Lobomun! Th Th January 25 – 27 at the University of New Mexico Sponsored by the University of New Mexico’S World Affairs Delegation
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Welcome to LoboMUN! th th January 25 – 27 at the University of New Mexico Sponsored by the University of New Mexico’s World Affairs Delegation About the Conference LoboMUN is in its 12th year at the University of New Mexico. The conference has grown every year, and offers High School students the opportunity to participate in a full Model United Nations Conference. This year the topics and committees range from a traditional Model UN committee that deal with world health issues to a specialized body that deals with the battle for good and evil in our Star Wars committee. No matter which committee delegates are in, they will gain essential skills in debate, negotiation, and response to global crises. About the Host Team The UNM World Affairs Delegation is the University of New Mexico’s proud Model United Nations team. We compete globally, this year participating in conferences in Los Angeles, California and Panama City, Panama. We fundraise throughout the year in order to make these conferences affordable for every deserving delegate. In addition to attending conferences, we participate in a number of internationally- oriented initiatives in Albuquerque, NM. For more information about the World Affairs Delegation, please visit: http://unmwad.unm.edu Star Wars Crisis Committee About the Star Wars Crisis Committee The year is 22BBY. Many planets have broken off from the Republic and formed a Separatist party that wishes to end the Republic that has been governing for over 1000 years. The recent battle on Geonosis, known as the First Battle of Geonosis, has marked the beginning of the Clone Wars. This is a war fought between Separatist party and the Republic. The Republic is governed by a large body known as the Galactic Senate. The Galactic Senate is assisted by the Jedi Order to help keep peace within the Republic. You are either a member of the Senate or a Jedi who have come together in order to decide what to do about the imminent threat that is the Separatist Army. You will also be handling any other conflicts that occur throughout the Republic during this ongoing war. This committee takes place in the Star Wars universe seen in the Star Wars films. While it is not necessary to have seen all the Star Wars films in order to participate, a basic knowledge of the world and its history is definitely helpful. Links at the end of this section will help. There are also certain differences from the details and plots of the movies, to accommodate both turning the world into a Model UN committee, and ensuring that the crisis is kept both entertaining and unpredictable. The committee starts debate shortly after the outbreak of war in the First Battle of Geonosis seen in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. A brief summary of the assigned characters will appear at the end of this guide. For more information, if you do not want to watch the films prior to the committee, you can look at the two main sources of Star Wars knowledge, or email [email protected]: http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page http://www.starwars.com The Galactic Senate/ Jedi Order The Galactic Senate is headed by the Supreme Chancellor and Vice Chair of the senate. For this committee, the Supreme Chancellor is Sheev Palpatine, and the Vice Chair is Mas Amedda. The Senate also consists of different committees, listed below, to help with making decisions. Committees: ♦ Finance Committee: The finance committee oversees the use of money in the Senate ♦ Senate Committee on Refugees: The Senate committee on refugees meets to discuss aid for republic citizens who’ve lost their homes in battle as well as to discuss the withdrawal of planets from the republic. ♦ Loyalist Committee: An advisory body formed by Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. This committee was often seen as controversial or as a “shadow government”. This committee was split between pro war and pro diplomacy. ♦ War Council Advisory Panel: This panel was set up by Supreme Chancellor Palpatine to help coordinate the war effort in the military as well as the senate. The Jedi Order is an ancient peacekeeping organization that gains and utilizes the Force, specifically the light side. They are the guardians of peace and justice in the Galactic Republic and one of the more well-known groups that uses The Force. There are different ranks and positions within the Jedi Order listed below Jedi Order: ♦ Master of the Order: Elected leader of the Jedi High Council. ♦ Jedi Councilor: Member of the Jedi High Council ♦ Jedi Master: The highest formal rank a Jedi can achieve. This is earned through exceptional devotion, skill, and balance in The Force as well as combat. ♦ Jedi Weapon Master: A title given to Jedi Masters who studied physical combat with the force. ♦ Jedi Knight: A member of the Jedi Order who has completed training in the academy as well as completing the Jedi Trials during their time as a Padawan. ♦ Padawan: A Force-sensitive adolescent who has begun one on one training with a Jedi Knight or Master outside the academy. ♦ Jedi Initiate (youngling): A Force-sensitive child who is undergoing early trainings at the Jedi academy. Crisis Committee This is a crisis committee, which means the Crisis Staff may send out news briefs to the committee as a whole, or special information to specific delegates. These events will often change the terms of a debate, and require immediate action. Rather than focusing on the passage of one or two resolutions at the end of the session, you will be creating directives throughout the session, which will have an effect on later events, and may even create unintended consequences that you must deal with. While every document should be as well-written as possible, the focus in crisis committees will be on the operative rather than the pre-ambulatory clauses. Why Star Wars? It may seem silly or unusual to have a committee that is so unrelated to real-world foreign affairs at a Model UN conference. However, even the most contemporary of topics addressed may be a non-issue by the time you are actually employed in the foreign affairs field—but the skills of resolution writing, public speaking, collaboration and diplomacy will always be important. This committee offers a non-traditional approach to practicing these universal skills. Topic The outbreak of war between the Republic and confederate forces on Geonosis Introduction War has just broken out on Geonosis. This marks the beginning of the Clone Wars. The Separatists grow in power and number daily so it is imperative that action is taken quickly. The Separatists are headed by former Jedi, Count Dooku, however there is another Sith Lord whose identity is unknown. Members of the Senate are split on whether to pursue war or diplomacy during this crisis. Topics to Consider This will be the crisis that you face. Due to the real-time nature of the crisis, there is not necessarily much preparation that can be done as with a traditional committee. As a member of the Galactic Senate, you are ostensibly working against the threat of the Separatists… but your personal agenda may be different. Additionally, in the event that the Separatist Party succeeds in taking over the Republic, your work against them may become much harder (or your work for them will be much easier). Attempt to pass directives that further your cause, but watch out for spies and those that may seek to work against you. Suggested Additional Resources http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/First_Battle_of_Geonosis http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Galactic_Senate http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Jedi_Order Characters Anakin Skywalker Discovered as a slave on Tatooine by Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker is believed by some to be the “Chosen One” prophesied to bring balance to the Force. Despite being older than most Jedi Padawans, Anakin has a strong connection to the Force, and he and his master Obi Wan have been successful on many missions. His hot temper can be a liability at times, though, and he tends to place his personal values over those of the Order. Chancellor Palpatine quickly took a liking to Anakin, and has been a friend and mentor over his years of training. Ask Aak Ask Aak is part of the delegation representing Malastare in the Galactic Senate. A member of the Gran species, he began serving in the Senate after Senator Palpatine’s election to the office of Supreme Chancellor. A fierce loyalist, Senator Aak is one of Chancellor Palpatine’s closest advisors, sitting on the Loyalist Committee. He tends to vote in accordance with the Chancellor’s political views, and is a strong proponent for a military force to combat the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Bail Organa Bail Organa is a member of Alderaan's royal family, and is the planet's representative to the Republic Senate. He has earned respect on Coruscant for his honesty and his commitment to justice. Bail serves alongside Senator Padmé Amidala and others as a member of Chancellor Palpatine's Loyalist Committee. The two became close friends, and recruited like-minded allies to oppose the Chancellor’s increases of executive authority. Ki-Adi Mundi Ki-Adi-Mundi is a Cerean alien who sits on the Jedi Council. A humanoid being, Ki's most distinguishing physical feature was an enlarged conical cranium that contained a binary brain. A well-respected senior Jedi, Master Mundi is known for his logical, wise demeanor, and adheres closely to the views of the Jedi Order. While he prefers a considered approach to situations, he is a skilled duelist.