Chad Fasca

Faculty Advisor

This year’s conference marks my third official experience with the model United Nations program at Senzoku. I’ve been impressed with the level of diligence and sophistication displayed by the students in the planning and implementation of the JMMUN conference. Each year, students delve into complex issues that weigh heavily on the lives and futures of millions of people, amassing a wealth of evidence and understanding in the process. I find it inspiring to see students at the junior high and high school level engaged in this level of discourse and in mobilizing their peers to make lasting change in the world. The model United Nations program fulfills a vital role in the shaping of the lives of young people as global citizens, providing an impetus to peer beyond national boundaries and cultural barriers. While students in classrooms can easily perform research on the climates, customs, and conundrums of communities worldwide, MUN participation demands that students take this intellectual endeavor a step further by encouraging them to dwell within the data of another land and see the world through a new set of eyes. The value of this act is profound on two levels. Foremost, students must address and, perhaps, overcome their own preconceived notions about other cultures. More intimately, students develop their capacity for empathy by recognizing their limits of their own perspective and the challenges faced in other locales. Given all that MUN represents, I am excited to be a part of this year’s conference and the JMMUN Press team. I look forward to a fascinating and illuminating conference in 2023.