Go(a) Away! The Goa Inquisition


goa@ucbmun.org


"Goa is famous for its Inquisition, equally contrary to humanity and commerce. The Portuguese monks made us believe that the people worship the Devil, but it is the monks themselves who have served Him" - Voltaire. It all started in the year 1510 C.E., when Portugal conquered the beautiful coastal province of Goa, India as part of its ambitions to dominate the Indian Ocean trade. Common to the contemporary colonial mindset, the Portuguese set about converting the locals to Christianity. However, things soon took a violent turn with the establishment of the Goa Inquisition — an extension of the Inquisition established in Portugal 25 years earlier, which itself was inspired by the Spanish Inquisition. The ensuing years would witness violence and atrocities against Jews, Muslims, and particularly Hindus in Goa, along with attempts to root out their native culture. Will you be able to change the fate of Goa to preserve Indian heritage and the harmony of religions?




ANYA SHAH

Chair

Dear Delegates,

Hey everyone, I'm Anya (she/her)! I'm a junior studying Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and maybe Political Science, and I'm from Santa Clarita, CA (it's where the SoCal Six Flags is, if you're familiar!). I'll be your Chair for the Goa Inquisition committee at UCBMUN; it's an important topic to me due to a lifetime of seeing Indian history misrepresented, my firm belief in the celebration of diversity, and a hope that this might convince my parents to take me to Goa the next time I visit India. I want to see all of my delegates be spontaneous and diplomatic, but I also wouldn't mind a little healthy backstabbing and a few witty puns. Outside of MUN, I like coding cool things, stargazing, learning languages, poring over books, and drinking lemonade. I look forward to meeting everyone and hope you all have a great conference! :)

Cheers!
ANYA SHAH
Chair, Go(a) Away! The Goa Inquisition


ARHANT GHANTA

Crisis Director

Welcome delegates! My name is Arhant Ghanta, and I am very excited to be your Crisis Director for Goa Inquisition at UCBMUN XXVII. I am a sophomore from Boston, Massachusetts intending on double majoring in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Political Economy, with a possible minor in Linguistics. I have always loved both STEM and the humanities, especially world history. I cherish exploring underrated and under–discussed topics in history in particular, and believe that learning about such topics is important for becoming a better informed global citizen. Indian history in particular has often been overlooked and misrepresented despite its vast array of fascinating empires, leaders, religions, and cultures. The Goa Inquisition brings together many important themes of human history and I cannot wait to see you all bring this intriguing period of India to life! Outside of school, I enjoy reading, running, studying languages, traveling, and trying new recipes. I look forward to meeting in the spring!

Best,
ARHANT GHANTA
Crisis Director, Go(a) Away! The Goa Inquisition