Final Pre-Conference Notes

 Hi delegates! 

This is going to be a longer post, but it contains really important information so please read it through carefully.

First, thank you for submitting your position papers and attending office hours last week! With BMUN 69 just around the corner, I wanted to send out a few final reminders about expectations for committee. Please take a look at this website for the schedule and important links. You'll be able to access the Zoom link for our sessions via Huxley. Additionally, please email me at mukdenbmunlxix@bmun.org if there are any accommodations you'll need (ie: closed captioning).

Day 1 will begin shortly before the Mukden Incident to set the stage and end with the invasion itself. Day 2 will be dedicated to 1932, and Day 3 will focus on 1933. Keep in mind that our goal for committee is to prevent Japan from withdrawing from the League of Nations and prevent another total war like WWI. Unlike in other crisis or GA committees, all procedural matters will require a 3/4 majority vote to pass to mimic the unanimity required in the original League. However, I strongly encourage you to think about structural changes that could make the League more effective. Additionally, remember that colonial territories should be acting as sovereign nations who are still very aware of their colonial history.

I would also like to remind delegates that we will be covering sensitive topics (ie: comfort women, Nazism, etc), so I ask all of you to approach debate in a sensitive manner out of respect for those impacted. Similarly, some of you will represent fascist states with a history of human rights violations. I will do my very best to give content warnings at appropriate times; if any delegate needs to step away during these discussions, please feel free to do so- no questions asked. Just let me know before you do for logistical and security reasons. Also, when we do have these discussions, I hope that you'll reflect not just as delegates in MUN, but also as human beings learning about a "forgotten history." These topics impacted real lives in 1930s/1940s, and continue to have a serious impact today.

Finally, some Zoom-related logistics. You should have access to a Delegate Guide that explains Zoom functions if you are unfamiliar with the platform. If you are able, please make sure that your Zoom is up to date as we will be using the breakout-room function for unmods and reactions to vote. I will be turning off private Zoom messaging, so you should communicate via email or Huxley notes (will be set up soon). As for directives, I will let you know how to send them at the start of committee.

Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions at all or want to brainstorm some ideas for your delegation. You are the stars of this conference! I want to be as helpful as possible during this learning experience. I hope you are all as excited as I am :)

Your Head Chair, 

Isabel Shiao

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