Are Fictional Crisis Committees Worth It?

By Margo Petersen, WMUN Resource Staffer

11 February 2021

The Hunger Games, Star Wars, Marvel, the zombie apocalypse. Lots of conferences offer these kinds of fun, casual crisis committees set in fictional universes with decidedly unrealistic topics. They are definitely fun, but are they really relevant to Model UN? Some people argue that Model UN is a place for learning about pressing real-world issues and gaining important knowledge about the world we live in. However, while the knowledge gained is a major aspect of the value of MUN, it isn’t the only aspect. Model UN also develops vital life skills, including evaluating information, public speaking, seeing things from other perspectives, and maybe most importantly, diplomacy and the ability to compromise. In addition, MUN is about finding a community of people with different backgrounds and perspectives but similar values of learning and open-mindedness.

Fictional crisis committees don’t teach delegates about current events or global issues, but they provide an environment to develop the skills and community that are so integral to Model UN, without delegates needing to spend hours preparing. For this reason, they can be a great way to introduce new delegates to the different structure of crisis committees or to let busy delegates take part in conferences and keep practicing their MUN skills without intense research and preparation.

Fictional committees can also serve to get new delegates excited about MUN. Sometimes, the promise of international politics or human rights abuses isn’t enough to spark interest in Model UN. Committees set in pop culture universes, on the other hand, will likely engage more people. After participating in a fictional committee, these delegates may be more interested in Model UN in general and will be more willing to try committees addressing real issues.

That being said, in order for delegates to get the most out of Model UN, fictional committees should be treated as a supplement and not a replacement for traditional committees. Learning about the world around us is a vital part of Model UN, and fictional committees don’t allow for that. Also, traditional committees are better for developing some of the previously discussed skills, like researching and the ability to effectively evaluate information or the ability to step into another perspective and potentially argue against your own opinions.

Overall, fictional committees have plenty of benefits that justify their presence in conferences. While delegates should participate in a variety of committees to experience all that MUN has to offer, fictional committees are absolutely worth it.