind- the most important research for you to do is the lead up and beginning of the crisis!

What You Should Be Looking For

Your objectives in researching for a crisis committee are to 1. Understand the topic and intelligently discuss solutions, and 2. To find tools that you can use in committee to help you win the crisis. By tools, we mean information other delegates don’t have. This lets you demonstrate expertise, write better crisis notes and committee directives, or give you and your solutions more power and realism based on what your research has uncovered.

To understand the topic, some major things to look for are:

 
To find tools for you to use during the crisis, some major things to look for are:

 
Wikipedia

We’re not going to bother repeating every teacher you’ve had in explaining why Wikipedia can be a dangerous source to use. However, it is put together in such an easy-to-read fashion, and for modern or historical conflicts it’s easy to see why Wikipedia can help you define the major actors in the conflict, the casualties of each sides of the conflict, and all the major high points. However, the most valuable thing you’ll find on a Wikipedia article about the crisis is at the very end- the sources! Go directly to the sources Wikipedia uses for more credible and more specific information about your crisis.

Academic Databases: LexisNexis and National Security Archives

Googling can only take you so far – 99% of the content on the internet isn’t indexed by Google, and that especially pertains to huge troves of information such as LexisNexis. Sites like LexisNexis are depositories of all sorts of data for government and academic purposes, and can contain information you’d never find through brute force Googling. Looking for transcripts of phone conversations on a topic from former Secretary of State? Declassified CIA documents about the crisis? Newspaper articles in their original form from the time? LexisNexis can help you out. Sites like LexisNexis, the George Washington University National Security Archives, or the US State Department Office of the Historian are critical resources for historical crises, but are also a great source for modern crises as well (through less government documents will be declassified, of course!)

International Relations Think Tanks

While many think tanks come with their own biases and may be funded by political organizations, they can be great sources for well-researched articles, and often are more readable than other scholarly sources. They’re especially helpful for modern conflicts – the Council on Foreign Relations runs an ongoing Global Conflict Tracker following the biggest issues around the world right now, and the International Crisis Group has continual updates on the world’s biggest crises, and even recommends some solutions to these conflicts for policymakers to consider.

Books!

Reading one hundred 1-page summaries of the crisis isn’t going to help you very much. It’ll be exclusively high-level details, few of which will differ. Reading a book (or even a chapter of a book), however, will let you go deeper into the conflict and find information nobody else in your committee will have found. Your school or local library probably have books about this topic, or you can look through Google Books to see what you can find online!

Researching for a Model UN committee is definitely the part of this activity that everyone procrastinates. It’s daunting to be given a new assignment, knowing you’ll have to ride the entire roller-coaster of learning about this character and understanding it inside and out. Even more difficult is that is just knowing where to begin! Luckily, the training at Best Delegate’s Model United Nations Institute summer program makes the process of researching simple and—dare I say it—even a little exciting!

I attended the MUNI Crisis Program at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA, and below I’ve outlined 3 ways that MUNI has helped teach me to properly research any assignment that’s thrown at me.

• Understand your character’s role

This applies to all types of committees; it’s absolutely crucial to understand what your role in committee is. Maybe you’re in a presidential cabinet committee portraying the Secretary of Defense. What’s your role in committee? Your goal would be to avoid losing the war, protect your nation, or retrieve your prisoners of war from overseas. No matter the topic, you know that you are very defense and military focused, and all of the actions you take in committee should reflect that. For example, in your speeches you’ll want to be citing military statistics and vouching for defense-related solutions, rather than focusing on the agricultural news of the day. Even if your role in committee isn’t as clear as a Secretary of Defense, pick your angle. What part of your character make you unique, and how are using it to make your actions stand out?

• Understand your personal biases

Best Delegate’s Model UN Crisis Institute introduces key delegate strategies for success in any crisis committee.

No matter who you’re representing, I can guarantee your character will have a personal bias. As humans, it’s impossible to avoid them, especially when we’re debating controversial issues in Model UN committees. The tricky thing is to remember you’re representing your character’s personal bias, not your own. We all know it can be hard to disentangle yourself from you character, but that should be your highest priority. It’s even possible to make your character’s bias work for you, and I highly recommend you to do that. For example, former U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was involved in the oil industry before serving, so someone representing him in a crisis committee could use that to their advantage! This brings me to my next point…

• Properly utilize your personal resources

Once again, every character has at least a few personal resources. No matter how bleak the situation may seem, you can better your position by using a little creativity. Personal wealth is a simple one—did you inherit money from a wealthy uncle? Have you worked hard and amassed some savings? Maybe you don’t have much money to your name, that’s totally fine too! Perhaps you have some strong personal connections to people in power, do any of them owe you a favor? Maybe you have the support of the general public, can you rally them to support you in any way? If you don’t think your character has access to any of these, you can still make your time in committee work for you! Do some research on where you went to school, have any of your classmates made it to positions of power? One of the ways I like to research personal resources is by comparing myself to the character I’m representing. What resources would I have if I was in their position, and how would I utilize them to my advantage? Virtually everyone has something going for them, and if you can just stay optimistic and open-minded while researching you’ll be able to find your secret weapon.

At the head of every Model UN program, there is a collection of individuals who are the embodiment of an ideal delegate. They represent the values that Model UN prides itself upon, and serve as a role model to others for the qualities they possess. However, above all, they are among the most selfless members of the Model UN Circuit, given the sacrifices they make for their delegation and community.

Given the geographical diversity of the Model UN community, the collection of these individuals is referred to by many names. Although many refer to them as an Officer Panel, to some, they are the Board of Directors, and to others, a delegation’s Secretariat. In the case of Best Delegate however, they are the Core Team.

The Best Delegate Core Team is composed of the distinguished members that have actively worked to promote Best Delegate and her interests amongst the global population, both inside and out of the Model UN Circuit. They work to ensure the continuation of the Best Delegate website, that publicizes MUN education resources accessible by the international community, in addition to, the organization of global workshops and institutions that nurture aspiring delegates. Of the Core Team, I have been given the honor and privilege to personally meet a member of the Best Delegate Core Team, Mr. Aaron Kalafarski, the current Director of Sales.

Mr. Aaron Kalafarski at Chantilly High School working directly with students on how they can personally improve and grow as delegates.

Mr. Aaron Kalafarski found out about Model UN during his freshman year of high school through his AP Human Geography teacher, who also happened to be the Sponsor of the Model UN program offered at his school. Although he did not attend a conference until the Spring of his sophomore year, he immediately fell in love with the social dynamics of Model UN and soon founded the competitive team at his high school. Over the next few years he ended up attending conferences on both a local and national level, and although he had a high rate of awards, the selfless nature that defines him as an individual, aspired for more. This led to his desire to give back to the Model UN Community and shortly thereafter participation at the MUN Institute, a unique summer program, presented by Best Delegate, for delegates with a desire and passion for learning more about Model UN, as a “diplomacy fellow” assisting the participating students. Since then, Mr. Kalafarski has assisted at every MUN Institute, including that following his college graduation, and has worked with several schools in the DMV area on the East Coast to provide opportunities for delegates. This can be apparent through his organization of a private program for 25 students from the United Arab Emirates. Through these experiences, Mr. Kalafarski has acquired numerous strategies and tips for both novice and experienced delegates however still strongly believes that understanding one thing is the key to becoming the best delegate you were meant to be.

According to Mr. Kalafarski, “Model UN is a process.” There is no rushing it. Model UN can be referred to as a “Social Sport,” and like all other sports there is “a rind, the learning process,” that everyone must get through in order to “develop that foundational understanding.” During an interview conducted on Mr. Kalafarski, he states that “the most harmful thing that a delegate can do is to automatically want to be the Best Delegate in the committee.” There is no other activity like Model UN, and therefore it takes time in order to develop those “social skills” and the “intellectual prowess to navigate through committees.” Even for the most experienced of delegates, you should always aspire to refine your skills, to focus on your weaknesses so that they do not hinder you while in committee, and to elevate your strengths to the best that they can be.

Fundamentals are what define a delegate. “To develop into a good delegate,” whether your interested in winning awards, or just even having your resolution passed, “building a solid foundation” should be the priority of every aspiring delegate. One’s ability to research, negotiate, write, speak, and a multitude of different elements that make Model UN, are only built upon years and years of practice. It is the foundational understanding of each of these elements that shape a delegate’s ability, and although “there are some students that come into Model UN with a natural innate ability for” some of these elements, the understanding and application of all the listed fundamentals, and more, is required before aspiring to become the delegate of your fullest potential. Remember, “it is not a race to try and be the Best Delegate after your first or second conference.” Although that may seem like the intent, given the competitive nature of those in the Model UN Circuit, Model UN is supposed to “help us see the world from the perspectives of different countries, on some of the world’s most pressing issues. It is supposed to expand the way we think about the world, and the way we think about ourselves.”

In obtaining the experience and spending the efforts to build upon your foundation of fundamentals, refining your new understanding will further yourself as a delegate. Self evaluation can be a turning point in a delegate’s Model UN career, as it emphasizes reflection, an integral aspect of success. In addition to recognizing the strengths and weaknesses within yourself, focusing further on social dynamics will play a factor in both a Model UN committee and in the real world. In reality, a Model UN career is simply a “series of conferences and relationships,” however physiologically, it is a “social game” that should be used as an opportunity to develop relationships and creating lasting friendships, rather than unleashing the competitive nature that is fueled by recognition and awards. Understanding this “social etiquette and the social rules of society” will be among the final stages of becoming a strong delegate, however it is always, always, important to be hungry to learn more and to never stop asking questions.

With registration currently open for the Summer 2019 Model United Nations Institute by Best Delegate, delegates across the world are curious about what opportunities these programs can hold. The MUN Institute welcomes over 800 students from across the globe. Within the Institute, delegates are able to learn a myriad of Model UN skills ranging from public speaking to caucusing. Different difficulty levels are offered for varying experience levels. Many of our alumni graduate to go to prestigious universities to continue their Model UN journey.

As a current member of the Best Delegate Media Team, serving as our Conference Database Manager, Anusha Tummallapalli is a freshman at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina. Last year, she was a Media Associate of MUNI Alumni and is a two-time alumna of MUNI, participating in both the Diplomat and Secretary General programs.

At the Diplomat Program in 2016, she learned the “strategies” behind Model UN. The basic parliamentary procedure, the rules of an unmoderated caucus and the skills needed to speak in front of a General Assembly were just a few of the things she was able to learn within that short time span. One of the most notable aspects about her experience was the “friendly and encouraging nature of the staff”. She recalls recognizing that the senior staff who were teaching the curriculum had immense knowledge on Model UN but had an incredible relationship with each student to make it a friendly environment.

Transitioning to her senior year, she decided to participate in the Secretary-General program in 2017. One of the most valuable skills she was able to learn throughout this program, was the skill of “being a leader”. She mentioned how she recognized many of the base concepts from the Diplomat Program but was able to learn how to teach those concepts to novice delegates. She was able to spearhead the Model UN program she started at her high school as well as gain prominent leadership roles outside of her school. Anusha has chaired multiple conferences and within her current university, North Carolina State University, she has been able to successfully utilize the Best Delegate Curriculum she learned in the Secretary General Program to teach the novice delegates within her program.

She currently serves as the Community Director of her collegiate team and wholeheartedly believes that her experience with the MUN Institute benefited her within her election. The networking skills that she was able to learn, combined with her experience practicing chairing at the program, allowed her to fully demonstrate her leadership abilities. The variance within the two programs enabled her to determine her goals in regards to the experience level she was currently at. Choosing to continue with the MUN Institute was “well worth the money!” and was an efficient way to maximize her potential and ease her transition into a competitive collegiate Model UN team. We are extremely proud of Anusha and are ecstatic for her future as an MUNI alum!

We’re so excited to announce that registration is open for this upcoming year’s iteration of the Model United Nations Institute by Best Delegate. We’ve been hard at work for months to prepare for this day, and we’re so excited to share it with you.

The MUN Institute welcomes 800+ students annually from 40+ countries. This year, we are hosting 35+ unique programs across the United States for middle school students, high school students, and teachers. During their week at camp, each participant will learn about Model United Nations based on their experience level, and throughout their experience, they will gain self-confidence and become comfortable with public speaking and debate. Most importantly, all of our participants will be exposed to new perspectives about the world, its people, and its cultures.

This year, we’re excited to announce the return of programs held on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley! Additionally, we have programs held at Georgetown, UCLA, Columbia, and more. Our staff cannot wait to welcome this year’s class of motivated and curious students who want to make the world a better place.

In Model United Nations, it’s easy to overlook the great experience that can be had from networking. At a typical three or four day conference, it’s likely you’ll refer to the people you meet as their country or character, without ever getting to know their real name. You’ll remember their fantastic speech on nuclear proliferation, but may never know what school they go to or what their favorite hobby is (besides MUN of course). In some of the committees I’ve been in, delegates have passed around a piece of paper on the last day, with our real names and social media information included so we can all follow each other. Typically, that’s the extent of the friendship: meet, build a rapport during debate, say hello at the delegate dance and congratulate each other after closing ceremonies. I love MUN, but at least in my experience, it’s been hard to build real, lasting friendships during a debate-packed, sleep-deprived weekend.

At the Model UN Institute (MUNI), however, this couldn’t be farther from the truth. With plenty of time to talk to your fellow campers, it’s easy to find friends and build lasting bonds in the Model UN community. After all, Model UN is a bit of an unusual activity, so it’s great to have some friends outside of your team who actually know what Model UN is. At MUNI, lots of time is devoted to learning and fine-tuning MUN skills, but there’s plenty of time to get to know classmates: at mealtimes, after class, in the dorms, or simply in the classroom!

I met some amazing people during my time at the MUNI Crisis Program at Harvard University, in 2017; they truly pushed me to grow as a delegate and a person. I keep in touch with some of them to this day, and have even run into a few MUNI friends on the high school Model UN circuit. The nerves and stress that comes with the first night of committee at a conference can be crippling, but seeing a familiar face can have all the difference in the world! Last year, I found myself in the same committee as a friend from MUNI, and we had an awesome time in committee together. Not only were we able to work together and use the techniques we learned at MUNI to succeed in committee, but the prior knowledge of our strengths and weaknesses allowed us to really challenge one another. Since then, we’ve bumped into each other at multiple conferences in the New England area, and we’ve each gotten to see the other progress tremendously. There’s nothing like being able to cheer on a friend at closing when you know how hard he or she has worked!

Not only did I meet friends on the circuit near me, but I was able to meet friends who live all around the world. Every now and then we’ll reach out to catch up, see what conferences the others are preparing for, and trade tips we’ve learned along the way. In particular, some of my MUNI friends and I made a group chat after the camp was over, and we continually cheer each other on for succeeding at conferences or getting accepted into colleges.

If MUNI gave me nothing else, it gave me some close friends on the circuit that I never would have met and gotten to know otherwise. Outside of my MUN team, these friends have been my biggest cheerleaders, and it’s been incredible to cheer them on when we meet at conferences or when we reach large milestones. The crisis program I attended in the summer of 2017 gave me invaluable learning experiences and supplied me with excellent MUN training, but perhaps most importantly, MUNI provided me with some incredible friends in a global community of young leaders.

Last month, we launched the MUN Institute’s first free ebook: Why Model UN Will Help Your Child Get Into College. This ebook contains a wealth of information about how students can emphasize their MUN experience on their college applications, and how they can spend each year of high school building their MUN skills and leadership experience.

Today we’re sharing one of the yearly checklists from the ebook. The checklists help students plan for how they should use their time effectively every semester of high school so that by the time they’re ready to apply to college, they will be able to showcase MUN as a key element of their academic and leadership potential. Check out the Sophomore Year Checklist below, and make sure to download the full free ebook for even more information about MUN and college applications!

This article was written by Best Delegate co-founder Ryan Villanueva. It is reproduced here from the Best Delegate website.

Applying to college isn’t just about your SAT, your GPA, or your resume. College admissions officers look for so much more so they can truly get to know you while reading your application. One thing they look for is leadership. You should always try to demonstrate your leadership experience in your college applications, essays, and interviews. Luckily, Model UN offers many opportunities to show leadership — here are 5 ways:

Winning Awards

Every moment in committee is an opportunity to show leadership. Whether it’s making speeches, building alliances, or debating resolutions, you are trying to persuade others to follow you. Hopefully, it results in winning awards that you can show on your college application.

But realize that awards are only suggestions of leadership – how you win awards are the actual examples. It’s not enough to list your awards – explain how your leadership skills led to winning them. Draw upon your Model UN experience and find a story that makes this point clear.

Chairing Committees

Chairing a committee offers another opportunity to show leadership. Whether it’s writing background guides, moderating debate, or answering delegates’ questions, you’re providing guidance and direction to other students.

But similar to winning awards, being a chair is only a suggestion of leadership. You exemplify leadership by helping other students learn about international issues and develop their own leadership skills. Your role is similar to being a teacher – especially if your committee is full of new delegates. Think from this perspective when describing your experience as a chair.

Running Conferences

Winning awards and chairing committees show that you can lead for a weekend, but being a Secretary-General or conference Secretariat member shows leadership over a longer period of time – the months leading up to a conference.

Running a conference is an opportunity to show project management skills, since you have to take the large task of organizing a conference and break it up into smaller tasks. Training chairs and managing other people also shows organizational leadership. And you have to deal with customers – the schools attending your conference. These are uncommon traits for high school and college students that you can highlight in your applications and interviews.

Starting Something

Your leadership experience is not limited to Model UN. If you find an interesting committee topic or learn something that excites you, find other ways to explore it. You can start by bringing a speaker to campus, holding a movie screening, or writing about it in class or campus newspapers. You might even want to start a separate club devoted to you topic. If MUN leads you to another academic or extracurricular passion, discuss it in your application!

Leaving a Legacy

As you gain more Model UN experience and rise through the ranks in your club, you’re asked to pass on your knowledge to younger members. You have to train them as delegates, give them an idea of what to expect in committee, and explain what to do in certain situations. If you’ve run conferences, you have to advise the next Secretariat, offer insights on what to improve, and be candid about your own performance so your successors can learn from your mistakes. You’re trying to build institutional knowledge so that your club continues to grow long after you graduate.

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We are so excited to announce the launch of our latest ebook – Why Model United Nations Will Help Your Child Get Into College!
This free ebook is chock full of great tips and strategies on how to utilize MUN experience to your advantage during the college application process. Perfect for parents and students, this ebook has checklists for every year of high school that will help families plan for college admissions season.

Whether you’re a parent or student, high school freshman or senior, teacher or administrator – this ebook is great for learning about how and why Model United Nation is an incredible activity for any college-bound student. Click here to download the ebook, or click the image below!