Yale International Relations Association

This article is about a non-profit student organization at Yale University. For the languages, see Yira language.
Yale International Relations Association
Abbreviation YIRA
Formation 1969
Type Student NGO (Inc.)
Purpose International Relations and Global Affairs
Location
  • Yale University, New Haven, CT
Official language
English
Main organ
Board of Directors
Affiliations United Nations

The Yale International Relations Association, Inc. (YIRA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit student organization at Yale University. Founded in 1969 by a group of individuals who wished to promote a better understanding of global affairs, YIRA's mission is to raise awareness of and foster debate about international relations and global affairs through a number of unique programs.[1] These include the Security Council Simulation at Yale (SCSY); the Yale Model United Nations Conference (YMUN); the Model United Nations Team at Yale (MUNTY); Hemispheres; the Yale Review of International Studies; a series of speaker events; international trips; and several independent initiatives, including conferences in cities across the world (such as Shanghai, Seoul, and Budapest); and the Yale Model United Nations Institute (YMUNI). YIRA also enjoys consultative status at the United Nations Economic and Social Council. With several hundred members hailing from 30 countries and pursuing virtually all courses of study, YIRA is one of the largest and most diverse student organizations at Yale University.[2]

Programs and Initiatives

The Yale International Relations Association runs a number of programs and initiatives aimed at increasing knowledge of international affairs, organized entirely by undergraduate students.:[3]

Past Programs and Initiatives

Model UN Affiliation

YIRA is responsible for a number of Model United Nations programs, including the Model United Nations Team at Yale and national and international Model UN conferences.

Secretariat Structure

Each Model UN conference at Yale is run by a Secretariat, which is responsible for coordinating logistical and substantive aspects of the conference. Each Secretariat consists of a Secretary-General, one or two Directors-General, Under-Secretaries General (tasked with handling one aspect of the conference), and Assistant-Secretaries General, junior members of the Secretariat who assist a specific Under-Secretary General. Committees are run by dais teams, which typically include Directors, Moderators, Crisis Directors, and staffers. In sum, some 150 undergraduates work on each of YIRA's primary conferences, SCSY and YMUN.

Social Activities and Traditions

YIRA members form a close-knit community (sort of), and many social activities and events are held throughout the year. A formal banquet is held each spring and all members in good standing are invited to attend. At the spring banquet, graduating seniors are toasted and give sloppy, drunk farewell speeches. Each month, YIRA also hosts happy hours, which are often themed and serve to facilitate inter-organization bonding. During SCSY and YMUN, YIRA members are invited to a Staff Dinner, which brings together all who have worked on or staffed the conferences. Secretariats also plan bonding activities in the months before each conference, often providing food and drink. Each Secretariat and constituent program also hosts its own social activities; for instance, MUNTY hosts an annual "Seniors' Roast" to roast graduating seniors. Secretariats as well as MUNTY hold initiations and retreats, as well as weekly meetings.

In the early 2000s, YIRA would hold Wednesday night movie, TV, or toasting sessions to foster bonding between members.[17]

Board of Directors and Members

According to campus publications such as The Politic, YIRA is the largest and one of the most diverse student organizations at Yale University, with an email list including over 1,000 members (nearly a quarter of all undergraduate students), and approximately 300 active members.[18] Membership is obtained through staffing either SCSY or YMUN, through involvement in YIRA's constituent programs, or through sufficient involvement with its additional initiatives. Membership benefits include access to trip subsidies, as well as entrance to YIRA Happy Hours and banquets.

YIRA is run by a Board of Directors currently composed of 15 members: President, Vice-President, Executive Director, Treasurer, Secretary, and the Directors of each of the organization's constituent programs. The President, Vice-President, Executive Director, Treasurer, and Secretary positions are selected through an election process in the spring. The heads of constituent programs are selected through internal application processes. Incoming board members officially assume their positions on May 1 of every year. The 2015 - 2016 Board of Directors consists of:

The President of the Yale International Relations Association serves as the face and voice of YIRA and manages the Board of Directors. The Vice-President and Executive Director share oversight of on-campus events, with the Vice President planning and executing recruitment, social events, banquets, and alumni relations (in addition to overseeing international trips) and the Executive Director focusing on guest speakers, IRSY and the annual UN trip. The Treasurer is the architect of the organization's financial operations, managing investments and budgets pertaining to all YIRA-affiliated activities. The Secretary is responsible for keeping comprehensive minutes, producing newsletters for the organization's membership, and updating online material.

Related

References

  1. Website of the Yale International Relations Association. http://www.yira.org
  2. The Yale Politic.http://thepolitic.org/resolved-the-yale-political-union-is-doomed/
  3. About the Yale International Relations Association. http://www.yira.org/yira_overview/
  4. Website of the Yale Review of International Studies. http://yris.yira.org
  5. Honduras Elections Blog. http://honduraselections.wordpress.com/
  6. Yale Daily News. http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2010/dec/02/yira-observes-haiti-elections/?print
  7. Website of BestDelegate.com.http://bestdelegate.com/model-un-rankings/
  8. Yale Daily News. http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2011/feb/22/model-un-heads-to-singapore/?print
  9. Website of the Yale International Relations Association. http://www.yira.org/munty/
  10. YIRA Fall 2010 Executive Report https://docs.google.com/a/yira.org/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0BywQYQV5Ubv6MzZmZmNlZjItNThjMC00MmVhLThlMWUtMmExMzdkZjQ4ZmU5&hl=en
  11. 1 2 Website of the Security Council Simulation at Yale. http://scsy.yira.org/
  12. Website of the United Nations Cyberschoolbus. http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/modelun/links_6.asp
  13. Yale University Office of Public Affairs. http://www.yale.edu/opa/arc-ybc/v32.n17/story2.html
  14. Yale Model United Nations ›› January 23-26, 2014
  15. Yale Model United Nations Korea ›› May 16-18, 2014
  16. Website of the United Nations Crisis Simulation at Yale. http://uncsy.yira.org
  17. Yale Daily News. http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2001/jun/10/debating-for-fun-and-future-success/
  18. The Yale Politic.http://thepolitic.org/resolved-the-yale-political-union-is-doomed/

External links

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