BEARMUNt h e o f f i c i a l n e w s p a p e r o f t h e b e r l i n m o d e l u n i t e d n a t i o n s

Pre-Edition

Wednesday,November 20, 2013

For more on the Syrian Crisis... ...see page 2!

The YA takes on Global Warming find out how on page 3!

Get to know your Secretariat! MUN’s rising stars introduced on page 4!

What does the BER in BERMUN have to offer? more information on page 4!

Syrian refugees following a lesson in school.

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The bloody civil war currently raging in Syria has destroyed the lives of millions of citizens, and left the country in ruins. However, the Syrians’ suffering is not constrained by the borders of the war-torn nation. Although roughly two million have escaped the chaos, life in refugee camps bears little resemblance to life back home. This is especially problematic for refugee children. They are deprived of what many consider an essential part of childhood: education, which is the topic of this year’s BERMUN conference. According to BBC News, only 30,000 of the more than 400,000 school-age refugees in Lebanon have access to VFKRROLQJ��7KH� EHQH¿WV� RI� HGXFDWLRQ� IRU�

refugee children, according to UNICEF, are far-reaching beyond the main motiva-tion. It teaches them basic skills such as K\JLHQH��VDIHW\�DQG�FRQÀLFW�UHVROXWLRQ�� UNICEF reports that going to school provides normalcy, routine, and supports cohesiveness and community amongst the pupils. According to the global healthcare delivery organization Unite for Sight, education expands the human capital needed for future develop-ment. This is known to the internation-al community, yet the educational crisis ensues. Refugee camps fall short of ad-equate infrastructure. Economic struggles hinder many from attending school. Most have been out of school since the clashes started due to safety concerns. According to BBC News reports, many of those who KDYH� ÀHG� IDFH� GLVFULPLQDWLRQ� DQG� QHJOL-

gence. Numerous are traumatized and left without psychological support. Financial support by developed countries could alleviate the issues faced by Syrian refugees. A plan by the Over-seas Development Institute could provide schooling to all Syrian children currently living in Lebanon as refugees, but only if backed by $500 million from the interna-tional community. According to UN Special Envoy for Global Education Gordon Brown, the plan involves “keeping Lebanese schools open day and night in a double or even triple shift system [and] hiring Syrian ref-ugees as teachers in Arabic in community colleges.” As stated by UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova, “The promise of education must be real for all children, no matter their circumstances.”

Education: A Casualty of War

Maja Melchinger Leo von KleistText Editors

The educational crisis in Syrian refugee camps

Syrian rebel recruits.

BEARMUN

BERMUN PRESS STAFF

Disclaimer:

The opinions and views expressed in the BEARMUN Newspaper do not QHFHVVDULO\�UHÀHFW�WKH�RSLQLRQ�RI�BERMUN or its advertisers.

John F. Kennedy SchoolTeltower Damm 87-9314167 Berlin (Zehlendorf) Germany(+49) 030 90299 5785e-mail: bermunpress@jfksberlin.orgweb: www.facebook.com/BermunPress

Editor-in-Chief:

Maximilian Larson

Advisor/Editor:

Mr. William Robertson

Senior Head of Layout:

Noah Lehrecke

Head of Photography:

Julian McCarthy

Text Editors:

Maja MelchingerLeonard von Kleist

Reporters:

Dorothea DouglasClara FrickLuisa HemmerlingEleanor KellySimona Koch Christina Lennartz Emilia McGrealRebekka SchoellDavid StrasiewskyRaphael Traczinski

Layout Artists:

Anton BegehrIsaac Dye Frederik ReidPablo Smith

Photographers:

Fritz PukallAntony RoczekAlexander Schwan

During this year’s BER-MUN conference, the Security Council (SC) will strive towards compromise and agreement in or-der to end the constantly escalating civil war between the Syrian regime and its people. The response to Presi-dent Bashar al-Assad’s oppressive UXOH�FDXVHG�D�FRQÀLFW�EHJLQQLQJ� LQ�March 2011. The division of the United Nations Security Council’s opin-ions on the situation, especially that within the Permanent Five, has not helped the people of Syria. Both the creation of a more effec-tive SC structure to ensure its relevance in global crises, and the resulting solution of the Syrian crisis are the SC’s goals for the 2013 conference. Elias Lugani, President of the Se-curity Council, says, “The Security Coun-

This Year’s BERMUN confer-ence will feature the debut of a new com-mittee, the Historical Security Council (HSC), which will challenge its partici-SDQWV�WR�LPDJLQH�WKH�,UDT�FRQÀLFW�DV�LW�ZDV�ten years ago. Delegates will be living and VHUYLQJ�WKH�FRQÀLFW�DV�LW�ZDV�RQ�WKH��VW�RI�March 2003. The HSC has already been featured at last year’s BERMUN2 conference and has proven to “work well in the struc-ture of the confer-ence”, says presi-dent of the HSC Phillip Stein. Delegates will be assigned

Seeking a Solution for Syria

Eleanor KellyReporter

cil is the decisive organ of the United Na-tions and its resolutions are binding. With this privilege, I believe the Security Coun-cil not only has a right, but also a duty to decide.” Looking forward to effective de-bate, Elias Lugani also highlights the im-portance of discussing these issues at the MUN conference, stating, “The youth of today is the chance of tomorrow.”

A Novel EndeavorDorothea DouglasReporter

WR�RQH�RI�¿IWHHQ�FRXQWULHV�RQ�WKH�6HFXULW\�Council in pairs of two, and take on their country’s stance toward the crisis in Iraq. “I hope delegates will be able to SXW�DVLGH�WKHLU�ELDVHV�DQG�YLHZ�WKH�FRQÀLFW�in the mindset of their nation at the time, while not abandoning the moral insight knowledge the unfolding of events has brought with it”, says Stein.

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3November 20, 2013

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Rebekka SchoellReporter

The General Assembly Human Rights Committee (HRC) has some thought provoking topics up for debate this BER-MUN conference, including the impact of unilateral coercive measures on the well-being of the population. According to HRC Chairs Isa-bella Veglianti and Atakan Baltaci, these are “economic measures taken by one State to compel a change in policy of another State.” Another aspect to be discussed will

be granting indigenous peoples the right to an education appropriate to their culture. During this conference, with the topic, “Education: The Key to Advance-ment, Equality, and a Secure Future”, the committee will highlight the correlation of human rights with these topics in order to determine and maintain the balance of preserving culture and integrating them into society through education. According to Veglianti, she and the co-chairs hope to “engage all the delegates” in debate “and inspire some to carry these solutions fur-ther.”

Preserving Culture in the 21st Century

David StrasiewskyReporter

The two topics for debate that the Political Committee (PC) will address this year are the role of multilateralism in the development of educational systems and the social reintegration of child soldiers. The former will deal with the strug-gle of third-world countries to successfully establish a higher education system and therefore support a better economy. Johan-na Diederichs, Co-Chair of the PC, believes WKDW� WKH� ¿QDQFLQJ� RI� D� SHUPDQHQW� KLJKHU�education system will cause problems for most third-world countries. Furthermore, she says that “there are so many various diplomas that it will be very hard to create

one that all countries [are] able and willing to adapt.” The second topic discusses the GLI¿FXOWLHV� RI� UHLQWHJUDWLQJ� FKLOGUHQ� LQWR�society that have been “abducted from their families and deployed by military groups as armed forces”, states Co-Chair Yara Rich-ter. Children as young as seven years have been forced to join armed resistance forces, especially in less economically developed countries. Diederich believes “that there are students at the conference this year, includ-ing me, that have never paid a lot of atten-WLRQ�WR�HLWKHU�>���@�RI�WKH�FRQÀLFWV�RQ�KDQG�´�The PC will therefore draw more attention WR�WKHVH�LVVXHV�DQG�WU\�WR�¿QG�D�ZD\�WR�FRPH�up with an extensive resolution.

Less Development - More Problems?

Christina LennartzReporter

One of the most urgent and press-ing topics today is creating a sustainable future. From an early age on, children are being taught the impact of global warming and the value of renewable energies. The existing correlation between saving the en-vironment and providing education is vital and will be discussed by the Youth Assem-bly (YA) during this year’s BERMUN con-ference. While the process of global warm-ing is being closely followed and statistics document melting polar icecaps and burn-

ing forest areas, some continue to act com-pletely oblivious to these changes. One measure that can be taken in order to combat this issue and raise public awareness is education. Christian Weigelt, one of the three YA directors, explained that ³WKH�JUHDWHU�IRFXV�OLHV�XSRQ�¿QGLQJ�VPDUWHU�and more effective ways to ‘run the wheel’.” Even though the issue of global warming has been around since the 1970s, it has only now begun to be effectively combatted. One of the key steps of doing this according to Weigelt is informing future generations about the perils they face. In the upcoming days, the YA members will engage in discussions, draft action plans, and listen to guest speakers, who will talk about creating sustainable en-vironments.

The Key to a Greener Future?

Measures of education in an African school.

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The next generation already recycling.

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BEARMUN

A Mingling of MindsDorothea Douglas

Reporter

This year’s BERMUN secretariat has been working hard for the past six months organizing the upcoming conference. The Secretariat, who are Markus Jungnickel, Florentine Friederich, Aldo Kiem and Lena Riecke, have all been rising stars in the John F. Kennedy School MUN program for quite some time. With this, they have been amazed at the amount of work that goes into coordinating BERMUN. Especially surprising, according to Secretary General Jungnickel, is the degree to which the conference LV�RUJDQL]HG�E\�VWXGHQWV��DQ�DVSHFW�WKDW�³GH¿QLWHO\�VHWV�LW�DSDUW�´� This year’s topic will be “Education: The Key to Advance-ment, Equality, and a Secure Future”, a subject that is bound to in-WHUHVW� WKH�KXQGUHGV�RI�SDUWLFLSDQWV�À\LQJ� LQWR�%HUOLQ� WR�GLVFXVV� LW��“As relatively privileged students, we really have to become aware of the fact that, unfortunately, we are still the minority” says Fried-erich, “however, we must also realize that education isn’t a privi-lege, but a right.” Kiem points out that “at some point, we need to have a conversation about education, and if we can’t do it here, where else

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The BERMUN 2013 Secretariat.

Places to Visit in BerlinMaximilian LarsonEditor-in-Chief

Berlin is considered today among Europe’s most fascinat-ing capitals. This is in part due to the past hundred or so years of its tumultous history, but also to a great extent because of the cultur-DOO\�VLJQL¿FDQW�VLWHV�LW�RIIHUV�WR�PLOOLRQV�RI�YLVLWRUV�HDFK�\HDU Among these are certainly the Museum Island, a small LVODQG�RQ�WKH�6SUHH�5LYHU�LQ�%HUOLQ¶V�FHQWHU�ZKLFK�LV�KRPH�WR�¿YH�LQWHUQDWLRQDOO\�VLJQL¿FDQW�DUW�PXVHXPV��([KLELWLRQV�IHDWXUH�FROOHF-tions that span over three thousand years of cultural history, from the bust of Nefertiti to some of the most beautiful paintings of the Romantic period. Museum Island also bears the marks of the city’s history, as many of the outer façades are pockmarked with bullet KROHV�IURP�YLFLRXV�VWUHHW�¿JKWLQJ�LQ�WKH�¿QDO�ZHHNV�RI�:RUOG�:DU�Two. Another special experience is afforded those who walk the few meters north to the Berliner Dom. The view from the cu-pola of this famous cathedral covers almost all of Berlin’s skyline and a look at the city’s architecture lends perspective to its captivat-ing past. There is to this day an almost clearly visible demarcation line between the erstwhile capital of Communist East Germany and

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Museum Island Berlin.

Cold War West Berlin, manifested by the socialist “Plattenbauten”-style apartment buildings that cover much of East Berlin and the more liberal and diverse architecture of the West. Each year, Berlin’s great diversity draws visitors from around the world to Germany’s famous capital.

is there.” This is one of the reasons Jungnickel encourages every-one participating to “speak up, and use the chance they have been given to be here; your privilege comes with a responsibility to your peers.”

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