Washington
Model Organization of
American States
The
annual
Washington
Model General Assembly of the
Organization of American States
(WMOAS) will take place in Washington,
DC,
from April 3 - 7, 2012. The WMOAS is
a collaborative effort between the OAS
and the Institute for Diplomatic
Dialogue in the Americas (IDDA) which
is a legally incorporated entity, with
status as a civil society organization
with the OAS. The
WMOAS is actively supported by the OAS
Department of International Affairs
and has been endorsed in a Resolution
of the OAS itself.
This
unique collaboration allows students
unprecedented access to the OAS and
its member state missions. The opening
and closing ceremonies are held at the
Hall of the Americas
at OAS Headquarters; these sessions
are attended by ambassadors and the
OAS Secretary General.
Committee sessions are held at
the Fairmont Hotel near Georgetown.
The WMOAS
faculty works closely with the OAS
Department of International Affairs to
offer a realistic, academically
challenging, and unique opportunity
for students to learn about the OAS
and its mission, its member states,
and the important issues that face the
Hemisphere.
The
simulation
of the OAS General Assembly is a
five-day event designed to accomplish
several goals, including learning about
the structures and processes of the OAS
itself, in depth learning about topical
issues facing the hemisphere and a
Member State of the OAS, and mastering
the art of diplomacy.
Prior to the simulation in Washington,
faculty advisors are asked to register
with the IDDA in order to choose a Member
State
to represent. The
registration fee, $900 in 2012, helps
defray the cost of producing the
simulation in DC. There
are no salaries or other personnel costs
associated with the Model.
Each student delegation, as composed by
the faculty, consists of no more than
ten and no fewer than five students. Almost every
student at the model receives academic
credit for the WMOAS from their college
or university. Faculty
are
responsible
for
ensuring that each student is assigned
to one of five committees.
Each
of these committees has an agenda of
topics and issues that will be addressed
in the Model General Assembly. Prior to coming
to Washington,
students prepare positions on these
topics, consistent with the positions of
the Member State
they are representing. Preparation
culminates
in a draft proposed resolution. This draft
resolution will be submitted first to a
faculty review committee and then to the
committee for discussion and debate
during committee sessions at the WMOAS.
During the WMOAS week itself, the formal
opening session and orientation meetings
are held on Tuesday. Wednesday provides
an opportunity to visit the OAS Mission of the Member
State
being represented in order to consult
with appropriate diplomats. Time is also
devoted to revise proposed draft
resolutions and/or to gain supporting
signatures from delegates representing
other Member States. The
Wednesday visits to the Missions are
usually a highlight of the week’s
activities. Wednesday
afternoon, Thursday, and Friday are
devoted to committee sessions and
caucusing, during which student
delegates introduce and debate each
other’s proposed draft resolutions. Saturday
consists of the closing ceremonies and
the elections for the officers for the
following year’s Model.
During the Model, faculty are engaged in
a variety of activities, including
reviewing resolutions and providing
support for committee chairs. The role of
faculty is most pronounced in the
preparatory phases before students get
to the Model. Once
at the Model, faculty are encouraged to
allow their student delegates to “learn
by doing”; in
other words, to give students the
freedom to apply what they have learned
in class about the issues and diplomacy
so that they can faithfully represent
their member state and reach consensus
on the resolutions presented. We do expect
Advisors to be present throughout the
week, however, to aid in the smooth
functioning of the Model and to meet and
know their colleagues from across the
Hemisphere. Most
Advisors find the collegial atmosphere
at the model to be professionally and
personally rewarding.
Faculty are encouraged to share
their expertise at this forum and
contribute to the continued development
of this unique simulation experience.
|
