build Back better: African Infrastructure
The African Union was born three times: in the Sirte Declaration of 1999, the Lomé Summits of 2000, and the Lusaka Plan of 2001. It’s fitting then, that we return to the roots of the organization to bring rebirth to the infrastructure of the continent. Since its first meeting in 2002, the African Union has promoted unity, sovereignty, and economic integration across Africa. Delegates will work with allies, utilizing the skills of negotiation and diplomacy central to General Assembly-style committees. They will explore the political and social tensions related to the construction of roads, railroads, electricity, and hopefully create lasting solutions. At the forefront of debate will be the quality of life of citizens, the role of infrastructure in sovereignty, and of course, building roads, housing, electricity, and water for thriving states. Delegates will need to balance the need for foreign investments while preserving the favorability of nearby countries. Although this is a GA, we are expecting innovative ideas and solutions and we will not hesitate to throw a wrench in the works to move debate!
This is a single-delegate committee. Position papers are not required.
Carter Herron
Chair
Carter is a second-year at the college, majoring in Environment, Geography, and Urbanization and minoring in GIS and Democracy Studies. He is from Morgantown, West Virginia (home of West Virginia University and everyone’s favorite mass transit system, the Personal Rapid Transit). Carter was an Assistant Chair for (Im)patience is a Virtue: Independence of Bougainville, 2027 at ChoMUN XXVII and competed for UChicago’s travel team. He also competed in Model UN for all four years of high school.
Outside of Model UN, Carter is heavily involved with the UChicago Institute of Politics, where he helps run speaker events multiple times a week. He also participates in Quiz Bowl and UCGeo (the geography club), and he serves as the policy director for UCDems. In his minimal free time, he runs along the lakeshore, hikes (mostly back in WV, Chicago is not known for its hiking), practices piano, and plays board games. Carter is very excited to chair his first committee and is looking forward to innovative solutions from delegates.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach him at ctherron@uchicago.edu. Unlike other college students, he checks his email multiple times a day.
Alex fuentes
Chair
Alex is a second-year at the college majoring in Political Science and Business Economics. He was born in the best state in the Union (Ignore our Broken Bridge), in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Within MUN, Alex has participated as an Assistant Chair for the Hybrid Committee, Bougainville, at ChoMUN XXVII and as an Assistant Chair for the Crisis Committee, Botswana at MUNUC. He makes his brief appearances in UChicago MUN Team Practices.
Outside of MUN, Alex participates in the University Student Government, where he sits as the Chair of the College Council. He also spends way too much time at the Institute of Politics at the University. Although he no longer plays an instrument, he keeps up with music developments, attempting to listen to an Album a day, and is most experienced in Main Stream Rap and Pop. Do not get him started on his hatred of Bob Dylan. He knows way too much about the University of Chicago and has worked in the past in local government within his county, and City Council in Chicago as a communications intern.
Way past his prime, Alex enjoys running once in a while and participates in Hispanic Cultural organizations on Campus, as he is the first in his family to immigrate from El Salvador. In his very minimal free time, he plays video games (usually only in the summer) and has only a slight gambling addiction. You can contact him at alexfuentes@uchicago.edu, where he checks my email 3 times a day to manifest internship acceptance letters.
Secretariat oversight:
khristian bass, Under-secretary-general