Plan, research, debate, resolve.

Model United Nations is a club in which students act as delegates to the United Nations and partake in mock UN committees. They work as a club to increase each member’s overall abilities through participating in real debates. What they do during club days includes conducting research about topics, debating about the topic using parliamentary procedure, and collaborating with others to make papers.

In the session during Community Day, members of the club, along with other peers, gathered together to debate the issues of Syria. During the debate, each student represented the country of their choosing and debate from that country’s standpoint on the issue.

In order to speak during the debate, each country had to raise their card and their country name would go on the speaker list. When it was their time to speak, they would get one minute to state their opinion on the topic. After the student made their claim, another country would have the opportunity for a 30 second rebuttal.

The debate started off with the Chair of the debate opening the floor to the first country on the speaking list. The main goal of the debate was to decide if countries should close off their borders to refugees, or they should have open arms and allow the refugees to come to their countries.

Once the debate got into the swing of things, countries deliberated the two sides of the topic. Students acting as countries such as Germany, Hungary, and Russia, felt that other countries need to worry about their own economy and the safety of their country. This would result in not allowing refugees into country, and closing off their borders.

Other students acting as countries from Greece, Italy, Jordan, and many others surrounding Syria, disagreed with that statement. They think that the refugees of the Syrian nation need places to stay because the country itself is too dangerous to live in. They also made it a point to say that many of the surrounding countries cannot keep taking in the refugees because they are killing their economy.

“The country of Italy has taken in countless refugees and now our economy is spiraling down. If we keep taking in these refugees, our whole country will eventually fall apart,” a student acting as Italy mentioned.

Going along with that statement, the student mentioned that countries who have a stable economy need to step up and allow the refugees into the country. Other students agreed with the statement. A student from Lous mentioned that other countries, not just the ones surrounding Syria, need to step up and allow the refugees in. He said that since the surrounding countries have taken in so many, it is getting to the point where they can not allow any more.

A student from Hungary disagreed with opening their borders because of the fact that it is hard to tell who a terrorist is or isn’t.

“We have no way of knowing who is or isn’t a terrorist, so if we allow random people into our countries, it increases the risk of a terrorist attack,” a student representing Hungary said.

The France representative added that certain background checks could be done before entering the country to avoid the risk of terrorist attacks. He mentioned that if these background checks are done then any country can take in the refugees.

After the countries engaged in the Syrian refugee issues, two conclusions were proposed by the chair. The first was to allow no refugees into any country to prevent the falling of economy and the country’s culture; this resolution was declined. The second settlement option was leaving borders open and dispersing refugees to economically stable countries which also got declined, since it didn’t obtain two thirds majority of the votes.

If students show interest in joining the club, it is simple to join, a club member mentioned. Just contact a representative and attend all of the meetings in the future. They also mentioned that any student who wants to join is welcome.