Viadrina Model United Nations 2017
Race to the North Pole
3/5/6 ECTS
Blockseminar: BA/MA, Sozialwissenschaften-Einführung / Praxisrelevante Fertigkeiten
Block, Ort: AM 02, Veranstaltungsbeginn: 03.07.2017
Due to climate change, the ice of the Arctic region around the North Pole is shrinking constantly and studies predict that more and more regions in the north will become (seasonally) ice-free. This development will make it easier to mine natural resources in place and will let commercial interests grow dramatically. Until now, most part of the Arctic are not owned by any country and the five neighboring countries Canada, Russia, USA, Norway, and Denmark are limited to an exclusive economic zone of 200 nautic miles adjacent to their coasts. However, these countries started projects to launch claims to extend their territory. This will have decisive economic, environmental, and security implications for the Arctic region in the future and must, therefore, be solved conjointly. The Viadrina Model United Nations Security Council will tackle the problem and try to turn versatile and multilateral input from fruitful discussions into a resolution. The aim of this seminar is to give students the opportunity to experience how diplomacy works and how it may help to solve international conflicts but also what its limitations are. They will have the opportunity to act as delegates (two students per state) to the UN Security Council in the 2017 simulation of the “Viadrina Model United Nations”. The goal of the council members will be to provide an internationally negotiated and unified resolution to the conflict discussed. Workshops on the first days will prepare the delegates for debate. Lectures held by invited experts will complement the simulation and provide the participants with additional information.
Literatur: Gareis, Sven Bernhard; Varwick, Johannes (2006): Die Vereinten Nationen: Aufgaben, Instrumente und Reformen, Opladen: Leske + Budrich. Hufner, Klaus (1995): UNO Planspiele: Model United Nations (MUN), Bonn: UNO-Verlag.
Teilnahmevoraussetzungen: The number of participants is limited. An application form (choosing the state preferences + a short letter of motivation) will be opened on 1st April at www.viamun.de. If two students want to be in a delegation together they can both type that in the application form; however, every student needs to apply separately. Application deadline is 30th April.
Hinweise zum Blockseminar: Vorbesprechung: 25.04.2017; 18-20 Uhr AM 02; Ganztägig: 03.07. – 07.07.2017 Logensaal
Leistungsnachweis: Participants must attend all meetings and do specific preparation for the MUN session (position paper, opening speech, policy research, training in conference rules). Further requirements may vary depending on your study programme. For details visit our website (www.viamun.de) or contact us via viamun@europa-uni.de. Everything has to be written in English.
Sprache: English