Posts

Introductions: Yasmin Ho

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 Hi guys! I am Yasmin, and I am one of your vice chairs for ADBUD this year. I am half English and half Taiwanese, but I was born in South Africa. I have lived in South Africa for most of my life before moving to Taiwan for two years and then moving to California six months ago. I am currently a freshman at Berkeley. I have not yet decided on my major, but I am thinking about double majoring in Computer Science and Economics.   I have been doing MUN since the sixth grade. But, this is my first time participating in BMUN, so I am really excited about this new MUN experience!  Outside of MUN, I like to try new restaurants and cafes. I have been really into Matcha since moving to California! I also love hanging out with my friends and pets.  Looking forward to meeting all of you, Yasmin 

Evaluating Reform Efforts of Peacekeeping Operatives in Africa

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*TW: Sexual Assult  Through various internal investigations and external reporting, there has been increased national recognition of the role that UN Peacekeeping Operatives play in perpetuating instability and continued human rights abuses in war-torn areas that are just beginning to find stability again. This acknowledgement has motivated various efforts for reform that include the implementation of hybrid peacekeeping operations, budget reconsiderations, more realistic and achievable mandates with flexible timelines, stricter training for peacekeeping staff, and especially attempts to consult and partner with local groups consistently throughout deployment. How these trials for amending peacekeeping operatives of old varies heavily by region.  Taking a look at the more than thirty UN peacekeeping missions that have been commissioned to Africa in the past 70 years, many experts concur that peace operations have both protected civilians and caused harm to the most vulnerable ...

Introductions: Michael Miller

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 Hi everyone! My name's Michael Miller and I'll be one of your vice chairs for ADBUD this spring. I'm a sophomore majoring in mathematics at UC Berkeley with intentions of pursuing a career in software engineering. This will be my 5th year doing Model UN, and my first with BMUN (although I did compete as a delegate in the past).  Outside of academics I enjoy practicing and editing landscape photography and just generally spending time outside. Besides that I really like reading mystery novels and listening to true crime podcasts whenever I have free time. I also love working out, playing games, watching movies, and spending time with my friends. I hope that our committee will be a great learning experience for all of you. ADBUD is structured differently from most committees that I've been a part of by forcing delegates to think about the lasting implications of some of the more common types of solutions used in most MUN conferences. By focusing on peacekeeping and budge...

Introductions: HC Vishnu Arul

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Hello delegates!  Thanks for checking out the blog - I hope you find useful information here to make this committee more informative and helpful! My name is Vishnu Arul and I will be serving as the Head Chair for this year's 5th General Assembly Committee - Administrative and Budgetary, ADBUD for short. This will be my 9th and final year doing Model United Nations. As someone who competed at BMUN in high school, I 100% get the position that all of you are in reading this blog, and wish you good luck at BMUN! It is definitely a rewarding experience if you put in the work. I am a senior studying Economics and Business Administration at UC Berkeley. I have always been a big fan of economic experiments and their ability to find optimal public policy solutions, which is why I have taken up both Economics and Finance while studying. I am Bay Area born and raised, so I have not gone too far from home to attend college. However, after graduation, I will be working in Charlotte, NC in finan...

Introductions: Crystal Choi

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 Hey everyone!  Thanks for stopping by ADBUD 70's blog!  My name is Crystal Choi and I'm currently a junior at UC Berkeley majoring in Political Science with a minor in Public Policy. I was born in Kentucky, moved to Nashville for a couple years, spent most of my life in Seattle, and then lived in South Korea during the majority of the pandemic. Perhaps it was all this moving around that sparked my interest in comparative politics and international relations.  In my free time I love updating my Spotify, hiking, cafe hopping, watching Korean dramas, and going to karaoke with friends. Outside of BMUN I am involved in our student government's through the Student Advocate's Office.  I am so excited to be meeting all of you soon and anticipate being blown away by all your amazing insight. ADBUD is truly a unique committee that will hopefully provide you all with an opportunity to engage critically on your feet and think about resolutions, peacekeeping operations, and...