UGAMUNC XXII League of Villains 1 UGAMUNC XXII League of Villains Hello, Delegates! Welcome to UGAMUNC XXII- the 2016 University of Georgia Model United Nations Conference. If you are reading this, then you are probably a delegate of this committee, or you are just curious about the committee; I hope. The League of Villains is sure to be an entertaining journey that presents a committee in modern society operating within the moral ambiguity and general corruption of the world of villains in the DC Comics Universe. Before proceeding, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Nicole Williams, and I will be serving as your Crisis Director for this committee. I am a senior here at the University of Georgia, majoring in Mathematics and Biology. This is my fourth year on the UGA Model UN team, and I am currently serving as the Secretary General for the team. This is my second year on Secretariat, previously serving as Chief of Staff. In my free time, I enjoy playing tennis, softball, and sports in general. I also enjoy playing various musical instruments and have tried to form a one-man band in the past without much success. I am privileged to have Avery Raines and Colin Kerner as my Chairs at this year’s conference. Avery Sinclair Raines is currently a fourth year at the University of Georgia, pursuing a double major in International Relations and Mass Media Arts. This is her second year as a member of the Model UN team. Outside of university interests, Avery is a Resettlement Services Intern at the International Rescue Committee in Atlanta. An experienced traveler, Avery aims to pursue a tertiary degree abroad in hopes of becoming a documentary cinematographer or international food critic. Colin Kerner is a freshman at the University of Georgia, majoring in International Affairs with a minor in Russian. This is his first year on the team. Outside of school, he likes to rock climb, go backpacking, read and spend time with friends. Colin loves to travel and hopes to study abroad in Russia. As you begin your research, the following will be a crucial guide. It is very important that every delegate reads through the entirety of this guide, as your ability to operate in this committee is strongly dependent on the given material below. Delegates must complete and turn in position papers at the start of the first committee session in order to be considered for an award. If you have any questions about this committee, please contact me at [email protected]. Best of luck! Sincerely, Nicole Williams Crisis Director, League of Villains 2 UGAMUNC XXII League of Villains The Basic Rules and Procedures for the Committee This committee is a crisis committee and will not completely operate under the traditional rules, procedures, and structure of a traditional General Assembly committee. Please read through the following carefully (and the next section), as it will affect how you are able to perform and interact in this committee. In addition, all other traditional rules and procedures of UGAMUNC1 still apply. 1. There will not be a speaker’s list. There will not be any topics. You will not set an agenda. 2. Each delegate will be assigned a character role. It is your responsibility to represent your character’s interest when reacting to situations and crises. Properly researching your character will help you to stay in character. 3. Debate will be conducted in perpetual moderated caucuses with purpose, speaking time, and duration determined by the delegates. However, debate may be occasionally conducted in unmoderated caucuses, with duration determined by the delegates. 4. Delegates will not write resolutions as in traditional General Assembly committees. Delegates will write directives, which are quick, concise, and specific solutions to current crises or situations, with the specific purpose of attempting to solve said crises or situations. Directives are generally clear, action plans without a focus on grandiose language. The number of sponsors or signatories on directives will be determined by the chairs and announced during the committee. Directives are considered committee wide actions. 5. In addition to directives, the committee as a whole may pass communiqués and press releases. Communiqués are messages from the entire committee to another organization, group, country, etc. The language is generally more grandiose and formal to impress its intended audience. Communiqués often are used for negotiations, threats, request for aid or support, etc. Press releases are messages from the entire committee to the public and also generally use grandiose, formal language. They often function to sway public opinion, provoke public reaction, inform the public, or other. 6. In addition to committee-wide actions, delegates may individually write crisis notes and personal directives. These are written to the crisis staff without the approval or knowledge, if so intended, of the committee as a whole. Crisis notes are often used to garner information and are usually written in the form of a question and addressed to a specific recipient. Personal directives are individual actions that are usually limited to the powers or resources of the character. However, actions do have consequences, so be careful with personal directives. 1 UGAMUNC rules and procedures can be found at the following: http://www.ugamunc.com/ugamun/rules-and- procedures/ 3 UGAMUNC XXII League of Villains A Note on the Structure of the Committee This committee is similarly designed to committees you will find at collegiate conferences and will serve as your introduction to this popular style among collegiate circuits. As is the nature of crisis committees, this committee will be fast-paced, requiring each delegate to be resourceful, adaptable, and flexible. Especially with the League of Villains, all delegates should be prepared to be imaginative and creative. Delegates are strongly encouraged to work together on directives and committee actions, so that a clear, concise directive is obtained, and delegates are communicating as a team and consolidating ideas. It does not matter who brings the directive to the table but the content of the ideas present within. Delegates are strongly encouraged to work with the crisis director and staff through the form of crisis notes and personal directives. This is the best way for each individual delegate to use individual powers and achieve individual goals. Position papers are required from each delegate in order to be considered for an award. Rather than focusing on character backgrounds, the position papers should outline your planned role within the committee and how you will interact with the other characters. All papers are due at the first committee session in a hard copy the day of the conference. Awards will be decided based on a delegate’s performance within and outside the committee. Therefore, delegates must excel in all forms of the committee, including speaking in the committee, communicating with other delegates, contributing ideas to the overall committee actions, and interacting with crisis. I cannot stress how important it is to be able to multi-task, fulfilling the goals of the committee as a whole, as well as pursuing your own interests with crisis. The events established in the DC Comics’ universe are subject to change with the progression of events in this committee, and some characters’ histories may be altered to better fit within the dynamic of the committee and the League of Villains. Again, this committee will not follow any set trajectory or established history, as related to the DC universe. Merely, a world and set of characters have been borrowed from its continuity. Despite your roles as villains, it is important that each delegate remains respectful to all of the other delegates, chairs, crisis director, and staff. Any comment considered as malicious or disrespectful will not be interpreted as merely part of your character and will not be tolerated. In addition, exercise caution and consideration when dealing with actions of sensitive nature, such as kidnapping, murder, or other. 4 UGAMUNC XXII League of Villains Greetings, Colleagues: Your actions have not gone unnoticed and have attracted the attention of very powerful organization of like-minded individuals. It is with careful consideration that I now extend to you an invitation. This is no ordinary invitation but an offer that you shall not refuse. The League of Villains has called upon you as one of its unique members. Imagine an alliance of so-called villains ready to face the world and its justice against our way of life and kind. We are merely an injustice league, if you feel so inclined to refer to us as, ready to right the wrongs of society. The stage has been set for the rise of the villains, and the time has come for us to take back the world we so rightly deserve. I look forward to our future meeting and the change for the better we can bring upon our society and our world. Sincerely, Your Benefactor 2 3 2 Image above adapted from original Legion of Doom logo obtained from: http://theflash.wikia.com/wiki/File:FlashPoint_Legion_of_Doom_Logo.jpg 3 Image behind text adapted from the UN logo and skull logo obtained from: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Logo_of_the_United_Nations_(B%26W).svg; and http://www.cliparthut.com/skull-clip-art-clipart-aOmnqt.html 5 UGAMUNC XXII League of Villains "[It] strikes me that your enemies fight and win again and again because they truly believe their actions are in accordance with a higher moral order. But what happens in a world where good has lost its perpetual struggle against evil?"4 -- Grant Morrison, “Final Crisis #1” A Brief History of a World with (Super) Heroes The world has never been without its fair share of heroes.