VSD-MUN

If you find anything interesting about any of the agenda topics for the upcoming VSD-MUN, feel free to post them to this blog.

I just ran across an article about a program the UN set up for carbon neutrality:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=25697&Cr=climate&Cr1=

I figured this was pretty closely related to our topic about markets for carbon credits.

Preparing for March 14th VSD-MUN

Since we don't have a meeting this week, please take the time to start preparing for our upcoming VSD-MUN conference.

• Step 1: take a look at the website we have created for the VSD-MUN conference: http://skyview.vansd.org/bquestad/mun/vsd/Invites/2008/2008invite.htm
• Step 2: Take a look at the agenda topics and think about which of the two committees you might prefer.
• Step 3: Look at the country list and pick the top three countries you might like to represent.
• Step 4: Finally, start thinking about what your country's position might be on each of your two agenda topics. What are the underlying issues behind the problem? What are some solutions that have been put forth? Have they worked, how can we improve upon them? What are your country's political and economic ties with other nations? What type of solutions would your nation be likely to support?

Thanks for your hard work,
Brian Tang

Binder content list

Get a binder.

Make these sections:

1. Italy

Include in this section any information you find about Italy: (a) flag. (b) maps, (c) news and other articles, (d) statistics, (e) anything else about Italy, expecially information relevant to your committee's agenda topics.

2. Credentials

Put your resume here.

3. Topic 1

4. Topic 2

5. Topic 3

In each of these last three sections, include (a) your position paper on that issue, (b) your policy statement on that issue, (c) ideas for a resolution on that issue, (d) outline for a 3 minute speech on that issue, and (e) all of your research on that issue.

News stories about Italian towns

Milan introduces traffic charge
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7167992.stm
Rubbish torched in Naples crisis
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7168686.stm

Italy Info Links

U.S. State Department Background Notes

CIA World Factbook

BBC Country Profile

Website and T-Shirt

should we try to have a website and t-shirt next year?

I have several ideas for both.

Informal Committee Session

1. Choose a country, any country (and research it)

2. Research the agenda items:

I. Refugees
a. health services
b. protection during armed conflict
i. Darfur
ii. Lebanon
iii. Palestine
c. education
d. economic aspects

I. Extreme poverty and hunger
a. 1st Millennium Development Goal
b. Sahel region
c. East Africa
d. drought—harvest shortages
e. economic problems; developmental aid

3. Determine your country's position on this issue

4. Write a resolution

5. Wednesday, June 6th, 2:15 to 5:00, room 803c -- show up and debate the issues!

1. Choose a country, any country (and research it)

2. Research the agenda items:

I. Refugees
a. health services
b. protection during armed conflict
i. Darfur
ii. Lebanon
iii. Palestine
c. education
d. economic aspects

I. Extreme poverty and hunger
a. 1st Mellinium Development Goal
b. Sahel region
c. East Africa
d. drought—harvest shortages
e. economic problems; developmental aid

3. Determine your country's position on this issue

4. Write a resolution

5. Wednesday, June 6th, 2:15 to 5:00, room 803c -- show up and debate the issues!

Multiple choice test

Q. What is MUN?
a. Monkeys' Underground Nation
b. Moving Until further Notice
c. Model United Nations

Q. What does one do at MUN?
a. See the world from a different perspective
b. Try to know more and be better than everyone else
c. Sell vacuum cleaners

Q. When does the club meet?
a. Tuesdays from 2:15 to 3:00
b. Every morning from 5:30 to 6:30 AM
c. Never

Q. Where does it meet?
a. lounge chairs beside the pool in Skyview's basement
b. in the Pit.....
.....of DISPAIR!
c. Ms. Cox's room (803c)

DR Congo resources

POST ANY GOOD BACKGROUND READING RESOURCES YOU FIND AS A COMMENT ON THIS POST.

CREDENTIALS REVIEW

UPCOMING CREDENTIALS REVIEW SESSIONS:

Be prepared to go through the oral credentials review process either next Tuesday, March 6th or (if you fail or all unable to make it) the following Tuesday, March 13th.

At the credentials review session they will basically ask you to explain the gist of a few of your agenda topics (or until they are sure you know what you are talking about). This will NOT be from your country's perspective. (Which is a good thing. To pass this thing you only need to have a vague understanding of your country's policies--showing you know your country's policies comes later).

THEREFORE, FOCUS YOUR RESEARCH THIS WEEK ON THE ISSUES THEMSELVES, NOT YOUR COUNTRY.

Make sure you understand the gist of your issue, the key problem, and the fundamental solution to the problem--as well as a few examples of specific things you know about related to the topic. KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING, WHY IT IS HAPPENING/WHY IT IS BAD, AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT IT.

2/20 Meeting Agenda

HOMEWORK FOR NEXT WEEK (2/26, 2/27): Write two (2) of your agenda topic background papers. See loose page of your packet for instructions--also available online at http://www.ohsirl-mun.org/3agshrt927.html click on the link that says agenda topic background paper (short form). Attach this sheet to the front of your final copies so we can sign it.

Move the tables out of the way. Arrange the chairs to create an audience and a presentation area. Everyone pick a seat.

Each person in turn gets out of their seat and goes to the presentation area to give a 120 second (+/- 10 sec) presentation on their four (4) agenda items (using their agenda topic grid worksheet).
If you are on GA, give a 120 second presentation on the GA.
If you have no agenda topic grid worksheet, you must give a 120 second presentation on the topic of the audience's choosing.

At the end, everyone MUST WRITE DOWN THE OHSIRL WEBSITE: www.ohsirl-mun.org
AND A REMINDER TO CHECK THEIR E-MAILS AND CREATE BLOGGER ACCOUNT (if they have not already done so).

Anyone who wishes to go to the conference and does not have their worksheet done must complete it under the supervision of Ms. Cox.

When you are done with it, put it in your MUN notebook/folder (which you will need next week).

Agenda Topic Grid Worksheets

Hey everyone, the agenda topic grid worksheet--on the front page of the packet that I gave to those of you who came to one of the two meetings this week--is due next week. List out a few bullets for each of the boxes.

The purpose of this worksheet is to help you organize what you know about your topics, to serve as an outline for your agenda topic papers (see loose handout I gave you with the packet), and to help prepare you for the credentials review process.

I can e-mail any part of the packet to anyone who didn't get one (or if you lost part of it).

To do list (for everyone):

1. Research DR Congo and UAE
2. Go to OHSIRL website and find your committee's agenda items and agenda item worksheets
3. Research agenda items
4. Write agenda paper for each agenda item

--BE SURE TO CHECK THE DATE OF THE CONFERENCE TO MAKE SURE YOU DON'T HAVE ANY CONFLICTS--

Presentation Summaries

Post presentation summaries as comments on this post.
To do this, click on the comment link and copy and past the text into the comment field.
Try to minimize formatting such as bullets, tabs, etc.

Individual Country

Everyone has their own specific country to research and I was wondering, what are we supposed to do with it?

Example Presentation Summary

UN Mission
Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Adopted by the UN General Assembly December 10, 1948

Established certain universal human rights

Defined the most basic obligations and limitations of the governments of the world

Recognized the need to uphold the basic rights of mankind

Sought to ensure that human rights violations of the past would not be tolerated in the future

Overall: DEFINED THE BASIC RIGHTS OF THE COMMON MAN

Online copy at http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html

Let's hope this war doesn't escalate

I heard the news that Etheopia had bombed Somalia on Monday. It was hard to know what to think. Ethiopia bombed several strategic points including the civilian airport. It looks like war.

Since then, the United States has subtly supported Ethiopia.

According to the Ethiopian ambassador, Ethiopia invaded Samolia at the invitation of the ligitimate government in Somalia, so technically it wasn't really an all out invasion.

On the other hand, they object of the invasion was to depose the mostly-moderate Islamist Courts Union (ICU), which took control of Mogodishu in June. They restored law and order to the city after five years of being ruled by warlords. (The UN-recognized interem government has never been very powerful).

So, I guess we can only wait and see what happens.
The Ethiopian ambassador said they planned to pull out asap (within a week or two), but wars have a tendency to not go as planned.

Claim: Up To 1000 Islamists Killed In Somali/Ethiopian Airstrikes; Islamists In "Full Retreat"

If true-- Somalia and Ethiopia can combine to crush these guys, but we couldn't?

Somalia's Islamists are in full retreat after Ethiopian airstrikes and a ground offensive that have killed up to 1,000 of the religious movement's fighters, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said on Tuesday.

"A joint Somali government and Ethiopian force has broken the back of the international terrorist forces... These forces are in full retreat," Meles told reporters in Addis Ababa, adding that up to 1,000 Islamist fighters had been killed.

"A few are Somali but the majority are foreigners," he said of the dead.

Addis Ababa has vowed to protect Somalia's weak interim government from rival Islamists based in Mogadishu. A week of artillery and mortar duels between the two sides has spiraled into open war that both sides say has killed hundreds.

Meles said most fighters of the Somalia Islamic Courts Council (SICC) had fled to their home areas. He said Ethiopian forces were now hunting down troops from his arch-foe Eritrea, which he accuses of supporting the Islamists.

"The only forces we are pursuing are Eritreans who are hiding behind the skirts of Somali women, and terrorist mujahideen," Meles said.

Ethiopia says the SICC has recruited foreign jihadists, and that a handful of almost 300 prisoners taken after one battle for a central Somali town held British passports.

300 prisoners after one battle. (I bolded "handful" so you wouldn't misread as I did and think all 300 had British passports.) 1000 dead.

What the hell?

Can we get these guys to lend us a hand in Iraq?

source Ace of Spades

Packet For Notebooks

We need to put together a packet with all of the information from the presentations from all the meetings. Matrices would be good:

FOR UN MISSION PRESENTATIONS:
*Major dates
*the gist of the topic

FOR UN ORGANIZATION PRESENTATIONS:
*Origin
*Mission
*History

FOR COUNTRY PRESENTATIONS:
*Region
*Map
*Historical fact
*Biggest strength
*Biggest weakness
*Government
*Economy
*Religion
*Military
*Social structure
*Culture

Each topic (e.g. country) should be a row.
Each bullet should be a column.

Anybody who did a presentation, please post this information.

Article about Darfur

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=21035&Cr=sudan&Cr1=

How to use this blog:

Once you have successfully created a profile and memorized/written down your password, figuring out how to use this type of blog is often confusing (well it was confusing for me at any rate).

To create a post, go back to the dashboard and find the link that says "create post."
There are also links for editing posts, etc.

When you are viewing the blog, you'll see a link under each post that says "comment."
Click on this link to post a comment that continues the conversation started by the post (i.e. to comment on what the person wrote).

Everything else can be figured out through trial and error.

Why I created this blog

For a long time I have been looking for some means to allow students to discuss current events around the world and maybe even local politics. It is clear to me that the key to getting people involved in their communities is to give them a voice. Students need a forum through which they can develop and communicate their ideas. In order to understand our world, we need to discuss it.

There are two sides to every issue--and sometimes even more. My goal is to create an environment in which students can develop a full and comprehensive understanding of the state of the world today and what needs to be changed. We cannot move foward until we know where we are and where we want to be.

Please use this blog to discuss the issues that concern you and to find out a little more about this world and the state of society today. Most growth in the world's population over the next 50 years is projected to be in Africa and the rest of the developing world. It is critical that we understand the conditions into which these future generations will be born. Only then can we hope to improve them for the future.