Crisis Committees

Dear Delegates,

Welcome to BosMUN XI! I am looking forward to an exciting and dynamic conference that will be memorable for all delegates. My name is Hilary Lyons, and I’m a sophomore studying International Relations in addition to other disciplines yet to be determined. I became involved with BosMUN this past February. I worked as a crisis staffer for the joint crisis committee regarding the Falkland Island Crisis. I was instantly addicted to everything related to Model United Nations after BosMUN X.  I’ve attended travel conferences with BU and all of my experiences have been uniquely interesting. Each aspect of MUN has its benefits, but organizing and planning crises is by far my favorite job! Each time a crisis is presented, I am interested in seeing how delegates will react because it gives me a glimpse of how the next generation of policymakers think. MUN is a great way to get high school students prepared for making real-life decisions and BosMUN XI will continue this tradition.

Crisis committees are a more dynamic, fast-paced committee than GA’s or ECOSOC’s. Crisis committees are made up of a relatively small number of delegates that each represent a member of a certain council or policy-making group. The committees are focused around a central problem happening in the world, past or present, and delegates must come to agreements on how to solve the problem in the best interest of their body. However, crises will come at a moment’s notice and delegates will have to re-evaluate the situation with every new update they receive. Updates may consist of a news report, a security brief, an attack, an eyewitness account, or anything else of something that has happened because of the actions or inactions of the committee. Crisis updates keep delegates on their feet and thinking at all times during committee session. Delegates are encouraged to shake up committee by communicating with the crisis room and their fellow delegates through secret communiques and notes.

This year we are featuring seven crisis committees, from LBJ’s Luncheon Group in the tumult of the 1960s, to the present situation in Somalia after years of turmoil and strife. Other committees include the Finnish Council of  State in 1940, recreating the struggle between Fascism and Socialism, the modern day struggle of the Indian government against the Naxalite terrorists, and a historical simulation of the 1989 US invasion of Panama. All these committees were chosen for specific reasons, whether that be for their relevance to present times or their importance in international history. I hope all delegates have as much fun participating in these committees as we have had working on them behind the scenes!

Best of luck to all delegates!

Sincerely,

Hilary Lyons