Specialized: Free Britney
The year is 2021, everyone is slowly returning to their normal lives and watching Squid Games. But for superstar Britney Spears, her “normal” is living restricted under the conservatorship of her father, Jamie Spears. Jamie controls not only Britney’s finances, but her own autonomy. After a series of outbursts, the court granted Jamie Spears conservatorship, but thirteen years later, Britney claims that the arrangement has devolved into abuse. Taking to the courts, we will address the history of mental health issues and decide how to free Britney.
For WINMUN VII, our Specialized committee will be #FreeBritney. In this non-traditional committee, delegates will debate similarly to a GA, address updates akin to crisis committees, and pass directives and resolutions. Delegates will represent Spears family members, lawyers, and celebrities involved in the case. Our committee picks up in June of 2021, after Britney asked the court to end her conservatorship, stating “I truly believe this conservatorship is abusive.” Her father, on the other hand, states that his conservatorship has helped Britney live a stable life and that his influence is essential to maintaining Britney’s mental health.
We will come together in this non-traditional committee to address the issue in a non-traditional way—by FUSING three topics together! Delegates will spend the duration of the committee sessions tackling the topics intertwined with each other, making it more thrilling and fun! Your creativity will steer the course of the story and determine Britney’s fate.
FUSED Topic: #FreeBritney/Continuing Britney’s Career/Media Coverage
As different family members, agents, and lawyers argue about who is in the right, it is your job to bridge the divide and create a solution. Is it an end to conservatorship? Or changed guidelines and rules that allow Britney to have full freedom? Along with support, Britney needs to continue an amazing career and hopefully, an amazing life. As Britney’s story comes to light through the media and social platforms, the #FreeBritney movement along with the “Framing Britney Spears” movie has gained massive support. How will you stop misinformation on the case and encourage transparency about mental health in the media?
A LETTER FROM THE CHAIr
Dear delegates,
Hello! My name is Georgia Keeler and I will be the chair of Specialized: Free Britney for WINMUN VII! I am a senior at Winchester High School and an officer of WHS Model UN. When I am not at MUN, you can find me struggling to finish all my homework, running on our track team, scrolling on Pinterest, and of course, listening to music constantly. This will be my third WINMUN, in past years I have been a delegate in Specialized: South Africa, 1976 and a vice chair of Specialized: US Senate AIDS. If you can’t tell, I love specialized committees. But what makes a specialized committee different from a crisis or a GA?
In this committee, delegates will collaborate, address crisis updates, write directives and resolutions. A specialized committee is an excellent mix between the structure of a GA and an ever-changing crisis. For Free Britney, we will explore social media, the music industry, and mental health all in one. This is an exciting topic from only a couple years prior, but it is essential to remember, as with any MUN committee, this is real life. Britney Spears and her family deserve respect throughout our debate.
In Specialized 2024, we will tackle #FreeBritney and the case of Britney Spears’s conservatorship. After a series of outbursts and experiences with drug and mental health problems, the court placed Britney Spears under a conservatorship led by her father Jamie in 2008. Claiming abuse in a legal battle and raising a growing #FreeBritney movement, Britney asked the court to officially end her conservatorship in 2021. That is where we pick up in committee!
As delegates you will address Britney and her father’s history with mental health, adjust to crisis updates, and work together to decide the ultimate fate of the pop icon. As you research, I definitely recommend focusing not only on the big picture, but specific details of the case. Although our committee is taking place in 2021, this has been an extended issue with lots of intricacies. Make sure to look at reputable sources, focused on the fact instead of glamorizing the issue at hand. How will you work with other delegates across opinions and histories to achieve a solution?
Make sure to look out for the background guide and get researching! I can not wait to see what you do in April!
Georgia Keeler (she/her)
Specialized: Free Britney Chair
winchester.hmun@gmail.com
