Hello delegates! My name is Emma Guo and I am a junior at Mission Viejo High
school with the honor of being your chair for the upcoming UNDP Novice Committee.
Having been involved with MUN heavily since freshman year, I cannot imagine my high
school career without it- a feeling that I wish to share with you at MVHSMUN’s 31st
annual conference. Outside of MUN, I am the Vice President of MVHS Key Club, a
volunteer at Mission Hospital, a member of CSF, secretary of the Let it Be club, and a
candidate for the IB program. I look forward to creating the most interactive and helpful
learning experience possible for MUN that can be possible with your cooperation through
research and giving your best effort, which will help MUN open doors for you to improve
your public speaking skills and build your awareness of global issues. In committee, you
will be debating and forming solutions while collaborating with other delegates. MUN is
a hidden treasure of high school and is an amazing experience that I hope to add to with
this conference. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at
emmacaroni@gmail.com. I look forward to meeting you in committee!
Philippines Typhoon Recovery
Background
Around eight months ago, a tragedy unforeseen unraveled on December 4th, 2012
when the landfall of a violent and nation-changing category 5 super typhoon struck the
Philippines at 160mph; Typhoon Bopha slammed full force into south-eastern
Philippines, shattering both innocent Philippine citizens’ lives and coastal cities and
villages on the Mindanao region. Known locally as “Pablo”, a typhoon of this
catastrophic extent has not been seen since 1812 and over 200,000 homes and more than
1,000 lives were taken as well as mass evacuation of the area totally around 6.2 million
people overall that were affected by this super typhoon. Despite the widespread disaster
of miles of infrastructure and the aftereffects, awareness and media attention has reached
minimal levels compared to level of support needed.
Insufficient funding and minimal awareness has led to less than 50% of the funds
needed to help successfully clean up vast areas of abandoned coastlines which are left
barren and uninhabited. After Typhoon Bopha, the aftereffect of this typhoon continues
to hinder Philippine quality of life. The Philippines needs to rebuild and empower
reconstruction efforts to restore coastline towns. This includes not only finalization on the
clearing of debris, but also the rebuilding of roads, railroads, bridges, and other structures
affected by the typhoon. The recurring issue of disposing the wreckage caused by the
disaster has been monumentally slower than predicted; by reducing the wreckage and
damage in the Philippines and replacing it with towns again, many jobs and homes will
be created along with the decrease of poverty.
Along with architects, town planners, and scientists, a reliable plan that addresses
coastal reinforcements that are not manmade are preferably necessary. The offered
protection of these would be an economically and environmentally-friend method of
defending reconstructed cities.
The importance of rebuilding is not only to replace what was once there, but to
improve upon it. The Philippines hopes to repopulate disaster-stricken areas with more
modernized, technologically and medically advanced areas. Education and health sectors
are vital in these areas to be added because of the lack of medical and educational
availability of schools or clinics. The more that education is integrated into modern
Pilipino society, the more beneficial. Giving the younger generation the opportunity to
enroll in schools is a long-term investment because when they grow up, they will be the
next generation of leaders as well. Many coastal cities have populations of children that
go straight to working in factories or family businesses rather than enrolling in higher
levels of education. The availability of health and education sectors would benefit the
rebuilt society in the future.
UN Involvement: Through the UNDP, it has passed resolutions to assist families
devastated by this horrible Typhoon. The UN has accumulated 48 million dollars to fund
these expensive. This specific plan outlines a way where the country will receive
continuous life-saving assistance and recovery support to around 920,000 people in
Mindanao. Major needs meet include shelter, early recovery and livelihoods, food
security and agriculture, water, sanitation, and hygiene. Overall, The UN has done many
things to aid this tragedy.
Colombia Conflict
Since 1964, decades of war and civilian rebellion between the government of
Colombia and the ELN (National Liberation Army) and FARC (Revolutionary Armed
Forces of Colombia) have devastated Colombia and the civilians. The majority of people
in Colombia are stricken by poverty and the FARC claim to represent them in their
endeavors to fight against the forces of government violence. In 2011, the FARC were
7,000 strong while the ELN was 3,000 strong. The government has had military conflict
with the FARC and ELN for decades, claiming to represent the dream for stability and
governmental order; however, both sides have committed numerous violations against
human rights, drug trafficking, terrorism, and the death toll has escalated to over 200,000
soldiers and civilians since 1958.
In 1920, disputes between peasants and political parties over land ownership
worsened the conflict, escalating into the armed Colombia conflict. La Violencia, military
conflicts between the Colombian Conservative and Liberal Party, was caused by the
assassination of Jorge Gaitan and played a large part in the unfolding of the Colombian
Conflict into the international complicated deadly conflict it is today. Many countries
have been involved since the beginning of this dispute, and the ongoing war between the
government and FARC/ELN has carried on as well as tension and rivalry that have both
refused to submit to the other side for decades. In 2012 and 2013, Colombian civilians
have shown widespread support in various peace protests and processes that hope to end
this conflict.
Along with drug trafficking, both have violated human rights through torture,
assassinations, massacres, and various forms of civilian abuse. The FARC’s funding
comes from a widespread cocaine trade, resulting in millions towards illegal military
rebels fighting the government. The extent of destruction is huge due to the gradual and
unrelenting violent crimes. The Colombian society has had to endure crimes against
humanity as a toll for the ongoing dispute between government and rebel forces.
Progress towards peace in times of the Colombian Conflict could be brought to light
through efforts of connecting peace group societies both within the country and outside
of the country on an international basis either formally with governmental organizations
or informally through non-governmental organizations. The military forces of the two
conflicts need to reach a consensus under the terms that military conflict and drug traffic
be temporarily suspended to reach an agenda of a meeting. Possible solutions would
ideally halt the drug trafficking and explore methods that could work as an alternative to
military conflict and illegal trade.