CISSMUN XIV Theme Explication

We are living in a crucial period in history where we can choose either action or inaction. The decision we make will have widespread effects on those in countries rife with inequalities and conflict, where life and death is separated by the difference of a day. Economic downturn, geopolitical conflict, and environmental degradation are all global risks we face in the coming years. When confronted with this terrifying future, there is one question to consider: are we prepared to face these issues? Those most at risk are not people like you, or people like me, but those living in already precarious situations. They are those separated from us by national borders but live a world away. 

According to the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, the number of displaced people worldwide reached a staggering number of 120 million as of May 2024. This number is only rising due to conflicts in Syria, Gaza, Ukraine, and many other nations where individuals are stripped of their basic human rights. Ongoing wars, human rights violations, and violent persecution are not the only pressing matters, however. From the Turkey earthquakes in 2022, unending droughts in the Horn of Africa, and flooding in South Sudan, the recent upsurge of environmental disasters marks an era of increased climate instability where livelihoods are destroyed and millions are forced to flee from their homes. The UNHCR predicts that by 2050, 200 million people will be displaced annually due to climate crises, bringing the total of climate refugees to 1.2 billion within the next two decades.

With geopolitical conflict on one hand and climate change on the other, those living in precarious situations only face more danger in the coming years. Yet, people like us, who live in areas untouched by these global disasters, seem to be more focused on “the spectacle, rather than the substance”, as written by Journalism professor Danielle K. Brown. Since April 18th, 2024, the pro-Palestinian movement across over 140 campuses in the United States led over 2,500 people to be arrested. As prestigious campuses like Columbia, UCLA, and University of Michigan experience large-scale protests, media coverage and public discourse has increasingly revolved around the debate between different opinions within the nation. In contrast, the ongoing human rights crisis in Gaza has been overshadowed, virtually disappearing from the consciousness of the first-world. 

It is for this reason that we have chosen the theme, “Bridging the Divide”, for CISSMUN XIV. It is time we redirect our attention to the humanitarian issues that plague our globe. Issues that, for too long, have gone unaddressed and unopposed.  

For those who attend CISSMUN XIV, the issues that are faced by millions around the globe can be forgotten with the closing of a tab or the shutting of a computer. Unlike countless others, we have the privilege of choosing ignorance. But for those on the other side of the divide, the topics we will debate about for the three days of CISSMUN XIV are not mere talking points, but realities. Our theme for CISSMUN this year, Bridging the Divide, is one that we must address from the privileged side of the chasm. And for that reason we have a duty to be cognizant of all the plight on this earth, so that, one day, when we become the next leaders of the world, we are able to bridge the gap between peoples and create positive change.

In 2025, we must learn to unite in the face of adversity. From environmental risks to humanitarian crises to ruinous wars, we face multiple threats to our world order. It is now or never. As delegates of CISSMUN XIV, we are choosing now.