European Union
Topic: EU 2016, BREXIT
The year is 2016. Countries in the European Union are facing numerous crises: the ongoing migration crisis, political instability, and economic challenges. However, the European Union will now have to face one of its biggest challenges yet: Britain’s decision to leave the European Union, also known as Brexit.
On 23 June 2016, the United Kingdom held a referendum on its EU membership, with 52 percent of voters choosing to leave the European Union. Many voters decided that the UK should have its own say in its internal affairs, including on issues such as immigration and border control. But no matter the UK’s reasons for its departure, this decision will have extreme political and economic ramifications for both the United Kingdom and the European Union member states. How will the European Union function economically and politically in light of a major power’s absence? What does the UK’s absence mean for larger issues such as sovereignty and bureaucracy moving forward? It is up to you, as delegates of the European Union, to not only answer these questions but to decide how to ensure Brexit is as smooth and equitable as possible for all parties.
Dear delegates,
My name is Dalevyon Knight, but I go by LJ, and it is my honor to welcome you to the European Union at the Harvard Model United Nations (HMUN) 2026 conference. As your director, I look forward to facilitating high quality debate and resolution within the committee. Here is a little bit about me, my Model UN experience, and the conference itself.
I am originally from Fort Myers, Florida, just two hours south of Tampa. I attended Fort Myers High School where I served as the Director of Training and President of the Model United Nations team and competed in several conferences. Within the past few years, I was an assistant director of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) at the 2024 HMUN conference and was the director for the African Union at HMUN China 2025. These incredible experiences encouraged me to continue to involve myself in Model UN by directing the European Union at HMUN 2026.
I selected the European Union as I believe in the power of intracontinental cooperation within Europe. I am passionate about problem solving and innovation, and I know that unique and creative solutions will emerge from this committee. Furthermore, I want us to use this power of intracontinental cooperation to tackle arguably one of Europe’s most interesting and complicated topics within the past decade.
I am currently a junior at Harvard concentrating in Chemistry and History and Science with a citation in Spanish. In my free time, I love escape rooms, reading mystery novels, board games, and spending time with family and friends. I tend to be a person that loves to smile and have positive energy, and I want this same attitude throughout the duration of the conference. I look forward to learning about you all as well, in addition to the innovative solutions that you have to offer to the topic at hand.
As you travel back in time to the Brexit era, you will find that there are numerous aspects of this issue your resolutions will have to consider. In addition, you will appreciate your own country’s role as well as the perspectives of your fellow delegates in how to move forward. The substantive growth you will obtain from this conference, coupled with the collaborative and critical thinking skills you will develop in committee will aid you throughout the rest of your college journey and beyond. My goal is for you to leave the conference feeling satisfied, knowing that you collaborated and traveled back in time with your fellow delegates from across the world in writing a complex yet full resolution, potentially even changing the course of modern European history.
As you prepare for HMUN 2026, please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any questions you may have.
Best,
Dalevyon LJ Knight
Director, European Union
eu@harvardmun.org
Harvard Model United Nations 2026