The 42nd annual Port Townsend Model United Nations (TownMUN) convened April 23-24 at Port Townsend High School, marking the culmination of over two months of diligent preparation by its participants. All seniors in the Contemporary World Problems class spent weeks becoming experts on the countries they represented and delving deeply into significant global conflicts.

This year’s TownMUN centered on three critical global issues: the ongoing war in Ukraine, the tensions in the South China Sea and Taiwan involving China, and the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. These topics served as the focal points for intense discussion and debate among the young delegates.

The two-day conference kicked off with an opening ceremony featuring a speech on working across cultural boundaries to find consensus by Judge Brandon Mack that set a collaborative tone for the proceedings. Following the ceremony, students broke into committees, where they engaged in negotiations and debated potential solutions to the issues. Each committee was tasked with drafting resolutions that could, in theory, address and potentially resolve the conflicts discussed.

“The goal of the Model UN is not just to debate but to collaboratively craft resolutions that offer real-world solutions,” explained teacher Benjamin Dow, the coordinator of TownMUN for the past 16 years. “The experiential nature of the process also just really drives students’ learning and understanding to depths you don’t see in day-to-day classroom work.”

“Representing a relatively neutral country on my committee,” said senior Tadelech Dollarhide, “I realized the only way to gain peace was through mutual collaboration and reconciliation.”

“And letting people who really understand an issue, the experts, figure things out,” added delegate Mateu Yearian.

The conference was characterized by its high level of professionalism and the depth of understanding displayed by the students. Proposed resolutions were debated, and through a process of merging and amending proposals, the committees produced and voted on a series of resolutions that represented a consensus on potential solutions.

Students and faculty from throughout the high school joined the proceedings at times as audience members. “TownMUN never fails to fill me with hope for our future,” observed teacher Nancy Zamberlin. 

“I remember watching TownMUN my sophomore year and thinking I could never do that,” student-delegate Fin Watson remarked, “so I was really proud of myself that I was deeply involved in the debate and really understood all the issues.”

Several observers noted the excellence of the Russian Federation delegation in their ability to defend the Russian point-of-view diplomatically. Russian Federation student-ambassador Indigo Gould made closing remarks that silenced his critics, while staying true to his message of hope for a peaceful future.

In preparation for the conference, students engaged in a rigorous study of their assigned countries, striving to understand not only the political and cultural background but also each nation’s perspective on the issues at hand. 

The Model United Nations at Port Townsend High School continues to be a significant educational event, preparing the next generation of leaders with a deeper understanding of global issues and the intricacies of international relations. As the world grows more interconnected, the skills these students develop at MUN are becoming ever more crucial.