AFRICAN UNION, 2005 CE

 
 

TopiC: The Darfur Conflict

The year is 2005 and the violence in Darfur has been terrorizing Sudan for the past two years. The Sudan Liberation Movement together with the Justice and Equality Movement have been fighting against the government, and many crises have emerged as a result.

For one, the Sudanese government has been accused of the ethnic cleansing of Darfur's non-Arab population. As a result, many refugees have fled to other nearby states, forcing these states to adapt to their increasing populations. In addition, many governmental institutions including state governments and international bodies have little to no faith in the African Union to resolve this issue as the Union is a relatively new body - only three years since its inception in 2002.

Ultimately, this is a critical test of Africa’s ability to assume responsibility for regional crises. Succeed, and it could enhance the international community’s ability to halt future catastrophes in Africa. Fail, and the necessity and legitimacy of international bodies come into question. The future of Darfur and Africa as a whole relies on you.

 

Dear delegates,

My name is Dalevyon Knight, but I go by LJ, and it is my honor to welcome you to the African Union at the Harvard National Model United Nations (HMUN) 2025 conference. As your director, I look forward to facilitating high quality debate and resolution within the committee. Here is a little bit about me, my Model UN experience, and the conference itself.

I am originally from Fort Myers, Florida, just an hour south of Tampa. I attended Fort Myers High School where I served as the Director of Training and President of the Model United Nations team and competed in several conferences. This past year, I assistant directed the Organization of Islamic Conference(OIC) at the 2024 HMUN conference. These incredible experiences encouraged me to continue to involve myself in Model UN by directing the African Union at HMUN 2025.

I selected the African Union as I believe in the power of intracontinental cooperation. The African Union is often overlooked, but I believe in the power of regional bodies like the African Union in solving their own multifaceted issues. I am passionate about problem solving and innovation, and I know that unique and creative solutions will emerge from this committee. Furthermore, I want us to use this power of intracontinental cooperation to help reduce political tensions within Sudan.

I am currently a sophomore at Harvard planning to concentrate in Chemistry with a secondary in Global Health and Health Policy and a citation in Spanish. In my free time, I love escape rooms, reading mystery novels, board games, and spending time with family and friends. I tend to be a person that loves to smile and have positive energy, and I want this same attitude throughout the duration of the conference. I look forward to learning about you all as well, in addition to the innovative solutions that you have to offer to the topic at hand.

As you travel back in time to the War in Darfur, you will find that there are numerous aspects of this issue your resolutions will have to consider. In addition, you will appreciate your own country’s role as well as the perspectives of your fellow delegates in solving this war. The substantive growth you will obtain from this conference, coupled with the collaborative and critical thinking skills you will develop in committee will aid you throughout the rest of your college journey and beyond. My goal is for you to leave the conference feeling satisfied, knowing that you collaborated and traveled back in time with your fellow delegates from across the world in writing a complex yet full resolution to one of Africa’s most unstable regions.

As you prepare for HNMUN, please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any questions you may have.

Best,

Dalevyon LJ Knight

Director, African Union

au@harvardmun.org

Harvard Model United Nations 2025