By Russell Choy (21A01B), Mikail Firas (21S06E), and Teo Jie Xuan (21S030)
HSTA is more than just a CCA about ideas and speeches—it is about diplomacy. It is about those moments when you find yourself cornered in a tough spot and need to negotiate your way out of the predicament. This is what separates Model United Nations (MUN) from any other debate-centric activity.
Model-United Nations (MUN)
Specifically, a MUN conference gathers a diverse array of youths from multiple institutions, ranging from Secondary school, Junior College, National Service and even to University. It then puts them through rigorous sessions of debate and discussion to settle on solutions to problems, both local and global in scale. Each student takes on the role of a delegate and must represent the best interests of their portfolio.
In this process, conflict tends to arise when different delegates have varying conceptions of how certain problems should be solved, how certain trade-offs should best be made, and thus have vastly different agendas they expect to advance.
Raffles Model United Nations (RMUN)
The standards set by the Singapore Model United Nations circuit are of high international regard. The quality of local conferences such as Singapore MUN (organised by NUS) and NTUMUN have consistently been applauded by overseas delegates.
As one of the few school clubs across the island that specialise in Model United Nations, HSTA is proud to have contributed to this legacy by organising the annual Raffles Model United Nations (RMUN). With an illustrious history of nearly three decades, RMUN was Singapore’s first MUN conference and stands as a respected bastion of academic rigour and professional conduct.
Every member of the club is involved in the organisation of RMUN and contributes uniquely to its success. In so doing, we learn more about the inner workings of Model United Nations, while also having the opportunity to organise a massive inter-school event of nearly 400 participants.
This is where the lessons we learn as a club come into play.
The Club
As a club, we believe that anyone who has the willingness to learn has the potential to excel at Model United Nations. To this end, we aim to guide this process of growth by helping each other become more adaptable, learned, and discerning in approaching current affairs and public speaking.
The MUN simulations we organise provide a safe space for club members to express themselves and to become more confident in their ideas, so that they may be more persuasive in their interactions with those they encounter both within and outside MUN.
Furthermore, beyond preparing the club for participating in conferences as delegates, the club focuses on laying the groundwork for members to lead in their own way. In preparing for RMUN, we ready our members for helming their own committees and departments that they may take ownership of.
Who should join HSTA
Although “History” is in HSTA’s name, taking history as a subject or even having an interest in history is certainly not a prerequisite to joining HSTA. People who benefit the most from HSTA tend to be those who are interested in current affairs and who have a desire to express their thoughts to other people in a persuasive manner.
Whether you are just starting out or have gone for multiple conferences, we assure you that there will always be new things to learn about MUN—and HSTA is here to help you along this journey, wherever you may be right now.