Maxwell students win Distinguished Delegation at Model United Nations competition

A team of 16 international relations majors from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, led by adviser Francine D’Amico, captured the Distinguished Delegation honor at a five-day Model United Nations (MUN) event in New York City this past spring. The honor marks the first time the Maxwell contingent has won a delegation prize. The competition features three levels of awards: Honorable Mention, Distinguished and Outstanding.

One of the delegates from the team, Leah Moushey, was named Outstanding Delegate in her committee, Economic and Social Committee for Asia & Pacific (ESCAP).

The students, who were assigned to represent the Republic of Kazakhstan during the simulation, began preparing in January with weekly workshop sessions. They researched the United Nations system and the foreign policy of Kazakhstan and practiced negotiation and resolution-writing skills. As one Maxwell student says, “I remember thinking to myself how thrilled I was to actually be a part of something that has the potential to improve today’s living conditions around the world.”

The National Collegiate Conference Association, a non-governmental organization associated with the U.N. Department of Public Information, sponsors the MUN. Photos and more information about the Maxwell team’s experiences are available at http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/MUN.aspx.