Dear Students, Faculty, and Guests,

On behalf of the Institute for International & Domestic Affairs, I would like to invite you to attend Philadelphia Model United Nations 2009 at the Holiday Inn Historic District in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from 26 February – 1 March 2009. PhilMUN 2009 will afford students the opportunity to become delegates to the United Nations. During the four day simulation, they will debate from the standpoints of the countries that they represent. Given a complex global issue to solve, students will push themselves and each other for an innovative and viable solution. By developing their communication and thinking skills, they will grow as students, as global citizens, and as leaders. The learning environment we provide is professional, exciting, and dynamic and the students will be fully engaged in Model United Nations from the moment they arrive, leaving with the satisfaction that they tackled an issue bigger than themselves.

At PhilMUN 2009, participating delegates will emplore the current trend of "Modernization" throughout Eastern Europe. After the Soviet Union collapsed, many of the states in the region rejected socialist regimes in favor of Western models of liberal democracy and free-market systems. Modernization promises new political freedoms and economic opportunities that had been previously unavailable. There is a widely held perception that implementing western ideals is a quick route to prosperity. However, rapid modernization has brought about new problems that plague Eastern Europe. At PhilMUN 2009, committee topics and discussion will reflect those pressing issues. In search for solutions, the students will become intimately familiar with the concept of "Modernization in Eastern Europe." They will also gain the skills and the insight needed to evaluate the Modernization trend in other regions.

Along with traditional committees, the advanced committees will deal with topics that are closely related to the theme and regional focus. The Council of the European Union will address EU Enlargement. Member states will evaluate candidate states according to the acquis communautaire, the total body of EU law. The students will examine an Eastern European state’s progress towards membership of an international organization that embodies Western ideals. The Historic Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) committee will bring students back to the immediate fall of the Soviet Union. As delegates from different Eastern European states, the students will decide the framework of the disassembled Soviet Union through the formation of the CIS. The students will determine the political and economic relationship of a new Eastern Europe in an effort to understand what it has become today.

Registration for PhilMUN 2009 will begin on 1 June 2008 on the IDIA website. With smaller and more intimate committees than other conferences, Philadelphia Model United Nations offers the unique experience for students to work closely with each other and with staff. Therefore, because of the limited space and high demand, I strongly encourage you to register as early as possible. For more conference information regarding topics and committees, explore the PhilMUN website. I also recommend that you utilize our Conference Outreach program, an initiative that brings experienced staff members to your school to help students prepare for the conference. I eagerly await your presence at PhilMUN 2009 and wish you the best of luck in preparing!

Sincerely,

Audi Syarief
Secretary-General
Philadelphia Model United Nations 2009