A Nation Behind the Palms: Palmares Quilombo, 1600s
Single Delegate Crisis Committee
palmares@uclamun.org
Committee Summary
Deep in the jungles of 17th century colonial Brazil, the fugitive city of Palmares is locked in a struggle for survival. Founded by fugitive slaves, the once-small community has burgeoned into a city of more than 20,000. All is not well in the jungle refuge—the Portuguese colonial forces are growing increasingly hostile. The very existence of Palmares is at risk…
Growing tensions give way to full-blown crisis when the King of Palmares, Ganga Zumba, is assassinated during a revolt led by his nephew. Zumba had made a compromise with the Portuguese that the hardline faction saw as a non-starter, and it cost him his life.
Leaderless and directionless, the political elites of Palmares must act. The fate of Palmares hangs in the balance—threatened on one side by internal strife, on the other by the growing aggression of the Portuguese. If this remarkable community is to survive, the inner-circle of Palmares must unite behind new leadership and identify a strategy to secure their community from outside threat. Time is of the essence…
Meet The Staff
Matthew Holroyd
Chair
Welcome to the Jungle!
My name is Matthew Holroyd, and it is my pleasure as chair to present LAMUN XX’s Palmares Quilombo: A Nation of Fugitives. I am a fourth year at UCLA, where I study philosophy and political science. I am from the great state of Washington and a PNW man at heart.
I began my MUN career in high school chasing after a girl, and I am now staffing LAMUN for the third time. For me, MUN has always been about friendships. I was brought back into MUN by one of my good friends, and I have added many more along the way.
Outside of club, I spend my time playing tennis, fishing, reading about history and government, and rooting for the Seattle Mariners. I enjoy a good walk with a good podcast (shoutout Ezra Klein).
I am very excited to spend the next few days with you all exploring the challenges faced by the remarkable community that is Palmares. To me, Palmares is an inspiring example of the fierceness of the human spirit. Against all odds, and against unimaginable brutality, the citizens of Palmares found a way—they carved out a life for themselves in the Brazilian wilderness through sheer force of will and ingenuity. This committee challenges delegates with the mandate of protection of this great community and the survival of the ideals it embodies, but also with the balance between the two—often, there is tension between idealism and pragmatism. It will be up to the delegates to steer Palmares away from disaster—only time will tell whether they succeed. I am anxious to see what our delegates come up with. April cannot come soon enough.
Sincerely,
Matthew Holroyd
Chair | Palmares Quilombo | LAMUN XX
Emma Joyal
Crisis Director
Hello my amazing committee members,
My name is Emma Joyal and I am very excited to be your Crisis Director for LAMUN XX for A Nation Behind the Palms: Palmares Quilombo. Currently, I am in my third year at UCLA studying international development studies with two minors in Arabic and Middle East Studies. I plan to apply for law school, and I am looking to join the Peace Corps when I graduate. I was born and raised in the Midwest, but now, I live in sunny San Diego, California.
Fun fact: I never did MUN in high school. Another fun fact: I love that I got to learn to do it in college. My high school never offered Model UN, but UCLA did, and I will not lie, it has provided me with so many opportunities and allowed me to meet some of my best friends, including the chair for this committee, Matt!! I promise whether this committee strikes you as a cool topic or if you just happen to run across this letter, this committee will be such a good time full of intense conversations surrounding one of history's many complexities: A nation of fugitive slaves. I hope to offer you the ability to be comfortable in MUN, and at the end of the day, I hope we can just offer you an experience that will make you return.
To allow you a little glimpse into who your Crisis Director is, here are some interesting things about what I do when I am not a CD. I take pride in the fact that I am well-versed in almost every sport with a ball; this includes watching and playing sports. I really just enjoy staying active, including rock climbing, especially since coming to college. I enjoy watching video essays, and when I am not doing homework or finding an excuse to have a movie night with friends, I will be working at a pie shop.
I am so grateful to be able to share a committee with you that encompasses a different aspect of history that we normally do not delve into. I think that this committee will offer a chance to learn much more about the complexities of Brazil’s culture. Moreover, I am already predicting that this committee will provide useful skills in navigating the economic, political, and social aspects of creating civilization. Whether you are a history nerd or you like complex thinking, this committee will push the bounds of what normal conversations provide. We will provide ways to explore the negative impacts of colonial powers whilst recognizing the perseverance of a group of people that manifested into a civilization built on resistance. Matt and I can not wait to have these conversations and explore the way you think history could have gone. We are waiting on the edge of our seats till we meet in April!
Sincerely,
Emma Joyal
Crisis Director | Palmares Quilombo | LAMUN XX