Preparing for committee can be intimidating, especially if WYOMUN X will be your first conference. While the best way to prepare for substantive debate is to learn as much as you can, it is also prudent to arrange your research into an organized process. To help, this guide outlines the preparation process in five simple steps; if you research thoroughly the topics detailed in each phase, you’ll be comfortably prepared to be engaged in debate at WYOMUN X.
1. Read the Background Guide
After you have been assigned to a committee, your first step in preparation will be to access the background guide for that specific committee. These guides can be found online in each committee’s respective subpage. These guides typically provide general background information on the topic being debated, historical context for the issues, key questions that should be addressed, and a list of positions being represented. For a crisis committee background guide, this list of positions may also be accompanied by descriptions of each individual's portfolio powers. The background guide serves as the launchpad for future research, giving a basic understanding of the situation to facilitate further exploration.
2. Research your Topic
This one's a biggie. Once you have learned about your committee topic in the background guide, you would be wise to compile additional information and knowledge about the topic. Historical precedents, contemporary information, statistics, maps, et cetera can all give you a good idea of what will be discussed in committee, and can be very helpful for establishing the logos of your argument when you’re actually debating. The better you know the substantive points of issue being debated, the more actively you’ll be able to participate.
3. Research your Committee
When you go into a committee, it is prudent to know what exactly that committee’s powers and precedents are. Because there are a variety of committees representing many different organizations at WYOMUN X, this step will yield different results for each committee. For example, while it’s important to know that five states hold veto power in the United Nations Security Council, doing specific committee research for committees that are not copied directly from real life, like the Indian and Nigerian assemblies, will not be as fruitful.
4. Research your Position
Regardless of if you are representing a country, individual, or organization, it is always a good idea to have an idea of who you are representing. If you are representing a nation or organization, you should definitely find information about what that institution’s official position on the issue is, so you can properly represent your nation's or organization’s stance. Remember, in a Model UN committee, you argue for the stance of your country or organization, not for your personal values. If you are representing an individual, it may be more difficult to find out the specificities of that person’s personal background or view, but information on their position and the office they represent can be just as effective. In a crisis committee, general portfolio powers can often be found in the background guide, which will shed light on the general parameters of the things that your position can do. In all cases, the specific stance may need to be interpreted rather than being drawn from an explicit policy statement. If your research attempts don’t yield much in the way of tangible policies, it’s always a good idea to make up for these shortcomings by ensuring your body of general research on the topic is well developed.
5. Write your Position Paper
Writing a position paper is highly recommended for all delegates attending WYOMUN IX. Providing a good outline and valuable tool for committee, position papers are just one page in length and should be quite easy to write with assistance from our position paper writing guide that contains more specific information on the details of preparing a position paper. In brief though, the position paper serves as the culminating point of the preparation process. All the information gathered is distilled down into a concise summary, followed by a detailing of the key components that you (representing your position) would like to see materialize into the way the committee addresses the issue. If you submit your position paper a week before the conference, you will also be eligible to win an award for your writing.
1. Read the Background Guide
After you have been assigned to a committee, your first step in preparation will be to access the background guide for that specific committee. These guides can be found online in each committee’s respective subpage. These guides typically provide general background information on the topic being debated, historical context for the issues, key questions that should be addressed, and a list of positions being represented. For a crisis committee background guide, this list of positions may also be accompanied by descriptions of each individual's portfolio powers. The background guide serves as the launchpad for future research, giving a basic understanding of the situation to facilitate further exploration.
2. Research your Topic
This one's a biggie. Once you have learned about your committee topic in the background guide, you would be wise to compile additional information and knowledge about the topic. Historical precedents, contemporary information, statistics, maps, et cetera can all give you a good idea of what will be discussed in committee, and can be very helpful for establishing the logos of your argument when you’re actually debating. The better you know the substantive points of issue being debated, the more actively you’ll be able to participate.
3. Research your Committee
When you go into a committee, it is prudent to know what exactly that committee’s powers and precedents are. Because there are a variety of committees representing many different organizations at WYOMUN X, this step will yield different results for each committee. For example, while it’s important to know that five states hold veto power in the United Nations Security Council, doing specific committee research for committees that are not copied directly from real life, like the Indian and Nigerian assemblies, will not be as fruitful.
4. Research your Position
Regardless of if you are representing a country, individual, or organization, it is always a good idea to have an idea of who you are representing. If you are representing a nation or organization, you should definitely find information about what that institution’s official position on the issue is, so you can properly represent your nation's or organization’s stance. Remember, in a Model UN committee, you argue for the stance of your country or organization, not for your personal values. If you are representing an individual, it may be more difficult to find out the specificities of that person’s personal background or view, but information on their position and the office they represent can be just as effective. In a crisis committee, general portfolio powers can often be found in the background guide, which will shed light on the general parameters of the things that your position can do. In all cases, the specific stance may need to be interpreted rather than being drawn from an explicit policy statement. If your research attempts don’t yield much in the way of tangible policies, it’s always a good idea to make up for these shortcomings by ensuring your body of general research on the topic is well developed.
5. Write your Position Paper
Writing a position paper is highly recommended for all delegates attending WYOMUN IX. Providing a good outline and valuable tool for committee, position papers are just one page in length and should be quite easy to write with assistance from our position paper writing guide that contains more specific information on the details of preparing a position paper. In brief though, the position paper serves as the culminating point of the preparation process. All the information gathered is distilled down into a concise summary, followed by a detailing of the key components that you (representing your position) would like to see materialize into the way the committee addresses the issue. If you submit your position paper a week before the conference, you will also be eligible to win an award for your writing.