Hi Everyone!
With conference right around the corner, we wanted to provide you with a break down of why we chose to focus on our particular topics. In regards to Topic A, there are plenty of committees and organizations that detail refugee disasters and situations. There is an expansive array of statistics and data readily available on the internet, but very little data on the individual experiences of refugees. Coupled with resource mismanagement, natural disasters, and armed conflict, refugees are overburdened with mental illness -- yet this is hardly ever discussed in a global setting. This topic necessitates you approach research from a different angle, especially with regards to facts and background knowledge. Don't focus on the country impact; zoom in on the people themselves.
Topic B followed a similar selection process in that we were searching for another common topic that could be analyzed from a new point of view. Very little research examines the psychological impacts of malnourishment on individuals, despite the extreme poverty of food and resources to sustain a proper diet being a pervasive truth for all nations, regardless of GDP status. Food accessibility can lead to a myriad of developmental issues if it affects someone from an early age -- children learn and adopt behaviors that encourage maximum food and resource intake, leading to obesity and unhealthy relationships with food later in life regardless of accessibility. This topic will also require delegates to examine resource allocation alongside its potential impacts on well being, hopefully adding a nuanced perspective to delegates' overall experience.
COMMITTEE EXPECTATIONS
Secondly, we wanted to inform you what to expect when you are actually in conference. Firstly, there was an error on the committee website. WE WILL BE USING NORMAL BMUN PROCEDURE, and will not be following Thaimun Procedure. Keeping that in mind, expect to participate in moderated caucuses, unmoderated caucuses, and present resolutions to the committee. Feel free to prepare speeches, as you will hopefully be giving many! If you are confused by BMUN procedure or need a refresher on how to motion or propose any points, feel free to browse our BMUN Learn website, where there are helpful modules on all of these!
Additionally, CSocD will be a tech friendly committee. This means you are able to use your laptops to work on resolutions and working papers, but only during unmoderated caucuses and otherwise when the dais approves it. We anticipate being able to pass notes, and encourage communication amongst delegates! But we ask that work on topics stays in committee sessions, so we as chairs can observe and guide along the process.
We anticipate debating both topics over the course of the weekend. So don't just prepare for one! Which topic we start out with is up to the committee, but in terms of pacing, we will spend about 2 sessions covering each topic. The default setting for speeches in CSocD is 1:30 speaking time with 2 30 second comments following, and can be amended at any point during debate.
We will also be working with campus and our leadership to create a COVID safe space, and will be sending out further details to you all with our plans!
POSITION PAPERS
And FINALLY! We have some information on Position Papers. The research award deadline is tonight at 11:59 PM, and the general deadline is next Friday, February 11th, at the same time. CSocD follows normal position paper deadlines, and has the same requirements as other General Committees! 3 Pages Maximum, per topic, with a Background/UN Involvement/Policy+Solutions section and responses to at most 2 questions to consider. A works cited page should also be included, and this will not be considered in the page limit. REMINDER that any work found to be plagiarized will be reported and delegations will be disqualified from awards! So don't do it. We will find out.
Writing your paper may seem intimidating, but we would recommend starting your research and finding a good amount of content before getting into it! While background and UN knowledge is important, the majority of your paper should focus on your solutions, as those are what will make you stand out and be memorable in committee. Reminder to incorporate your individual policy into solutions, and make sure you adequately explain your process for implementing, funding, and informing your ideas. We encourage and are excited by creativity, but make sure your thoughts are feasible and achievable! We'd also encourage relevance to the topics -- while both draw on issues that could be presented as their own topics, we specifically want solutions aimed at aiding the individuals affected by these issues, and finding ways to improve their state of life. Feel free to address background knowledge or use it as context, but keep this in mind when writing!
WOW that was a lot of information.
But it is our hope that it helps! If you have any questions or concerns, a reminder to reach out to us at csocdbmunlxx@gmail.com. We are here to help you along any stage of the process, so please don't be scared to ask for guidance!
Happy researching, and have a relaxing weekend!
Best,
Your Head Chair, Ryan <3
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