2007 Global Crises

Briefing Questions | Role Assignments

Briefing Questions

To: The Participating Delegation in the Kigali and Nairobi Meetings
Dt: February 27, 2007
Re: Delegation Briefing Papers

Dear Participants,
Inquiry delegation meeting

As we prepare to gather in April, current headlines and reports -- from ongoing conflicts in Darfur and Somalia and their spillover effects in other countries to the continuing economic, social and health threats posed by AIDS and malaria; from global agribusiness and multinational corporations seeking the continent's resources to combating corruption and the challenges of establishing good governance -- make the need for our conference all the more necessary.

During the Conference, the delegates will be asked to participate in committee discussions on: Governance and Sovereignty, Conflict and Intervention, Public Health, Social Welfare, Border Security, Development, and Resources.

In preparation for the upcoming conference, each of the delegations is asked to submit a briefing paper to the conference organizers by March 31, 2007. The briefing paper should provide concise information (bullet format where appropriate) on your country or organization in relation to the issues below. The briefing papers will be posted on the web site for all other delegations to read on April 2 -- please email the briefing papers to heather.barry@tufts.edu.

Please Organize Briefing Papers in this Structure:

A. Introduction (how you want to present your delegation to the conference, why these issues are important to your delegation)

B. Key Points (please cite the 7 most important and pressing issues for your delegation in the context of the conference - bullet point format )

C. Background of your country or organization (this should include a brief history of your country or organization (e.g. when did you achieve independence/when were you founded, etc.) and other important details such as: government/governance; population/size; economic indicators, such as GNP, GDP, debt, funding or aid, ethnic composition, religious composition, size and role of your military, mission, prevalence of HIV/AIDS, etc.)

D. Issues Committee on Governance and Sovereignty
Please address the following issues from the viewpoint of your country or organization: how does your country or organization define good governance; under the concept of sovereignty, what rights do states have and when, if ever, do states relinquish those rights; what has been the overall impact of corruption on your country and on Africa; is corruption prevalent in your country or a priority of your organization; is there civil unrest in your country, and if so, by what groups; if there is an insurgency movement in your country, is it supported by the people in your country, why or why not; what role does your military play in your government

Committee on Conflict and Intervention
Please address the following issues from the viewpoint of your country or organization: do you believe that countries have the right or obligation to intervene in countries that are repressing their people or engaged in civil conflict; if so, what form should that intervention take, diplomatic, economic, military, etc; do repressive regimes pose a security risk to the region, and if so, how; has your country experienced, or is it experiencing, a civil war; what are your views on post-conflict peacebuilding, including offering amnesty, the role of trials and international tribunals, the feasibility of truth commissions; has your country engaged in post-conflict peacebuilding and if so, has it been successful; how would you define a failed state; what challenges do failed states pose for your region; what do you see as the spillover effects of the conflicts in Darfur, Somalia, and Northern Uganda

Committee on Public Health
Please address the following issues from the viewpoint of your country or organization: what is the AIDS pandemic and how does that affect the region; how have AIDS and malaria affected you; what are the differences between how the region is approaching the AIDS pandemic to how it approaches other persistent diseases such as malaria; is there a difference in how you approach it; what is the status of health care regionally; what are the primary concerns regarding health care; who has access to health care; what role do states play in providing health care and what role do external actors - from intra-national bodies to NGOs to corporations - play in providing health care

Committee on Social Welfare
Please address the following issues from the viewpoint of your country or organization: what is the poverty level in your country; what is the income disparity in your country and in Africa and what do you think causes the disparity; structural violence is often described as the systems or institutions in government that repress or put at risk part of its population, such as racism - is structural violence a problem in your country and for whom; how would you describe how your country treats its children; are children in our country at risk of being child soldiers; what challenges does the reintegration of child soldiers pose

Committee on Border Security
Please address the following issues from the viewpoint of your country or organization: Is illicit trafficking a concern for your country and for the region; what are the primary goods sold through illicit trafficking and who benefits from the black market; is arms trafficking a concern for your country, especially the trafficking of small arms; does the illicit trafficking fuel internal or regional conflicts; what is your policy on people/refugees who illegally emigrate into your country or into another country seeking political asylum; what are the different reasons for human trafficking in Africa; who are the victims of trafficking; who are the beneficiaries; do you consider it to be a regional problem

Committee on Development
Please address the following issues from the viewpoint of your country or organization: how would you assess the overall development of Africa; how would you describe the pace of development in your country; what would you cite as development successes; what would you cite as development failures; what is the role of the international community/international actors in your country's development; have you received or are you seeking debt relief; how dependent on foreign aid is your country and your region; how integrated into the global economy are you; is there a digital divide in your country and if so, how are you addressing it

Committee on Resources Please address the following issues from the viewpoint of your country or organization: is your country a resource (e.g. oil) provider and if so, what resources do you provide; what is the impact of resource extraction on Africa and on your country; who benefits from resource extraction; is your country facing a water shortage; what percentage of your population does not have access to clean water; is the privatization of water a concern for your country; what role does agriculture play in your economic sector; what percentage of your population depends on agriculture; what are your primary export crops; what is your position on the subsidies that the US and the EU provide for their domestic farmers; is climate change a concern for you · Cite Five Issues your Country or Organization would like addressed at the conference (bullet format)

· References
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Role Assignments

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