The Genesis of MUN Impact - Part 2 of 2

The genesis of MUN Impact is truly a globe-trotting adventure, ranging from the San Diego Comic-Con to the Movenpick Hotel in Qatar.  Lisa Martin, MUN Impact Executive Director, and Natabara Rollosson, creative producer with decades of experience working with the UN, have a lively conversation recounting the steps that led to the creation of MUN Impact and how it developed into what is today a truly global movement. - Part 2 of 2.

Join Erik Novak in this 2-part episode moderating this fascinating discussion.

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Transcript

Podcast Name: ComMUNiqué

Podcast Producer: MUN Impact

Episode Title: The Genesis of MUN Impact - Part 2

Episode Number: 2

Host: Erik Novak

Guest: Lisa Martin and Natabara Rollosson

Date Published: August 2nd 2020

Episode Description: The genesis of MUN Impact is truly a globe-trotting adventure, ranging from the San Diego Comic-Con to the Movenpick Hotel in Qatar.  Lisa Martin, MUN Impact Executive Director, and Natabara Rollosson, creative producer with decades of experience working with the UN, have a lively conversation recounting the steps that led to the creation of MUN Impact and how it developed into what is today a truly global movement. - Part 2 of 2.

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Erik Novak: [00:00:00] Hello and welcome back to ComMUNiqué. I am your host, Erik Novak and this is the second part of what is thus far, the fantastic dialogue between Lisa Martin and Natabara Rollosson on the origins of MUN Impact. The first part of our conversation, we went over the main sequence of events that led to the idea of MUN Impact to a reality and boy, was it a doozy? So if you haven't yet heard the first part, be sure to do so now so you can better contextualize what's ahead for Lisa, who's MUN Impact's executive director and Natabara who's a creative producer with decades of experience working with the UN. Right now, I wanted to focus a bit on some of the philosophical underpinnings of the SDGs. So, without further ado let's get started. What I found particularly motivating about the SDGs is that the framework works well for a top down approach where governments set the agenda, but it also works incredibly, incredibly well with the grassroots approach, because it seems to be able to empower individuals, showing them that we each are able to actually enact positive change through our own accords and our own community. And that the sum total of all that we do will indeed also cause positive impact within sustainable development as a whole. Do you guys feel that as well? 

Lisa Martin: [00:01:24] Well, I mean, I can only, I can only speak for myself, but yes, I would agree. I think when some people look at the SDGs, they you know, they focus on, on the big 17 goals and are unaware.You know, that what underpin sat are, are all these targets, you know, almost 200 of them and all of those, when you start looking at those issues, those are all issues that affect every single one of us, you know? For, for many of us multiple targets. And so you don't have to go very far to see how all of this relates directly. Did people's lives. And this is why educationally speaking. And from an MUN standpoint, I'm really, really focused at spreading awareness about the targets, because that that's really what is the, the, the engaging things that, that we need to deal with when, within our communities. So, you know, anything that we can do to kind of deepen that awareness, I think is, is really helpful. I, and I also know that some,  educators and even administrators, like the SDGs, because it also gives a bit of a framework to a lot of the service initiatives that they want students to do, whether it's in classes or graduation requirements. And so what's been really heartening is to see how MUN can kind of support,  those conversations and something that I'm hoping over the next couple of years, we can really.

Really deepen because  it is, it's a wonderful framework that I think speaks to all kinds of things that, that we're doing education. 

Natabara Rollosson: [00:03:04] I think the thing about the SDGs that's so special is that it's kind of almost the people's goals because a lot of times it's a top down government, top down kind of exercise of enacting policy and, you know, trying to get change.

You know, from a very centralized point, but in this case,  the SDGs give every individual, every global citizen, the opportunity to participate, to engage, to embrace them. And there's a power in that because, it also gives them a nomenclature, like a vocabulary that they can use. Amongst each other. I mean, that's one of the unifying things about the SDGs is that it gets everyone kind of on the same page before, you know, people were moving in all these different directions, rowing in different directions. Now everyone's rowing in the same direction. And when you give someone the opportunity to participate and embrace things on their own, there's an empowering element. And then they also see how they connect with others and how they can put pressure on politicians and government. Because now they have this language and these ways of framing these issues that they don't have to scurry to find them themselves. They're all there. So it, it enables this global conversation, this global movement to move forward in a much more efficient and effective way. So, when the MDGs were created back in 2000,  there wasn't much fanfare and it took like, it was about seven years in that they started to realize why is that? Well, people are picking this up, they're using the phrase phrases, they're using the language. It's, it's getting put into a policy and, and the little icons they have, they weren't as nice as the SDGs, but they had little icons and they found those to be really helpful, because the visual kind of branding, helps with things. So I think that's why they realized when the SDGs, were first listed, they wanted to get a professional designer on board to really make them into something visual that then people could latch onto and identify with and get excited about. Wear on a tee shirt, you know, so that they carry that message. They, they wear that message. And there's something real special about that. And that's a very unifying thing to travel to another. I was on a train in Kuala Lumpur, going to the airport and up popped the SDGs on the little monitor in the trains. And it was just so special to be on the other side of the planet. And have them kind of spoken back to me, in that way it is it's really magic, 

Lisa Martin: [00:05:58] You know, model UN students have a really powerful role and opportunity to advance these SDGs. One story that really kind of has stayed with me was that I was visiting a school, in Ethiopia. And so it was a leadership Academy. And so, the students are involved in all kinds of projects,  all the time. And as they were sharing with me, you know, beyond their small MUN club that they had just started all the other things that they were doing, everything that they mentioned was directly related, not just obviously to one of the 17 goals, but to actually one of the targets. And I let these girls talk for 20 minutes or so. And I said, you know, do you realize that everything you're doing is part of this massive global agenda? And you know, started talking about the SDGs, which only one student had really heard of and the director of the school later told me, he said, you know, MUN, the United nations is seen as very distant. It's an organization for elites. And he said in the conversation around the SDGs, you made these girls feel like they were part of the solution. And that has always really stayed with me because that is what the UN has tried to do, you know, from a branding perspective is, is so that we all feel ownership of these particular issues.

And so one of my dreams is here over the next couple of years, we really, really help model UN students,  become almost like SDG consultants where they can take this powerful brand, the cool logos and go out and work in their communities to help others see that the work they are doing is actually aligned, aligned with this much larger agenda. And I look here in California where there's lots of work on oceans, for example, but I've yet to see one on, SDG 14 logo, any place. And when I mentioned it, people were simply unaware. So, the brand is powerful. We just have to find a way to communicate that brand because once you do people. Just they, they do. They gravitate to this. And this is where I think model UN students have a very powerful role to play. 

Erik Novak: [00:08:25] Indeed leveraging the willpower of the  MUN community of today in 

order to influence the sustainable development progresses of tomorrow. That's one of the key tenets of MUN Impact and I guess in returning to the whole creation of MUN Impact situation. And how that led to the movement that exists today? You mentioned Lisa that's the day after you talked originally about the possibility of MUN Impact the day after you had a knowledge summit, where you coordinated more structural foundations for MUN Impact.

If you can elaborate a little more on what we discussed that day and what the outcomes were.

Lisa Martin: [00:09:12] You know, I think the biggest outcome of that day, well, there were two, the first was, really the creation of our mission statement. That process was fairly well underway by the time we finished up at the end of our session.

 and the other was that there were a couple people from the UN who were involved in those conversations. And so the upshot of that was, that there needed to be a way to bring this energy and,  You know, support of the SDGs, but, but really the student energy and organization,  to the UN itself. And so that was the beginning of a conversation that eventually,  allowed MUN Impact to collaborate with the department of global communications to launch an MUN summit,  which it was modeled a little bit after the QLC. So,  that was one of the things that MUN Impact. Kind of in its early days was able to help inspire and shape.  and hopefully it's,  the first of many very interesting, very interesting. And I suppose since then, obviously MUN Impact has turned into a movement and has really reached out to thousands of students around the world. If you could briefly describe the sorts of successes that MUN Impact has had, I'm sure this could help our, our listeners better contextualize how successful the move in has been. Well, I think the pandemic,  in a odd kind of way, really,  help to energize this community because really at its heart MUN Impact's always been,  You know, finding those individuals, those MUN delegates who were out in their community already taking action to support the SDGs and sharing their stories and hold them up as examples of what we could all aspire to. So that was kind of the foundation.  but. Well, you know what what's happened since the pandemic is that with everyone now moving their MUN activity online, it kind of became, I don't want to say a captive audience, but for those students that were looking to continue doing MUN,  they found us through whatever word of mouth and social media. And so what we've seen in the last five to six months is just a dramatic increase in our numbers.  we launched an entirely new program called MUN@Home, which was modeled on a, on an earlier online program for middle school students.  and that MUN@Home has now,  moved into a Spanish program. That's being run by partners in Ecuador,  and we're launching MUN at home in Arabic, in September, and then in French, in November. So,  you know, that that's one example of how I think this community has rallied around something that they love and wanting to promote the SDGs, but certainly doing so at a time where,  students are feeling really disconnected from each other and desperately trying to hold on to some form of MUN engagement.  But I think, you know, the, these are still very early days for MUN Impact. Then I think once we kind of get back out into the world again, I think there,  there are a number of things that we'd like to do,  summits and QLC style workshop shops, and other ways that we can engage more directly out in the community cause at the end of the day, this is, you know what we're trying to inspire. We want people out in their communities actually. Working,  to advance SDGs.  so it's a little bit challenging at the moment, but, Natabara what do you think? Because, you know, one of the interesting things also with a pandemic is that we have members on our board, Natabara, is now,  on our board.

 as well as other, you know, kind of longstanding supporters of, of MUN Impact the pandemic kind of locked us all onto our computers, you know, starting in March. And so it kind of brought us together in a way that hadn't happened before everyone, you know, leading their own lives and doing their own things. And so it created a different kind of dynamic at a leadership level for MUN Impact and, certainly I'm sure for Natabara, I gave him a glimpse into something that we all were experiencing for the first time. So Natabara, what was it like to kind of see how, especially with MUN@Home, how this all started to unfold in March and April?

Natabara Rollosson: [00:14:03] Well, yeah, I mean, there's, there's the element of being kind of locked inside, but there's also this element of the need for community and also the need for substantive community, community that's built around something inspiring, uplifting, and dynamic and manifest something positive. So I think when you put those elements together, you have that MUN Impact magic. I mean, one of the challenges we've been trying to, you know, deal with is,  You know, there's always this temptation to try to monetize things. And a lot of model UN online entities that have sprung up are doing just that they're, they're charging money for access. And that's kind of what we call a barrier to entry, because if we keep it free, it opens the door, it keeps the door open for anyone to participate. And that's why we see these beautiful, you know, Students coming from the Soto from Nigeria, from, you know, South AmErika, Asia, all over, just,  keeping that door open and that's what makes it so accessible. And.  meaningful,  for that kind of global conversation. And then, you know, along the way, somehow got this crazy idea to do this global summit, you know, and hats off to Lisa because you, you kind of jumped in, you kinda led the charge on this, knowing what it would take.

And it took a lot behind the scenes and just to see the excitement around it, the numbers also. The feedback we got from UN officials participating, they were just so impressed with the students and their enthusiasm and their knowledge of the topics, their engagement,  for me and others who work at the UN is so encouraging,  to know that eventually every generation has to pass the Baton. But to know that their students in these young ages, comparatively to us,  that are so engaged on these topics,  before they even get out into the world of the workforce and, you know, even the university and all that,  is just so,  encouraging to know that there are. Upcoming leaders that will be able to not only take that torch, but really run with it and make it burn even brighter. 

Lisa Martin: [00:16:39] And, you know, that's, that was also one of the benefits of the QLC. And I'm really happy to hear that, that, that some of that kind of spilled over into the online event as well, is that a, you know, it's, it's great for students to have these opportunities, but when you can bring in, you know, adult professionals, you know, in particular people from the UN, which is held in great, great esteem by, you know, so many of us and so many of our students,  but for, for adults to walk away inspired as well.  for the challenges that we face, these are going to require massive levels of collaboration and knowing that, you know, youth are very active partners, but that they inspire adults. I think that is really, really important. And that certainly was always part of the magic of an event like QLC. And so for that to have translated into an online environment, I think that's, that's pretty special that that was unexpected and, certainly reason to continue doing more online events.

Erik Novak: [00:17:50] For sure to contextualize, our recent summit had participants from over a hundred countries and therefore this speaks very highly to decrease barriers of entry because we were able to have such a large amount of diversity. It was truly inspiring and we're working hard for our next summit to happen in October.

And we intend to eclipse even those numbers, as well as the experiences themselves and truly leave a mark. It's important for our listeners to know so that they too can watch out and see if they would like participate or to check out the results of that summit too. As after all this is, our continued effect. 

Lisa Martin: [00:18:35] And the other thing I would just add that, you know, when MUN Impacts started, the conversation was really about action, you know, taking action in your community and yet we find ourselves right now with, you know, a huge focus on the online component. And while that was unexpected, it has also, I think, proven to all of us that have been building these programs since March, that whatever we're able to do eventually back out in schools and face-to-face events, and initiatives,  this online component is here to stay because there simply is a level of accessibility that has never been possible before,  certainly from an MUN standpoint, but, but just the kinds of conversations that we held at the summit. And so,  I think now,  again, an anticipated we're very much an online program, as well as, you know, hopefully a community,  a community based program. It's just, this happened in an order that I don't think we quite expected, but we'll take advantage of this moment and build this network and continue to do these incredible online events. 

Erik Novak: [00:19:53] Well, the future is our oyster. As we bring this episode of the ComMUNiqué podcast to close, do you, Lisa and Natabara have any closing remarks regarding the origins and start of MUN Impact, things that you feel our audience should certainly know about the movement and the programs? And, where we're headed next in this joyous roller coaster that has been MUN Impact's growth thus far. 

Lisa Martin: [00:20:22] Well, I always say that MUN Impact was in, in many ways a movement that was there, but just needed a name and some direction, young people, at least the, the young people I have worked with in MUN have always wanted to, you know, make an Impact they've been involved in MUN because often their interested in these issues and that interest and awareness carries with them into their adult lives. So I think,  it's gratifying and exciting to see how,  being able to, to put a name to a community and build a movement is really touching a lot of people. And, it feels kind of like my life's dream. I have to be honest,  being able to work and build this every single day is I can think of nothing I'd rather do. And I'm grateful for all the students and all our leaders. And particularly for Natabara, for kind of taking this journey with us and that it is early days indeed but I think there are going to be some very special times ahead for the MUN Impact community.

Natabara Rollosson: [00:21:36] Yeah. I mean, it's, it's just it. I mean, things can just expand and expand. And deepen. And when things do open up a little bit more,  we'll be able to bring that action element to the equation so that we're getting students,  enabled to develop projects in their local communities. And also, find projects that are being built in already in their local communities, but give them that SDG kind of branding and framework so that,  the people doing it, understand how it connects with the rest of the world and also that, action is captured and added to the global efforts to, you know, meet these goals by 2030. So we have 10 years ahead of us. The UN has announced it as the decade of action. So. Let's all roll up our sleeves and get to work. 

Erik Novak: [00:22:36] I'd like to think very deeply and humbly, both Lisa and Natabara for partaking in the podcast, it really means a lot.  And I think it's fantastic to orally propagate your stories to inspire and motivate youth of today in order to become the leaders of tomorrow. And indeed, this is the decade of action. And to start the year with as many challenges as we have, but having overcome them to a large extent as well as we have, I believe that bodes quite well for the years ahead. From a well pleased booth at the 2017 San Diego comic con to the culture leadership conference, to the knowledge summit, to today, a global movement that spans over a hundred countries. It truly seems that MUN Impact has established itself and has a bright future ahead for its endeavors. The only thing missing right now is the Indiana Jones theme song and that movement map showing world travels. So, thank you so much once more Lisa and Natabara. I believe this is the start of something much bigger than any one individual could possibly do. And for our listener, if you enjoyed the content, don't forget to like, follow, share, subscribe and show this podcast to your friends. All of which are pivotal for our continued growth and the ability to continue propagating this oral history of MUN education, the sustainable development goals and the work of the UN proper. This has been ComMUNiqué  and we yield the floor until next time.