BMUN LXXI FAO

  Hi delegates! I hope you have had a smooth research process thus far! As we count down the days until BMUN 71, I wanted to check in to remind you of some important dates, announcements, and opportunities we have for you. Position Papers A reminder that Position Papers are due TONIGHT to be considered for awards! Again, we’d be happy to grant an extension if necessary, just reach out to our committee email faobmunlxxi@bmun.org ! For reference on the expectations and format of your position papers, refer to this page on the BMUN website or our past blog posts. Debate As we near the start of BMUN 71, I wanted to refer you to our Conference Policies page. Here you will find all of our policies on awards, plagiarism, pre-written resolutions, electronic use, dress code, and harassment . Please take the time to read through this page as the maintenance of these policies are critical to ensuring a positive BMUN experience for all– and be sure to email us any questions you may have. I...

Hey, delegates! I wanted to check in on topic B with you all, which discusses the impact of alcohol consumption on the public and society. This topic is constantly changing! I recently stumbled upon an article by Medical and Life Science News that discusses the health benefits observed in the Mediterranean diet through the incorporation of a moderate amount of wine.  The findings are very interesting, as the epidemiological conclusion was that the moderate consumption of alcohol is linked to an array of health benefits, including a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, a diminished prevalence of type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, a drop in death rates by a third, and a reduction in stroke risk.  The article also mentions that these health benefits are only observed when wine is consumed in moderate amounts, which, you will find in the topic synopsis, is not how all of the world prefers to enjoy their alcohol consumption. The article also mentiones that alcohol consumption ...

Hi delegates! I was reading more about Topic A: Reforming International Food Aid Systems and I stumbled upon this journal: "'Food aid is killing Himalayan farms.' Debunking the false dependency narrative in Karnali, Nepal." If you are unable to open the journal, here is the link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305750X18304297 FAO’s topic synopsis greatly explains how the international food aid system has been hurting nations; however, I found this journal interesting because Yograj Gautam explains why the idea of food aid is hurting farms may be false. While reading this article, I encourage you to reflect on what are supportive and hurtful aspects of the international food aid system. By understanding opposing narratives, how can your nation take this new understanding and address the reformation of these systems?  Here are a few points I want to highlight. However, I encourage you to read this article to dive deeper into details.  Condition in...

  Hi Delegates! I wanted to check in with you to provide some more insight to how our committee is going to work at BMUN 71. Again, FAO will be using Standard BMUN procedure .  Our committee will begin by opening a running Speaker’s List (standard speaking time is 1 minute, 30 seconds) and those speeches will be followed by 2 30-second comments by other delegates. This is the default timing for the Speaker’s List and can be amended if agreed upon by the committee. The Speaker’s List can also be interrupted by Moderated Caucuses and Informal Caucuses that give delegates the opportunity to exchange opinions on policy, solutions, and more specific aspects of the topics at hand. In our committee, our dais plans on leaving the flow of committee up to you delegates, so we suggest you come prepared with specific subtopics and policies you hope to discuss! During Informal Caucus time, delegates are expected to draft and write Resolutions  (this will be the only time you can use ...

Hi everyone! My name is Tess U-Vongcharoen and I am one of the vice chairs of BMUN 71's Food and Agricultural Organization. I am a third year majoring in Data Science. In BMUN, I am also part of the External Team in which we manage registration and all things external-facing; you might see me at the Registration Table at the start of conference. Our committee's topics are truly unique and I hope you enjoy discussing these topics in and outside of committee.  Outside of MUN, I am part of the Data Science Society, where we use data science to support organizations in the social good sector. I love to explore the best local eats, spam my phone with pictures of food, swim, and dance. I was a delegate at BMUN in high school, so it is always so exciting to plan for our yearly conference. Can't wait to meet everyone and I hope you have an amazing time at BMUN! one of my favorite coffee shops! bmun 70! im on the left!

Hey delegates! In preparation for the conference we wanted to help you familiarize yourselves with what makes up an effective goal or solution in committee. Typically we like to see solutions that follow the model of a S.M.A.R.T goal. Below is an outline with what that looks like! What is a S.M.A.R.T Goal? A S.M.A.R.T goal is a goal that essentially asks the who, what, where, when, and why of all objectives being pursued in committee. The below definitions and examples of S.M.A.R.T goals are given in the context of a MUN situation. The acronym stands for the following: Specific : Contains details about what the solution aims to achieve.  Example: A country wants to improve access to water in their country. They would specify the regions they are trying to target, the amount of people they are aiming to aid, and what resources they are looking to provide such as wells or water purification tablets.  Measurable : A quantifiable measurement is provided to ensure the goal’s progr...

 Hi! My name is Asheley Wi and I am a freshman at UC Berkeley studying political science. I have been part of MUN for six years and I cannot believe I get to serve BMUN 71 with our amazing head chair and vice-chairs. I am excited to not only chair BMUN, but hear what delegates have to say about our topics!  At UC Berkeley, I am part of the Student Advocate's Office where I serve our students who have problems with the university. I enjoy going on long walks, visiting bookstores, getting acai, and catching sunsets from my dorm. I recently finished reading "The Last lecture", attended Ted X Berkeley, and had some amazing Thai food.  I am looking forward to our committee! 

  Hello everyone, my name is Chloe and I will be one of your vice chairs in approximately 29 days! As prefaced in the background guide I have been participating in MUN since 7th grade and I have personally attended BMUN twice as a delegate, so I could not be more excited to serve on this dias. In addition to my other extracurriculars I love reading Stephen King novels with IT, Desperation, and Insomnia being some of my favorites, and I am a huge Broadway fan. At Cal, I just joined a salsa class and plan to go skydiving next weekend with the Berkeley Skydiving Club so if anyone is interested in the varied activity options available here I would be happy to discuss! Otherwise enjoy some photos of me enjoying food and my dogs, both of whom were trying to escape my love.

Hello everyone! My name is Gaby Ocazionez, and I'm a sophomore here at UC Berkeley studying Political Science. I am excited to be vice chairing the FAO committee this spring. We have planned some amazing topics for you guys that we're very passionate about. We hope our excitement has permeated beyond the topic synopsis and on to you guys! In addition to being a Vice Chair for FAO, I am also a deputy of Outreach here at BMUN. We mainly work on organizing the delegate workshop that takes place every fall, in addition to BMUN outreach sessions throughout the Bay Area.  Apart from BMUN, I am involved with a pre-law organization here on campus. In my free time, I love to discover all of the opportunities that the Berkeley campus has to offer, from volunteering to orchestra concerts. I'm also very passionate about art and browsing museums. Finally, I love to explore new coffee shops and restaurants with my friends whenever I have the chance.  The most wonderful and fun thing that...

  Hi delegates! Just wanted to check in and offer a bit more guidance on your position papers. As a reminder, the FAO will be using standard Position Paper format detailed in the "Committees" page on the BMUN website, here is the link to the format . Besides the general format, we wanted to offer some tips on the research process and the formation of your paper.  Research The biggest favor you can do for yourself in the writing process is to really apply time and effort into understanding the topics beforehand. Luckily, your generous dias has written to key to beginning this process: your synopsis! Not only do we recommend reading this synopsis, but we hope that you will interact with it. Ask questions, make connections, reflect on what you learned. Familiarizing yourself with the synopsis is the key to a smooth research experience.  After reading the synopsis, don’t stop there! This piece is just a stepping stone for the research we hope you will complete. Maybe read s...

  Hi all! We are so excited to welcome you to BMUN 71 and the FAO committee. In this committee, you will be learning about the impacts of international aid missions, food insecurity, transnational corportations, and alcohol consumption, among various topics in the politics and economics of international development . Our first topic addresses International Food Aid Systems . Our second topic addres ses the Impacts of Alcohol Consumption on Public Health and Society . This blog will act as our committee’s more informal avenue for discussion and communication before the conference– and we’d love to see you interact with it! The purpose of this blog is to (1) allow you to actively engage with the content of this committee and (2) give you all the opportunity to learn about other countries’ policies before the debate actually starts. You can post comments on posts that we make and write about literally anything relevant to the topics at hand! For example, if you’ve found follow-up cont...