Just In Time: Council of Justinian the First, 527

APPROXIMATE COMMITTEE SIZE: 25 delegates

The year is 527, and Justinian I has just completed a remarkable ascension to the Imperial throne of the Byzantine Empire. Born a peasant in Northern Macedonia in 482, Justinian was not a likely candidate to become the ruler of one of the most powerful Empires in the world. Yet through the rise of his uncle Justin, who served in the Byzantine military with such distinction that he became commander of the Imperial Guard, Justinian positioned his family to take the throne. When Emperor Anastasius I died in 518, Justinian helped his uncle Justin seize power, swaying allies and assassinating enemies to allow Justin to use his Imperial Guards to become Emperor. Justinian would then serve as the brains behind Justin’s rule until 527, when Justin died and it was Justinian’s time to take the throne. Despite his tenuous position and the careful maneuvers he has had to make to take power in the first place, Emperor Justinian I is not content to simply sit back and let the Empire run itself. Justinian dreams of a renewed and restored Empire, of reforming the bureaucracy and military, and of reclaiming the West which had only been lost a half-century before. However, these dreams are not without challenges. The powerful Sassanid Empire threatens Byzantium from the east and internal religious and social divisions paralyze Justinian’s empire. It will be the task of this committee - acting as Justinian’s officials, generals, and advisors - to help the so-called “emperor who never sleeps” to achieve his grand dreams, while keeping at bay the forces that threaten the Byzantine Empire. 

CHAIR: Anshuraj Pal

CRISIS MANAGER: Kevin Pirano

ISSUES TO CONSIDER

 Military Conflict and the Reclamation of the West

Healing Internal Divisions

Responding to the Need for Reform

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

  • Experience the difficulties of reforming the government of a highly diverse state, and the various interests that must be sated.

  • Understand the complex nature of state management and how a monarchical system must handle internal dissent. 

  • Experience the unique solutions required to solve major issues in the ancient world, as well as understand the diverse science and technology used in the Byzantine Empire. 

About the Chair

Anshuraj Pal is a member of Georgetown’s College of Arts and Sciences Class of 2027, studying Economics and Government. He calls the great city of Mumbai, India his home. This is his second time staffing NAIMUN, and his first time chairing at NAIMUN! He has also served on the staff of NCSC LI and chaired NCSC LII. In his free time, you might catch Anshuraj watching various sports, ranging from soccer to Formula 1 to basketball (He supports FC Barcelona and his local club, MCFC in soccer, Ferrari, and the Warriors). If he is not watching sports, he has his AirPods plugged in, probably listening to either Lana Del Rey, Radiohead, Frank Ocean or Fleetwood Mac, singing off-key while trying to do his assignments. On campus, Anshu, as he likes to be called, is involved with the Georgetown University College Democrats, GU Politics, and the Georgetown Coalition for Workers Rights. Anshu is incredibly excited to be your Chair, and cannot wait to meet everybody at NAIMUN LXII!

About the Crisis manager

Kevin Piraino is a member of the Walsh School of Foreign Service’s class of 2026, majoring in International Politics and minoring in Korean. Kevin is from Long Island, New York, and no, he does not have a Long Island accent. He is a proud member of GUMUN, Georgetown’s collegiate model UN team, and has served on the staff of NCSC L (NAIMUN’s collegiate sister conference), NAIMUN LX and LXI, as the Under-Secretary-General of Cabinets for NCSC LI, and is the current Secretary-General for NCSC LII. Outside of MUN, Kevin is a member of Georgetown University Club Fencing, where he fences saber and sometimes even wins! In his free time, he is a massive board game nerd (feel free to ask about his favorite games), and loves playing D&D. Kevin cannot wait to CM the Council of Justinian I, and looks forward to meeting all the delegates!