The International Relations Club show off their award from the North American Model United Nations in Toronto, Canada.

The Dean Bergeron International Relations Club took around-the-world issues and centered them here in Lowell recently. The club hosted the fourth annual UML Model United Nations in early April when 200 participants represented seven committees: NATO, Security Council, Economy and Social Council (ECOSOC), United Nations Development Programme, European Union, Asia-Pacific Economic Corporation and United Nations Human Rights Council.

Model United Nations has students act as U.N. delegates from different countries, addressing today’s hottest topics debating the issues and seeking resolutions through compromise. However, each team must stick to its assigned country’s policies and beliefs while offering solutions.

The participants in this year’s event were students from the Greater Lowell area. The nine high schools that were involved were Chelmsford, Haverhill, Lowell, North Andover, Reading Memorial, Tewksbury, Timberlane, Westford and Whittier Tech.

At this year’s conference, a recent crisis in the Republic of Georgia, located just south of Russia, was a main topic of discussion. A scenario was set up that soon after the Republic decided to join NATO, its president was assassinated and the Russian embassy in the country was destroyed in a terrorist bombing. Russian soldiers were then placed at the Georgia border for precaution. The students had to figure out what to do next.

By providing solutions to these scenarios, both high school and college students learn public speaking skills, as well as problem solving, compromise and the way countries relate to one another.

UMass Lowell’s International Relations Club was founded in 1985 by Dean Bergeron, now a Professor Emeritus in History. Political Science Prof. Ardeth Thawngmaung, the group’s adviser, led them to their fourth Best Delegation award in the past five years at the Annual North American Model United Nations in Toronto, Canada, this past February.

Ten members won a total of 12 individual awards for their performance: Conor Balwdin, Danielle Bennett, Megan Burdt, Cate Coyne, Nate Hekman, Pegah Lasgarlou, Amy Provencal, Edgar Vasilu-Rab, Chris Whitman and Chris Wilkinson.