University of Arkansas Model United Nations Team Photo
Author: Via Bruffett | Major: Marketing | Semester: Fall 2022
Since last March, I have prepared and researched for the Nation Model United Nations (NMUN) Conference held in Washington D.C.. My name is Via Bruffett and I am a senior Marketing major pursuing a minor in economics. My partner, Karla Cruz, and I’s responsibility was to research two topics “Addressing Global Vaccine Distribution Disparities” and “Improving Mental Health Care Access and Resources” to discover possible solutions to these issues while representing the People’s Republic of China in the World Health Assembly (WHA) committee. Although it was difficult in some areas to find ways to solve these international problems from China’s perspective, this course brought me many different skill sets.
For the past several months, Karla Cruz and I have dedicated countless hours to our research as well as editing our position papers. We had over 7 drafts by the time our paper was finalized. Every day in class, we also practiced our speeches for the NMUN Conference. Dr. Stapp, our professor, eventually got us to the point where we felt comfortable speaking in any environment. We would go into the auditorium while fellow students purposefully made distractions while we were performing our speeches. Upon completion, we felt confident that we could speak anywhere. Research wise, I learned a great depth about mental health care and vaccine inequity on a global scale.
The NMUN Conference began during the first week of November. Everything we have worked for since spring semester, throughout the summer, and this semester was eventually put to the test. At the conference, we mostly focused on Issue 1, “Addressing Global Vaccine Distribution Disparities.”
During the conference, some of my fellow colleagues and I formed a group where we would brainstorm solutions and eventually develop a resolution paper. I worked with several other countries, such as: the Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Panama, Brazil, Nepal, Turkiye, Latvia, Chile, Lithuania, Thailand, Costa Rica, and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
While creating our paper with all our ideas for how to solve vaccine inequity, we created three drafts. All of them were inspected by the Dias. In the first draft, the Dias told us that we had a great foundation of resolutions, but to take a deeper dive into the specifics. Our group then decided that we were going to preface a more “financial” based route on our paper. Some of our resolutions featured technological advancements, development of vaccine manufacturing plants, Integrated Planning and Reporting Toolkit created by the ECA, and more. From there, we submitted our second draft. After reflection, the Dias commended us on our hard work and gave us very few edits to make, mostly just on wording. Afterwards, we created our final draft and were the first group out of our entire WHA Committee to submit. Thankfully, each of our resolutions were passed.
This trip most certainly contributed to my professional development. The NMUN Conference taught me how to negotiate. There were many countries that were not able to agree based on certain policies; however, I saw it as my responsibility to step up and find the common ground that everyone could agree on. This not only helped our group progress on our paper, but also bonded us as peers that we were able to come to an agreement on important issues. Networking wise, I now have connections around the world. I had the pleasure of befriending students from Italy, California, New York, Texas, Utah, etc.
When we were not focusing on “Addressing Global Vaccine Distribution Disparities,” I got to know many of my fellow delegates as people. We talked about life, where they grew up, what they studied, their goals for the future, etc. Majority of my peers are currently studying political science, some considering law school in the near future. Despite me being a Marketing major, we all connected very well and found it refreshing that we had different interests. It really helped me personally that I left the conference with many friendships. After we submitted our final resolution paper, each country had to read the document and approve it. The Dias approved as well as our fellow delegations. It was an honor to have each of our resolutions passed. I learned that with hard work and the ability to negotiate, you can get work done efficiently in a fast-paced environment.
During our last day, my partner and I were awarded with the ‘Outstanding Delegate Award.’ This award is voted by peers in your committee. It was an honor to have been chosen by my fellow delegates and friends. However, the awards did not end there for the University of Arkansas. Our university was awarded for 5 Outstanding Position Papers, 9 Outstanding Delegate Awards, and 2 Outstanding Delegation Awards. In total, we won 16 awards, which is over 50% of the given awards. Considering how well we performed, I hope our program receives funding in the future. Despite each of us having to pay, I am very fortunate that the University of Arkansas Honors College provides us with the Work/Travel Grant.
My advice for other students is to fully embrace every moment you are at the conference. It is easy to get overwhelmed by everything going on, but it is important to remember that you are there for a purpose. Through this process, you are given the opportunity to improve your problem solving, public speaking, social, and research skills.
The next big milestone I am focussed on school wise is graduation. I am set to graduate in May of 2023. As I grow older and reflect on my college years, the Model United Nations program at the University of Arkansas will be one of my main highlights. I gained a plentiful amount of friendships, skill sets, and precious memories I will cherish forever.