January 24, 2024
Tallahassee Community College’s Model United Nations (TCC UN) team joined college and university students from around the world at the 2023 National Model United Nations conference (NMUN DC) in Washington, D.C. The team of sixteen students participated in seven simulated UN committees during the conference and earned an Honorable Mention award.
TCC UN delegates D.J. Sprang and Monika Gagoshidze represented Costa Rica in General Assembly 1 while Josh Adams and Gabriel Wilson represented Costa Rica in General Assembly 3. Maximus Figueras and Lilah Garcia represented Yemen in General Assembly 3. JonLouis Pinela and Nicole Ordóñez participated in the United Nations Environmental Assembly (UNEA), the primary governing body of the United Nations Environment Programme, which outlines the international environmental agenda and sets priorities for the global community. Josh Daniel and Daniela Marquez participated in the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), the leading intergovernmental organization facilitating global partnerships to increase food security and eradicate hunger. Jayden D’Onofrio and Mylah Tate participated in the Economic and Social Council Plenary (ECOSOC), which focuses on policy dialogue related to economic, social, cultural, educational, and health-related topics. Hanna Burda and Grace Leon participated in the Committee of Population and Development (CPD), which acts as an offset of the ECOSOC focused on human development and population. Zoya Dickinson and Dae Hardy participated in the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the leading UN agency on sustainable development.
“The experience of writing position papers, giving speeches, and working with new people from different schools definitely helped me come out of my shell and gain useful experiences that I otherwise would have missed out on,” said JonLouis Pinela. “Additionally, the friends I made on this team elevated my experience and helped me make memories I’ll treasure forever.”
“To get wildly different perspectives on the same topic is astonishing and then to use those perspectives to come to one conclusion is also incredible,” said Delilah Garcia. “It’s something you really can’t recreate anywhere else.”
The mission of the National Model UN is to advance understanding of the UN and contemporary global issues through quality educational programs that emphasize collaboration and cooperative conflict resolution and prepare participants for active global citizenship. Cooperative, hands-on, experiential learning allows students to confront a range of topics with the perspective of their assigned country or organization. Through these experiences - during preparation, committee sessions, and hallway caucuses - students develop an appreciation of differing viewpoints, experience the challenges of negotiation, see the rewards of cooperation, broaden their world view, and discover the human side of international relations and diplomacy.
The team is now preparing for the 2024 National Model UN Conference in New York in March.