U.S. Ambasador speaks at Iasi Model United Nations Conference

The U.S. Ambassador to Romania, the Honorable Mark H. Gitenstein, spoke to more than 200 high school students Saturday at the opening ceremony of the first Iaşi Model United Nations (IASIMUN) conference at the Gheorghe Asachi University Festivities Hall in Iaşi.

U.S. Peace Corps volunteers partnered with Colegiul National Emil Racovita, the Iaşi Inspectorate, Gheorge Asachi University and Gadeamus Student Culture Center to organize the Nov. 28-30 conference. Model United Nations is an English-language simulation of the United Nations in which students research global problems and propose solutions from the perspectives of different countries.

Gitenstein said the student participants, who came from across Romania, will become "our world's leaders and decision makers." The ambassador also spoke about the close relationship between the United States and Romania.

"As Romania is a great partner of the United States, much of my work is about promoting cooperation and opportunities for us to work more closely and effectively together," Gitenstein told the audience.

U.S. Peace Corps Romania Country Director Ken Goodson, General Inspector Liliana Romaniuc, and Colegiul Naţional Emil Racovita Director Seryl Talpalaru also spoke during the ceremony.

U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer David Pi, who has been involved in more than 12 Model United Nations conferences around the world since 1998, advised the student organizers of the conference.

"The students learned about the countries they represented, the importance of international cooperation and themselves," said Pi, who teaches English at Colegiul National Emil Racovita. "I am immensely proud of all the students who participated and my students who organized the conference. They did some serious, critically thinking about world problems and the solutions they came up with were impressive."

Students debated 12 topics in four committees on political, environmental, human rights, social and economic problems. Students also wrote their proposed solutions in the form of resolutions, which were voted on. Students will also chair committees and decide what topics to debate.

"It was an amazing experience," said Madalina Secareanu, a Colegiul National Emil Racovita high school student who served as the conference's secretary general. "The debate was interesting and challenging. It was exciting for me to meet high school students from across Romania and to see their different perspectives on how to solve world problems."

The IAŞIMUN Press Corps, advised by U.S. Peace Corps volunteer and former reporter Zack Baddorf, published three 12-page newspapers during each conference day, reporting on the activities of the conference. The Press Corps also developed multimedia content for the event's website.

More information is available online at http://www.iasimun.org .

Students from the following cities may be available for interviews: Bacau, Barlad, Botosani, Braila, Bucuresti, Campulung Moldovonesc, Cluj Napoca, Craiova, Galati, Hateg, Iasi, Orsova, Pascani, Piatra Neamt, Pucioasa, Slatina, Slobozia, and Victoria.