WORLDMUN DAILY MARCH 26, 2009 Volume 4
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OUTSIDE MUN
WORLDWALLS
Woman gives birth on airliner, leaves baby in trash Woman, 29, gave birth to the baby girl on a flight from Samoa. She left her in a toilet bin amid bloodied paper towels, without alerting anyone. Police charged the woman with abandonment and assault Baby Grace did not suffer significant injuries or longterm damage, police said
Drinks for Diplomacy – Blending Diplomats of Today with Diplomats of the Future By Thurid Bahr At the Drinks for Diplomacy on Tuesday professional diplomats and those aspiring to become one had the chance to mingle and exchange views about world politics and career prospects in diplomacy. WorldMUN participants had the chance to sign up for these drinks upon registration, but only a lucky few were selected by a lottery to actually attend. Drinks for Diplomacy was taking place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The building housing the Ministry has a very peculiar architecture, which our international participants could admire upon arrival at the site. It is commonly called “aapenrots” or monkey rock by The Hague locals due to its structure of brown and grey cubes of concrete stacked on top of each other which resembles fake rocks usually used in zoos to furnish monkey cages. Once inside the Ministry, the atmosphere of the reception was festive and official. Delegates and ambassadors were hosted in a large room with a high ceiling and green carpets, where waiters were serving refreshments. It really appeared like an actual diplomatic recep-
tion. There were different reasons why delegates were eager to get a spot on the list for this coveted event. Two Filipino girls from the University of Asia and the Pacific stated that it was their first time at an MUN. “You are only here once, so you better grab the opportunities”, they added. They felt it was a great experience where they were able to connect with diplomats. Director-General of WorldMUN Victoria Phan spent her evening looking for the ambassador of the United Kingdom, because she wrote her Bachelor thesis about UK law. Unfortunately it turned out that he was not present at the drinks. She experienced the event as a wonderful opportunity for students to see and talk to people they could possibly be in the future. “In a sense”, she added “it is a preview to delegates’ successes in the future. In the spirit of MUN, during these drinks we are combining reality with the model.” Also for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ambassadors there were many different reasons to be present. Imane Elfiali of the Ministry
explained: “We organized these drinks because it is a great opportunity to bring the diplomats of the future together with diplomats of the present. In fact, the real diplomats were very enthusiastic about the prospect of meeting the students.” When inquiring about his motivation to attend the Drinks for Diplomacy, the ambassador of Ecuador underlined it was important to support future leaders. He said he had already talked to students from many different countries, but none had asked him for actual diplomatic advice. The Minister-Counsellor of the Republic of Peru had a different motivation to be present. He stated he came mainly because he heard that the event would be organized by Harvard students. Therefore, he added jokingly, he knew it would be well-organized. All parties were very satisfied with the outcome of Drinks for Diplomacy. “Where else can you speak to 20 different ambassadors in one hour? Such an opportunity simply does not exist otherwise”, one student concluded.
Indians line up to drive away Nano car Tata Motors to begin delivery of the Nano in July, industry experts say motor is surprisingly good, environmentalists disagree, car is billed as the world’s cheapest, costing $2,000 Remittances expected to fall by $15B Report: Main reason for drop is weakening of economies in “destination” nations, money transfers among largest sources of external financing in developing nations, there are an estimated 150 million migrants worldwide, 2006 U.N. report found Army keeps peace in Mexico, but at what price? Police in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, reported third straight day without a drug slaying, questions remain about whether increased security efforts can work long term, polls consistently show security is top concern among vast majority of Mexicans, distrust of military has long been part of social fabric of Mexican life. Report: Israel’s phosphorus shell use in Gaza ‘evidence of war crimes’ Israel’s use of phosphorus shells over during Gaza offensive “indiscriminate” Human Rights Watch says shelling “evidence of war crimes”, group says phosphorus shells cause an “intense and persistent burn”
Source: CNN
Delegates partied like a local at Rock Your WorldMUN By Allison Roy Delegates poured into the Trojan Horse, Tuesday night, to rock the night away at Rock Your WorldMUN. The venue, known in Dutch as Paard van Troje, is The Hague’s main pop venue and featured two stages and a café. Famous for hosting performances of the likes of U2, Mick Jagger and Prince, the Trojan Horse treated WorldMUN delegates to a special show of local Hague bands, The SOCKS
and So What, on its main stage. On the smaller adjacent stage, a DJ turned tables all night long as delegates shed their diplomatic postures and danced the night away. To follow the theme of “Rock Your WorldMUN,” delegates even dressed up. University of Nottingham student, Subha Bhattacharya, was easy to spot in his alarmingly accurate interpretation of KISS. Girls clacked up
and down the venue’s steps in high heels as the young men boisterously clamored up to the bar in their favorite concert Converse All-Stars. “I thought the event was really great,” said Creighton University freshman, Tera Lutz. “It was really well put together and I had a great time.” Overall, the delegates really enjoyed the chance to party like a local with some of The Hague’s up-and-coming bands.
2 Columns JOEP GEURTS Asking an expert In this great adventure called WorldMUN I already have learned a lot. One of the things that I have learned is that you can achieve much by just asking. During the career panel this was emphasized and at the workshop on negotiating it was confirmed; A simple request can lead to getting what you want. I asked for a few minutes with negotiating expert Professor Meers, and before I knew it I was talking with him and actually doing (my first real) interview.
WORLDMUN DAILY MARCH 26, 2009 Volume 4
Following the orange track By Heleen Struyven While delegates are sweating more and more in their committees, WorldMUN volunteers are doing everything in their power to pamper the delegates. Their hard work behind the scene should be put in the spotlights as well! So we just followed the orange track spreading through the Worldforum, to see how the volunteers were doing. As a journalist, we firstly followed our nose and went to the coffee stand. A very handsome guy welcomed us with a bright smile, which immediately made our grumpy morning seem much brighter! He told us that he clearly sees that the delegates are becoming more and more tired, as every day more and more cups of coffee have been sold. It is no secret to our delegates that the only recipe for partying all night and writing resolutions (or articles!) all day, is an impressive portion of caffeine. Next to the coffee, we found the information desk. We asked someone from
the Harvard staff if something funny happened during his duties but he immediately said “Oh please, go see the Dutch, they are way funnier than I am”. Who are we to ignore wise Harvard instructions? Back to the Dutch we found out that all these volunteers were skipping classes at their home university to participate at WorldMUN. But how did they become a volunteer? Most of them found a message on the websites of WorldMUN and Radboud University. Others were invited by friends, and none of them see to regret their commitment! They work day and night in different shifts and they get at least one night off to fully enjoy one of the social events as the delegates do. Bia, who works at the merchandise desk, said she didn’t know her roommates before coming to The Hague. But the atmosphere in the hotel where all the volunteers are staying is really enjoyable. Since it’s located in a military caserne, the girls are always looking for some cute guys to drop buy.
Unfortunately for our ladies, no muscled bodies wrapped up in military uniforms have been sighted yet. The nice part of being a volunteer, apart from meeting all these thousands of interesting students from the entire globe, is that they get the opportunity to participate at the in-conference visits as well. Nevertheless, when it comes to printing the working papers, our volunteering friends ask for a bit more tolerance from the delegates. Even if the working papers seem to be a matter of life and death, demanding all these papers to be printed in less than 15 minutes is not realistic. When we told the Board that we are dedicating a special spot to our volunteers in the Daily, they said enthusiastically that “they were extremely happy to have them” because “WorldMUN 2009 would never be as amazing without them.”
a Dutch one! They have flowers, LOADS of flowers, of different colours and shapes, tulips, lilies, green prairies, lakes and waterfalls will cheer up your life and even though is not emblematic, you will be able to see the sun sometimes! They are quite good at soccer – though I am Portuguese and, well after checking a few results of Portugal – Netherlands’ games I will make no comments, but I will smile! The Dutch schools have also an important reputation in their field of expertise, thus your studies will be recognized and valued by your future employers. The lectures are in English and pretty much everyone speaks English, so language is not an excuse! (If later on you want a job in The Netherlands, then they will also offer you the pos-
sibility of applying for financial support and even though you have to check the requirements, the prices, and the modules and so on when deciding, the education in Holland is quite accessible. Per month, to have a “no worries” student life, you will need 800 – 900 Euros depending on how much you spend on drinking and going out of course. Rooms to rent would be an average of 300 Euros. Take a look at their website for more information on www.studyinholand.nl and in case you are interested please contact Miss Kasia Tyrybon. And do not forget, as Johan Cruijff puts it “every disadvantage has an advantage”, so check the details carefully and join this adventure!
If it ain’t Dutch, it ain’t much
This tasted like more, so in the evening my colleagues and I did an interview with the band. Normal work for the others, but for me (as an inexperienced ‘journalist’) it was a little special, especially because music is one of my passions.
“The brown liquid board members live on.” Although showing interest can help with getting what you want, it would also be great if you can be the one to whom people ask questions. The problem with that is that you are expected to know the right answer, and thus you should be an expert on a topic. Discussing different kinds of music with other people is really interesting (and please do inform me about great bands or musicians from you country), but the topic is too broad to be an expert on it. So is there possibly any other topic? Yes there is! Coffee machines! When somebody is having trouble with the coffee machine and it doesn’t produce the brown liquid board members live on, they enter the boardroom and just ask if someone can fix it. And although it is minimal, I’m really happy that I, as a Mechanical Engineer, am able to fix the problems, and so contribute to a productive day. I even know the meaning of all the different flashing lights and their accompanying solution. By the end of the week I will have learned more than just to ask an expert; I will be an expert in asking.
By Paula Gil After an hour hearing about the NUFFIC, a study programme in The Netherlands, your head really gets to think about it. If not just imagine. Dutch are tolerant, direct, charming (I actually did not said this!), outgoing and stubborn (main character lines, I have been told!) so you will never get bored. They are also considered the tallest people on earth! Although it is a small country it has also a very central position and it will allow you to travel to Germany, to France, to Belgium... But do not even think of the possibility of getting bored, they are also the country with more museums (1000 in total!). Therefore, adding up to this cultural diversity, you will also have an impressive array of international students and, to be honest, it is easier to find an international food restaurant than
Crisis
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Colombian Cabinet Colombian general killed by FARC By Jochem van der Veen Bogota – The 75 year old army general Manual Jose Bonnet was kidnapped and killed by FARC members. Although additional security personnel was present at the parliament due to recent hostile movements of the Venezuelan army, the FARC party managed to kidnap the general and get away without any trace. The Bolivian Cabinet received a video message via which the rebels demanded the release of 500 of their captured members. Allegedly the cabinet also did receive a letter from the general pleading to resolve the matter peacefully although this, nor the authenticity of such a letter, can be confirmed. At this point there is not yet an official reaction from the Colombian Cabinet available. We will report back on this as soon as possible.
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WORLDMUN DAILY MARCH 26, 2009 Volume 4
Committee sessions
Historical General Assembly
Human Rights Council
Social and Humanitarian Council
By Servaas van der Laan Hectic and sparkling would be the adjectives to outline the atmosphere in the Historical General Assembly on Wednesday. Delegates were working on a so called “SHAPE” (Security, Humanitarian Affairs, Procedures and Enforceability). This working paper was efficiently described by the Venezuelan delegate as being intelligent and comprehensive. “It looks very good. It’s of the right size. Basically it’s just like the perfect guy!” Said the delegate. It wasn’t easy creating this prince on a white horse though. Iraq was having difficulties accepting a compromise in the paper; and the Bahamas’ delegate stated that it would be hard for the South West Africa People’s Organization to remain independent, while others have faith in the organization. Debates of a high level by motivated and active delegates will hopefully give the current SHAPE a definite and more solid shape at the end of the week.
By Danae Mercer Over the past two days, delegates in the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) have discussed a wide variety of ideas. Early Wednesday morning two draft resolutions focused on indigenous people had been emerged. “It looks like everyone’s finally getting their ideas on paper,” explained the committee director. Passionate intensity characterized the debate. “People are pretty passionate about their ideas,” said the assistant director. “Everyone’s very active. But we’re pretty unified.” “I think today we are going to see progress,” agreed Niclas Gufierrez, representative of Sri Lanka. “No one is excluded from the conversation.”
By Allison Roy The SOCHUM remains locked in debate over a series of working papers on the topic of food security yesterday morning. Although eight papers were introduced to the floor, hardly anyone seemed satisfied. While the delegate from the United States stated that she was displeased that emergency food aid had yet to be discussed in one working paper, the delegate from Indonesia was concerned with the rhetoric of another. The working papers on the floor addressed a wide range of political, economic, social and technological measures that would serve to improve food security. Such measures include agricultural regulation, infrastructural reorganization, the education and empowerment of women, and the utilization of biofuels. The Russian Federation expressed general dissatisfaction with the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization By Servaas van der Laan In NATO, the discussions on Afghanistan steadily ripple forth. The delegation of the United Nations understands the importance of improving the situation in the Afghan Region and seems to be able to recognize some important progress. Latvia and Norway emphasize the need of using more satellites in order to improve communication. Greece points out that use of violence and small-arms must be contained, while Spain wants to give more attention to preventing Taliban attacks. The Norway delegate impressed fellow NATO members by spreading the prophetical words of “no security without development and no development without security” emerge from the committee room.
Special and Decolonization Committee By Heleen Struyven Chaos is holding SPECPOL hostage! Although everyone is making great efforts to debate and dialogue, there are a lot of misunderstandings in the discussions. The assistant directors agree that the delegates seem confused and that some of them end up being frustrated. The blocks find it difficult to unify and smaller countries feel misunderstood and neglected. Now the big countries are struggling to put the pieces back together. Everybody agrees that they are being too circular, but no one seems to know how to get back on the right track. As one of the speakers suggested, Daft Punk might have a useful tip for SPECPOL, they need to speed up discussions to make a resolution that’s harder, better, faster and stronger!
World Health Organization By Heleen Struyven Merging. That was the key word of the last minutes of the World Health Organization session Tuesday. Delegates from all parts of the globe agreed that it was time to look at the similarities of the ten working papers that were introduced during the day. As the representative of Doctors Without Borders stated, “we don’t have to discuss which working paper is better, but we should take all good things of them to make a final working paper and draft resolution.” So it was time to unify the different propositions, which were focusing on education, and on short term and long term solutions for the global water scarcity. Help from NGO’s was another element that most of the delegates agreed on. But some of them were concerned for national sovereignty. During discussions, a community-based approach was proposed to help people in developing countries have better access to clean water. This suggestion was applauded by the delegate of Guinea, because “respect of local costumes is very important to the African nations.” At the end of the session, the delegates became hungry and started to be im-
patient to end session. But the representative of India reminded that “we only have to wait a few minutes before we can buy some food in the main hall, but we have to continue to image for at least the next 10 minutes the millions of people don’t even have access to clean water.” Also, the delegate of Hungary stressed that the WHO members had to “communicate over the continents”. If the WHO continues on this constructive way, we are confident that a strong (draft) resolution will appear very soon. When we came back the next morning, we realized that merging isn’t that easy as it seemed as the delegates were still caucusing on the subject of “merging our working papers”. In the afternoon, the working papers multiplied themselves to 13. At first we feared that this number would mean bad luck for WHO but as the Daily went to press the first draft resolution was handed out! We are delighted to see that the WHO is thinking out of the box... euh blocks. International cooperation is where they are focusing on.
The Chinese Politburo - Murder she wrote! By Heleen Struyven During the Chinese Politburo of today the unthinkable happened. Liu Shaoqi, respected member of the Chinese Communist Party, was assassinated today during the normal session of the Committee. The delegates were shocked when Yao Wenyuam suddenly interrupted the meeting and shared the news with the presents. Following this incident, a march in honour of Liu Shaoqi gathered thousands of people all expecting to respect a last homage. Several members of the Politburo were present and kind words were said when saying goodbye to their former colleague. Yao Wenyuam (Tyler Hosforth,
Colledge of William and Mary) explained on the first person, the details of the homicide. “We were just having a quick meal”, he states, “we were not really close, we were just having an ordinary conversation on state businesses when this individual shoots Mr. Shaoqi twice. I could not see his face, it was too fast! After I just stormed back to the Bureau and told everyone”. Mr. Wenyuam also stated that “the shots seemed to be in the chest and neck of the victim”. There are no detainees or accusations for the time being. Till the closing of this edition no information arrived to the editorial board but the security forces are following closely a lead on the subject.
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majority of the papers on the floor, arguing that the measures designed so far places power with already powerful countries. “Countries seem to be following the Golden Rule,” she said. “Whoever has the gold makes the rule.” The delegate from Romania was angered by the measures designed and supported in two of the popularly supported working papers. “Two years ago, we were banished from using genetically modified organisms,” he said. “But these papers explore the options of just those things.” The representative from Oxfam International urged the delegates of the Social and Humanitarian Council to revise their papers and collaborate, and the hum of busily caucusing delegates continues to emerge from the committee room.
Disarmament and Security Council By Paula Gil With quite a busy schedule ahead, DISEC is now on its third day. Although no resolution has been agreed upon, there are already several working papers and a draft resolution. There is clearly an effort of the delegates to achieve a consensus while trying to get their points in a resolution. I can tell you, as an outsider, they are trying hard! The negotiation process is now mostly made outside the room or during unmoderated caucuses which shows a tendency for agreements and a progress mainly made in direct contact with the delegates. This situation allows the final resolution to have a bigger approval by the other delegates of the Assembly as they feel part of it, and to broaden the perspectives as different cultures are represented. Speaking with Ricky Shah, the
DISEC Committee Director from Harvard University, you could see the proud and excitement in his eyes, “It is going great! The group is active and engaged, we have 12 or more working papers and they actually have many different ideas. Everybody is putting in effort while cooperation with each other”. Everybody seems to be working together and settling their differences. Laurens Miserus from the United Netherlands team, assistant-director of DISEC, did not miss the opportunity to comment on the Directors capabilities, words that are shared by the few delegates I spoke with, “He is a great Director! He has everything under control, more than 12 papers and he still knows everything! He parties all night and next day there he is at 9am sharp and ready to work all day!”
Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice By Paula Gil On CCPCJ, according to Joseph Luna (Harvard University), Director of Committee, the delegates are quite close to get to a consensus on the measures and actions to implement on the new future. “There are mainly two blocks looking for a solution for this problem, I would say you can identify the African Union party and the rest of the world, though it is not an established division and the work has just turned to an attempt to make compromises”, he said, as the two blocks move towards a combined draft resolution. According to our sources and taking into account the working papers we have access to, the draft resolutions
are expected to be mainly focused on how to create a legal framework for the anti-forestation matters, always taking into account the NGO’s efforts and wishing to enforce international and internal law. Another idea is the possibility of establishing a certification process for the timber exported hoping to prevent most of the deforestation going on today and the corruption at local levels that allow it to continue. A note for the delegates is not to forget the rights of indigenous people that rely mainly on the resources from the environment and might be overwhelmed by the criminalization of illicit exportation and extraction of timber.
Camp David Accords By Paula Gil If you ever had a negotiation or mediation lecture, please keep in mind that you will not be able to compare it to the Camp David Accords! One of the most difficult negotiation procedures is being reproduced in this room and delegates are having a hard time moving on from the subjects. Although there are several attempts at cooperation, the delegates are concerned with the lack of trust that derives from their role. Natasja Massink, assistant director, shares her concerns with us. “They are mainly discussing a 1km area between Gaza and Egypt, and although
they do not see this as an issue, the discussion is now focusing on refugees and relates to the topic with the inclusion of free-movement clauses.” The main obstacle to the consensus is, in Miss Massink perspective, “the necessity of the countries to have a grant from Israel that borders will not be closed and security will not be an issue.” In this case, Miss Massink continues, “the importance of a document that generates consensus is essential as part of an agreement and for the assurance of the goodwill of the parties involved so that we can bring together the countries.”
High Commissioner on Refugees By Danae Mercer Delegates struggled to agree on a definition of refugee during the UN High Commissioner on Refugee’s committee session Wednesday. Some argued refugee should include individuals fleeing prosecution in their home country. Others said refugee
refers only to those under the direct attacks of conflict. “It is our responsibility to protect the vulnerable,” reminded Brandon Harris, representative of Uganda. “We must focus on the many problems we have now.”
4 Amsterdam
WORLDMUN DAILY MARCH 26, 2009 Volume 4
Amsterdam Basics By Danae Mercer From the Van Gogh museum to the Anne Frank house and everything in between, Amsterdam offers everything a tourist could desire. Thursday afternoon, WorldMUN delegates will have the opportunity to discover the wonders of Amsterdam for themselves. Here are just a few of the more practical things to know about Amsterdam before you trek out to enjoy the land of cafes and canals. •
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Weather: Tomorrow the forecasted is 9 for a high, 4 for a low, with some rain and some sun. Bring an umbrella and a rain jacket. Make sure your proud orange shows through though! Cost: About average for a northern European city, less than London or Paris. Thankfully, you don’t have to worry about the price of accommodation, which is cited as being quite expensive. Food: There are several cafes and res-
On your marks, get set, go!
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taurants, with most meals costing between 25 to 35 Euro. Taking your main meal at lunch time will, of course, save you money. Delis and supermarkets offer more affordable self catering for those trying to converse a coin or ten. Museums: Museums run at 10 Euros a pop. Try to get student discounts if possible. Tipping: Be aware that service may be a bit slow and impersonal. Yet Lonely Planet travelling guide recommends you do not take that personally. It’s just how things operate. Tax and a slight service charge are included in the bill, but a small tip is usually in order. Tips in cash are recommended. Safety: Don’t be stupid and you will be fine. Watch out for the travelling norms: pick-pocketers, strangers in crowded markets, bicyclers rushing down the street, and speedy looking persons.
By Allison Roy When delegates were planning their trips to The Hague, they probably didn’t expect to have one near-death experience after another on their way to the World Forum every day. They are everywhere, in skirts and suits, heels and boots. The Netherlands is teeming with bicyclists and many newcomers are alarmed by this alternative take on what, to them, is a leisurely activity. Holland boasts the highest density of bicycles in the world with over 16.5 million of these magnificent machines that are multiplying at a rate of 15 percent per year. Most roads provide a secondary lane as a separate thoroughfare, complete with its own traffic lights and road signs. “We were coming out of a pub and almost ran straight into a bicycle,” said Andrew Gibbs, a sophomore at St. Andrews University in Scotland. “But I think it’s a really efficient system.” For Laura Arendsen, a UNL volunteer at the conference, riding her bike is just a run-of-the-mill activity. “I do everything on my bike!” In the Netherlands, cycling is far from a leisurely activity. “Here we don’t cycle for recreation. Only for transporta-
tion,” Arendsen said. Bicycles in the Netherlands serve as personal transportation, taxis and freights, but hardly ever as a means for personal exercise. Specially designed bicycles can carry pianos. Bicyclists are even subject to specific traffic laws. Dutch law details certain legal stipulations that make it illegal to cycle drunk or to park your bike in one place for too long. Bikes left unattended for an extended period of time in bicycle parking lots are towed to the city pound. “My friend had her bicycle taken away,” Arendsen said, “but she just bought a new one because she didn’t want to pay the €25 to get it back.” Bicycles range from €5 to €500. “I bought mine for 89 cents and 3 cigarettes” said an undisclosed source. “It was from this man in a back corner who said, ‘Oh [expletive], just take it.’ It’s not really legal.” Cyclists in Holland seem to shun helmets, but perhaps this week, WorldMUN delegates not used to this aggressive culture of eco-friendly commuters, might consider one.
When the streets color orange and the royals “koekhap” By Jochem van der Veen Queensday is one of the biggest Dutch events of the year. The night before, everybody dresses up in Orange and goes to one of the big, usually open air, parties. The next day people can sell all kinds of stuff on citywide flea markets. What thrives the cloggies to dress up and why did they choose orange? By now most delegates must have figured out that the color orange and the Netherlands are strongly connected. The association with orange comes from Willem from Orange (1533-1584). He was a freedom fighter who led the independence war against Spain. He got the title ‘from Orange’ because he inherited the French princedom Orange when he was eleven. This Willem is the forefather of what later became the Dutch Royal family. To honor the Royals the Dutch still use the color Orange when they want to show their patriotism. Yearly at the 30th of April the whole country goes mad and everybody parties on the street. So far so good but what is Queensday all about? About the queen all right, but there’s more to it. Queensday was initiated to enhance patriotism in the Netherlands. Typically parades where held on the Queen’s birthday and patriotic songs were sung. Children got the chance to give presents to the monarch to show how much they loved her. The 30th of April is the Birthday of
The real Amsterdam city guide By Servas van der Laan Coffee shops, tulips and red lights, that’s what people mainly think of when they hear the word Amsterdam. When you will be walking through Amsterdam today, you won’t have a lot of trouble finding the main touristic locations. Amsterdam has so much more to offer though. This is a guide that hopefully will help you find these characteristic, but less known places of Amsterdam that really make the city so special. De Jordaan An authentic folk quarter in Amsterdam, mainly inhabited by artists, students and young entrepreneurs. In the narrow streets of this area you’ll encounter a large variety of small shops of every different taste. De Jordaan lies at the west side of the city center. If you’re having trouble finding this
former Queen Juliana but since our current one, Beatrice, is born in January she decided to stick to her mother’s birthday because the Dutch weather doesn’t allow outside events in January. When our current crown prince Willem Alexander takes over the throne expectations are that he won’t change the date because of habit. He might change the name to Kingsday though. Nowadays on Queensdays the Royal family usually visits two towns in the Netherlands where they engage in Old Dutch folk games. One of it is the traditional ‘koekhappen’, the idea is that pieces of cake are hung on a cord and contestants are blindfolded. They then have to try to just use your mouth to eat the cake from the cord. Use of other extremities isn’t allowed. This often get’s messy and you can imagine it doesn’t look that royal. When a while ago plans rose to cancel the ‘koekhappen’, one might think the royals were pretty excited about that. Nothing is less true, the Queen personally insisted on keeping this wonderful tradition. The flea market is an old tradition, normally it’s prohibited and it started out in the 18th century as a gesture from the Queen to the people. This way they could make some money on the side on her birthday. Nowadays it are mostly children who sell old toys. Most grownups are a little bit tired from the night before.
Photo by Ron Layters
neighborhood, ask for the Anne Frankhouse which is situated in the Jordaan. Hotspots of the Jordaan: • Tweede Leliedwarsstraat: cosy shoppingstreet in the very heart of the Jordaan. • Noordermarkt: small authentic square with an ancient church. Nice view on Prinsengracht makes this place very special. From here you can easily walk back to the main square the Leidseplein. De Negen Straatjes Nine little streets that are all connected. They are known for their little and unique shops and restaurants that you won’t find in any other place in the world. The streets are: Gasthuismolensteeg, Oude Spiegelstraat, Wijde Hijsteeg, Hartenstraat, Wol-
venstraat, Huidenstraat, Reestraat, Berenstraat and the Runstraat. If you walk in the direction of the Jordaan from the Dam square, you will walk through some of the “Nine Streets”. PC Hooftstraat Close to the Van Gogh museum and the Melkweg (where the Orange Party will take place) you’ll find the most exclusive shopping street of Amsterdam: the PC Hooftstraat. If you’re looking for the big luxury brands like Cartier, Chanel or Hermès this is the place to be. If you’re not a big spender this street still offers a lot of fun for people who like to observe the Dutch shopping elite. Vondelpark If you feel like relaxing after a long day walk,
the Vondelpark is the place to be. Lie down on the grass for a moment or just easily walk around. The Vondelpark is also close to the PC Hooftstraat and the Melkweg. The markets Amsterdam has a long history of traditional markets. The market is still a social meeting place. Except for home made food the market is the perfect place to encounter the real “Amsterdammer”. You’ll find the markets in the following streets: • Albert Cuypstraat • TenKatestraat • Waterlooplein • Noordermarkt • Dapperstraat • Westerveld • Amstelveld
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Amsterdam
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A short overview of Amsterdam By Eelke Boezeman Amsterdam was founded in the late 12th century as a small fishing village, and is currently the capital of Holland as well as Holland’s largest city. The name Amsterdam is derived from the city’s origin: a dam in the river Amstel. Amsterdam became increasingly important in the 17th century, the Dutch Golden Age, when it served as one the worlds main ports due to Dutch trading and colonization. Amsterdam is vibrant with life and attracts millions of tourists every year. Its main attractions are various and renown throughout the world. Various cultural attractions such as a number of world famous museums and music venues. The Red light District and other temptations are unique and unseen anywhere else. The canal system and the 1550 monumental buildings alongside can be explored best by boat. This mix between all sides of life makes Amsterdam a place for everybody. The city has been known as much for its tolerance and cultural atmosphere as for its sheer beauty. By night the canals reflect the glittering lights as the night burst into life in the various pubs, bars and clubs located in Amsterdam. Canal Cruise You might have known about Amsterdam before you’ve ever heard of Holland. Today’s social will take place in Amsterdam so you can finally see for yourself what this city is all about - and boast about it later. To make sure you will get the most out of Amsterdam we have arranged two activities today! Special WorldMUN boats will circle the Amsterdam city canals and take you to several of Amsterdam’s main attractions (see map). On the cruise route, five locations have been designated as boarding locations. You can hop on or hop off the boats at any time between 2.30 pm and 5.30 pm at those locations (see map, bottom right). The canals are the busiest at the 30th of April at Queen’s Day when they are filled with people dressed in orange celebrating the birthday of our queen. To get
Drug Policy By Joep Geurts Many people think The Netherlands is a country in which drugs is allowed. Although movies confirm this thought it is wrong. Dutch people are not all walking around being stoned. Officially, the Ministry of Justice “tolerates” the sale of soft drugs in special places called coffee shops. Tolerating and allowing is not the same though. The sale of soft drugs is permitted but with some restrictions. It is sold in limited amounts and only to adults. Due to new laws on smoking it is forbidden to smoke in pubs, bars, restaurants and other public places except for some special smoking areas. Smoking is allowed outside. Cannabis has an unpleasant smell and the Dutch are not fond of people who are smoking it outside. The people who do use drugs normally do this at home or in the coffee shop.
a sense of that vibe there will be a Queen’s Night party tonight at the Melkweg! The Melkweg is next to Leidse square (see map, No. 2) and is one of the most famous venues in Holland. How to get to the Canal Cruise Buses will leave from Malieveld from 1pm until 2pm and can drop you off at several locations in Amsterdam. The first buses go straight to the Canal Cruise stops. If you want to be sure you get the full experience, please be early at the bus departure at Malieveld! How to get to the Melkweg Melkweg is situated near Leidseplein. The final stop of the Canal Cruise will be a ten minute walk away from this central square in Amsterdam. The tramway lines 1, 2, and 5 stop on Leidseplein. Volunteers will be there to show you directions. How to get back Shuttle busses will leave from a bus station at Marnixstraat, which is a five minute walk from Melkweg. Volunteers will be present along side the route to give you directions. Buses will be returning to the Hague from 23:30 untill 02:00. They will stop at the same stops as the previous nights’ events. For more information you can check with Delegate Services for more details. If you miss the latest bus, you can always travel back to The Hague by train on Friday morning. The first train will go back at 04.45 after which they go every half an hour. Boat trip marbles 1. Leidse square The Leidse square is one of the main attractions in Amsterdam. Several bars are located at the square and the two world famous venues, Paradiso and Melkweg, are located within a 100 meters. In the summer the square is filled with people lounging the terraces, enjoying life and the occasional sun as well!
2. Wester church The Wester church is famous for a number of things. Anne Frank wrote about it in her diary as she could she it from her family’s hiding place. The famous Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn was buried in this church in 1669. Near the church is also the Homo monument, a memorial for men and women prosecuted for their homosexuality during the Nazi occupation in the World War II. 3. Anne Frank house Anne Frank was German Jewish girl who lived most of her life in Amsterdam. She became famous posthumously when her diary was found and published after the World War II. Anne and her family hid in a secret part of the house. After two years the Frank family was betrayed and deported to the concentration camps. Only Otto, the Father, returned alive. 4. Centraal Station The Centraal Station is currently under heavy construction so much of it remains covered under the dust of renovation. CS is the central hub of all transport in Amsterdam which is especially vivid once one gets in front of the building. Trams, taxis, bicycles, buses and people on foot go in every direction and stop for nobody - not even our exquisite delegates. 6. Maritime museum Holland was once one of the most feared naval forces on the Oceans. “During the 17th century,” Dutch people like to boast, “we owned half the world.” Holland became very wealthy during that time in which Dutch trade, science and art were amongst the most acclaimed in the world. Holland lost most of that grandeur but a good bit of it is preserved in the Maritime museum. 7. Rembrandt house Rembrandt van Rijn is considered to be one of the greatest painters in European history. His paintings are famous for Rem-
brandt’s extraordinary use of lighting. His life was both a story of success through painting and failure through personal and financial tragedies. 8. City hall The City Hall is together with music theater in the neighboring building called the Stopera. The building of the Stopera was completed in was a controversial project that received a lot of critique from locals, architects and local groups such as the squatter and Provo moment. 9. Dam square The Dam square is the main square of Amsterdam as it located in the centre of town, hosts a number of important events throughout the year and has many notable buildings. The Royal Palace and the Madame Tussaud’s Was Museum are the amongst the most prominent. The National Monument was erected in 1956 to memorialize all World War II victims. Anually on the 4th of May the Remembrance of the Dead takes place at Dam square which attended by members of the parliament, royal family, military and other social groups. 10. Vondelpark The Vondelpark is busiest and most visited park of Amsterdam. It is the place where the citizens of Amsterdam relax on the a summer’s day, when open air concerts are held and theater plays performed. On Queen’s Day, the 30th of April, Vondelpark turns into a massive flea market. 11. Rijksmuseum The Rijksmuseum is one of the most famous museums in Holland. Its collections contains a massive 1 million objects most of which are from the “Golden” 17th Century, most famous of which is the magnificent “Nachtwacht” by Rembrandt. Although the Rijksmuseum is under construction until 2013, it continues opened for public.
6 Interviews GREETINGS FROM.....
INTERVIEW WITH THE SOCKS
Singapore
Official name Republic of Singapore Government Parliamentary republic President S.R. Nathan Capital Singapore City Area Total 710.2 km2 Population 4,839,400 Official languages English, Malay, Chinese, Tamil Main religion Buddhism and Taoism Currency Singapore dollar By Paula Gil Singapore has close relationship with Malaysia (they even merged together for two years in sixties), so no wonder I found Mei Yi, a student from Singapore City, talking with her friend Man Hon from Malaysia.
This multicultural island city-state is the biggest of all three city-states in the world. Its importance dramatically rose after the year 1819, when the British Empire turned this fishing village into the most important trade and military hub in this part of Asia and the trade significance has remained till presence.
“The food here is.....blaaaaah!” Except (of course) completely different weather, Mei Yi noticed also different racial attitude in Europe during her first stay here. Chinese, Malay, Indian, European, Arabian and many other communities in Singapore are forced to live together by the accommodating conditions of this huge citystate. There are no ghettos; education is provided in kids’ native languages. Despite some present problems, Mei Yi believes Singapore handles multiculturalism better then Western Europe. On the other hand, social system in Singapore is much more authoritative. It’s not related only with the government. “Children
“Children in our schools are told what to do; here it’s more about discussion.” in our schools are told what to do; here [Europe] it’s more about discussion.” What would she bring here immediately from Singapore? Asian food! “The food here is ..blaaah! I don’t understand how people here can eat bread all days.”
By Servaas van der Laan, Allison Roy and Joep Geurts Marjolein, Lix, Marleen and Valérie were waiting for us on a comfortable sofa in the backstage lounge of the Paard van Troje just after having rocked their socks off on stage. This cheerful quartet calls itself “The Socks,” and they play so called pop rock. Chilling on the sofa the girls seem to be at ease, but these Rock & Roll youngsters don’t just look cool; they actually are very easygoing. When asked about their nerves, the girls claim to be very relaxed. “It was our first time playing for such a big international group of people, but we weren’t nervous at all. Basically we don’t have any nerves” says lead singer Valérie. Whether being sarcastic or not, truth is that these four young “rock chiks” really rocked our socks of Tuesday night at the Paard van Troje. The band was founded only two months ago but its members performed like they know each other for years. The socks met each other at a beach party a year ago. Their name derives from this beginning period when they were struggling with their own music. “At a certain point somebody said ‘guys we really suck’ after which we decided that we were destined to be named “The socks”. The girls all come from The Hague and that is not a coincidence. Den Haag is a city where many famous Dutch bands come from and they all started one time in the Paard van Troje. “We were inspired by great artists and bands from The Hague like Anouk and Kane. But also John Mayer, or bands
WORLDMUN DAILY MARCH 26, 2009 Volume 4 like the Foo Fighters, Death Cab for Cuties and 30 seconds to Mars are some of our big examples. It’s our big dream to eventually stand on the stage of big festivals like Lowlands and travel the world to play our music in the US and China”. This international interest is not
“Motion to move closer to the stage!” the only thing they share with the WorldMUN participants. During the day the Sockrockers are students and Marleen even participated at a MUN once. “I was Liechtenstein in the GA during ThiMUN some years ago. That’s why I asked for a motion to move closer to the stage. Participating at a MUN was a nice experience but it’s not comparable with my big passion: music!” That these girls are passionate get’s
INTERVIEW WITH YBO BURUMA RADBOUD UNIVERSITY
sity we are very enthusiastic about the entire event, and of course we advise our students to take part in it since it’s such a wonderful opportunity. On the other hand, it requires a huge bunch of effort so you will never know what you’re starting with, until you’ve done it.
By Heleen Struyven Prof. Ybo Buruma is one of the Netherlands’ most known legal criminal experts. He publishes various articles on subjects such as detection methods, crime victims, fraud, indecent offences, organized crime and the Europeanization of criminal law. He often appears in the Dutch media to explain important legal decisions to the public. Tuesday, WorldMUN and Radboud University organized a symposium on international criminal law and we had to opportunity to ask him some questions to share his expertise with the delegates that couldn’t make it to the symposium.
You were one of the speakers at the symposium on international criminal law on Tuesday, where Radboud University and WorldMUN 2009 wanted to represent all sides of an international trial. Which party did you represent? I’m not quite sure which party I’m supposed to represent because someone else already defended the point of view of a lawmaker. There is also an attorney and a judge. So I think I’ll have to act more like an outsider that’s mainly interested in finding the ‘villains’ because I speak about the ICC and terrorism.
You are a professor of criminal law at Radboud University Nijmegen. Do you focus only on the legal aspects of criminal law or do you feature other aspects of criminal law as well? I’m focusing mainly on the legal aspects but I’m also a trained criminologist, which is considered in the Netherlands as the social science aspect of criminal law. Moreover I work as an honorary justice in the Arnhem appeals court, so it is normal that I focus on the legal sides of criminal law. Where you involved in the organization of WorldMUN ? No. I was just invited to speak here and I had certain contacts with some delegations So would you encourage your students to participate at MUN’s? I wasn’t involved in the organization of WorldMUN. I was just invited to speak here and I had certain contacts with some delegations. But at at Radboud Univer-
You are also the president of the Committee on Closed Cases. Is this a typical Dutch commission or does it exist in other countries as well? It’s the official committee regarding unsafe convictions, where we are interested in finding out if someone is unjustly in prison. Together with two other experts we decide if old closed criminal cases have to be reopened for examination. The Netherlands is one of the few countries that have such an official committee. But for instance in the United Kingdom you also have a similar committee and they are sprouting up everywhere in Europe, so it’s definitely a new trend everywhere in the world. For example, since the emergence of DNA it is much easier to find out when someone is imprisoned on the wrong basis. We all agree that in no country is it acceptable that people are sent to prison when they didn’t do anything. And off course, there are differences in the way a country organizes its legal systems but no one wants to imprison people that are innocent.
underlined by the fact that they write their own lines. Inspiration they get from life itself. The love song they played Tuesday night for the WordMUN delegates was a story that actually happened to Valérie. All songs are in English because they feel that the Dutch language isn’t able to express their feelings. “When we sing in Dutch it sounds really stupid, maybe that’s because our own language is to confronting. We feel safer when we sing in English”. When we asked these future rock stars for a final message to the readers of the WorldMUN Daily there was no hesitation: “You guys rock and I hope we will meet each other again someday in your home country. You were a fantastic crowd and we want to thank you for your enthusiastic dancing”. If you liked their music and if you want to hear more have a look at their website: www.socksmusic.com Photo by Rene Bom
Which are the criteria you use to make your decisions to reopen a case? We have a very strict legal framework. One of the main issues is that we have to look at the criteria put forward both by professors and by the investigators of the particular case. In reality, it really is a very complicated process. Someone will bring up a certain case and we will evaluate if there are arguments that are indeed a reason to believe that, if the judge had known this information, he would have made another decision. Ordinary, we have to investigate this by questioning the police and the prosecutor’s officers, because we mainly have to make sure they didn’t make any mistakes or even worse. Doesn’t it create a sort of chaos in the justice system of the Netherlands when you have to reopen a case? Yes indeed. We had such a case in which a nurse was convicted of murder on seven little children. Our committee investigated the case and after our recommendations the Supreme Court decided to reopen the case. It was a huge thing since and the newspapers reported on the case for at least six months. You can understand that the difference between seven murders on children and no verdict of guilty is almost indescribable. We’ll end this interview with a question we ask all our interviewees: do you have a last message for our delegates to take home? Well, we have great expectations for your generation. Even the cabdriver on my way to The Hague said to me that he hoped that this generation, being here present in the World Forum, would in the end be able to bring him back to his family in Afghanistan. So you all have to realize that people have high hopes for all the WorldMUN’ers. We will definitely keep that in mind!
WORLDMUN DAILY MARCH 26, 2009 Volume 4
Articles Music from The Hague
TIME TO LEARN ABOUT... Sao Tome and Principe
By Danae Mercer The charms of Sao Tome and Principe, two small islands off the edge of Africa, are evident. Surrounded by glistening beaches, filled with lush mountains, and boasting a temperature that rarely drops below warm, Sao Tome and Principe provide all the wonders of a tropical vacation.
There’s more to these two lovely places than meets the eye. Sao Tome and Principe is a Portuguese speaking island nation in the Gulf of Guinea. It was named in honor of Saint Thomas by the Portuguese explorers, who settled on the islands after deciding they’d be good trade bases. Hundreds of years and many sugar crops later, Sao Tome and Principe became a multiparty system in 1990. A president is elected every five years, and may hold two consecutive terms. The economy of Sao Tome and Principe is based on plantation agriculture,
with cocoa representing around 95% of exports. Residents also fish and produce a few consumer goods. Today the government is trying to encourage its budding tourist industry. In spite of its beauty, the nation of Sao Tome and Principe faces numerous financial problems. An economic downturn in the early 1980s had the government turning to the IMF for assistance. In 2000, the nation qualified for significant debt reduction under the IMF World Bank’s Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative. It remains to be seen whether these initiatives will lessen Sao Tome and Principe’s struggles. Fun Facts • Form of Government: Democratic semipresidential Republic • Capital: São Tomé • Population: 157,000 • Language: Portugese • Currency: Dobra
Workshop on international negotiation By Joep Geurts Why do children always get what they want? Because the little guys and girls know exactly how to negotiate. For the ones who had forgotten how they persuaded their parents when they were young, there was a workshop on International Negotiation in the Radboud University Hall yesterday afternoon. Professor Paul Meerts from the Netherlands Institute of International Relations “Clingendael” is an expert on negotiating. He was explaining that there is actually no difference between fake negotiations by students and real ones by politicians. The process remains exactly the same. The issue is how to manage this process. Essential is a structure to make the process effective. It is like a glass of water: the water is the process, meaning it is free to move everywhere and is manageable. The glass represents the structure around it, helping to manage the water effectively. As an introductory assignment, all participants had to write done what they think the definition would be of International Negotiation. Of course this leads to many different definitions. After a minute of negotiating with a neighbor, each pair was asked to change their individual definition into one they both agree on. Next, groups of 10 to 14 participants discussed what exact definition they should create as a group. It is really interesting to hear different approaches on how to find the solution and Meerts explained some theory on this behavior. The benefit of discussing a definition in groups is that your outcomes are richer than those of individuals. The problem is that a group approach is time consuming and very complex. The key is to manage this complexity. Time is often a problem, but deadlines can be used to eventually get a more effective negotiation. Use the obstacle as in instrument to be effective. By starting in couples, the complexity of the problem is reduced but at the cost of flexibility. If two big groups would have to negotiate on one final definition it would take whole day to achieve this.
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Diplomats need text to start a negotiation. So it would be best to first write something down and then negotiate how to change it. The goal of negotiation is of course to get something. A win/win situation would be ideal, but is not always realistic. The problem of a win/loose situation is that you can agree on something but that is never going to be realized as the losing side is not going to implement the solution. There are different strategies to use while negotiating. When the stakes are high, you should be assertive. You can also be assertive when you are in a really powerful position. It would be wise to be more avoidant if you are not in a strong position. If you want to improve your position you can try to find some allies, think of alternative solutions, or obtain more time. When there is a lot of interdependence between the two (or more) parties and you have a good relationship, you can be cooperative, as you might need each other again in the future. A good negotiator must be real creative. He or she should also be flexible, as each situation requires a different approach. To test whether the participants fit the profile they did an assignment. Each group was asked to convince the members of another group to join them. Because the other group has the exact same assignment, the aim is identical which makes it extremely difficult. This is known as the donkey’s problem. It seems like it is always a win/loose situation with a high risk losing both. When you think about it carefully it can be turned into a win/win situation. First, all members of one group should join the other group so they will achieve their goal. Then, all members should go back to the first group again, so they too finish the assignment. One of the participants in the past became really angry, asking if Meers was suggesting that they were donkeys. Meers concluded the workshop by saying he did not agree with the angry participant. The difference was that the donkeys actually did find a solution.
By Joep Geurts If you visited the Trojan Horse on Tuesday, then you had the chance to enjoy two upcoming and popular bands. You might be surprised to hear how many great musicians have their roots in The Hague. Music groups such as Anouk, DiRect, Kane or Golden Earring among many others trace their origins to the venues of the City of Peace and Justice. These are the leading local bands in Dutch rock and pop music and many find it remarkable that they all come from the same city. So what could be a plausible explanation then? The Golden Earring, formed in 1961, were one of the first major European Rock bands to tour in the United States. They were inspired by the Beatles and managed to produce several international hits. The band became an example and role model for other bands. With their experience and fame, they helped local singers and bands, such as Anouk, develop their talent. They wrote a few songs together, which helped Anouk break through in the Dutch music scene. The
award- winning song, “Nobody’s Wife,” was released in 1997, marking The Hague a rock city. She made the global tour and even won an MTV Award. Subsequently, the guitar rock band, Kane, debuted with ‘Where Do I Go Now’. Both Anouk and Kane gave a lot of performances in the region, inspiring others with their music. Although they were teenagers, the members of Di-Rect were among the inspired to start a new band. Their catchy tunes were picked up by the radio DJs quickly and so The Hague produced another great band. Hopefully, delegates will have the chance to explore the up-and-coming bands from The Hague this week. By performing in local bars these bands will continue to inspire young people to maintain their interests or start a career in music. These youngsters are sure realize that The Hague is not only known as the rock city now, but also in the years to come.
What is the first word you think of when you hear WorldMUN? By Heleen Struyven A whole day of committee sessions, six hours of negotiation, 360 minutes of stress, 21600 seconds of effort. It really turns people crazy! As WorldMUN 2009 is progressing further, we wanted to know something really easy: what’s the first word that pops into your head when we say WorldMUN? Here you have 125 answers! Surprisingly delegates are capable of writing hundreds of pages of working papers and draft resolutions, but coming up with a one word seemed extremely hard! “I
don’t know” was the answer we received a quarter of the time! Or “that’s too hard!” Again, we have some difficulties believing that our 2,500 delegates are able to understand the most complex topics discussed at the UN, but find coming up with a single word to be too tricky. So apparently, WorldMUN is an international, multicultural, exciting but tiring orange thing in The Hague organized by Harvard where you can party in a chaotic, fun and diverse way!
Early bird, MUN worm By Danae Mercer It’s 3 am. A third-year delegate pushes into her hotel room, her hair frizzed with sweat from dancing, her eyes glistening with sleep deprivation. After kicking off her boots, the delegate collapses contently into bed. It’s 8am. A phone rings angrily, waking the delegate. Groggy and exhausted, the delegate marches herself into the shower. She has a day of MUN ahead! A day of caucusing, debates, draft resolutions, and excitement! So she downs herself one (or is it three?) cups of coffee, brushes her hair and strides off in heels to committee. After all, Model UN’ers don’t let a little thing like sleep get in their way of work and play. This week at WorldMUN, hundreds of delegates find themselves struggling to find the balance between socializing and conferencing. With nightly events ending in the early hours of the morning, and committee sessions beginning only a bit later, rest is often pushed aside.
“We just set the alarm and hope to god that we get up,” said Drew Walgreen, delegate from Michigan. “A can of energy drink always helps.” Caffeine was cited as a necessary cure. “The crucial thing really is that cup of coffee,” explained Nils Kleveman, a bleary eyed representative in a crisp business suit. When coffee isn’t quite enough, delegates get creative. One representative explained she blasts Disney music loudly in her room, waking up her friends. Another mentioned losing his wallet, which worried him so much he was up early to find it. “If you don’t get enough sleep, try to hide it by talking to people. That way, they won’t think you’re just sulking,” suggested another representative who was indeed busy talking. It’s now 11am. Lunch time draws near, and with it, the promise of a possible nap. After all, the delegate wants some energy for dancing tonight… and for doing it all over again tomorrow morning.
8 Page Three HOROSCOPE
By Tijmen van Groningen Aries Stand up and say something which comes directly from your heart. You’ll never know what impact it might have. Taurus You’ll have an urge for going away. A nice long holiday in a warm and sunny country. Please don’t, it is also fun here. Gemini Look around carefully. You will spot something special today nobody else will see. (Please tell me what you saw for tomorrow’s horoscope) Cancer Don’t be so nervous today. If you are irritating other people because you can’t sit still, just run around the building once. It will probably not help to take away the nerves, but your teammates will appreciate it. Leo Curious what the stars are predicting you today? Yeah, me too Virgo You can’t stop smiling today. Was it the funny cabaret night or the ticklish feeling of an upcoming crush? Libra If you’re not comfortable in your neat suit you are allowed to take it off. Please do wear something else instead. Scorpio You like to talk. Remember that not speaking sometimes is the best argument. If it’s not, you have the time to think of a better one.
WORLDMUN DAILY MARCH 26, 2009 Volume 4
A little bird told us.....
International ‘Relations’
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By Danae Mercer Hello delegates! Here at the WorldMUN Daily, we pride ourselves in seeking the truth and reporting it. We are investigative journalists. We are hunters of that evasive reality. Thus our pages are sacred ground, a place where scandals, honesty and political developments are written down. Or something like that. Our pages are also a great place for you to give a little ‘shout out’ to your fellow delegates. So we’ve decided to dedicate a section directly to you. What do you have to say? What words do you want to share? Any inside jokes, outside jokes, embarrassing or sassy moments? Let us know.
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between the Atlantic and the Pacific is a very popular place to make up one of the assistant directors of the Legal Committee called out “Nigger” during the roll call instead of “Nigeria” sleeping between the committee sessions is becoming the newest trend the Holy See might not be as holy as we thought, as it is sending indecent notes in SPECPOL the delegates specialized themselves in dirty dancing and crowd surfing in the Trojan Horse in WTO a delegate started playing guitar during an unmoderated caucus while wearing a sleeping bag there is a romance flowering between A. of the Editorial Board and J. of the United Netherlands Board the microphone of SOCHUM starts a life of its own chaiman Mao has a secret admirer SPECPOL is the most popular committee as it received an enormous amount of tullips Heather from the Harvard secretariat is so tired that she started eating cake with a ruler. Timur thinks the Editorial Board won’t succeed in snapping a compromising picture of him... but they will. Ban Ki Moon will be visiting the World Forum very soon
After all, nothing is more true than what you tell us! • For April Quin: The Director of NGOs would like to remind Quin that beeches say excuse me. • Dear Irene on Legal, what is up? Love Brock. • To all other Egyptian delegates: Please remember to walk like an Egyptian. Thank you. Love Nakul. • Jordan in HGA, remember to beware of the flock of goats! • Members of staff should avoid kissing young men. And by young men, I mean teenagers. Love Nae. • The University of Sussex wants to know: what would Stiglets do?
Lessons in international diplomacy By Allison Roy With all the debating, caucusing, resolution writing and speechmaking, delegates’ brains must be on the fritz. Here are some helpful pick-up lines to ensure that those skills of diplomacy can be put to use after-hours. For a third-world country, you’re pretty well-developed. 2. Belize let me hold you. 3. I’d like to motion you to the floor. 4. If Bangkok invaded Djibouti, would Greece help? 5. I’d like to violate your national sovereignty. 6. I can cam your bodia.
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Point of inquiry: can I have your number? I Ecuador you. Are you into foreign relations? I’ll Czech your republic. Motion to moderate your caucus Is that your plackard or are you just happy to see me? Do you want to lobby first and merge later? Do you want to see my weapon of mass destruction? I wish you were a topic so I could table you. I’ll bang your gavel so hard you’ll scream decorum.
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Today’s schedule Thursday, March 27
Sagittarius Although it is raining, you are the sunshine that brightens the day. Give warmth to as many people as you can because it does get chilly.
09.00am - 12.00pm 09.00am - 12.00pm 09.00am - 12.30pm 12.30pm - 01.30pm 01.30pm - 02.30pm 02.30pm - 09.00pm 09.00pm - 01.30am 12.00am - 02.00am
Capricorn According to complex and time-consuming calculations, we know the exact position of the planets. Excuse us that there was no time left to find out what that means for you today. Aquarius If you’re feeling good, express it and compliment everyone around you who is not. If you’re not feeling good, just wait for the compliment.
Committee Session VI Committee Session VI Committee Session VI Lunch Buses to Amsterdam Depart Queen’s Day (Amsterdam Visit) Queen’s Night Buses Return from Amsterdam
Friday, March 27 10.00am - 01.00pm 01.00pm - 03.00pm 01.00pm - 03.30pm
Pisces Sometimes you just feel like swimming. Swimming? Yes! You just really badly want to swim. Don’t - there are bicycles in the water. Rockchicks having fun at the Rock Your WorldMUN party
01.30pm - 03.00pm 04.00pm - 05.30pm 09.00pm - 03.00pm 01.00am - 03.30am
Committee Session VII Lunch In-Conference Visits to: • The OPCW NGO workshops Closing Ceremonies Farewell Party Buses return from Farewell Party
COLOPHON Editor in chief Servaas van der Laan (University of Groningen)
Editors Danae Mercer (Creighton University)
Allison Roy (Creighton University)
Heleen Struyven (MUN Society Belgium)
Joep Geurts
(University of Eindhoven)
Paula Gil
(Bradford University)
Jochem van der Veen (University of Groningen)
Martin Vlachynsky (Masaryk University)
Eelke Boezeman (Radboud University)
Carolien Gerards (Radboud University)
Design Peter Jaap Blaakmeer
(University of Groningen)