Special Conference

Contact: specialconference@bermun.de

Dear Delegates,
Our names are Frida, Caroline and Jakob and we will be serving as the Presidents of the Special Conference on Ethnic Rivalry for BERMUN 2006. This letter is a guide for what will be awaiting you in November in the Special Conference and a quick introduction to the topics. We hope your enthusiasm will ignite an exciting conference, especially in our committee.
This year the Special Conference has a very important role to play for the General Assembly. We will not only debate and pass resolutions, but further draft the “Declaration on the elimination of ethnic rivalry as a means of preventing ethnic conflict”. When the General Assembly convenes on Saturday, they will use our Declaration as the basis for writing a resolution to solve the pending problems regarding ethnic rivalry.
Thus our agenda looks like this:

Developing educational programs in the primary and secondary school levels to foster tolerance and combat racism and xenophobia

Utilizing sports in order to achieve peace, understanding and intercultural dialogue

Declaration on the elimination of ethnic rivalry as a means of preventing ethnic conflict

I. Declaration on the elimination of ethnic rivalry as a means of preventing ethnic conflict
The simulation of the United Nations this year will truly embrace a new aspect of international relations. The gathering of the nations to formulate sustainable policy in the form of a declaration. We hope to simulate such a gathering similar to famous conferences, such as the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Kyoto or the World Conference on Racism in Durban.
We are proud to touch virgin ground in tackling a topic yet unconsidered in a United Nations Conference, namely the elimination of ethnic rivalry as a means of preventing ethnic conflict. In this context we hope to lay the framework for an international policy on ethnic rivalry and more importantly to create common ground between the ethnicities in conflict; a document that serves as a guideline when the General Assembly puts the policy to practice.
Ethnic strife plagues all regions of the world. Though news agencies restrict their coverage to very violent or very eminent conflicts, underlying rivalries are found everywhere. The death toll varies, motives stay. In the first three weeks of fighting between Tamil Rebels and the government this year, Sri Lanka counted 100,000 new displaced persons. Many European nations witness rising numbers of racially motivated crimes. On the flipside, based on current incarceration statistics, every third African-American in the USA can expect to go to jail in his lifetime.
Ethnic rivalries are always power struggles. Though oftentimes minorities struggle for their rights in a state, rivalries can also be independent of state policy. The decisive step thus is a comprehensive and simultaneous addressing of political and social issues on a regional, national and international level. Therefore, we suggest eight sub-topics for the declaration: Political, Economic, Humanitarian/Health, Education, Demilitarization, Environment, Social, and Disarmament. These sub-topics are intended as guides when formulating clauses.
The debate on the Declaration will follow slightly altered parliamentary rules for the declaration to facilitate a broader exchange of ideas. This will be explained at the conference. For now, it is important that you research this topic and prepare at least one clause on each sub-topic. Clauses are formulated with the verb “shall” and can consider nations, organizations, individuals and companies. They are not clauses of advice, but rather of “decision” in as much as they reflect the view of the delegations, which in reality should translate into binding decisions. For help in drafting clauses, look at the Durban declaration (http://ww.un.org/wcar).

Links:
http://ww.un.org/wcar
http://www.cwis.org/fwj/41/ethnic.html
http://www.minorityrights.org/campaigns/campaigns_conflict.htm
http://www.antiracism-info.org/Public/pageLiens.php

II. Utilizing sports in order to achieve, peace, understanding and inter-cultural dialogue
Utilizing sports in order to achieve peace, understanding and intercultural dialogue
Sports have often been used as a bridge between cultures, identities, and even diplomatic relations. The 2003 General Assembly resolution, “Sports as a means to promote education, health, development, and peace” was a reaffirmation of the belief that sports can be a way towards peace.” The resolution cited the Convention on the Rights of the Child, as well as the International Charter of Physical Education and Sport of the UN Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization as fore-founders and guides on the topic of sports in relation to health, peace, and development. The resolution, above all, stressed the need for more coordination between the effective levels of power: family, school, NGOs, and eventually the government as a mediator of international relations, and this is something that should be taken into consideration when brainstorming your own resolutions, as coordination is still an issue that hinders the utilization of sports for peace. This resolution led to allowing United Nations Fund for International Partnerships (UNFIP) to handle the sporting issue, and eventually created the International Working Group on Sport for Development and Peace (IWG) to work in coordination with governments and NGOs in recognizing the power of sports in peace related issues and furthering the sporting agenda. For years the international community has organized forums with the intent of creating more interest in sports for furthering peace, mending war-torn areas, and mediating intercultural dialogue, yet the recurring issues that prevent action are a lack of common coordination, tense international relations, and a lack of education on sports in the areas of need (including advocating morals, understanding, dialogue etc in a “code of good practice”). In order to create an effective sporting agenda, all levels of action must be appropriately equipped with help from guiding organizations (on a community based, national, and international level). Think about ways to promote interest in sports, such as a fusion of academics and physical education, and cooperation between cities and between countries, as the interest in sports is a main ingredient in ensuring that sports will be an effective way of achieving peace, understanding, and intercultural dialogue.

Links:
http://www.un.org/sport2005
http://www.sportanddev.org
http://www.un.org/unfip/2004Website/about_sportDevelopmentPeace.htm

III. Developing educational programs in the primary and secondary school levels to foster tolerance and combat racism and xenophobia
Education in primary and secondary education has a historical role as an instrument for indoctrination and propaganda. Most famous perhaps the abuse by the Nazis, but even modern democracies are not free of the abuse of utilizing the educational system for their purposes. The potential for the abuse in primary and secondary school levels at the same time also implies the opportunity for developing educational programs that foster tolerance. In effect, utilizing the school system for good.
Teaching respect in the classroom can go hand in hand with teaching respect and tolerance for different ethnicities as part of comprehensive programs encompassing all elements of school life. Many campaigns currently aimed at all members of society work towards this, yet the most fruitful ground lies with the children in education.
With the help of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), which is an organization that works to create conditions for dialogue, based on respect for commonly shared values and the dignity of each civilization and culture, the UN should continue to work towards obtaining education for all children around the world. Once this goal is reached, children at primary and secondary school levels need be educated about the past, to be able to learn from it and help shape a better future. In order to combat various manifestations of discrimination, which continue to plague many societies, the youth needs to become tolerant of different races, religions and ethnic groups.

Links:
http://www.un.org/issues/m-educ.html
http://portal.unesco.org/education
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2002/GASHC3680.doc.htm

Your country’s input is essential – and you will want to participate in debate.. Therefore, please come to BERMUN with one formulated resolution one of our two topics and with a few formulated clauses for the Declaration. We don’t want to reiterate UN debate though. Let yourself be inspired, but do not plagiarize!
We have confidence in you making this year’s SCER and are both proud and excited about the pioneers work we are going to accomplish with drafting a Declaration. Good Luck with your research and your work!!

‘Till November,
Jakob Thomae
Frida Alim
Caroline Meder

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