The Stephen E. and Isabella H. Stevens World Peace Foundation was established by Dr. Stevens in honor of his late wife, Isabella Stevens. Married for over 50 years, much of their life together was spent in Hawaiʻi. Dr. Stevens felt that Hawaiʻi was the perfect location for the world to come together in the pursuit of peace, which he held as his personal mission. The foundation ensures that Hawaiʻi’s high school and intermediate students will become true global citizens with an awareness of world issues and the ability to address them in a peaceful manner.

PacMUN began in 2012 with two committees at the East-West Center at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa. The first PacMUN hosted three schools: ‘Iolani School, St. Andrews’ Priory, and Mid-Pacific Institute, totaling around 100 delegates.

The second iteration of PacMUN was proudly held yet again at the East-West Center at UH Mānoa’s campus.

PacMUN was again held at the East West Center, beginning to grow and develop as a conference. This iteration hosted two committees: UNESCO, on the topic of Addressing Gender discrimination in Education and Using ICT’s (Information Communication Technologies) to Increase the Effectiveness of Education, and SOCHUM, on the topic of Rights of the Child and Rights to Self Determination. This year, PacMUN was under the management of Tina Rawlins.

PacMUN was held at the Waikiki Beach Marriott. Now in its 4th year, we made the decision to expand our enrollment! We invited a few select schools from around Hawai'i, as well as Canada and California. Our goal was to welcome delegates from around the globe. This iteration was under the continued management of Tina Rawlins.

Under the leadership of Secretary General Ben Chao, PacMUN 2016 was the first edition at the Hawai'i Convention Center, and the first to welcome schools from the United States Mainland. Committees from this year include: DISEC, SPECPOL, UNEP, the United States Senate, the African Union, NATO, the Bandung Conference of 1955, UNHRC, the African National Congress of 2007, the State Councils of the PRC, CCP, EOPOTUS, and the United Nations Security Council.

We excitedly welcomed delegates back to the Hawai'i Convention Center for the next iteration of PacMUN!

As the years go by, our conference grows, bringing with it exciting new people and exciting new committees. In addition to GA committees like DISEC and the Commonwealth, we also hosted the Joint Crisis: Syrian Civil War, which included committees representing the United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia, Türkiye, Israel, Iran, and Saudi Arabia.

Among the highlights from this year, the Joint Crisis Committee: United States, Chair Emily Bishko as President Donald Trump “debated” Senator Bernie Sanders, portrayed by the JCC: United Kingdom Chair Jake Steiner, all while JCC: U.S. Co-Chair Yoo Ra Sung moderated. For the first time in our conference’s history, all eight of our Joint Crisis Committees met in one room to debate the Syrian conflict, the topic of our Joint Crisis.

2019 included many committees, including the UNHRC, SOCHUM, the Great Māhele, The Spanish Juntas of 1808, the United Kingdom Cabinet of 1972, the United States Senate, and our JCC, which consisted of Venezuela, the United States, Cuba, Colombia, and Russia. A highlight from the year was the advanced specialized committee, where the United States Senate, like the United Kingdom Committee at PacMUN 2018, used a unique set of rules derived from the real-life U.S. Senate, and the British House of Commons. Director Jake Steiner described this committee as, “a normal Model UN committee that [he] jerry-rigged into an Ad-Hoc.”

Delegates navigated topics such as a woman’s right to choose, the role of technology companies in modern society, and a mysterious avian flu. In the meantime, Senators needed to manage a hectic 2020 election cycle, which saw Howard Schultz run as an independent, no majority in the Electoral College, and a shift in majority in the Senate itself. Finally, by the end of the weekend, delegates managed three independent crisis arcs, involving the secession of the West Coast under King Gavin Newsom, and alternative proposals from the Air Force and NASA for the Space Force.

PacMUN 2020 was the first online-only iteration of the conference in response to the Coronavirus pandemic. Hosted on Zoom, we welcomed 166 participants spanning six committees. It was also the first under the management of Secretaries-General Jake Steiner and Yoo Ra Sung. Committees included UNODC, Disarmament and International Security, the UNSC, the 1918 Flu Pandemic, Iran, and the Cabinet of Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1933.

PacMUN 2021 was the second online-only iteration of the conference in response to the Coronavirus pandemic, with a staff gathered in Sunnyvale, California. Hosted on Zoom, we welcomed 219 participants spanning eight committees. It was the second under the management of Secretaries-General Jake Steiner and Yoo Ra Sung. Committees included the UNHRC, COP 26, the Pacific Islands Forum, ASEAN, and the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue between India, Australia, Japan, and the United States of America.

PacMUN 2022 was the first iteration of the conference after the Coronavirus pandemic. We welcomed back old participants and opened our arms to new friendly spaces, spanning nine committees. It was the first under the management of Secretaries-General Mika Ishii and Anya Prasad. Committees included the Committee on the Status of Women, UNEA, WHO, NASA, the Ukraine Crisis with the Office of the President of the US, EU, Ukraine, and Russia, and our first Ad-Hoc, the Bunroku War of 1592.

2023 would be the second under the management of Secretaries-General Mika Ishii and Anya Prasad. It would hold the largest attendance in PacMUN at the time, and welcomed nearly a dozen schools from around the country. Committees included the WHA, UNHCR, IAEA, Interpol, WEF, Hawai’i Local on Cost of Living, Climate Change and Militarization, and a future-based space committee on the Second International Year in 2057, which featured the US National Space Council, new Pacific Rim Alliance, the Latin American and Caribbean Space Agency, the Chinese Outer Space Affairs Commission, and the Directory of the French First Republic.