Mingdao High School Model United Nations: September 2009

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

World Bank Transfers $25 Million to Mexico for H1N1 Flu

http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:22164171~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~theSitePK:4607,00.html

World Bank Helps Facilitate East Asia-Wide Ministerial Dialogue on Influenza A/H1N1 Response

http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/EASTASIAPACIFICEXT/0,,contentMDK:22177194~menuPK:2246553~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:226301,00.html?cid=ISG_E_WBWeeklyUpdate_NL

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

What blocs are you in?
Why are you in thsoe blocs?
How does being in _________ bloc help me?
What does this say about your country?
Who else is in it (Who are my friends)?
Who is NOT in it (Who are not my friends)?

"Keep you friends close...and your enimies closer."

"Don" Vito Corleone (The Godfather)

Funding

Funding

OK, you have just been assigned a committee that is dealing with some economic issue. You and your fellow delegates all agree that there is a problem AND you have all agreed on how to solve the problem and you are ready to write a resolution. Great! Right? Well, there is still one more problem…How will you pay for this?

Think back to the example about the four students debating where they will eat lunch. How was the poorest student convinced to go for zhen jiao?
The same thing is true in the U.N. Somehow, you have to pay for whatever resolution you pass.
So, where should we look for money?
(Example G)

The World Bank
- This is the biggest and most important source of financing in the UN. Learn what the World Bank is and how to use it!!! If you don't you will have trouble selling your proposals during caucus and committee. It is made up of the following branches.

International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)
International Development Association (IDA)
International Finance Corporation (IFC)
Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA)
International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID)

Where can I not get funding?

NGO's
1. NGO's are privately owned and don't have any money to give.
  1. NGO's do their own thing.
The U.N.
1. The actual U.N. is deeply, deeply in debt.
Also, your country cannot fund any projects that would fix a problem in another country unless that other country accepts it.
1. Country A cannot fund a project in Country B through the United Nations.
2. ALSO, No other country can vote for a resolution that would give funding to help out Tibetans in China or help fight global warming by helping save the rainforest in Indonesia via the U.N.

NGO’s

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO's)

What's an NGO?
- An NGO is any non-profit, voluntary citizens' group that is organised on a local, national, regional or international level.
What are some examples of NGO's?
- Some examples include…
  - World Young Women's Christian Association
  - International Campaign to Ban Landmines
  - The League of Women Voters
What do NGO's do?
- NGOs perform a variety of services and humanitarian functions, bring citizens' concerns to governments, monitor policies and encourage political participation at the community level. Some are organised around specific issues, such as human rights, the environment or health.
- NGO's do this without going directly through the UN, and they don't draft resolutions for the UN and don't get funding from the UN, but they do try and bring awareness to each cause.
- NGO's are a great source of data for your research!!!

Blocs-South Korea

International Organizations that includes the participation of South Korea:

Economic Bloc
- G-20: is a group of finance ministers and central bank governors from 20 economies there are 19 countries and the European Union (EU).

Official UN Inter-Governmental Entitles and Organizations
- International Hydrographic Organization (IHO): is an intergovernmental consultative and technical organization that was established in 1921 to support the safety in navigation and the protection of the marine environment.
- International Organism for Migration (IOM): is the leading inter-governmental organization in the field of migration and works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners.
- Organism of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD): is an international organization of 30 countries that accept the principles of representative democracy and free-market economy.

Blocs-Mexico

International Organizations that includes the participation of Mexico:

Military Bloc
- Non-Aligned Movement (NAM): An organization for countries who consider themselves not formally involved or against any major power blocs.

Economic Bloc
- G-20: is a group of finance ministers and central bank governors from 20 economies: 19 countries, and the European Union (EU).

Trade Bloc
- North American Free Trade Association (NAFTA): is an agreement signed by the governments of the United States, Canada, and Mexico creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America.

Official UN Inter-Governmental Entitles and Organizations
- Council of Europe (CE): is the oldest international organization working towards European integration that was founded in 1949. It has 47 member states.
- International Organism for Migration (IOM): is the leading inter-governmental organization in the field of migration and works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners.
- Latin America Economic System (SELA): is an organization founded in 1975 to promote economic cooperation and social development between Latin American countries.
- Organism of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD): is an international organization of 30 countries that accept the principles of representative democracy and free-market economy.

Namibia- Blocs

ACP- African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, The group's main objectives are sustainable development and poverty reduction within its member states, as well as their greater integration into the world's economy.

G-77- a loose coalition of developing nations, designed to promote its members' collective economic interests and create an enhanced joint negotiating capacity in the United Nations. (Libya, Namibia)

AU- The African Union, consisting of 52 African states. (Libya, Namibia.)

FAO- Food and Agriculture Organization, it is a specialized agency of the United Nations.

IMO- International Maritime Organization, its primary purpose is to develop and maintain a comprehensive regulatory framework for shipping and its remit today includes safety, environmental concerns, legal matters, technical co-operation, maritime security and the efficiency of shipping. (Canada, Libya, Namibia, South Korea)

WToO- World Tourism Organization. A United Nations agency dealing with questions relating to tourism.

NAM- Non-Aligned Movement, an international organization of states considering themselves not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc . (Libya, Namibia, Uzbekistan)

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Blocs- Uzbekistan

International Organizations that includes the participation of Uzbekistan:

NAM: Non-Aligned Movement. An organization for countries who consider themselves not formally involved or against any major power blocs.
OIC: Organization of the Islamic Conferences. It promotes Muslim solidarity in economic, social, and political affairs.
CSTO: Collective Security Treaty Organization. An observer Organization at the United Nations General Assembly.
CIS: Commonwealth of Independent States. The participant countries are former Soviet Republics. It possesses coordinating powers in trade, finance, lawmaking, and security.
ECO: Economic Cooperation Organization. An intergovernmental organization that provides a platform to discuss ways to improve development and promote trade, and investment opportunities.
GUUAM: An organization including Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, and Moldova.
OSCE: The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. It is the world's largest regional security organization.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Thursday MUN

Ni hao everyone,

have a good class! Unfortunately, I am not able to be there wit hyou guys. Teacher Victoria will substitute for me instead. Your assignment is to...

1.) Publish your country profiles.
2.) begin researching H1N1, your countries response to MUN, and the UN's involvement to H1N1. (What branch of the UN deals with H1N1?)
3.) Begin writing your position papers.

HINT: You have a lot of work. Between you and your partner, decide what you will do and what your partner will do.

See you all on Monday!

Mr. Gibson

Grading Rubric

Grading Rubric

Items	Percentages
Mini UN Conferences	50 ％
Homework Assignments	15 ％
Midterm	10 ％
Final Exam	10 ％
General participation/ effort	15 ％
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -	- - - - - - - - - - - - - 100 %

Murielle and Peggy Estonia country profile

Physical Geography
1. Official Name of Country: Republic of Estonia
2. Climate: maritime; wet, moderate winters, cool summers
1. Absolute Location :59 00 N ; 26 00 E
2. Relative location : Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic sea and Gulf of Finland, between Latvia and Russia
Political Geography
1. Type of government: parliamentary republic
2. Capital: Tallinn
3. International Organization participation:
Australia Group, BA, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NATO, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD (accession state), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNITAR, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
4. Size of armed forces:
Cultural Geography
1. language: Estonian (official language) 67.3% Russian 29.7% other 2.3% Un known 0.7%
2. Population: 1,229,371
3. Population growth rate: -0.632 %
4. Major cities: Tallinn(capital) Tartu, Narva
5. Infant mortality rate: 7.32 deaths/1,000 live births
6. average life expectancy: 72.83 years
7. religion: Evangelical Lutheran 13.6, orthodox 12.8, other Christian 1.4, unaffiliated 34.1, other anad unspecified 32, none 6.1
Economic Geography
1. GNP (Gross National Product): 27.41 billion
2. Natural resources: natural gas, oil shale, limestone, granite, phosphorite, pitchblende
3. Major agricultural and industrial products: potatoes, vegetable, livestock and dairy products, fish, electronics, wood product, textiles
4. Major exports and imports: machinery and equipments, wood and paper, textiles, food products, chemical products, mineral fuels
5. Currency (include exchange rate vs. TWD)
Estonian Kroon(EEK) change into Taiwanese dollar(TWD)
1.00 EEK
=
3.05483 TWD
6. Historical events (Timeline format from 1980 to present; give your teacher 10 major events)
1988 - Popular Front campaigns for democracy. "Singing revolution" brings a third of the population together in a bid for national unity and self-determination.
Independence
1991 - Communist rule collapses. Soviet government recognizes the independence of the Baltic republics.
1994 - Russian troops leave. Estonia joins Partnership for Peace, allowing limited military cooperation with Nato.
1997 - Estonia invited to begin European Union membership negotiations.
2000 - Estonia and Russia expel diplomats in tit-for-tat moves over spying claims.
2001 December - President Ruutel signs into law a bill scrapping the requirement for candidates for public office to be proficient in the Estonian language.
2002 November - Nato summit in Prague includes Estonia on list of countries formally invited to join the alliance.
Nato, EU membership
2002 December - EU summit in Copenhagen formally invites Estonia to join.
2003 September - Estonians vote overwhelmingly to join the European Union in a referendum.
2004 March - Estonia admitted to Nato.
2004 May - Estonia is one of 10 new states to join the EU.
2007 March - Estonia becomes the first country to allow internet voting for national parliamentary elections. The prime minister's Reform Party wins by a narrow margin

resource:
Cia world fact book

wikipedia ( http://www.wikipedia.org/)

BBC news history timeline (http://www.bbc.com/)

Position Paper

After you create a country profile and research your issue, you and your other group members will meet and create a position paper.
- A position paper is your countries' response to the topic.
A position paper is a paper that is 3 TO 4 PAGES LONG that...
- 1.) gives some background information on the problem (1/2 page).
  - How has the problem developed?
  - Why is it important that the UN fixes the problem?
- 2.) talks about past United Nations Involvement (1/2 page).
  - How, When and Why did the UN become involved with this problem?
  - What did the UN and other NGO's do when they became involved?
  - How successful was their solution?
  - How did the world respond to the solution?
  - Avoid making a statement such as "The UN did ___________ and this led to ____________."
- 3.) explains your countries' policy and past actions in regards to the issue (1 page).
  - Explain your policy on the topic.
  - Explain why your country is involved with the topic?
  - What actions has your country done in the past to solve the problem?
- 4.) proposes at least two to three solutions (1 page).
  - Before you propose your ideas, ask yourselves these questions.
    - Is the solution feasible? Will it cost too much money?
    - Has the UN tried this solution before?
    - What will NGO's do to carry out your solution?
    - What will happen if we implement your solution?
    - Will there be any unexpected problems because of this solution? If so, how will we fix them?
    - Is this solution in you countries' best interest?
    - Is this solution in the world's best interest?
    - Do not pick a solution that your country will not like.
    - Do not pick a solution that the world will not like.
    - DO NOT have a resolution pre-written
      - An excellent position paper will be...
        
        3-4 pages, single spaced
        
        It's sources will be cited MLA style and it will have a bibliography.
        
        It will follow the correct format
        
        It will have background on the problem, UN involvement on the problem and two or three solutions.
        
        There can not be NO PLAGARISM.
        
        Plagarism is where you do not cite your sources correctly and use someone elses' research or writing as your own.
        
        PLAGARISM WILL GET YOUR TEAM DISQUALIFIED!

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Caucus Outline

Today, Wednesday, September 23^rd, we will practice our speeches. In order to practice our speeches that we will make in our opening statements, and general, substantive and formal debates. The best way to work on that is by writing a…

Caucus Outline

What is a caucus outline?
- An outline is something that we write which has some sort of organization and helps us organize our thoughts and talking points during a speech.
- A caucus outline is something that we write which has a bulletd list and helps us organize our thoughts and talking points during speeches we make during caucus.
  - You can make a caucus outline however you want!
    - If you want to do bulleted lists, that's ok.
    - If you want to use notecards, that's ok.
    - DO WHATEVER WORKS FOR YOU!
What should I have in my caucus outline?
- background
- policy
- organizations
- documents
- solutions
Isn't that just my position paper in a bulleted list or on notecards?
- Almost. A caucus outline is based off of your position paper and your research, but a caucus outline is different because it allows you to speak about different sections when you need to.
- A speech starts from the top of the page and you read it until the bottom
- With a caucus outline, if another country brings up a point about the topic "X", and the topic "X" is at the bottom of your page, your caucus outline prepares you to go from one place to another very quickly.
  - This way you don't have to read through an entire speech to find what you are looking for.
What specifically doe s a caucus outline help me do?
- 1.) Organize
  - A caucus outline helps you categorize your information so tha toyu do not get lost during your speech.
  - It saves us from ever going "ummmm….'giggle"…ummmmmmm…."
- 2.) Provide substance and detail
  - When talking about such a big topic as H1N1 or nuclear can disarmament, we have to know a lot of information. A caucus outline sets it up so that you can easily find whatever information you need.
  - If China argues "point X" and you know that what they say is false and you can prove it based on another source of information, then you can easily jump in and say "Actually, China argues "point X" but according to Amnesty International, 7,500 people were murdered by the CCP in Xinjiang last fall" or something else similar.
- 3.) Diversify my speech
  - Your caucus outline should talk about the history of the problem, current programs, your countries' policy, and possible solutions (or reasons why other contries' solutions won't work).
  - That is a lot of information to handle. So, by having a good caucus outline diversifies your speech.
What can I NOT do with caucus outlines?
- You can not substitute your caucus outline for you position paper.
- You can not have a pre-written resolution in the caucus. You must write a resolution with other countries.
  - Sometimes, a country will attempt to put in a pre-written resolution in the real UN. This will anger everyone and most likely it will not work because there are so many different things that other countries want.

Jason Canada country profile

Country Profile by Jason Huang

Physical Geography

Official Name of Country: Canada
Climate: varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north
Map:
1. Absolute Location: 60 00 N, 95 00 W
2. Relative location :Northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean on the east, North Pacific Ocean on the west, and the Arctic Ocean on the north, north of the conterminous US

Political Geography

Type of government, names of the officials, and major political parties a parliamentary democracy, a federation, and a Commonwealth realm Bloc Quebecois, Liberal Party, Conservative Party, New Democratic Party

Capital Ottawa

International Organization participation: ACCT, ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), APEC, Arctic Council, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CDB, CE (observer), EAPC, EBRD, ESA (cooperating state), FAO, G-20, G-7, G-8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAFTA, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SECI (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNMIS, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Cultural Geography

Official language, and other languages spoken, ethnic composition, and major religions: English (official) 59.3%, French (official) 23.2%, other 17.5%33,487,208 (July 2009 est.)

Population, population growth rate, and population distribution: 33,487, 0.817%,208 0-14 years: 16.1% (male 2,761,711/female 2,626,836)

15-64 years: 68.7% (male 11,633,950/female 11,381,735)

65 years and over: 15.2% (male 2,220,189/female 2,862,787) (2009 est.)

Major cities: Vancouver, Calgary, Kitchener, Waterloo, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax.

Infant mortality rate and average life expectancy: Birth: 10.28 births/1,000 population, Death: 7.74 deaths/1,000 population.

Economic Geography

New document try again

Monday, September 21, 2009

Thursday 9th Period MUN

Ni hao all,

Just a reminder...your country profiles are due on WEDNESDAY. I will not see you Thursday night, but you WILL HAVE MUN! Teacher Victoria will substitute for me. Tuesday night you will start working on your position papers. When you have finished your Country profiles, email yourself the profiles, come find me, and we will "publish" them on Microsoft Word.

Mr. Gibson

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Wednesday's Model UN Homework

Anne, Annie, Eric, Jason, Sabrina and Tina,

Your homework this week is to research which blocs your country is a part of. I put a list of each organization/bloc below. You must also include the "less important" economic blocs at the bottom! Also, you may work as a team on this assignment. So, perhaps Anne could takee all the Trade Blocs, Jason could take the Economic blocs, etc. You guys work that out between yourselves. Just make sure we know which bloc every country is a part of.

See you all later,

- Mr. Gibson

Blocs in the UN

Blocs in the UN

Miltary Blocs

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)
***There used to be a Russian-led "Communist Bloc," but now it is gone.

Regional Groups

Asian Group
African Group
Latin American and Caribbean States (GRULAC)
Eastern European Group (CEIT)
Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
1. JUSCANZ

Economic Blocs

G-20
G-77 (and China)
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)

Trade Blocs

North American Free Trade Association (NAFTA)
Economic Community of Central African States (CEMAC)
Organization of East Caribbean States (OCES)
South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)
You can look at one of the websites below to find the rest of the trade blocs. There are 27 other trade blocs.

Other Blocs

Official UN inter-governmental entities and organizations (sometimes act as blocs)

Wednesday UN Homework

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Position Paper- Libya

Position Paper-Libya
Committee Name: Prevention of the spread of H1N1
Committee Topic: the committee on the prevention of the spread of H1N1
Country Name: Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
Delegates: Sabrina Su

During the time of the starting fall, we concerned that it would spread more widely to the world. First of all, we should know the basic information of the swine flu. The virus was originally called swine flu because of the genes, which are similar to that of flu viruses in pigs. As you may know, H1N1 can be spread easily from person to person. But people cannot catch swine flu from eating pork. What sets H1N1 virus apart from other seasonal flu viruses is that studies have shown it to cause more severe symptoms in people younger than 25. Also, many people older than 60 years of age have some immunity against the H1N1 virus.
The most important thing is to prevent the flu keep spreading, so we should know the proper way to prevent it of influence to everyone.
Here are some ways to prevent H1N1 to infect you,
1. Washing your hands regularly and thoroughly with soap and water. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
2. Coughing or sneezing into your sleeve/elbow fold (not your hand) or cover your mouth and nose with a tissue.
3. Regularly wipe their keyboards, telephones, photocopiers, door handles, and any touch points with hard surface disinfectant sprays or wipes.
4. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth - germs are spread this way.
5. Know the signs and symptoms of H1N1, specifically: sore throat, muscle aches, joint pain, or weakness.
6. If you are ill - STAY AT HOME or IN YOUR RESIDENCE.
Hopefully, the seasonal influenza vaccination will be available free on campus on November 18 and 26. The H1N1 vaccine, separate from the seasonal influenza vaccine, is expected to be available through the Health Unit later.
Libya thinks that we should stop killing our citizens and starting to have the medical health like preventing our citizens to get H1N1. We are willing to cooperate with the health organization such as WHO. We fully hope we could protect our citizens from the flu, and it should start just from now on. Libya hopes that the vaccines can provide our citizens to be healthy again.

References:
1. About.com
2. http://www.uwindsor.ca/h1n1/

Libya's Country Profile

Country Profile-Libya
Country Profile by: Sabrina Su
Physical Geography
1. Official Name: Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
2. Climate: Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior
3. Map
1. Absolute location: 25 00N, 17 00 E
2. Relative location: Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Tunisia.
Political Geography
1. Type of government: Jamahiriya (a state of the masses) in theory, governed by the populace through local councils; in practice, an authoritarian state.
2. Capital: Tripoli (Tarabulus)
3. International Organization participation: ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, CAEU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
4. Size of armed forces:
Cultural Geography
1. Official language: Arabic, Italian, English, all are widely understood in the major cities
2. Ethnic group: Berber and Arab 97%, other 3% (includes Greeks, Maltese, Italians, Egyptians, Pakistanis, Turks, Indians, and Tunisians)
3. major religions: Sunni Muslim 97%, other 3%
4. Population: 6,310,434 (July 2009 est.)
5. Population growth rate: 2.17% (2009 est.)
6. Population distribution: 0-14 years: 33% (male 1,064,866/female 1,019,790)15-64 years: 62.7% (male 2,033,478/female 1,920,755)
65 years and over: 4.3% (male 133,092/female 138,453) (2009 est.)

7. Major cities: Tripoli - the capital ,Al 'Aziziyah ,Al Jufrah ,Al Khums ,Benghazi ,Darnah ,Ghadamis ,Misratah ,Sabha ,Surt ,Tobruk
8. Infant mortality rate: 21.05 deaths/1,000 live births
9. Average life expectancy: male: 74.98 years
female: 79.65 years (2009 est.)
10. Teachers and doctors per population:
Economic Geography
1. GNP (Gross National Product) :
2. GDP (Gross Domestic Product): $88.83 billion (2008 est.)
3. Percent of arable land used for agriculture:
4. Natural resources: oil, natural gas
5.Major agricultural products: wheat, barley, olives, dates, citrus, vegetables, peanuts, soybeans; cattle
6. Industrial products: petroleum, iron and steel, food processing, textiles, handicrafts, cement
7. Major exports: crude oil, refined petroleum products, natural gas, chemicals
8. Imports: machinery, semi-finished goods, food, transport equipment, consumer products
9. Currency: per Libyan dinars (LYD)=39.36 NTD
10. Balance of trade: Libyan dinars (LYD) per US dollar - 1.2112 (2008 EST.)

11. Historical events:

1981 - US shoot down two Libyan aircraft which challenged its warplanes over the Gulf of Sirte, claimed by Libya as its territorial water
1992 - UN imposes sanctions on Libya in an effort to force it to hand over for trial two of its citizens suspected of involvement in the blowing up of a PanAm airliner over the Scottish town of Lockerbie in December 1988.
1994 - Libya returns the Aozou Strip to Chad.
2002 14 March - The Libyan man found guilty of the Lockerbie bombing, Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi, loses his appeal against the conviction and begins a life sentence of at least 20 years.
2003 January - Libya is elected chairman of the UN Human Rights Commission despite opposition from the US and human rights groups.
2003August - Libya signs a deal worth $2.7bn to compensate families of the Lockerbie bombing victims. Libya takes responsibility for the bombing in a letter to the UN Security Council.
2004 May - Five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor are sentenced to death having been accused of deliberately infecting some 400 children with HIV. Their case goes to appeal
2004 March - British Prime Minister Tony Blair visits, the first such visit since 1943.
2006 May - The US says it is restoring full diplomatic ties with Libya.
2009 June - Gaddafi pays first state visit to Italy, Libya's former colonial ruler and now its main trading partner.
2009 August - Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi is freed from gaol in Scotland on compassionate grounds and returned to Libya. Al-Megrahi's release and return to a hero's welcome causes a storm of controversy; the US calls it a mistake and the UK government comes under pressure to explain its role in the release.

Resources:
The CIA World Factbook, BBC news, Wikitravel

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Thursday MUN Homework

Kevin, quit playing video games. Finish your country profiles by WEDNESDAY!!!

Who are you picking for fantasy baseball?

Look at the board!!!

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

WELCOME BACK TO UN!!!!!!!

Ni hao everyone,

It's great to have you back in UN. We are going to jump right into things! Our MUN elective class (Anne, Annie, Eric, Jason, Sabrina and Tina) is much farther ahead of us at the moment, so we need to do some catching up. Fortunately, we all have partners (which they do not), which will make things much easier for us. Our first committe is going to be "The committee on the prevention of the spread of H1N1."

Have fun!!!

Jia you!!!

- Mr. Gibson

MUN

Its a good thing we dont have to dress up the first day. So I'm glad that we have MUN.

MUN

YA! MUN CLASS STARING

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

How do I cite Sources?

As you research your country and issue, you must CITE YOUR SOURCES MLA style.
- To see MLA Style, go to <http://www.easybib.com> for an example.
  - You will need to show your works cited/bibliography in alphabetical order so you can show where you got your information from.
    - Example Works Cited (Example G)
- Use a variety of sources. Try to include...
  - library books.
  - current periodicals (newspapers)
    - Be careful here...You must make sure that the news organization is not biased towards one country. For example, is Xinhua News a reliable source for news about China?
  - scholarly journals.
    - http://journalseek.net/
  - The UN Website
    - <www.un.org>
  - Model UN sites
    - <http://www.unimun.org/unimun_handbook.html>
  - Global Policy
    - <www.globalpolicy.org>
  - For currency exchanges, go to
    - <http://www.xe.com/>
  - CIA World Factbook

<https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/>

Bloc Politics

Bloc Politics

A bloc is a group of nations that tend to vote together.
Your nation may be part of one or more regional, political or economic blocs.
- When you go into committee, you should already know which blocs your country is in.
Sometimes, your blocs may work against each other and you will be caught in the middle.

For example, let's say your country is Nigeria…
1. Regionally, you will be part of the "Sub-Saharan Africa Bloc."
2. Economically, you will be part of the G-77 (which is a term referring to the countries not in the G-20). However, you are one of the richer countries of the G-77)
3. Politically/Economically, you are part of the "OPEC (Oil Producing and Exporting Countries) Bloc."

If legislation comes up in committee from the G-77 countries that says "We G-77 countries believe that the high price of oil is hurting our economic development and we need help lowering them," and they make allies with the Sub-Saharan Bloc says that "We in Sub-Saharan Africa have too many environmental problems and want to pass legislation where nations must drill oil in a clean way," and OPEC Nations respond by saying "We believe that finding oil and drilling oil with the cheapest methods is best for the economy and development of poorer nations," then how does Nigeria vote? If you vote with G-77 and Sub-Saharan blocs, you hurt your economy and weaken your OPEC bloc and weaken your influence within that bloc. If you vote with the OPEC side, you will weaken your G-77 and Sub-Saharan bloc and your influence within those blocs.
- With bloc politics, you must think

"What are my countries' goals?"
"What blocs am I in?"
"How can I use my position in my bloc in order to obtain my countries' goals?"

You will not have enough time to talk to everyone during a caucus at an M.U.N. Conference. Therefore, you should …
- Research what blocs your country is a part of.
- focus on delegates from countries that are a part of your bloc during caucus time. Make friends with them!
- Here is a good list of some of the more important blocs.
  - HINT: Pay particular attention to which blocs The United States, China and Israel are (or are not) in.
    - http://www.eyeontheun.org/view.asp?l=11&p=55

Position Paper- Mexico
Committee Name: The spread of H1N1
Committee Topic: Prevention of the spread of H1N1
Country Name: Untied Mexico States
Delegates: Anne

H1N1 is a new influenza virus first detected in people in United States in April, 2009. It continued spreading throughout the summer of 2009. This virus is spreading from person-to-person worldwide and it spreads in much the same way that regular seasonal influenza viruses spread. The symptoms of H1N1 flu in people are similar to the symptoms of regular human flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. There are now over 2800 people worldwide have died from H1N1. (Update to Sep. 7, 2009 from WHO) According to WHO, the first doses will be available to governments for use in September. And DHH (Louisiana Department of Health and Hospital) believed that the H1N1 flu vaccination should begin as soon as the vaccine is available, most likely late October or early November.
The death toll caused by the H1N1 influenza rose to 125 in Mexico. All Mexico’s 31 states and capitals have reported cases of disease, most of which were found in Chiapas, Mexico City, Yucatan, Tabasco, Veracruz, Jalisco, Guerrero, San Luis Potosi and Michoacán. According to The Mexican Health Ministry, 52 percent of the dead were female. The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) is preparing to respond to influenza in the fall. It is working with providers throughout the state including hospitals, clinics and pharmacists, to provide vaccinations to protect people against the new strain of influenza (H1N1) and seasonal influenza. It is important to get protected against both strains of influenza. The Department of Health is planning for storage and distribution of antiviral, establishing an inventory of personal protective equipment, training hospitals on medical surge, and developing educational materials to explain what specialized populations can do to prevent and respond to flu cases. It is tracking hospitalized H1N1 cases and monitoring for a change in disease severity. We hope we can provide protect to our citizens from the danger of H1N1 and we need everyone to work together to save our citizens.
Bibliography
http://nmhealth.org/ (The New Mexico Department of Health)
http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov/offices/default-145.asp?ID=145 (DHH- Louisiana Department of Health and Hospital)
http://big5.ce.cn/gate/big5/en.ce.cn/subject/swineflu/swineflum/200907/17/t20090717_19564271.shtml (China Economy Net)
http://www.un.org/en/ (United Nation)

Position Paper- South Korea

Committee Name: Preventing the Spread of H1N1

Committee Topic: The Committee on Preventing the spread of H1N1.

Country: Republic of Korea

Delegate: Eric Hung, Mingdao High School

Background of Topic:

H1N1 is an influenced virus causing illness in people. This virus was first detected in people in the United States in March 2009. Other countries, including Mexico and Canada, have reported people sick with this new virus. This virus is spreading from person-to-person, probably in much the same way that regular seasonal influenced viruses spread.

The symptoms of H1N1 flu in people are similar to the symptoms of regular human flu. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with H1N1 flu. In the past, severe illness and deaths have been reported with H1N1 flu infection in people. Like seasonal flu, H1N1 flu may cause a worsening of underlying chronic medical conditions.

United Nations Involvement:

The WHO (World Health Organization) is the organization involved to deal with H1N1. Over 3,000 people worldwide had died from H1N1, but the mortality rate of H1N1 is not as high as SARS. The mortality rate of SARS is about 17% and only about 1% for H1N1.

World Health Organization Director-General Dr Margaret Chan and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had met with over 30 vaccine manufacturers from countries at WHO headquarters. Both the Director-General and the Secretary-General stressed the importance of assuring that any eventual vaccine for H1N1 was made available in a spirit of equity and fairness, and invited the manufacturers to continue to work with them to develop a strategy for this.

A WHO agency said that the rush of producing vaccines to fight the spread of the H1N1 virus will not endanger the safety or effectiveness of any new drug, so you don't need to be panic about what's inside the drugs.

And the WHO strongly recommends that students, teachers, and other staff who feel unwell should stay at home. In addition, plans should be in place, and space made available to isolate students and staff that become ill while at school.

County Actions:

The South Korean government is rolling out a set of new measures to control the effects of a possible flu pandemic as schools open for the fall term and the number of H1N1 influenza deaths climbs to five. The government aims to secure an estimated 15 million doses of vaccine to begin vaccinations from mid-November, and also hopes to secure enough drugs to treat 10 million people by the end of the year.

Policy Position:

The South Korea had joined both the United Nation Organization and World Health Organization at 1991, and we were rejected by communist Security Council members like China and Soviet Union (USSR).

Solution:

The Republic of Korea thinks that all countries should be careful about the worldwide spread of H1N1, although the mortality rate of H1N1 is only about 1%, but countries should still beware on the spread of H1N1 cautiously. We also think that countries should cooperate with health organizations like UN or WHO to control the epidemic situation.

Position Paper: Namibia (Tina)

Committee Name: Prevention of the spread of H1N1

Committee Topic: the committee on the prevention of the spread of H1N1.

Country Name: Republic of Namibia

At April, the virus H1N1, commonly known as Swine Flu, broke out first in Mexico, since then, H1N1 had the whole world on alert and had spread around the whole globe, killing at least 2,800 people. What sets H1N1 virus apart from other seasonal flu viruses is that studies have shown that H1Ni can cause more severe symptoms in people that are younger than 25, also high-risk groups including people over the age of 65, children under the age of five, pregnant women…etc. The symptoms of H1N1 include fever (about 38'C), cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, and headache.

WHO had recommendations of the prevention of H1N1(the following):

Avoid touching your eyes, mouth and nose;
Clean hands thoroughly with soap and water, or cleanse them with an alcohol-based hand rub on a regular basis (especially if touching the mouth and nose, or surfaces that are potentially contaminated);
Avoid close contact with people who might be ill;
Reduce the time spent in crowded settings if possible;
Improve airflow in your living space by opening windows;
Practice good health habits including adequate sleep, eating nutritious food, and keeping physically active.

Namibia is fully alert of this worldwide spread of H1N1, we agree with the WHO, and the Ministry of Health of Namibia had already declared and advised Namibians: to seek immediate medical attention should people get sick, and depending on the symptoms, a healthcare provider will be able to determine whether or not flu testing or treatment is required.

Through the efforts of our National Health Emergency Management Committee, our Ministry of Health has also stockpiled Tamiflu, the drug that is being used globally for the treatment of H1N1, as well as swabs for laboratory testing on suspected cases.

Up to now only about 52 positive cases and one death had been reported in Namibia, and no more new cases of H1N1 had been reported in Namibia since September 3^rd. Although it seems that the virus had not been wide spread in Namibia, we are fully alert and we're willing to cooperate with health organizations such as WHO and help as much as we can to prevent the spread, we hope that with the efforts, this spread of H1N1 can be stopped.

References:

"News: Allafrica.com"

http://allafrica.com/stories/200909090411.html

http://allafrica.com/stories/200907240326.html

"WHO"

http://www.who.int/en/

"About.com"

http://ent.about.com/od/entdisordersgi/f/whatish1n1.htm

Position Paper- Uzbekistan

Committee Name: Preventing the spread of H1N1 .

Committee Topic: the committee on the prevention of the spread of H1N1.

Country Name: Republic of Uzbekistan.

Swine Flu broke out in Mexico around March in 2009, the disease soon spread throughout the world. On the 4^th of September, the WHO announced that the swine flu had at least killed 2,837 people worldwide.

H1N1 is not a new disease. In 1918, 50-100 million people died from H1N1. Thirty- eight years later, the swine flu broke out in Asia and killed more than 2 million people. In 1976, it started in the United States, where approximately 40 million people received immunizations. It spread to America, India, and some European countries ten years later, killing 1 million people. This time, it had spread around the whole globe.

This disease spreads from human to human through sneezing or coughing. Sometimes people will get infected by touching the surface with viruses on it. The best way to prevent from the disease is to wash hands frequently, and cover nose and mouth while sneezing or coughing.

The WHO, IFRC, UNSIC, OCHA, and UNICEF said that they will work with partner such as the Red Cross, Red Crescent Societies, NGOs, and civil society to help the government to reduce the impact from the disease spread worldwide.

The WHO keeps records and updates the situation for people to see. They post articles telling people not to panic, and also to get ready for the worldwide spread. The WHO also helps the society by answering questions, and suspending classes and mass gatherings.

Uzbekistan has no case of swine flu so far. The Health Ministry of Uzbekistan proposed a plan to prevent the spread of disease: they will do special training with medical workers to keep them on high-alert and to isolate anyone who is confirmed to have the swine flu.

The Republic of Uzbekistan is not panicked or pressured under the worldwide spread of H1N1, but we are cautious about the whole situation. We will fully cooperate with the UN, WHO and other organizations for the health and safety of our citizens.

"UzA: Uzbekistan takes measures to prevent swine flu." Uzbekistan National News Agency. 29 Apr. 2009. Web. 15 Sept. 2009. <http://uza.uz/en/society/712/>.

"WHO World Health Organization." Http://www.who.int/en/. 17 Aug. 2009. Web. 15 Sept. 2009. <http://www.who.int/en/>.

Interactive Map of H1N1 Outbreak

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30485593/ns/health-swine_flu

This should help you get going…

Researching your Position Papers

Step 1.) Research

Before you can take part in a Model UN Conference, you must first get a country.
- After you are assigned a country and know the topic, it then becomes YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to RESEARCH ...
  - your country. You do this by completing a Country Profile
    (Example A).
    - Ex: Japan, Burkina Faso, Indonesia, Mexico
    - The best place to get started researching your country is the CIA World Factbook. However, if you only cite the Factbook, your profile will be weak.
After researching your country, you will be told what the topic of your conference will be.
- Now, it becomes YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to RESEARCH ...
  - The issue.
    - Find out what it is and understand why it is a problem.
      - Get statistics, videos, and pictures of the problem
    - Learn the history of the problem
  - Learn your countries position on the topic?
    - Learn the history of your country and the problem
    - Learn what your countries position is on the problem
      - It may NOT be in your countries best interest to fix the problem.
  - Examples
    - Nuclear Disarmament
    - The Eradication of Child Labor
As you research your country and issue, you must CITE YOUR SOURCES MLA style.
- To see MLA Style, go to <http://www.easybib.com> for an example.
  - You will need to show your works cited/bibliography in alphabetical order so you can show where you got your information from.
    - Example Works Cited (Example G)
- Use a variety of sources. Try to include...
  - library books.
  - current periodicals (newspapers)
    - Be careful here...You must make sure that the news organization is not biased towards one country. For example, is Xinhua News a reliable source for news about China?
  - scholarly journals.
    - http://journalseek.net/
  - The UN Website
    - <www.un.org>
  - Model UN sites
    - <http://www.unimun.org/unimun_handbook.html>
  - Global Policy
    - <www.globalpolicy.org>
  - For currency exchanges, go to
    - <http://www.xe.com/>
  - CIA World Factbook
    - <https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/>
- Here are important questions to ask yourself while you research.
  - What is the problem? How does it affect your country?
  - What has your country done to combat the problem?
  - What are the various "sides" in the debate?
  - Which aspects of the issue are most important to your country?
  - If your country is not involved with the issue, how can it become involved?
  - How will your country shape the debate at the conference?
  - What arguments will other countries make?
  - How do the positions of other countries affect your country's position?
  - Is there evidence/statistics to help to back up your country's position?
After researching your country, the issue, and how the issue affects your country, it is now YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to fuse all of those ideas into a POSITION PAPER.

Step 2.) Position Paper

After you create a country profile and research your issue, you and your other group members will meet and create a position paper.
A position paper is your countries' response to the topic.
A position paper is a paper that is 3 TO 4 PAGES LONG that...
- gives some background information on the problem (1/2 page).
  - How has the problem developed?
  - Why is it important that the UN fixes the problem?
- talks about past United Nations Involvement (1/2 page).
  - How, When and Why did the UN become involved with this problem?
  - What did the UN and other NGO's do when they became involved?
    - How successful was their solution?
    - How did the world respond to the solution?
  - Avoid making a statement such as "The UN did ___________ and this led to ____________."
  - Give solutions that your country wants to propose. You should propose AT LEAST TWO – THREE SOLUTIONS.
- explains your countries' policy and past actions in regards to the issue (1 page).
  - Explain your policy on the topic.
  - Explain why your country is involved with the topic?
  - What actions has your country done in the past to solve the problem?
- proposes at least two to three solutions (1 page).
  - Before you propose your ideas, ask yourselves these questions.
    - Is the solution feasible? Will it cost too much money?
    - Has the UN tried this solution before?
    - What will NGO's do to carry out your solution?
    - What will happen if we implement your solution?
      - Will there be any unexpected problems because of this solution? If so, how will we fix them?
    - Is this solution in you countries' best interest?
    - Is this solution in the world's best interest?
    - Do not pick a solution that your country will not like.
    - Do not pick a solution that the world will not like.
    - Most importantly, BE SPECIFIC! Exactly what will happen with your solution.
An excellent position paper will be...
- 3-4 pages, single spaced
- It's sources will be cited MLA style and it will have a bibliography.
- It will follow the correct format
  - See Sample Position Paper (example B).
- It will have background on the problem, UN involvement on the problem and two or three solutions.
- There can not be NO PLAGARISM.
  - Plagarism is where you do not cite your sources correctly and use someone elses' research or writing as your own.
    - PLAGARISM WILL GET YOUR TEAM DISQUALIFIED!

After writing a position paper, you are now ready for the actual conference. Your position papers will be used to frame your countries position. In the conference you will make SPEECHES and have DEBATES based upon you position paper.

Monday, September 14, 2009

What is the UN? What is its’ purpose?

What is the UN?

The United Nations is an organization of nations that attempt to solve the major problems of the world.
It is an international organization in which all nations, big and small, rich and poor, have an opportunity to talk to each other.

What is the point of having the UN?

According to the Charter of the United Nations, passed in 1945 (right after the terrible Second World War)…

"The Purposes of the United Nations are:

To maintain international peace and security, and to that end: to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace, and to bring about by peaceful means, and in conformity with the principles of justice and international law, adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations which might lead to a breach of the peace;

To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace;

To achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion; and

To be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of these common ends (http://www.un.org/en/documents/charter/chapter1.shtml)."

What is MUN?

What is Model UN?

Model UN is a simulation of the real UN that high school and college students do all over the world.
1. The UN is a legislative body that meets in order to discuss matters of international security, human rights issues, economic development, environmental issues and many other contemporary problems.
Model UN, each individual student is teamed up with other students and they represent a country in the UN.
1. After being assigned a country, you are then assigned a particular issue.
  1. Some examples might include
    1. Whale Hunting
    2. Women's Right to Education
    3. Russian Military action in Georgia
2. It then becomes your job to research and debate how your country can solve the issue.
  1. But remember, you CAN NOT only think about what YOU think is right and wrong. You must
Model UN is a fun way to develop...
1. confidence.
2. writing skills.
3. speaking skills.
4. English fluency.
5. critical thinking skills.
6. debate skills.
7. knowledge about international relations.

What is Model UN?

Model UN is a simulation of the real UN that high school and college students do all over the world.
1. The UN is a legislative body that meets in order to discuss matters of international security, human rights issues, economic development, environmental issues and many other contemporary problems.
Model UN, each individual student is teamed up with other students and they represent a country in the UN.
1. After being assigned a country, you are then assigned a particular issue.
  1. Some examples might include
    1. Whale Hunting
    2. Women's Right to Education
    3. Russian Military action in Georgia
2. It then becomes your job to research and debate how your country can solve the issue.
  1. But remember, you CAN NOT only think about what YOU think is right and wrong. You must
Model UN is a fun way to develop...
1. confidence.
2. writing skills.
3. speaking skills.
4. English fluency.
5. critical thinking skills.
6. debate skills.
7. knowledge about international relations.