September 12th, 2011
Tucson, AZ – The Arizona Model United Nations (AzMUN) is pleased to announce that is has been named as one of the first recipients of the Award for U.S.-Mexico Cross-Border Cooperation and Innovation by the Border Research Partnership, a group comprising the Woodrow Wilson Center Mexico Institute, the North American Center for Transborder Studies (NACTS) and El Colegio de la Frontera Norte (COLEF). According to the NACTS website, the award is granted to those entries that “embody the spirit of bi-national collaboration, deeply engage regional stakeholders, and enhance the lives of residents on both sides of the border.” The AzMUN is based at the University of Arizona and is the only awardee working in the states of Arizona and Sonora.
“It’s a really exciting time to be a member of the Arizona Model United Nations.” says James Vancel, AzMUN’s Secretary-General, “not only did we get recognized earlier this year at the Clinton Global Initiative University, but now we’re getting another national award for our work. I think it speaks tons to the incredible capacity that students have to make a difference in their communities.”
The AzMUN, an organization run entirely by students, is being recognized for its work in promoting international education, cross-border dialogue and relationship-building among high school students, college students and educators. It is a body of work that has spanned nearly half a century and has been accomplished mainly through the organization of an annual conference. During this conference, high school students take on roles as foreign diplomats and debate issues of international significance, learning lessons about civics and diplomacy along the way. This last years’ conference, the 49th annual, assembled over 400 students, two-thirds of them from Arizona and a third from Sonora, Mexico.
The award ceremony will occur during the Border Governor’s Conference to be held in Ensenada, Mexico on September 29th. The Governors and representatives from the various Border States will all be in attendance.
For more information please contact:
Francisco Lara Garcia
Undersecretary General of Public Information
flara@email.arizona.edu
(480) 277-0464