THIMUN XLIX Day 5: Second Day of the Conference

Today was a very packed day filled with a mix of everything. For those within the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the first half of the day was lobbying, in which delegates merged and edited resolutions before submitting them to the approval panel. For the whole day, the approval panel was overloaded with delegates submitting their resolutions including me (Bassem) from the 5th committee of the General Assembly. Ms J and Mr Gilbertson were busy with the approval panel for the whole first half of the day. The approval panel is where students go to receive help with editing their resolutions before they are submitted for debate. Once lobbying came to an end, delegates began debating.

The second half of the day was when delegates debated. As 80-minutes at a minimum were required for each resolution, only two were debated within each delegation committee. Despite only two resolutions being debated, the debates were very fruitful and sparked some serious concerns about problems and what is within a committee's power. Meanwhile, participants in the Advisory Panel on the Question of the Near East had some very tough times coming to a consensus with one another. As said by Samuel, of the twenty clauses debated, only four of them passed. This showed how debates within the Advisory Panel were very fierce.

At the end of the day, at 7:30PM, participants went back to the World Forum Theatre in order to hear from a guest speaker and watch a documentary movie called Exodus: Our Journey to Europe. This film was about Syrian refugees who fled the crisis in their home country, and the incredible hardships, challenges, and risks they took to escape. It confronted a lot of stereotypes and assumptions that people might hold about the people who have become refugees, and one of the men in the film was a guest during the viewing tonight. The guest's name was Hassan Akkad and he was very inspiring and humorous, prompting many people to ask him questions, including delegates Bassem (me) and Stephanie. The whole thing lasted two hours, but many people wanted it to last longer, especially Stephanie, who was disappointed when they had to abruptly end the talk due to time constraints.

Overall, this day was very busy, and widely enjoyed.
~Bassem Sandeela

THIMUN XLIX Day 4: First Day of the Conference

All participants had an incredibly packed day today filled with lobbying, meeting new people, and ending with the grand Opening Ceremony. Lobbying consists of delegates from each committee informally getting together and sharing ideas with the aim of drafting a resolution to a world issue. Stephanie, representing the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in General Assembly 2 (GA2), said that she really enjoyed listening to what other participants in her committee had to say on issues and socialising with the other Ambassadors in her committee. Bassem, representing the IMF in GA5, felt conflicted, as it was his first time as the main submitter of a resolution! Lobbying started all delegates off on the right note toward productive collaboration and the reconstruction of resolutions to help solve issues plaguing regions all over the world.

Toward the end of the conference day, there was a Opening Ceremony which included speeches from a representative from EUROPOL, the Dutch Ministry, THIMUN Board of Directors, and the Secretary General. There was also a special choir and band that performed during the Opening Ceremony.  All speeches and performances had something to do with the conference theme, "Borders in a Globalized World". The speakers were insightful and their perspectives eye-opening. They really got participants thinking about the major issues being debated for the rest of the week. Serving as Deputy Secretary General, I (Chea-Mun) had a really enjoyable time in preparing for the Opening Ceremony alongside the Secretariat team. Stephanie also did a great job as a flag bearer during the massive flag procession.

The end of the day consisted of all of us heading down to Graavenstrat via tram. All of us went to a really tasty burger place called BIT. Sam and Chea-Mun attended the Student Officer Dinner in La Lanterna afterward We are looking forward to another great day tomorrow!
~Chea-Mun Tan

THIMUN XLIX Day 3: Student Officer Day/ Homework Day

After wandering around the streets of Amsterdam the day before, many of us went to bed early and still woke up late. The day started off slowly with several of us able to sleep in. After eating a delicious hearty breakfast, some of us took walks, started on homework assignments, and working on opening speeches. Sipping on hot chocolate with marshmallows, we finished up our work and talked amongst ourselves until the early afternoon. Chea Mun and Samuel had to be at the conference all day preparing for the first day for delegates, which is tomorrow. Chea Mun is a Deputy Secretary General, and works on helping the conference to run smoothly. Samuel is President of the Advisory Panel on the Question of the Near East (APQ-NE), and spent the day preparing to run this committee, which is the only one that meets today for opening speeches. I (Daniel) will be attending the afternoon session to give an opening speech on behalf of the European Union, whom I am representing.

Later in the afternoon, Sam and I went to the World Forum to begin opening speeches in the APQ. The President and Deputy-Presidents briefed us on APQ debating procedures, and many of us got to socialize and get to know each other. Students from Russia, Kazakhstan, France, Singapore, Egypt, Brazil, and other places attended, representing still more countries and non-government organizations (NGOs). Strong views and opinions were presented early in many of the opening speeches, hinting to a fruitful debate to follow in the next few days. With more opening speeches yet to come, excitement is brewing in the APQ-NE!

In the evening, all of us ventured forth into the crisp air to find a place to eat dinner. Little did any of us know that almost all of the restaurants we attempted to go eat at were full! In one case, we were told that there were simply no more tables. After meandering through the narrow streets, we came across a Chinese restaurant where we finally were seated and enjoyed a warm dinner after the briskness of the night air. We talked and reflected on our day over bowls of steaming soup, dim sum, and fried rice. With full stomachs and an eagerness for debate in the coming days, we returned to the hotel to prepare for an early morning. ~ Daniel Chavez

Daniel and Sam did a fantastic job today with the start of APQ! Looking forward to seeing more great speeches and debate! Chea Mun was very busy getting into her leadership role all day, and then enjoyed getting together with some old friends at the Secretariat Dinner this evening. Everything has been going very smoothly, and the kids seem to be really enjoying themselves. Hope you all are enjoying the pictures and updates! You can see even more pictures on the drive at HERE. ~ Ms J

THIMUN XLIX Day 2: Touring Amsterdam

Seeing as we arrived in Amsterdam in the morning, we drove to Marriott Hotel in The Hague to freshen up for our tour around Amsterdam. To start off this tour, we took a quick walk to the tram that brought us to the train. The tram ride opened our eyes even more to the sights that the Netherlands had to give us. After the train ride, we headed off towards the Anne Frank House after strolls through the chilly, beautiful streets of Amsterdam.

Once there, we could all agree that the tour around the small house had left a big impact on us. Stephanie, specifically, said that the thing that impacted her the most was one of Anne Frank's quotes about her wanting to be a writer, and how she said she wanted to live on. This quote and the living conditions showed Anne's strength and confidence, which leaves her mark on all those who learn of her life. Her determination and perseverance was the thing Stephanie found the most motivating. Daniel mentioned that Anne Frank's dreams and goals made him take a step back and look at his own. It really puts into perspective what she was battling during that time and how she was a real person, with her own beliefs, dreams, and goals.

Most of us after this tour finally felt the jet lag hit us as we made a stop at the Pancake House. Here, the delicious and unique pancakes were almost too much for us to finish but appreciated nonetheless. The last stop was touring the Dam Square of Amsterdam where we saw horses pulling carriages, streets filled with bustling crowds, and stores selling rather unique items. We ended the day early with everyone exhausted yet satisfied with the incredible experience. Arriving back at The Hague early, we all settled down and began to prepare ourselves for an early good night's rest.
~Stephanie and Jane

Pictures from our tour around Amsterdam:

THIMUN XLIX Day 1/2: Flying to Amsterdam

With a smooth start, the trip began with a van trip the airport. Checking in our luggage, going through customs, and then walking around for food, everything proceeded without any delays.Mr Gilbertson even sweet talked the KLM counter to let us go through the priority lane and avoid standing in a very long line to check our luggage! Most of us spent the next 12.5 hours sleeping, watching movies, and eventually more sleeping. It was a very smooth flight. Surprisingly enough, the flight went by quickly and before we all knew it, we had arrived in the Amsterdam airport.

We arrived at Schipol International Airport around 5:30AM on Saturday morning. The cold and the bus ride to the hotel was a pleasant surprise to many of us, since a drive down the streets of Amsterdam towards The Hague was a new experience. Unfortunately, it was too dark to see much, but we soon arrived at our hotel, the Marriott Bel Air in The Hague. We ate a good breakfast, took some time to freshen up, and then we were out again, ready to explore!
~ Stephanie and Jane

THIMUN XLIX 2017

Welcome parents, administrators, teachers and students! This is a blog to keep you guys updated on all the happenings during any of the conferences our MUN club attends. This week is all about THIMUN The Hague! For the next 8 days, a new blog will be posted talking about a specific M'KIS student's day at the conference.

To see more information on the conference, click here to see our website with information and photos for all conferences.

Wish us luck as we travel to The Hague in the Netherlands!