Dear Delegates of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (GA4),
I am delighted to welcome you to this year’s BERMUN2 conference.
This year’s conference theme is “Decolonize.” Scholars, such as Kehinde Andrews, argue that colonialism did not end in the 90s, when many former colonies, especially in Africa, gained independence, but rather that forms of colonialism are still present in our current system. According to him, the West accumulated wealth and promoted prosperity through the brutal and racist exploitation of people in LEDCs, as well as minorities in MEDCs. The aim of each committee this year, therefore, is to look at various aspects of the “rules-based order” and “decolonize” them, in order to ensure more justice and equality for all.
Central to this theme is the question of “Post-colonial Responsibility for Current Inequalities and Injustices in Africa”. When the African continent underwent the process of decolonization in the second half of the twentieth century, Europeans left behind unequal, authoritarian structures and, often, countries that were still heavily dependent upon their former colonizers. In addition, many culturally significant artifacts had been stolen and were stored away in museums in the West. While efforts have been made, scholars argue that the reparations, such as those proposed by Germany for Namibia, are not sufficient to compensate for the colonial genocide Germany had perpetrated. The GA4 will therefore evaluate to what extent countries are responsible for current injustices and how they can best fulfill their responsibility.
On a more personal note, I am 16 years old and currently attend the John F. Kennedy School in Berlin. I’ve been a part of my school's Model United Nations program for roughly four years, and I’m looking forward to the upcoming conference. In my free time, I play three instruments, enjoy reading books, and learn new things about politics and philosophy. I have lived in New York, as well as Windhoek, Namibia. Together, I hope that we will have a productive debate in our committee to “Decolonize.” the liberal world order!
I am very excited to meet all of you in February. See you then!
Sincerely,
Clemens Schmid
