YMCA Model UN - Burlington County, New Jersey

Committee Description

The Historical Simulation Committee reenacts a different international incident between two or more nations and the United Nations during each conference weekend. Students who participate in this committee will be assigned to represent a party involved with the conflict. Once each delegate is assigned to an interested party they will be assigned a specific person or role to represent throughout the incident. Students are expected to research the history and outcome of the international incident and find any available information about the specific role assigned to them.

Once at the conference, the program staff will begin the simulation by placing each nation into separate rooms. Each nation will then be given a limited fact pattern outlining the beginning of the scenario. Periodic updates will also be provided throughout the weekend. The program staff may provide additional information to a specific delegate depending on their assigned role. Although the scenario will initially follow the historical pattern the program staff reserves the right to alter key facts to see how the delegates may respond to these changing fact patterns.

Topic

HSC 2010 Topic: Dateline 1961 - 1962

The Historical Simulation Committee (HSC) is a specialized committee that simulates a specific period of time. Delegates recreate the challenges which confronted the period's movers and shakers-- often historical accuracy is adapted as students spark events with their actions, or lack there of in committee. Although the simulation will revolve around real historical events, the outcome or effects of said events will be due to the decisions and actions made by participating delegates. Furthermore, delegates will be restricted by the technology and cultural advances of the time period.

The 2009-2010 YMCA Model UN HSC will simulate the years 1961 and 1962. These years might remind you of “Hemingway, Eichmann, Stranger in a Strange Land, Dylan, Berlin, Bay of Pigs Invasion, Lawrence of Arabia, British Beatlemania, Ole Miss, John Glenn, and Liston Beats Patterson…” They might provoke the image of “advisors” entering Vietnam while United Kingdom was leaving Kuwait. Of Castro pledging his allegiance to one land while race riots broke out in another. Of a Wall rising and Israelis launching, while the Chinese fought in the North and South. A new political, economic, and world order dawned. Ultimately, “We didn't start the fire; it was always burning since the world's been turning. We didn't start the fire; no we didn't light it - but we tried to fight it!”

In HSC 2010, you will have the ability to fight the fires! You will be teamed up with other delegates in three smaller sub-committees throughout the weekend to help fight these fires. The sub-committees are:

1. United States Cabinet
2. Soviet Union Cabinet
3. UN Security Council

The cabinets will spend their weekend responding to domestic and international issues. The UN Security Council will attempt to maintain international peace and security at a time when the two biggest world powers were on the brink of war. And the Security Council will attempt to do so despite the limited information provided by international news agencies, and their members.

A student leader will facilitate and keep decorum in each of these subcommittees, while staying true to his or her simulation role. Two other student leaders will be directing communication; one acting as the Soviet Ambassador and the other as the US Ambassador. Although these students are leaders of their subcommittees, they do not control delegates' actions or decisions regarding the simulation.

Position papers

HSC_PositionPaperSamples.doc

HSC Assignments

All delegates in the HSC will need to:

- Make 2 posts to the HSC blog site.

- Attend 1 of 2 "online" mock sessions.

- Answer a series of questions about your role (or if on Security Council, answer questions and write 2 resolutions).

- Communicate with the other members of your bloc (will be posted by the bloc leaders on blog site by next week).

Cold_War_Assignment_Memo.pdf

HSC Position Paper – due November 13, 2009:

In no more than 1-2 pages, provide an overview of the events leading up to the Cuban Missile Crisis, but do not discuss the crisis itself. Explain what role, if any, the United Nations had in the events leading to the crisis. N.B.: Wikipedia and other general encyclopedias are not valid sources for Historical Simulation Committee research.

Online “Mock Session”:

During the last two weeks of November, the student officers will schedule two to three online “mock sessions.” Each delegate must participate in one of these sessions in order to participate in the HSC. During these sessions, the officers will discuss the HSC questions and provide critical information about the conference weekend.

HSC Questions – due December 18, 2009:

Each delegate must answer specific questions assigned to his or her subcommittee in order to guide the research process. These questions and any other assignments are expected to be thoroughly completed. Submission of a well researched paper is required before delegates' roles are confirmed. These sub-committee questions will be mailed to the delegates with their assignments. Any student who fails to complete this assignment will not be permitted to participate in the HSC. The HSC cannot force delegates to challenge themselves or to research their time period and topics, but with a willing attitude and each delegate's best effort, the HSC can facilitate personal growth and one of the most exciting, satisfying, and inspiring weekends a person could experience.