A Wartburg College student group will use Culture Week to demonstrate the importance of foreign affairs, focusing on the Syrian conflict.
The Model United Nations, a club comprised of students interested in international relations and foreign affairs, will host sessions Tuesday, March 19, and Thursday, March 21, both beginning at 4 p.m., in Science Center 102, as part of Culture Week.
Discussion panels will focus on the growing international conflict in Syria, which pits the government of President Bashar al-Assad against the National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, recognized by the United States, Britain, France, Turkey and several Gulf Arab countries, but rejected by radical Islamist groups.
“All world powers are becoming increasingly reckless with human life as the Syrian conflict drags on,” said Valentina Jordan, a member of MUN. “Two years on, Syrians continue facing horrors: unrelenting violence; dwindling supplies of food and medicine; and human rights violations, including sexual violence against women and children.”
Jordan ’14, from Cali, Colombia, said United Nations reported March 6 that the growing number of refugees had reached 1 million, creating greater ethnic tensions within neighboring states.
“It is the responsibility for all world powers to renew their commitment to uphold human rights and bring the atrocities in Syria to an end,” Jordan said.
Members of the MUN will act as delegates, practicing diplomacy and negotiation and writing resolutions.
Through the panel discussion, each student will research a country’s position in the Syria conflict, learn how to lobby and debate a resolution on the U.N. floor, and to ultimately learn how to represent a country’s position rather than personal views.
Jordan encouraged other students interested in foreign affairs to consider joining the club, which is open to everyone. Meetings are held weekly with informal discussions as well as workshops.
“Participating in Model United Nations can be a life-changing experience,” Jordan said. “You will have the opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge about the U.N. system, the decision-making process and the diplomatic work. All the while, you will be enhancing your communication skills and debating techniques on the search for compromise, cooperation and consensus.”
To join the Model United Nations or learn more about the event, contact Dr. Bret Billet, professor of political science and co-coordinator of the International Relations Program, at bret.billet@wartburg.edu or student leader Liza Gashi at liza.gashi@wartburg.edu.