Join the Model United Nations at Stockholm University! Thousands of students across the world take part every year in recreating and re-enacting the world’s highest level of interactions between nations on this earth, the United Nations. Join us for an interesting look into how the highest diplomatic authority on politics, current affairs and international law works whilst learning about a country’s specific position on a particular issue, and learning about the biggest current affair events shaping our world today and tomorrow.
The event will start at 5:00PM and we will spend the first half an hour explaining the rules of MUN and presenting the topic. Each person should choose the country he or she wants to represent. This can be done on the spot in that first half an hour. However, if you have strong feelings towards a country and want to make sure that no one else takes it, you can always write a comment below with the chosen state and book it. At the end of the debate (if we survive the crisis), fika will be provided by SUS.
The topic of today deals with a SF scenario taking place well… this May. Have a look at our summary and suggested points of discussion:
In May 2014, it was discovered that the Chinese government had been keeping information about the outbreak of a virus which turns people into zombie-like flesh-eating monsters. The disease has now spread over the borders into the neighbouring countries and to a certain extent overseas because of international travel and trade. The Security Council needs to agree quickly on a response to this threat!
Points to consider:
- the US would probably feel as a protector of humanity in this situation
- the UK would want to protect the Commonwealth. Similar cultures/religions would stick together
- Russia and Ukraine conflict, how would this be affected by such a crisis? What kind of advantages would Russia seek out of the virus outbreak
- how media portray the situation is crucial
- the zombies are portrayed as 'others' but they were once humans too, so this raises an ethical issue
- countries are beginning to blame presence in their territory on their traditional rivals, and also thinking to use others' weakness to their advantage, meaning that there is a massive potential for conflict all around the world
- states might consider ignoring the UN and simply act in their complete self-interest in this crisis, including military action
Some characteristics of the zombies:
- the fast type, they aren't slow- walking
- disease spreads by blood
- they can survive without eating for very long, lying dormant in the darkness and attacking by surprise
- they are distinguishable from humans mainly in the later stage of the disease (don't look like rotten corpses) by hunger for flesh and slight changes in appearance
- the only way to destroy them is shooting them in the brain, so conventional weapons don't work as well and size of military is not necessarily a factor