UN Simulations, Model United Nations velopments in 2007, Public Information Of- tions more thoroughly through authenti- fice, UNRWA Headquarters, Gaza, July cally simulated multinational diplomacy 2008 (quoted as: UNRWA 2008b), and intergovernmental decision-making www.un.org/unrwa/publications/pubs08/ processes, rather than just through ab- SocioEconomicDevelopments_23July08.pdf. stract information and analysis of prob- Internet: 1. General Information: Home- lems alone. The participants are to re- page of the UNRWA: www.un.org/unrwa solve situations and conflicts actively and www.un.org/Depts/dpa/qpal/index-f1. htm; and on their own, and to experience re- 2. UNRWA documents and other UN docu- alistically the rules and restrictions of ments on the Palestine conflict: www.un. international negotiations “in practice”. org/Depts/dpa/qpal/p_refugs.htm Theplayelementsaswellastheemo- and http:// domino.un.org/UNISPAL/NSF tional and group-dynamic processes (UN Information System on the Question of should lead to a more intense experience Palestine); and a more thorough comprehension. 3. Other links (universities etc).: Intensive preparation with regard to the a) Homepage of the AIC Project for Pales- role of the country which one is to rep- tinian Residency & Refugee Rights: www. badil. org/Refugee/ref1.htm; resent is essential to an effective simula- b) Homepage of the Palestinian Refugee tion, just to “play” the role of the coun- ResearchNet of McGill University/Canada: try does not suffice. It is necessary to www.arts.mcgill.ca/MEPP/PRRN/prmepp. find out a spectrum of facts about the htm. role of this country in the context of the UN, about the problems and difficulties of the topics to be discussed in the simu- UN Simulations, Model United Nations lated negotiations. The aim of the prepa- ration will be to provide the depth and Simulations of political processes, of the multiple views on any given issue, deliberation bodies and negotiating and to avoid the typical danger of role- committees and of their methods and playing, namely to learn just the official procedures, are an old analytical and di- points of view, and the positions of the dactic instrument, also applicable to state representatives, which would lead town halls, parliaments, courts of jus- to a superficial and one-sided simula- tice, and others – especially to the cog- tion. The motivation for such a strenu- nitively far-away world of international ous and extensive preparation is pro- relations. Designed in most cases as role vided by the engagement for and during plays, simulations are used, on the one the game; the first practical experiences hand, to evaluate complex scenarios in the play (e.g. the work with proce- (such as military activities), and on the dural questions or the informal negotia- other, they serve for the training of ne- tion of resolution texts between country gotiators and decision-makers (for ex- groups) lead to deeper and diverse in- ample in diplomacy) as well as in the sights; the necessary modification of education of students at schools, col- their own, and appreciation of others’ leges and universities or in the general perspectives, force the students to con- political education. sider carefully seemingly “obvious” po- I. UN Simulations sitions, and to question their previous The aim of UN simulations as a teach- judgments and prejudices. ing method is to make the students fa- The United Nations, more precisely miliar with the structure and function of some of its principal organs, subsidiary bodies and manifold committees in the the principal organs and committees of → the world organization (→ Principal UN System are simulated all over the Organs, Subsidiary Organs, Treaty Bod- world in hundreds of Model UN activi- ies; → Committees, System of). The ties both in small groups such as school idea is to promote an understanding of classes and in larger conferences of up international relations and their connec- to thousands of role players. In the USA there are more than hundred major UN 824 UN Simulations, Model United Nations simulations with more than 10,000 par- work in their committees. At the end of ticipants, often organized by the stu- the conference the plenary sessions of dents themselves. Some large and well- the principal UN organs, such as the known Model UN conferences, mostly General Assembly or ECOSOC, discuss organized by universities (e.g. Harvard/ and vote upon the resolutions that the HNMUN, Harvard World Model or committees have worked out. The com- American University in Cairo/CIMUN), petition with other universities for the try to bring national and /or interna- prestigious awards is a principal motiva- tional activities together. tor, beyond the fun at the game. II. National Model United Nations Students from different regions and (NMUN) in the USA cultures meet and get to know intensive- ly the respective style of discussion and The US-American National Model Unit- work of others. The students realize ed Nations (NMUN) – www.nmun.org quickly that the most important points – is the biggest and most professional are not discussed in the formal but in the UN simulation – actually a combination informal sessions. There, it is important of some bigger and smaller models. to become the speaker of a group; for Founded in 1947, it continued the simu- this it is necessary to show negotiating lation of the League of Nations (Model skills and strategic behavior and, at the League of Nations, founded in 1923). same time to develop an insight into the This Model UN which has since been logic of other positions. Of course, the held annually, takes place in the week “diplomats” have to follow the rules of before Easter in New York, and is held diplomatic conduct and procedures. partially in the official rooms at UN An intense preparation of the subject headquarters itself. More than 3,500 matters of the role, if possible in English students take part, coming from the from the very beginning, and a resulting USA, as well as from universities from group identity are the precondition to all over the world. The National Colle- “make it” in New York, and even to win giate Conference Association (NCCA), an award. To represent “their” country which is organizes the simulation, is a actively and to bring in their own initia- non-profit, non-governmental organiza- tives the players have to be familiar tion. Being acknowledged by the UN as → with the politics of this country and with an NGO ( NGOs), it cooperates the UN System itself. All this can only closely with the world body. Students be achieved through well-rehearsed and who took part in former years are also efficient team work. The NMUN is no responsible for the organization of the “playground” for “would-be diplomats”, Model UN. but a hard training programme that de- The structure, major issues and proce- velops analytical and social skills which dures of the NMUN mirror political re- are adequate to the challenges of mod- ality as closely as possible. For one ern diplomacy today and that prepares week, from early morning until late the students for work in international af- evening, every university group repre- fairs. sents one UN member state (or NGO), as they were assigned months before, in III. UN Simulations in Germany the different UN committees and or- In Germany, UN simulations at school gans. Before the sessions of the simula- and universities are used as a learning tion begin the delegates have the oppor- method. An annual German Model UN tunity to meet the representatives of the (GerMUN) and various other nation- permanent mission of “their” country. wide model conferences (e.g. Ham- There they can compare the positions MUN) are now, more than 60 years af- they have prepared with the official ter the foundation of the UN, well estab- policies of the country. Sometimes they lished. Networking associations like have also the opportunity to be briefed Deutsche Model United Nations by diplomats and UN officials for the (DMUN) and Junges UNO-Netzwerk 825