Journal

10/12 Journal 1- On the first day of MOAS, we started to write the first draft of our resolution on how to stop drug trafficking in the U.S. I worked with Mr. Mullaney and some of the other members of MOAS to get the format of the resolution. We worked in one of the rooms in the school on the computers. We got into the school and started researching and drafting the resolution for about an hour. I thought it was a good first day, we got the format down and all we need to do is put the research into the draft and figure out a realistic way to stop it.

10/19 Journal 2- On the second day of MOAS meetings, we came up with questions to ask the delegates in the U.S. government who are in the actual OAS about our topics. I worked with the other committees to discuss realistic ways to fund the task force that our delegation is going to create to stop the drug trafficking across the border of Mexico and the United States. Also, a possible creation of a multi-billion dollar industry of marijuana if it was to be legalized, diminishing the drug trafficking but not stopping it. I thought the second day was a little harder than the first, i am being faced with hard decisions of how to stop the drug trafficking because the U.S. is so involved in it already and has many supporters for both sides of these arguments.

10/26 Journal 3- On the third day of MOAS meetings, we worked further with our resolution figuring out what exactly the U.S. has done to diminish the trade of guns for weapons, which is virtually none. The U.S. has vetoed many laws that would keep a better track of military weapons and would make it a lot harder to sell military style weapons to dangerous members of cartels. I worked with the other members of MOAS to decide that the U.S. should bring back those laws which would in fact help out the Mexican Government in their war on drugs. I thought the third day was very productive because I finished the first draft of the Resolution and got a better understanding of what the U.S. has done and hasn't done to help out Mexico take out their drug cartels.

11/23 Journal 4- On the fourth meeting of the MOAS delegates, we got our first drafts back with our revisions. We worked this day to finish the revisions and get our final draft ready and in the right format to make the first book of resolutions to be debated on by our committees. Our delegation had a couple issues with our resolution because some things we said went against the OAS law, so we had to rephrase the point and create a more democratically sounding resolution. I thought this meeting was very productive in the fact that it is getting us finally ready for our resolutions to be finished.

11/30 Journal 5- On the fifth meeting of the MOAS delegates, we went over the parliamentary procedure for the debates. We had to know how to address questions and know to make sure all questions are not loaded, meaning they are not a yes or no question. Although throughout the debates this may be broken, all the delegations have to stay respectful to the other countries delegates to make sure there is no bias on the resolutions.

12/1 Journal 6- We are off to Washington D.C. for the opening ceremonies of the 29th D.C. MOAS Conference. When we get there we are all in our western business attire and ready for the opening ceremonies to begin. This is mostly a day to find co-signatories for the resolution, once a resolution gets five co-signitories than it can be debated. The general committee in front of everyone opened up the debate by setting the rules for the debate. Once these rules are set we heard speeches from the people running the MOAS and a guest speaker who was the second chair for the U.S. in the real OAS. After we tried to find more co-signitories for our resolution.

12/2 Journal 7- The first day of debating starts off early as usual. It is going to be a long day of resolutions, the first resolution is debated on and the bitterness between countries begin. Some countries are starting off the day by making enemies very soon, but our delegation stays diplomatic in everything we say. Our committee was a very serious committee and made resolutions tough to pass seeing as only one resolution passed the entire first day. Thats 8-10 hours of debating around 12 resolutions and only one passed. It then seemed like a longshot for our resolution to pass, but we needed to find some co-signitories first.

12/3 Journal 8- The second day of debating starts off just where the first left off. Not many resolutions were being passed, but the debate was remarkable on all of the resolutions. During the first half of the day we got our resolution's five co-signatories, marking off a good half of the day, our resolution was to be debated on in the second half of the day. When the second half comes around, we are prepared. We have our speech ready and we start. Our speech lightens the mood of the committee while focusing on the main points of the resolution and what specifically it will do to help all the countries of the Americas with the drug and weapons problem. We recieved many questions on how our resolution would entail help, but with some quick rebuttles we tried our best to prove the point. Other committees helped in their co-signitories speech because it would increase the amount of money and stop the violence in places all over the world. Our resolution was the only one to address the issue of weapons that are coming out of our own country. After a long and tough debate it was time to vote and unfortunately our resolution did not pass because of some vagueness in the points. The count was 11 for, 16 against, and 3 abstentions. After the second half rapped up it was done committee debating for the year. All the hardwork has paid off in good debate and unfortunately ours did not pass but we put up a fight and it was very close to fighting.

12/4 Journal 9- The last day of the MOAS conference was a tough one. We had to see all the friends we had just made leave to places all over the U.S. The final resolution was debated in general committee and the head of all the committees made comments on all of the committees and the debates she saw. When she was talking about second committee she brought up our resolution and how it had great ideas and the debate was a tough, long debate and unfortunately it didn't pass. But it showed how even though ours didn't pass it had an effect on the MOAS because it had good ideas and was heald in long debate that people from all committees had heard about it. It was a good conference and it was not be forgotten.