Yugo, I Go, We All Go to War: The Croatian War of Independence, 1991
The Cold War is over—or so they say. The Berlin Wall has fallen, Eastern Europe is in upheaval, and Soviet influence is crumbling from Prague to Bucharest. The Autumn of Nations promised a wave of democratic change—but now, in the Balkans, that ideology has unleashed something else entirely.
Yugoslavia, once a mosaic of republics held together by Tito’s iron hand, is falling apart at the seams. In June 1991, Croatia declared its independence, sending shockwaves through the region. The Yugoslav People’s Army—backed by Serbia—has responded with force. Croatian cities are under siege. Villages are being emptied. Civilians are caught in the crossfire.
The international community can no longer stand by. As the United Nations Security Council, you must decide the world's response. Will you impose sanctions, send peacekeepers, or risk military intervention?
This is not just a regional conflict—it is a test of the new world order. In the ashes of the Cold War, can peace be forged, or will Croatia come to lay the decimated foundation for a novel global theatre of war?
The world is watching. History is waiting. The balance of peace lies in your hands, Delegate.
This will be a double-delegation committee.
Ryan Brennan Ryan
Chair
Ryan Brennan Ryan (He/Him) is a third year at the college majoring in Political Science, while minoring in Inequality, Social Problems, and Change. He reigns from the great state of Pennsylvania, repping Philadelphia wherever he goes. As an avid member of the team, Ryan is a competing member of the UChicago travel team, chaired a crisis committee at CHOMUN XXVII, and moderated multiple committees for our high school conference. However, he’s not just a one trick pony - Ryan is also involved in college improv comedy, works at an on-campus woodworking shop, and constantly pursues sidequests exploring Chicago.
In his free time, Ryan enjoys biking around, producing music, and aimlessly reading Wikipedia articles. He is excited to be your chair, so feel free to reach out with any questions or general inquiries about life at drbrennan@uchicago.edu.
Rhea Kanuparthi
Crisis Director
Rhea is a third-year majoring in Political Science and Mathematics. She’s from Allen, Texas—which is really just Dallas if you ignore the lack of urbanity. She is a long-suffering fan of every Dallas sports team and anything that drives really fast. Within Model UN, Rhea is the Vice President of the UChicago travel team and has CDed the UNSC for CHOMUN XXVIII and our high school conference!
Outside of Model United Nations, Rhea works at the Existential Risk Laboratory at UChicago, studying how nuclear weapons can potentially end the world. She also loves to cook incredibly spicy Indian food, watch hours of Sunday Football, and indulge in dramatic but nostalgic Indian movies.
Feel free to ask her about the greatest moments in cricket history or the cheapest coffee places in Chicago! Reach out to Rhea at rheakanuparthi@uchicago.edu.
Aaron Wang
CRISIS DIRECTOR
Aaron (he/him) is a second year at the college majoring in Molecular Engineering. He is from New York City and feels most at home when surrounded by incoherent yelling, belligerent honking, and other white noise. Aaron got into MUN Assistant Chairing for CHOMUN XXVII and he couldn’t get enough! He’s just joined the team as well, so look out for him on upcoming circuits!
But off the circuit, he loves to dip his toes in anything creatively, intellectually, or physically challenging he can. He writes music on guitar, piano, and computer, he scours used-bookstores for great catches (on a big Shakespeare kick as of late), he performs improv comedy, he gyms and runs, and he researches at a mechanobiology lab at NYU in the summers. Right now he’s most focused on exploring his major, learning Chinese, and learning to cook.
Please approach him about any serious questions, or comments, or anything lighthearted, like a favorite movie. Aaron can’t wait to be your CD, and you can find him at aywang27@uchicago.edu!
Secretariat oversight:
Zoe Zhu, Under-secretary-general