Non-Governmental Organizations Programme
The Non-Governmental Organizations Programme is a very unique space at HNMUN: rather than being given the role of a country to play, delegates are assigned an international NGO registered at the United Nations. As NGO delegates, students will be assigned committees within the ECOSOC organ and must find creative, innovative ways to insert themselves into the conversation. Delegates will have brief assignments throughout the duration of the conference which they will report to the committee chair, such as news reports, issue presentations, and the like. This committee is open to all but recommended for more experienced delegates who can effectively assert themselves in a committee setting.
*This committee is application based and selection is competitive. Please only apply if you intend to fully and actively participate for the duration of the conference.
Director’s Letter:
Dear delegates,
After one of the strangest years on record, it is my pleasure to welcome each and every one of you to the newest session of Harvard National Model United Nations! My name is Lexa Brenner and I will be directing what I believe to be HNMUN’s most unique committee: the Non-Governmental Organizations Programme. Delegates from all around the world come to participate in this committee, and it is part of what makes HNMUN such an exceptional conference experience.
This will be my third year working with the NGO Programme. As the 2020 Director and 2019 Assistant Director, I’ve enjoyed being able to operate within a committee that is much more fluid and dynamic than the traditional committee setting. Watching delegates adapt to their new and unprecedented tasks as NGO participants has been rewarding and impressive, and I was inspired to see the same levels of enthusiasm from the virtual NATO committee in 2021.
Delegates should be aware that the NGO Programme is especially challenging. This committee is application-based because it requires bold, assertive delegates who can work their way into conversations without nation-status. In the past, I’ve been impressed by delegates taking initiative, working spontaneously, and being innovative in ways I’ve never seen in Model UN. It’s a true pleasure to see delegates of this quality and character interact within different committees, and it is the primary reason I am looking forward to directing this program once again.
At Harvard, I study foreign policy decision-making, military strategy, and COIN operations. I’m the Editor in Chief of the Harvard International Review and am heavily involved in the Harvard Undergraduate Foreign Policy Initiative. Outside of IR, I love working out and party planning. I’m also an exceptionally proud Texan.
As the NGO director for HNMUN 2022, I want to create a challenging but welcoming environment defined by communication. Three years of HNMUN experience have taught me that communicating with your Director and ADs is critical for positive conference experience, especially within this committee. I’m aware of dynamics that have worked well and less well in the past with NGO and am eager to incorporate this feedback and make this Programme at HNMUN 2021 the best yet. I am very direct and open – I believe in using fewer words to say more, which has worked very well in this committee in the past.
I consider it a privilege to be a part of this incredible annual conference, and I hope you all do as well. I’m looking forward to seeing all of you son!
Best,
Lexa Brenner