The 11 th edition of Sophia Model United Nations, was a grand culmination of challenges, ideas, solutions, spirited arguments and success. The six committees with its unique agendas brought close to 180 delegates despite the virtual divide. Conducting such a diverse online conference was no less than an enormous achievement.
SMUN commenced on the 1 st of October, 2020. A short prayer service was followed by a speech given by our esteemed chief guest Dr. Silke Roth, Associate Professor of Sociology in the Department of Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology , Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Southampton. Dr.Silke Roth gave an informative and detailed speech about women participation in democratic governments and rights available to us as young women. It was truly an honour to have her as our Chief Guest.
The Secretary General of SMUN 2020 was Bala Panchanathan, an alumnus of Sophia, having graduated in 2017. Her inspiring speech gave the delegates much to look forward to during the three days in committee. The opening ceremony concluded with a melodious endition by Rheya Ann George, a class 12 student of Sophia High School.The six committees were, The All India Political Parties Meet (AIPPM), The United Nations Commission on the Status of Womxn (UNCSW), The Historic Security Council (HSC), The United Nations Office On Drugs And Crime (UNODC), The Continuous Crisis Committee (CCC), and The Council Of Jahangir.
The agenda of the AIPPM was to review section 153A of the IPC in light of the dissemination of hate speech by the media. Despite the failure of the committee, the delegates’ heated arguments revealed their efficiency in maintaining their political agendas while simultaneously putting forth ideas and solutions. The UNODC discussed the Afghaani opium crisis and the Taliban controlled drugline. Though it was a zealous committee with spontaneous delegates the communique failed to be voted upon and was labeled ‘unacceptable’.The HSC disputed the Vietnam War. The rhetoric statements of the delegates along with their ability to carry out organized deliberations trumped the failure of the committee.
The CCC was set out in an alternate timeline where the Persian Gulf Crisis was still the elephant in the room. It concluded with the USA and Saudi Arabia declaring a full fledged war on Iran.The UNCSW tackled both the agendas of political participation of womxn and femicide, aspiring to make the world a better place for all womxn.
The Council of Jahangir was a unique committee that discussed the unrest in the late Mughal Era. Knowledge in history coupled with modern-day diplomacy helped the delegates in passing an interesting resolution.Awarding prizes was a tedious task considering how well every delegate performed. Succinct speeches, well-framed arguments and detailed resolutions were made to seem effortless. The final day of SMUN concluded with the prize distribution ceremony. SMUN 2020 was indeed an event that helped us socialise and communicate with others despite the current crisis unleashed by the pandemic.
