UNMOD The Magazine
A Model UN Magazine for Model UN People
FEATURES
Subscribe to the Print Edition
Get a quarterly print edition of UNMOD that comes with special articles, letters from the editor, and free gifts throughout the year!
$3/mo or $20/year
[simpay id=”121439″]
Meet the Team Behind Your Favorite Magazine
STRATEGY

There is No Such Thing as the “Perfect Merger”
In the dynamic world of Model United Nations (MUN), where diplomacy, negotiation, and international relations are simulated, one must recognize a fundamental truth: there is no such thing as a perfect merger. MUN, as a microcosm of global diplomacy, mirrors the complexities and imperfections inherent in international relations. Embracing imperfections is essential for success in the MUN arena.
Model UN embodies the real-world intricacies of diplomacy, where nations with differing interests, values, and priorities converge. Just like in the real United Nations, delegates in MUN committees bring their unique perspectives to the table. These divergent viewpoints can lead to disagreement and deadlock, illustrating that achieving a “perfect” merger of ideas or solutions is often unattainable. Delegates must navigate through imperfect solutions, finding common ground, and working towards consensus, when possible.
One has to always approach the merger process prepared to give things up, prepared to make sacrifices. It is necessary to come to committee with solutions specifically designed to be sacrificed in a merger: “throwaway solutions”. This allows one to guide the merger process, give into the demands of other delegates, without sacrificing anything of any real importance. This false sacrifice allows one to demand sacrifice from others, truly shaping the final product of a weekend in committee.
From people vying for a position on the author’s panel, to demanding a place on the sponsor’s list, a merger is a perfect storm of personal interests. At the end of the day, the tiny clauses and subclauses and keeping them or deleting them really does not matter. It is not about ensuring all of your material stays in place. It is about leading the process while keeping one’s flagship solution. Moderating the negotiations, proposing compromises and personally sacrificing one’s “throwaway clauses” will propel one to the top of the merger pyramid. Get to the top through collaboration, not through stubbornness.
The concept of a perfect merger in MUN represents the essence of diplomacy, which is built upon the recognition of differences and the quest for peaceful solutions. It is through embracing imperfections and navigating through them that delegates prove themselves in committee.
The imperfect nature of mergers in Model United Nations reflects the intricacies and challenges of real-world diplomacy. Rather than seeking perfection, MUN participants should embrace imperfections as opportunities for growth, learning, and the development of essential diplomatic skills. Understand that there is always a bigger picture while merging. Do not get bogged down in the battles when there is a war to win.

How to Avoid a Cliche Crisis Arc in Model UN
If you have done a crisis committee before, you've seen a variety of crisis arc archetypes. There's the Cult Arc, where your base asset is a cult you create to impact the committee. There's the arc where you create a shell company to fund your actions, the arc where...

Righting the Ship: How to Create a Flexible and Resilient Crisis Arc in Model UN
Many crisis delegates are familiar with the pain of a crisis arc gone sideways or resistant chair, and I have fallen victim to the Crisis Director blaming many times. However, before getting frustrated with the dias, remember a few key steps that can set you up to...
COMMUNITY

There is No Such Thing as the “Perfect Merger”
In the dynamic world of Model United Nations (MUN), where diplomacy, negotiation, and international relations are simulated, one must recognize a fundamental truth: there is no such thing as a perfect merger. MUN, as a microcosm of global diplomacy, mirrors the complexities and imperfections inherent in international relations. Embracing imperfections is essential for success in the MUN arena.
Model UN embodies the real-world intricacies of diplomacy, where nations with differing interests, values, and priorities converge. Just like in the real United Nations, delegates in MUN committees bring their unique perspectives to the table. These divergent viewpoints can lead to disagreement and deadlock, illustrating that achieving a “perfect” merger of ideas or solutions is often unattainable. Delegates must navigate through imperfect solutions, finding common ground, and working towards consensus, when possible.
One has to always approach the merger process prepared to give things up, prepared to make sacrifices. It is necessary to come to committee with solutions specifically designed to be sacrificed in a merger: “throwaway solutions”. This allows one to guide the merger process, give into the demands of other delegates, without sacrificing anything of any real importance. This false sacrifice allows one to demand sacrifice from others, truly shaping the final product of a weekend in committee.
From people vying for a position on the author’s panel, to demanding a place on the sponsor’s list, a merger is a perfect storm of personal interests. At the end of the day, the tiny clauses and subclauses and keeping them or deleting them really does not matter. It is not about ensuring all of your material stays in place. It is about leading the process while keeping one’s flagship solution. Moderating the negotiations, proposing compromises and personally sacrificing one’s “throwaway clauses” will propel one to the top of the merger pyramid. Get to the top through collaboration, not through stubbornness.
The concept of a perfect merger in MUN represents the essence of diplomacy, which is built upon the recognition of differences and the quest for peaceful solutions. It is through embracing imperfections and navigating through them that delegates prove themselves in committee.
The imperfect nature of mergers in Model United Nations reflects the intricacies and challenges of real-world diplomacy. Rather than seeking perfection, MUN participants should embrace imperfections as opportunities for growth, learning, and the development of essential diplomatic skills. Understand that there is always a bigger picture while merging. Do not get bogged down in the battles when there is a war to win.

Conference Recap: NAIMUN LX (2023)
In February, our United States Travel Team traveled to Washington, DC, to compete at Georgetown University's North American Invitational Model United Nations (NAIMUN). Now in its fifty-ninth iteration, Georgetown University's North American Model United Nations...

Conference Recap: ILMUNC XXXIX (2023)
In January, our United States Travel Team traveled to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to compete at the University of Pennsylvania's Ivy League Model United Nations Conference (ILMUNC). ILMUNC, known as an elite institution in the high school Model UN circuit, continues...
EDITORIAL

Reminders of Why: Looking Back to Look Forward to 2022-2023
As I look forward to the 2022-2023 school year, I cannot help but look back on what was a memorable year for many reasons. The first year of full-scale in-person Model UN since the beginning of the pandemic, a year-long individual awards rate of over 95%, and the...

How to Handle Last Minute Preparation in Model UN
As expected, I recommend that you start prepping for a conference weeks in advance. Having comprehensive solution sets, knowing your country's policy in and out, giving speeches with a refined understanding of the topic, and displaying knowledge of past failed...

The Diary of a Model UN Binder Delegate
I am unapologetically a binder delegate. I am someone who leverages the research that I’ve compiled before a conference to change the flow of debate during committee in a way that benefits my position. While it’s a seldom-used Model UN strategy, let me explain the...
MOST POPULAR ARTICLES
1
Creative Committee Suggestions
In no specific order, here are some committee ideas. Feel free to share or use them if you’d like! Read More–>
2
My Favorite Things to Pack for Model UN Conferences
Here are a few supplemental items I recommend you bring with you to a conference to ensure success. Read More–>
3
Top Ten Things Model UN Beginners Screw Up
Here’s our Top Ten list of the thing MUN beginners mess up the most at their first conferences. Read More–>
4
Best Ways for a MUN Club to Fundraise
Fundraising is essential to any successful MUN Team. More Money=More people who can pay for a conference. Read More–>
PROFILES
Conference Recap: WUMUNS XV (2022)
This past weekend, our United States Travel Team traveled to St. Louis, Missouri, to compete at the Washington University in St. Louis Model United Nations Symposium (WUMUNS). ...
A Reflection of Contemporary Diplomacy: Rutgers Model UN Focuses on Education
Rutgers Model United Nations (RUMUN) is among the largest and most established conferences in the New York-New Jersey Model UN circuit. Hosted by students from Rutgers University...
Interview with GLOMUN 2020 Secretariat: the Premier Online Model UN Conference
In spite of the coronavirus pandemic, Sophia Hlavaty and Irene Kwon of Philips Andover Academy found themselves rekindling friendships from Model UN conferences. Having made...
American University Brings New Realism to Crisis Committees: Interview with AmeriMUNC Sec-Gen
Rachel Pederson began her work with American University Model UN Conference (AmeriMUNC) as a crisis staffer in her freshman year. In the years following, she filled a number of...
Build Community, Build a Better Delegate Experience: Interview with Notre Dame Model UN
Emilia Castelao, originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, began her Model UN career in college on a whim. What originally began as a fun pastime eventually developed into a larger...
PACMUN Paves The Way for Model UN in the Pacific Northwest: Interview with 2020 Sec-Gen
Pacific Model United Nations (PACMUN) is the largest high school Model UN conference in Washington state, and serves as a cornerstone event for Model UN on the West Coast. The...