Iona College’s Model UN team represented Paraguay at this year’s annual Harvard National Model United Nations conference in Boston.

Over three days from Feb. 12-15, the Model UN team discussed various topics, ranging from world health to journalistic freedom with over 2,000 college students from around the world.

Model UN is a simulation of a country’s mission to the United Nations. In the UN, delegates from each nation discuss important world topics that can either directly affect the nation or the nations in the surrounding area. Subjects frequently discussed include the global arms trade, drug trafficking and other important issues.

Nations work together to come to a conclusion about a pressing issue, sometimes agreeing that a topic is important, but discussing how that topic can be handled differently for each nation.

Model UN President Jesse Brown joined the team last year to learn how the world governs itself through diplomatic organization and how nations interact with one another.

“Paraguay’s feelings about Russian missile silos in Eastern Europe may not be outwardly important, but the insight you can gain from understanding how those global discussions are conducted is helpful,” he said.

Junior Jordan Courage attended the conference for the first time this year. She was placed on the World Health Organization Committee to discuss malnutrition, genetically modified organisms and the protocol for labeling GMOs.

Courage didn’t know what to expect from the conference. She was worried she would not have a voice, but found the opposite to be true.

“Too often, students don’t pursue studies in [international relations] because they are fearful they won’t make an impact,” she said. “The Model UN is a mock representation of the real entity, but it proves that if you have good ideas, they will be heard.”

Most delegates agreed that research on the long-term effects of GMOs needed to be done, but conflict aroused when the policy of labeling GMOs was brought up.

“Some demanded that all foods go through the UN and the Food and Drug Administration to be approved, while others proclaimed that was too much of a domestic breach,” Courage said.

Courage, Brown and the rest of the team were concerned for the small farmers of Paraguay and other agricultural countries. Working with other small countries, the team tried to create a tightly-knit network of agricultural countries to help farmers have a voice about seed rights and other resources that may be lost.

Brown participates in Model UN not only as experience for his international business major, but because the conference allows him to practice public speaking, simulate business negotiations and experience new cultures.

“[Model UN] educates students on the complexities of globalization,” he said. “Nations interact with each other in ever changing ways.”

Model UN works with Iona in Mission groups to promote India-Nine is Mine, a campaign dedicated to eliminating poverty in India.

To join the Model UN, email Jesse Brown at [email protected].