Did I Say Maps?

Hey Historical Delegates:

I've been looking through some maps before the conference, trying to find some gooders. In case you haven't found them, here are some awesome links:

From the Woodhead Commission on Partition:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/WoodheadMapA.png
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/WoodheadMapB.png
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/WoodheadMapC.png

A general map:
http://hippasus.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/palestine_map_pre1948.jpg

A coloured map with some annotations on the original Partition:
http://lw.palestineremembered.com/download/PalestineBeforeNakba.jpg

Another view of partition:
http://domino.un.org/maps/m0103_1b.gif

The background papers are looking good, I should be through them all by the end of the day. I look forward to seeing all of you.

Cheers,

Robert Lees-Miller
Historical Committee Chair
HSMUN 2012

Introduction to HSMUN 2012: Historical General Assembly

Robert's Rules of Order

Hello Historical Delegates:

Just some more things for helping you figure out your way around our new committee's format.

First, we'll be following regular rules of procedure for HSMUN, so if you have experience with HSMUN, it will be very similar to other committees. The only catch is that we are unlikely to have a Primary Speaker's List, as there is only one topic!

Second, we will be providing an award for the best dressed delegate. Best dressed you say? Best dressed we say! You are not by any means required to dress up, but it will make the committee a lot more fun if you do. Come in time period or nationally appropriate clothing, and you may very well be rewarded.

Third, we are probably going to be spending a lot of time looking at maps. To help you with that, we'll be providing a large map of the Palestinian Protectorate with as much detail as we can get and have it in the room at all times. We'll also have a few transparencies available so that you can draw on them as you need to when you're negotiating different plans and deals. Bring some non-permanent markers, the more colours the better.

I hope you guys are looking forward to this as much as we are! We've got some surprises planned for you during the conference.

One of the best parts of historical committees? News clips with dated accents!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/the-panorama-middle-east-archives-divisions/9420.html

PS. Don't forget your position papers.

Cheers,

Robert

A Guide to Historical Etiquette

Hey everyone:

Hope you had a good holiday break, and are excited to be back at school. Here's some information for delegates of the Historical Committee on what they can expect of the historical simulation:

A Guide to Historical Committee Etiquette

Quick Rules:

1. No prochronism
2. Be in the box until we leave the box
3. You are allowed to change history, but follow a logical policy for your country
4. Be prepared to re-examine your reasoning

Rule One: No Prochronism

For those unfamiliar with the term (I had to use Wikipedia, don't worry), it is similar to an anachronism, but in the opposite direction. Anachronisms are things from the past still being used in the present in a no longer appropriate context. Prochonrisms are things from the future that should not yet exist. As such, any information you have from after 1947 is inappropriate to bring into the committee. This applies both to the material you can bring in, but also applies to your outlook. Try as much as possible to remember that you do not know what will happen after Israel is created. Consequences you know would be disastrous or miraculous because of how they actually turned out in the years up to 2012 that seem impossible or unfair in 1947 are still impossible or unfair!

Rule Two: Think in the Box

Remember all your teachers who told you to think outside the box? Yeah, they're wrong. I'm telling you to think in the Box while in committee. There will be times we are “Out of Box” and “In the Box”. I will make these times explicitly clear, I might have a gong or a bell or something. Typically Out of Box times will be the first and last 15 minutes of session, and barring something happening unexpectedly, the rest will be spent In the Box. During Out of Box time you'll be free to ask about things that are happening as a student of 2012, give feedback on how the format is going, seek explanations for things you find confusing, I'll ask you how the changes you're making might affect the course of history, and whatever else we need to do. When we go In the Box, you'll be assuming the role of diplomats in 1947, and forget everything you know after that. You go in character. While this is usually the case for MUN, it requires special mention because it is a different experience going back in time. Use the correct pronouns (some country names are not the same as you're used to).

Rule Three: Paradox Free Time Travel

Do not in any way feel bound by the solutions of yesteryear. Your committee is NOT an historical enactment. It is an historical SIMULATION. Follow your country's policy in principle. If you support Israel's creation, you'll still have to work for it. If you don't, don't feel disheartened, you may yet have your day. If your country had a specific policy in mind, propose it, but don't expect it to be shot down if it was in 1948, or be accepted if it is the borders as they stood after the segregation of Palestine. You are in control of the future. Use your powers wisely!

Rule Four: Be Prepared to Re-Examine Your Reasoning

I generally consider this good policy. It is especially important for how you decide to treat this committee. History might change drastically in this committee. Be prepared to think about the world differently.

I'll be posting a more in-depth guide to the procedural changes we'll be making to the committee, if any, when I consult with the people actually running it.

Cheers,

Robert

Chair

Historical Committee - Israel/Palestine Key Questions

Greetings!

Welcome to those dorky enough as me to be immensely interested in exploring the deeper roots of a topic and historical event that ties together so many important parts of current global affairs. For those who don’t know, the brand new Historical Committee proceedings of 2012 HSMUN will work on the formation of the state of Israel in 1947 at the United Nations, and as a way of helping delegates take away the most from this experience, it’s good to give you a primer on how to think about the subject. Exactly because it is an important contemporary topic, it is difficult for young people engaged with the world to not feel very strongly about this topic, in fact we encourage conviction, but it is also important that we keep in mind the key facts of how events developed, so we can have better insight to the challenges faced today. Our goal as the historical committee is to help young people interested in this topic to properly understand the historical context of Israel’s development so that their views are better informed to help build solutions in the present if one is so inclined to do so. The first step then is making sure when developing your positions that you keep in mind the historical roots of today’s circumstances. You should ask yourself:

• Where did states emerge from in history? Who had claims to rule over Israel Palestine at what point in time? 

• Who were the lead actors? Who else played a role and what was their source of power or influence?

• What are the interests at stake for each side and how do these influence decisions made at the table?    

• What decisions and compromises were made on the key days and what ‘horse-trading’ or trade offs were made and what did these deals result in?

It is my sincere hope that the forthcoming background paper we have drafted will help you situate yourself in this extremely complex topic, but don’t forget to get your own neurons firing on the topic and think about where things may have went wrong and why! By the same token, resist the urge to believe that if only we had made different decisions, things would have turned out perfectly fine. As Oscar Wilde says: “The truth is rarely simple and never easy.” It could be argued the same is true for history!

Historical Committee Welcomes You

Hello future delegates!

Yay, blogging!

We've got a pretty big group of helpful and talented staff for this brand new committee.

My name is Robert Lees-Miller, I am going to be the chair for the committee this year. This is my fourth year as a chair in HSMUN, and I've been once as a delegate. I've done two historical committees as a delegate, once with the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the other the Independence of Bangladesh. I am quite excited to be on the other side of the box this year.

My name is Blue Knox, this is my first year working as staff with HSMUN and I so excited to be getting involved and helping to make this the best experience possible for you guys. I participated once as a delegate 2009 and am excited to be joining the dark side with the other talented staff on this committee.

My name is Thomas Kearns and this is my first time on HSMUN, so I'm hoping to learn a lot from the experience and hopefully help make sure you guys have a blast as well.

We've also got two super classified secret agents you'll meet at the conference.

We'll have some real material for you at some point, until which YouTube videos:

Good hunting,

Historical Committee Staff