Sens. Brenner, Duson welcome Maine Model United Nations Conference Leadership Team to Maine State House
AUGUSTA – Earlier this month, Sen. Stacy Brenner, D-Scarborough, and Sen. Jill Duson, D-Portland, welcomed University of Southern Maine student leaders that serve on the Maine Model United Nations Conference (MeMUNC) Leadership Team. This year, MeMUNC is celebrating its 25th anniversary. The program was founded in 1999 in collaboration with USM and the Maine Chapter of the United Nations Association-USA.
“I’m proud to honor the incredible work and heritage of the MeMUNC Leadership Team and their contributions to our state,” said Sen. Brenner. “MeMUNC offers a unique outlet to simulate different nations and viewpoints on the issues facing the international community and provides students with understanding of the complex nature of international relations. MeMUNC develops important skills such as research and writing skills, as well as the capacity to understand where another person is coming from and to be able to negotiate with, share perspectives and come to a solution that is amenable to everyone involved. To the MeMUNC Leadership Team both past and present, I extend my heartfelt congratulations and gratitude. Your dedication and hard work serve to enrich the lives of students and educators alike.”
“It is an honor to celebrate the quarter-century anniversary of the USM Maine Model United Nations Conference,” said Sen. Duson. “I’d like to give a special shout out to USM Professors Dr. Timothy Ruback and Dr. Rebecca Davis Gibbons, who serve as co-directors for the conference. Their dedication to fostering dialogue and collaboration among our youth is commendable and deserving of our praise. As we celebrate this milestone, let us reaffirm our commitment to the diversity of thoughts and opinions and renewed understanding that we all should work to protect fundamental human rights.”
MeMUNC is an annual three-day conference hosted on the USM Gorham campus for upwards of 300 high school students from across Maine and New Hampshire. The program is led by USM political science student who research the background guides and train in parliamentary procedure under the guidance of their peers on the MeMUNC Leadership Team to lead the various committees during the conference. This year, the Leadership Team is comprised of: Secretary-General Yasmin Idow, Deputy Secretary-General Olivia Dufour, and Under Secretary-General’s Sanjay Tucker, Rozhan Sabeti, Antonio Gomez, Lily Carson, Maddie Weston, Paige Ravencraft, Tyler Harris and Emma Adler. A few of this year’s committee topics include: Intergenerational environmental justice, relocating civilians in times of war and maternal health. Professors Timothy Ruback and Rebecca Davis Gibbons serve as co-advisors for MeMUNC. MeMUNC is the oldest and only United Nations simulation conference for high school students hosted in Maine.
From left: Sen. Stacy Brenner, D-Scarborough, Madelyn Weston, Rozhan Sabeti, Yasmin Idow, Sanjay Tucker, Lily Carson, Tyler Harris