Model United Nations Assembly (MUNA)

A Rotary District 9800 Sponsored Program

Joint Host Club (Rotary Clubs of Glenferrie and Chadstone East Malvern) and the organizing Committee are Seeking Teams of Senior Students for

Saturday April 27 to Sunday 28, 2019 At Swinburne University in Hawthorn

MUNA stands for Model United Nations Assembly, which simulates the workings of the UN Assembly by having teams of two senior students from each of a number of schools represent a particular UN country in debates on matters of world political and social concern. It is a Rotary International program and enthusiastically supported by the United Nations.

MUNA is designed for school students usually in senior classes of secondary schools. Over the years they have primarily come from year 11 students but occasionally we have had some from year 10 and year 12. Depending on their maturity and confidence some year 10 students may find it a little intimidating but on the other hand we have also previously had an individual year 10 winner. A team consists of the two students. More than 1 team per school is possible.

In 2019 MUNA will be held on the weekend April 27 and 28 at Swinburne University near Glenferrie Station in Hawthorn. Greater Melbourne area students come each day by public transport and return home at night. Students from outside greater Melbourne come on late Friday afternoon and will be billeted on Friday and Saturday nights in Rotary homes not far from Swinburne. The MUNA cost is $375.00 for 2 students and the sponsor Rotary club meets this cost. A Foreign Exchange Student can be added to make a 3 person team. The extra cost is $140.00 so a 3 person team total cost is $515.00.

Student Registrations for MUNA close Friday March 1 2019, 8 weeks before MUNA.

Six weeks before the Assembly (i.e. March 15) each team is allocated a country to represent and provided Model United Nations resolutions. This gives the team time before the Assembly to prepare. They are expected to familiarize themselves with the country they represent and be ready to debate the UN resolutions pertinent to their country. All team members must wear the national dress of their country in all assembly sessions. Details, programs, rules of debate and information about the countries allocated, will be provided to the students at the same time.

During the weekend students will learn about the workings of the United Nations, the Security Council and general rules of debate. MUNA aims to enable students to improve their public speaking and debating skills; and to encourage them to make sympathetic and informed comments on world problems and share their opinions and friendship with students from other schools.

Various prizes are awarded at the end of MUNA. A winning team is selected and will be offered the chance to go to the National MUNA session in Canberra in August 2019 to represent District 9800.

We strongly recommend this very popular program to all clubs and ask that you go to your local schools and find a team of 2 students (clubs may sponsor more than 1 team). Then have students complete the Excel registration form, print it, sign it, have it signed by a parent or guardian and lastly photograph the signed form. After these steps the student send two files (the Excel file and the photograph file) to the MUNA Chairman, Newton Langford, nlangford@optusnet.com.au. An invoice will be sent to the sponsor club immediately after a team registration is complete. Payment is required before MUNA. Please call me if you need assistance.

Newton Langford. D9800 MUNA 2019 Committee Chairperson 03-9529-7395