Elliot Dawes
Blog on Model UN

• Best aspect
The best aspect of the model UN simulation for me was the freedom to do whatever we wanted. We realized of immediately that what plan of action we took, there could be one hundred repercussions, both negative and positive. Normally students just look at certain situations and determine whether good or bad decisions were made, and analyze the situation. Rarely are students placed in a group and given the freedom to act as both foreign and interior policy makers and make actual decisions. An example is that my group was the Taliban, and beforehand we had ideas of bombings and attacks, and various mischievous activities. After the simulation started however, we really came together in understanding the repercussions of certain acts, and how particular acts of violence could benefit us more that others.
• Worst aspect
The worst aspect what the response time of the news room. As well as the slow response, many requests that we put in actually got accepted, but were never released. This caused a situation in which the first day was very idle. We realized that a lot might happen on the second day, but that we would not have time to react to it with any real policies or actions, which made us lose some participation vigor.
• Relevance to course materials
I felt the simulation had enormous relevance to the course. Particular key points were used by us, in particular realism, being the Taliban. More than that, the whole simulations is a mock demonstration of what international relations (perhaps international relations gone wrong) is like. It takes all the theories we learn about and gives us a first-hand look into why things and events play out the way they do, and how it is not always as simple as it seems in a classroom.
• Did preparation time give you what you needed to know?
Yes, I felt we had adequate preparation time. I myself was responsible for knowing about the drug trade of the Taliban, and feel I gained a moderately vast knowledge of how the drug trade works, and the monetary benefits that it brings the Taliban.
• Best idea YOU had?
The best idea I had was probably suggesting a meeting with a Russian arms dealer to acquire ground to air rockets that we needed to prevent helicopter attacks. We kept requesting meetings with countries, but no one would meet with us. I pointed out that the Taliban does much more business with the Russian mob than any state, and so we sent in a request to the news room for a meeting which we got, and acquired 20 ground to air rockets as well as a small arsenal of various other guns. The guns were used in the successful mission to steal the nuclear bomb.