Political Science Students Win Top Honors at Model UN Conference

At WestMUN (Western Collegiate Model United Nations) XVI in Santa Barbara April 10-12, political science students from California State University, Dominguez Hills received two of the top awards, the most given to a university at the conference.

Thirteen schools from across the western United States took part in the conference, at which students acting as delegates for various countries researched, debated and negotiated issues currently before the United Nations. Among the topics at WestMUN XVI were the Arab-Israeli conflict, the question of Iran, sustainable development in Asia, and the rights of detainees, to name a few.

Dominguez Hills students participated in five of the seven committees that convened over the three-day conference: the United Nations Security Council, the UN Environmental Program, the International Criminal Court, the Special Commission on International Law, and the Human Rights Commissions. They served as delegates from such countries as Algeria, Cuba, France, Iran, Italy, Libya, Malaysia, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

Of the five Best Delegate Awards for outstanding performance handed out at the end of conference, one was presented to Mele Kaveinga, a junior majoring in political science, for her role as a witness and a defense attorney in the International Court, and a second was given to junior Chikezie Nwafor for his participation as the delegate from Libya on the United Nations Security Council.

In addition, conference organizers presented junior Joshua Braun with an honorable mention for his representation of Malaysia in the United Nations Environmental Program, and commended Diana Vasquez, also a junior, for her exceptional job as a pre-trial chief justice.

“Winning the two awards was a big surprise. No other school did,” said Hamoud Salhi, assistant professor of political science. “All of our students are to be commended. They came prepared. They knew what was expected of them, and excelled when it mattered the most, that is, during resolution drafting and lobbying other delegates to support them.”

Kaveinga, Nwafor, Braun and Vasquez were among the 32-student contingent from CSU Dominguez Hills at the conference. All are students in the political science department’s Model UN class.

Since the mid 1990s, the CSU Dominguez Hills political science department has offered a Model UN class, designed to train students in the art of diplomacy, public speaking, debate, negotiation and consensus building. Throughout the semester, students take on the role of delegates for certain countries and conduct research and draft responses on issues before the United Nations. Much like at the conference, the students debate their country’s position and also work to negotiate resolutions.

“One of the benefits of the class is they really develop their communications skills,” said Salhi, who teaches the class. “Another gain is it helps them with the research process, and they learn negotiation techniques and about consensus building. The class prepares them for the conference, but most importantly, it provides them with extremely valuable skills they will need for this field.”

The Model UN program has been around for decades, and today, hundreds of high schools, community colleges and universities across the United States offer the program to their students, either as a class or a club. The programs are administered independently, but all have the same goal of enhancing students’ understanding of current events and the processes of diplomacy.

- Amy Bentley-Smith

Photos above: Deliberations at WestMUN gave students from the western U.S. and Alaska a taste of what delegates to the United Nations go through in developing policy. debating issues, and holding a session of international criminal court. Pictured, starting third from left: Anne-Joy Wang, junior; Cynthia Flores, senior; and Cristine Perez, senior. Courtesy of Chikezie Nwafor

Members of the CSU Dominguez Hills delegation take a moment from their work, which included two days full of research, debate, and negotiations. (L-R) Mayra Menjizar, freshman; Diana Vasquez, junior; Debbie Shearer, senior; and Cynthia Flores, senior.

Hamoud Salhi, assistant professor of political science, guided the Dominguez Hills contingent to victory at WestMUN. Photo by Joanie Harmon