Model UN Update - 2/24/10

At Model United Nations today, I experienced my first debate. I think back in November there may have been one that I was unable to attend, but despite my underwhelming history in debate nearly everyone on the team, save the returning members, was clueless as well. I was very excited to learn something new though, so I was willing to give it my all, even if it wasn't that much.

The topic we were debating was the Hamas massacre in Syria. Globally, this is a very important issue because the resolution entails a firmer definition of genocide. People have been debating whether or not this Hamas massacre was genocide, and today after school we became the most recent group of people to continue this debate. We were split up into two sides, one claiming that the Hamas massacre was genocide and the other claiming the opposite. I was claiming that it was.

The debate really was a lot of fun. I was a bit intimidated at first because of my lack of experience, but everyone took the debate rather lightheartedly despite the severity of the topic. We really just wanted to focus on teamwork and learning the necessary skills for debate. Prior to the debate, we were given some time to talk with our side in order to construct a good argument. My side worked collaboratively together to express the definition of genocide and then explain how the Hamas massacre fit that description. We worked very cohesively as a team. Besides this, I developed new skills in debate. My arguments weren't very refined given that it was my first attempt at debate, but I learned how debates would work, and I learned key terms that could be exercised.

During this specific debate, I was forced at times to consider the ethical implications of some of my opinions. While debating that the massacre was genocide, I had to slander the names of the troops that committed the act. I still support the idea that this was genocide, but if this debate actually realized global decisions or definitions, I could feel terrible about having declared a person to be an instigator of genocide if they were under orders that they had to blindly follow from a superior. I'm just glad that I wasn't on the side that believed the Hamas massacre to be a mere accident or coincidence and not at all genocide.