Build-your-own-committee: The Zapatista Autonomous Municipalities, 1994
Welcome to the Zapatista Autonomous Commune! In the Mexican state of Chiapas, tensions have finally boiled over. Various left-wing groups have been pushed into revolt by the enactment of the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994, leading to sporadic fighting against the state government. The initial fighting is now over, with the Mexican government having pulled out of the region and the people finding themselves now on their own. The question now looms: how will they organize themselves? Will they be able to resist the temptations of power, or will the ambitions of individuals once more triumph? In this committee, delegates will simulate the founding of a true anarchist commune. Delegates will be able to take part in the organization of the committee itself, working to build the very rules and systems they will participate in. Will committee be able to decide (collectively!) upon a system to include everyone? Or will it fracture under disagreements? All of that, well, will be up to you!
This committee will operate under conditions determined by the delegates in the room–all levels of crisis delegates are encouraged to participate and are welcome! Specifics for committee expectations are expanded upon in the background guide.
ashley cross
ChaiR
Ashley Cross is a third-year studying Political Science with a concentration in International Relations, and additionally studying Near Eastern Language. She grew up on a farm in Selkirk, a small town in Upstate New York. Prior to this year, Ashley was a Chair for the Large GA on Information Ethics at ChoMUN XXVI, and an AC for the crisis committee Tonga Time. She was also previously a member of UChicago’s travel team for a year. In her free time, Ashley is a part of UChicago’s Public Policy Leaders Program, an exec of Delta Gamma Sorority, and does voice lessons. She also runs half marathons (she doesn’t claim to be good at it though), and will often be seen late at night plotting hypothetical trips with friends or spiraling about the meaning of life. Feel free to reach out to Ashley at amcross@uchicago.edu if you have any questions, concerns, or just want to have a cutesy conversation.
cissy choy
Crisis Director
Cissy is a third year student from Shanghai majoring in Data Science and Creative Writing. She was an assistant chair on Ad Hoc ChoMUN XXV and Crisis Director for ChoMUN XXVI's China in the Warlord Era committee. She is extremely excited to be your Crisis Director again for the Zapatista Commune. Outside of MUN, Cissy is involved in MUNUC, UChicago's high school MUN conference, researches for Chicago's Center on Democracy, and debates with her poet friends about the superiority of prose. If you have any questions leading up to the conference or found a particularly funny meme about anarchy, feel free to contact Cissy at hychoy@uchicago.edu.
Kevin Yao
Crisis Director
Kevin is a Fourth Year at the University of Chicago majoring in Philosophy and Chemistry. Coming from Vancouver, Canada, Kevin will absolutely add a “u” to every word possible and loves maple syrup. He has, however, absolutely no clue what poutine is so people please stop asking. He is involved with the MUN traveling team at UChicago, as well as MUNUC for high school students. In last year’s ChoMUN, he was a CD in the Warlords committee, and got to be the physical manifestation of an entire city. Kevin has been involved in MUN has been a part of my life since middle school. Besides MUN, he mostly spends his time getting frustrated at the writings of dead old German dudes and pretending to people that he still does theatre. He is super excited to be a crisis director for the committee; if there are any questions please feel free to reach out at: Kevinyao@uchicago.edu
Secretariat oversight:
aoife stapleton, Under-secretary-general