Introduction

The Resolution Project (“Resolution”) seeks to help young global leaders involve themselves in social entrepreneurship, international relations, and sustainable global development. Resolution is a not-for-profit organization, 501(c)(3) pending, founded in 2007 by a group of internationally-minded individuals who wish to awaken a sense of civic and social responsibility among young leaders around the world.

Among the strategic goals of Resolution are:

• To make a positive impact today, while developing socially-responsible, global leaders of tomorrow;
• To accept the responsibility our generation holds to solve global problems;
• To encourage our friends, our communities, our employers, and our governments to be socially-responsible, civic-minded citizens of the world; and
• To develop innovative, effective and lasting solutions, bringing together academia, governments, not-for-profits, businesses, and individuals from around the world.

In order to achieve these goals, Resolution is developing several specific initiatives (see below), leveraging its roots in the Harvard World Model United Nations Conference, as well as the talents and networks of its Board of Directors and alliance partners.

Resolution’s Launching Pad:

Harvard World Model United Nations Conference

The Founders of Resolution are alumni of Harvard’s World Model United Nations Conference (“WorldMUN”). This conference is organized by a core team of Harvard students, in partnership with a different large non-U.S. university each year. The first WorldMUN was held in 1992 in Miedzyzdroje, Poland. Subsequent conferences have taken place in Istanbul, Belo Horizonte, Heidelberg, Sharm el-Sheikh, Beijing, Geneva, and Puebla, among other cities. Over the past 16 years, the conference has grown from 100 delegates to nearly 2,000 delegates from 172 universities in over 80 countries. WorldMUN delegates are a self-selected, internationally-minded, and highly-motivated group of college and graduate students.

At a WorldMUN alumni gathering in 2006, the founders of Resolution discussed how to take the energy and fervor generated by WorldMUN each year beyond the last day of the conference. Thus, Resolution’s initial programs are focused on leveraging the WorldMUN delegate base and existing infrastructure to achieve its stated goals and provide a valuable and exciting set of programs to the WorldMUN community. Over time, Resolution will expand beyond WorldMUN, but its affiliation to the conference provides an unparalleled launching pad and access to a key target audience.

Programs of The Resolution Project

The Resolution Social Venture Challenge

In March of 2009, Resolution launched its first full Social Venture Challenge (“SVC”). The SVC is a global competition designed to identify and support teams of young people whose ideas offer the best solutions to pressing international problems, both local and international. Founded in conjunction with Ashoka, the SVC rewards outstanding innovation, initiative, and enterprise in myriad fields among the participating WorldMUN delegates. In addition, the SVC affords these participants the opportunity to form a global community of young socially-responsible leaders whose ideas are creating real change. For more information on the SVC, please refer to the SVC website.

We awarded Resolution Fellowships and funding in 2009 to the following four projects:

IT Empowerment in Rwanda is establishing an Internet café in rural Rwanda, which provides free IT training and classes. This will allow local farmers to check weather and learn new techniques, while the youth will have the opportunity to seek out educational and employment opportunities beyond their village.

Unidas is helping to bridge the gap between a women's shelter in Mexico and microfinance institutions that can empower them to break the cycle of poverty and violence.

Green Garbage is working to launch a pilot recycling project at their university as a precursor to securing support and funding for a recycling business to help clean up the overwhelming amount of trash in the streets of Caracas.

UCABMUN is launching a MUN conference in Venezuela dedicated to urban youth and students in public schools. Their organization also provides the students with training and education on international affairs.

WorldMAP: The WorldMUN Alumni Project

At WorldMUN Geneva in March of 2007, Resolution introduced the WorldMUN Alumni Project (“WorldMAP”), the centerpiece of which is a social networking site that keeps attendees of WorldMUN conferences connected. Through the WorldMAP site, which currently has a total of 2,000 members from over 50 nations, Resolution is working to grow a network of internationally-minded, socially-motivated entrepreneurs and future leaders. For more information on WorldMAP, please refer to the WorldMAP website.

Alliance Partners and Sponsors

Resolution has found synergy with leaders in international development, strategy, and social enterprise. These alliance partners and sponsors have proven critical to Resolution’s first two years. Resolution is committed to strengthening these relationships and expanding its group of key institutional relationships.

• Ashoka joined with Resolution in 2008 to provide logistical support, practical expertise, and a guiding hand in piloting the Mini-Case Challenge and in preparing Resolution for its first full-scale Social Venture Challenge at The Hague in 2009.
• Harvard WorldMUN has provided Resolution with its initial audience and a launching pad for its programs. Resolution traces its roots to WorldMUN and intends to maintain a mutually-beneficial and fruitful alliance with the conference.

For all inquiries, contact Resolution at info@resolutionproject.org. To make a donation by credit card, please click below.