We recently sat down with Kevin Warman, instructor for CTD's new online course focusing on the United Nations (UN). Kevin is a 2017 Teach for America Corps Member and graduate of Baldwin Wallace University. This past summer Mr. Warman taught Introduction to Genetics at the Center for Talent Development Solstice Program. He currently works as an intervention specialist in Cleveland, Ohio. He is passionate about teaching both natural and social science. Below are highlights from our conversation.
The United Nations, or the UN, serves as the world’s primary organization for diplomacy and peacebuilding.
The UN’s role in the modern world has changed over the years but continues to promote cooperation among states in many areas other than just peace and security.
One can even argue that the UN today serves as an aspirational goal for a more peaceful and harmonious world. An example of this would be the UN’s disaster relief efforts and their work to end the spread of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons. The UN also partners with member states to alleviate poverty, sponsors women’s empowerment programs, and promotes international law and norms.
Personally, I think the United Nations is important because it allows states to work together on projects that they could not likely tackle on their own. In the Model UN course, we will take a closer look at the evolution of the United Nations and debate its role and importance. However, I really want my students to do their research and form their own opinion about why United Nations is important in today’s modern world or why they might not think it is important.
Sure! The study I worked on, the solar panels feasibility study, is a great example of sustainable development, which is one of the UN’s topic areas.
This idea of sustainable development is of huge interest and is carried out by many bodies within the UN. For instance, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs works to help member states meet their economic and social goals, and the United Nations Development Programme works with people to help build nations that can withstand crises.
Going to even more specific areas of sustainable development, the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization, UNICEF, UNESCO, and the United Nations Environment Programme all work toward a brighter future for people, the environment, and the economy. In my class, we will explore sustainable development, arms control and regulation, international law, women’s empowerment, education, and much, much more!
Students can learn a lot from participating in Model UN! I have seen students improve their public speaking skills, critical thinking and writing abilities, their general understanding of the world, and get better at problem-solving. Through participating in Model UN and this class, students will be able to see world challenges through their own eyes and think with the mindset of the country they choose to study.
Great question! Although I first learned about Model UN when I was in high school, my school sadly did not offer it as a program, so I did not get to participate until I was in college. I first joined Model UN after taking a class on the United Nations. This was one of the most difficult classes I took as an undergraduate studying political science. However, I had great friends in the class and a teacher who expected excellence and was willing to help us reach it.
After taking this course, I ended up first participating in Model African Union where I represented the Republic of Kenya on the Peace and Security Council. I had such a positive experience at the Model African Union conference that I decided to join Model African Union. The following semester I joined Model UN. Now, I can proudly say I am teaching the Model UN class. I am ecstatic to be able get students thinking of Model UN and the United Nations. I hope that they will have as much fun learning about it as I do teaching it.
My experience as a Model UN delegate was fascinating and probably not what you might call traditional. I represented the United Kingdom on the Security Council. For this council, you represent your state during the year that has been selected, which for me was 1973.
You have to do your best to reenact how you think your representative would act given the circumstances. At that time, the United Kingdom was facing major financial troubles, a new Prime Minister, and was deep in the fog of the Cold War. Our crisis covered the Yom Kippur War, which threatened to not only further destabilize the region, but also pull the larger powers into a possible war! At times, the debates were fierce, but as a council we managed to have fun.
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