BMUN LXXI SOCHUM

 Hello delegates!  Hopefully, everything is going well. To help prepare for the conference, here are a few key terms to remember for Topic A. Understanding and researching these terms will help you substantially throughout next weekend! Key Terms:  Stigma: a generally negative perception associated with a particular belief, circumstance, or group of people. Related to the topic, people with disabilities receive unfair treatment by society due to a condition they cannot control.  NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations): NGOs are charitable organizations that conduct operations outside of the realm of any government. Some prominent examples of NGOs include the Red Cross and Doctors without Borders. NGOs are crucially important for the stigma-reduction of disabilities because of their ability to organize grassroots efforts at a very local level, which may be difficult for governments to effectively do.  Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) : Community-based rehabilit...

Hey everyone!  In the previous days, I stumbled upon an interesting read related to the hardships Venezuelan immigrants are finding along their search for better lives. I thought It’d be helpful to share this information with you, fellow delegates, so feel free to give it a quick read here ! Here’s a general overview of the article’s main takeaways: Refugees currently established in countries such as Colombia, find themselves competing for attention with the country’s own internal crises, which have spiked poverty and gang violence as byproducts of the COVID-19 pandemic. A report published by Amnesty International has determined that Women, who make up at least half the Venezuelan migrant population, are vulnerable to gender-based violence along migration routes and where they settle. Xenophobic sentiment toward Venezuelan immigrants has been on the rise. Former Peruvian President Pedro Castillo serves as a prime exam...

  Hi delegates! BMUN is just around the corner, so I wanted to revisit the pinnacle document of committee: your resolutions! Before we even get into the details of your resolutions, the format and jargon about resolutions can be quite confusing (boooo), but not to worry! BMUN has a Resolution Structure document, linked here , that covers all the teeny tiny details of these papers.  When turning your solutions into operative format, we want you to keep the SMART goals in mind: S - Specific , what exactly is this operative trying to achieve? M - Measurable , how will you know when this operative is successful? Are there any specific points that will make this solution more quantifiable? A - Attainable , is this solution genuinely possible? Is that clear in your operative? R - Relevant , will this operative positively contribute to solving this problem? T - Timely , when do you expect to achieve this solution by? Are these time-constraints reasonable? When in doubt, refer back to...

  Hi Delegates! I wanted to check in with you to provide some more insight into how our committee will work at BMUN 71. SOCHUM 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 which will then be presented to the committee during a F...

  Hi delegates! Just wanted to check in and offer a bit more guidance on your position papers. As a reminder, SOCHUM will be using standard Position Paper format detailed in the Topic Research page on the BMUN website . 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 dais 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 some additional case studies, loo...

Hi Delegates!  My name is Cameron Kalantar, and I'm one of your vice chairs for BMUN 71's Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee. I am a senior at UC Berkeley majoring in Business Administration and minoring in Global Poverty and Practice. With this marking my fourth and final year at BMUN and UC Berkeley, I am incredibly excited and looking forward to having a fantastic committee.  Outside of BMUN, I am involved in the Haas Student Government and 180 DC, a consulting club on the Berkeley campus. I also xenjoy cooking, going on hikes, going into the city with friends, or skiing in my free time.  I am excited to meet you all soon! And if you have in questions, please feel free to reach out.  Best,  Cameron Kalantar

Hi everyone! My name is Shaan Pathak, and I will be one of your vice chairs for BMUN 71's Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee. I am a freshman from Chicago, intending to double major in Economics and Legal Studies. Over the years, I've become passionate about the intersection of law and business and hope to delve deeper into the fields after college.  This is my first year in BMUN, and 5th year participating in Model UN overall.  Outside of BMUN, I am also a member of Delta Consulting at Berkeley, an ed-tech consulting club focused on utilizing technological innovations to reduce accessibility gaps in the education sector. In my free time, I love working out, playing sports, trying/cooking new food, and hanging out with friends.  I'm super excited to meet everyone in March and look forward to hearing substantive debate. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out!

  Hi delegates! We are so excited to welcome you to BMUN 71 and the SOCHUM committee. In this committee, you will be discussing the intersection of disability and poverty, stigma, and more as well as the intersection of the COVID-19 pandemic on ongoing conflict and refugees in Latin and South America. Our first topic addresses the Stigma-Reduction of Disabled Individuals in Developing Countries. Our second topic addresses The Effects of COVID-19 on Refugees in Latin/South America . 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 foun...

Hi everyone!! My name is Jaina Doshi (she/her/hers) and I am beyond excited to serve as one of your Vice Chairs for BMUN 71's Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee! I am currently a freshman intending to double major in Psychology and Public Health on the pre-medical track. Specifically, I am passionate about mental health advocacy and creating greater access to health services in low-income communities. This is my first year in BMUN, and my seventh year being involved in MUN. Outside of BMUN, I am also involved on campus in the ASUC Mental Health Commission, serving in the external department. In my free time, I love to explore new coffee shops, go on hikes, and make jewelry. I look forward to seeing the collaboration facilitated throughout the debate, and meeting you all in person! Feel free to reach out if you have any questions, and most importantly make sure to have fun and be confident in your speaking abilities:) 

Hi everyone!  My name is Karishma Patel and I will be your head chair for BMUN 71's Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee (Third Committee). I am so excited to see you all in March! In this post, I'll share a little bit more about myself! Please check out the other introductions of my brilliant and inspiring vice-chairs as well!  I'm currently a second-year majoring in Sociology and minoring in Public Policy on the Pre-Law track. I am super interested in topics related to human rights, sustainability, public health, and neocolonialism. If any of these topics interest you, I'd love to answer any questions or talk more about them!  Outside of BMUN, I am a Policy Coordinator and Caseworker for the ASUC Student Advocate's Office (like Sanaa!) where I provide free and confidential aid to students navigating problems with the university. I am also a part of another Model UN conference, NHSMUN, where I am the Director of SPECPOL (please let me know if you will be at...

Hello everyone!  My name is Diego Huezo (he/him/his) and I will be one of your Vice Chairs for BMUN 71’s Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee. I am a sophomore from El Salvador  majoring in Computer Science at UC Berkeley. I have always been driven by the crossroads between technology and economics. More specifically, am highly interested in the improvement of financial accessibility within underdeveloped communities through technology. This is my second year and BMUN and have also been a Vice Chair for the SPECPOL committee. Outside of BMUN, I love spending time outdoors, surfing with my friends, and listening to music.

  Hello hello! My name is Sanaa Sodhi and I’m a sophomore studying Political Science with a concentration in International Relations and a minor in Public Policy. I’m so excited to get to know you all as your Vice Chair of SOCHUM! I’m extremely passionate about international topics related to human rights so I’m very interested to see how our topics play out in committee. Both Topic A and B are relevant and nuanced topics. I’m especially interested in seeing the unique solutions that delegates will work towards in committee.   This is my second year being involved in BMUN and MUN overall. This year I am the USG of Publications for BMUN 71 so if you’re interested in learning about graphic design/marketing or overall logistics involved in running the conference feel free to reach out to me!  Outside of BMUN, I am a caseworker for the ASUC Student Advocate’s Office and am on a dance team called Danceworx. In my free time I love spending countless hours on the BART, hiking in...