By Rachel Kays, Age 12
“Everyone, please take your seats so this security counsel may begin. As the secretary calls your name, please stand and wait for your country placard and briefings.” When the chairman of the Model United Nations Security Counsel said these words, I anxiously waited for him to call my name, hoping that the chairman had not forgotten to put it on the list. I knew that I was going to learn something in this class, but I felt more excited at the fact that it was a game. When the secretary gave the country of France to another person, I felt slightly upset because I adored that country. “Rachel Kays,” the secretary called out, “you will be representing the United Kingdom,” and with these words I stood, waiting for the United Kingdom placard and briefing. I could not wait to tell my older sister Elizabeth because she goes to college in the United Kingdom.
Another girl, Mary-Clair, also received the United Kingdom as her country. We both had never played this game before, but Mary-Clair was very good at it because she had competed in debate. When the chairman spoke again, we listened intently. “There has been a security cyber attack, and the attacker took very important security information.” While we continued to listen, the chairman gave instructions. “Please turn to your country’s goal section of your briefings. From the information of the country’s goal section you will write position papers. At this time we shall begin.”
When I went to the Communicators for Christ conference in Augusta, Georgia, I had no idea that I would end up helping solve an international crisis. The schedule told me “Model UN” and nothing more. Attending my first two day Communicators for Christ conference made just about everything seem exciting. Before I knew it, Mary-Clair and I sat reading our countries goals in the first session of Model United Nations. I felt very excited because I had no idea what to expect next, but what little I had already experienced was amazing.
Next, Mary-Claire wrote the position paper, and I felt glad because I did not know what to write, plus I could not write very fast. According to Roberts Rules of Order, located in another part of the briefing, we had to raise our country’s placard and wait for the chairman to call on us in order to say anything in the counsel. When the chairman called on the United Kingdom, I nervously stood up to present our position. Even though I had butterflies, I felt important speaking to the entire assembly.
“We believe that this cyber attack is a huge threat and needs to be solved quickly and effectively. Our country will give aid to anyone who chooses to support this cause.”
As I sat down, I realized that it was actually fun to stand and speak to everyone. I read through our briefing while the position paper readings continued. “I wish I had learned to read fast,” I thought, as I slowly made progress. This thought occurred to me because I wanted to hear the positions and complete the reading without missing anything. Finally finished, the chairman spoke.
“We will now start presenting resolutions to this crisis. I would like to remind everyone that there are five permanent members of the United Nation which are the United States, the United Kingdom, France, the Russian federation, and China. In votes towards resolutions, the five permanent members have veto power.” I eagerly listened as the chairman stated this. The news that Mary-Clair and I had veto power filled me to the brim with excitement. Vetoing the resolutions that did not apply to our position, we listened to the resolutions and debates.
Soon we received an intelligence report stating that our transportations, vehicles, boats, trains, and airplanes, were out of control. This told us that the cyber attacker made an attack on us. Sharing this information, others used it in the debates to help solve the problem. A second Intelligence report arrived telling us that Scotland Yard had evidence against North Korea. After we shared this, the first session of Model United Nations ended, and not a single resolution had passed. So much had happened in that hour and a half, yet so little. But I knew that by far it was my favorite class and could not wait to continue the next day.
“Welcome back everyone, please take your seats and we will begin the second session on Model UN. When we state your country, please stand to receive your country placard and briefings once more,” the chairman stated the next day. As the chairman finished, the secretary listed the countries and handed out the placards and briefings. I could hardly sit still because I felt so excited, and could not wait to continue debating and trying to solve the crisis. The chairman spoke again.
“There has been a development in the situation since yesterday. The cyber attacker has ruined Japan’s communication system, so they will not be receiving any more intelligence reports. There will be no more presentation of resolutions at this time.” I grunted as he stated this because Mary-Claire and I had finished a resolution and wanted to present it. The chairman continued “Some of you will be receiving intelligence reports at this time.” For some reason, the same report arrived telling us that Scotland Yard had evidence against North Korea. “Why did we receive this information again?” I asked myself as I stood up to share the information once more. After some discussions, we received yet another report telling us that North Korea had remote control over China. “North Korea is causing this chaos for sure,” I thought as we quickly related this information. Others also had received intelligence reports and shared them, and then the chairman spoke:
“We have received some information that there is a spy in this meeting. Will the male delegate of China please rise?” I felt excited that a spy sat in this meeting. As I looked over to the China delegates, I saw none other than my own older brother. “That’s Seth,” I thought, hardy being surprised at this fact. He burst out of the room, screaming “No!” The sergeant at arms ran after and caught him. Another sergeant went out to help as we listened to Seth screaming again. I smiled. Seth loved to act and be the cause of laughter.
Soon the sergeant at arms brought Seth back in with painters tape around his hands, eyes, and mouth. I laughed along with everyone else in the room, still thinking “That’s Seth!” The Chairman announced that we could question the spy and talk to the other delegates freely for a matter of time. Mary-Clair and I asked a few other delegates to not present any resolutions because we had a good one that would help solve the crisis. They agreed, but we had to partially change our resolution to meet their satisfaction. Mary-Clair and I knew that our resolution would help all other countries that had not yet been attacked, and would possibly bring us closer to finding who the culprit was. At the last minute, I talked to Seth.
“Are you really from North Korea?” I asked.
“Yes,” he responded.
“Really?” I said, frantically thinking of something worth asking him.
“Yes!” Before I could think of anything else to say, the chairman told everyone to sit down. I held up our placard, and the chairman called for us to present our resolution.
“We would like all the countries that have not been attacked by this cyber criminal to search through their systems and recreate their cyber security system so that the cyber attacker cannot harm them,” Mary-Clair stated.
“Thank you,” the chairman replied. Although the debate started on the wording of our resolution, it soon was interrupted by the chairman. “An unmanned Russian aircraft with an atomic bomb inside is racing towards Japan. We will now start creating resolutions to stop this bomb, which will impact in ten minutes.” Everyone started thinking of resolutions and debating them. I constantly looked at the chart of the bomb’s position as each resolution failed.
When the ten minutes ended, everyone thought the bomb had hit Japan, but the chairman announced that the United Kingdom had shot down the aircraft before it impacted. I felt both amazed and proud that my country had completed this task. Unfortunately, Russia decided to reprimand us, but thankfully hardy anyone else wanted to, so nothing happened. Finally, at the end of the day, the security counsel passed one resolution. It was to investigate Russia and North Korea. The culprit was not found in Russia, and North Korea turned down the United Nations investigators. I felt happy that we passed a resolution, even if we did not completely solve the crisis.
As Model United Nations ended, I knew that I loved this class more than any other speech class I had ever participated in. “I cannot wait until I do this again in November,” I thought. Before we left, the chairman had us discuss the skills we had learned from this activity. Hands flew into the air, and the chairman called on different people to speak. It helped us with thinking on the spot, speaking to an assembly, and thinking of how to solve problems effectively. But the best part was that no one realized that they had learned and practiced these skills because of all the fun of the game. I had fun learning, even if I did not realize that I gained skills by attending this class.