Topic 1: Preserving the ancestral homelands of indigenous populations
|
Topic 2: Protecting the rights of ethnic and religious minorities
|
|
| ||||
Meet the presidency:
Despoina Papadopoulou
Anatolia College Thessaloniki Dear Delegates, It will be my utmost honor to serve as one of the student officers for ZYGMUN 2021! This will be my 6th conference yet my first time chairing. Most certainly, this conference will be like no other conference in the past, and any in the future, due to the current pandemic. I am a junior at Anatolia College in Thessaloniki, Greece and I enjoy playing tennis, spending time with my friends and family, walking my dog and reading books in my free time. I also like to combine my love for science and biology with my interest in global politics and debating, by way of participating in competitions and conferences, including MUNs. MUN is in many ways a rewarding experience, and my numerous participations have provided me with skills and knowledge that qualify me to be a Student Officer. Not only have I learned to be responsible, reliable, goal oriented and creative, but also the importance of productive teamwork! Additionally, through my extracurricular activities at school, I have learned to coordinate discussions, and also to carry out research while carefully selecting my sources. In the past, I have worked extensively on the protection of human rights, and more specifically, on the rights of the disabled, the right to cultural life and on the elimination of racism, hate speech and discrimination! Therefore, considering my above noted experience and my extended knowledge concerning the committee’s subject matter, I will be able to provide you with adequate information and point you in the right direction as to analyze the topics in depth! Throughout the years, humanitarian crises have been and will continue to be a major and relevant issue. Indigenous’ ancestral property rights are being violated till this day, jeopardizing their right to live as they please and evolve! Ethnic and religious minorities are being isolated, neglected, mistreated and hated in various parts of the world. This kind of behavior does not match the multicultural and globalized character of modern societies, and that’s what defines the significant relevance of our committee. Combating these issues will bring us one step closer to a more just, peaceful, inclusive and more humane society, exactly as the conference theme expresses! I could not be more excited to preside over our committee, along with my wonderful co-chair, and I cannot wait to see you all at the conference, despite it having to be virtually! Despoina Papadopoulou, President of Human Rights Council |
Sara Paruta
American School of Warsaw Dear Delegates, Welcome to the IV ZYGMUN Conference and to the Human Rights Council. I am delighted to be co-chairing this committee and as my role of Chair, I look forward to getting to know you and debate on the topics at hand today. I am a sophomore at the American School of Warsaw and this is my first year participating in MUN. However, I have already participated in various conferences such as BERMUN, ASMMUN, and upcoming ACMUN. I look forward to being Chair of the Human Rights Council since it is my favorite committee because it undertakes the critical role of protecting and persevering Human Rights worldwide. Addressing human rights violations globally is vital to building a diverse and fair society. The theme of this year’s conference is Sustainable Development Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: Promoting just, peaceful and inclusive societies. Throughout our time together we will tackle the cases of preserving the ancestral homelands of indigenous populations, as well as protecting the rights of ethnic and religious minorities. Both of these two topics are remarkably relevant to our current times and of great significance. The first topic, explores the injustices and absence of implementation of laws regarding the collective rights of indigenous people. Furthermore, the second case will tackle the endangerment of ethnic and religious minorities. I deeply believe both these agendas can drive interesting and controversial debates. I look forward to meeting you all. Sara Paruta, President of the Human Rights Council |
Ayşe Yalçın
Hisar School Dear Delegates, I am honored to be serving as your president this year. I’m a sophomore at Hisar School, Turkey, and I have been engaged in MUN for 2 years. Since I have attended my first MUN conference as a freshman, I have come a long way. I have attended and chaired approximately 12 conferences and this has made me very knowledgeable about MUN. Additionally, I am the vice president of my schools’ MUN club so I am very knowledgeable with helping people out in any aspect possible. MUN is one of the most amazing experiences because you learn public speaking, improvisation, and most importantly, learn global politics. It is a great way to network in ways that are impossible with any other club. As the chair of the Human Rights Council, I value creative thinking around the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and what that means. “Sustainable Development Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: Promoting just, peaceful and inclusive societies'' will be addressed at this year’s ZYGMUN. During the time of debate, we will be talking about Protecting the rights of ethnic and religious minorities and Preserving the ancestral homelands of indigenous populations. The first issue is crucial because it is still being dealt with in many countries such as China. We will be writing clauses and presenting various solutions to the issue. The second issue is also prominent in many countries due to the collective rights of ingenious people not being recognized. Thus, we will be talking about this issue and I hope you will all come up with amazing solutions. I’m looking forward to seeing you all at the conference. Ayşe Yalçın, President of Human Rights Council |