The Full Project packet
The full packet is here
Resources for the MUN conference:
Sample Opening Statements:
Resources for writing your position paper
First of all, there are graphic organizers and model papers in the MUN packet here.
Tips for writing a great position paper:
Resources for First Section: Opening Statement
Resources for the Second Section: National Actions
Resources for Third Section: UN Actions
Making a Works Cited in MLA Format:
Tips for writing a great position paper:
- "A Formula for a Perfect Position Paper" (bestdelegate.com)
- How to Write a Position Paper (United Nations Association)
Resources for First Section: Opening Statement
- Background Guide (written by your very own MUN Chairs!)
- Statistics about Refugees from the United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR)
- Specific statistics about SYRIAN Refugees from the UNHCR
- Key facts about the World's Refugees (Pew Research Center)
- A good explanation of the war in Syria, including a chart of allies and enemies (News Decoder)
Resources for the Second Section: National Actions
- Refugee Populations by Country (according to the World Bank, which is very reliable).
Resources for Third Section: UN Actions
Making a Works Cited in MLA Format:
- How to cite websites in MLA (automatic citation tools don't work from the chromebooks, so you'll need to do this by hand, just like your teachers did when they were students).
Resources for Country Research
"Model" country research packet from last year's MUN (to see what a completed one looks like)
Good sources for general information about your country:
Good sources for finding out what your country's been doing in the UN:
Who's an ally? Who's an enemy?
Good sources for finding out how your country is involved in the refugee crisis (and other current news about your country)
Good sources for general information about your country:
- CIA World Fact Book
- BBC News Country Profiles
- UNHCR Country Pages (UNHCR=United Nations High Commission on Refugees)
- European Commission Country Pages (this ISN'T just for European countries)
- European Commission Factsheets (see if your country is included)
- Library of Congress country studies
Good sources for finding out what your country's been doing in the UN:
- United Nations website (look at the "Past Actions)
Who's an ally? Who's an enemy?
- Chart of Middle Eastern Allies and Enemies (Slate)
- This is a very useful chart, but it only includes Middle Eastern countries and the US
- Thanks to Sergio for finding this and Ernesto for finding a more up-to-date version!
Good sources for finding out how your country is involved in the refugee crisis (and other current news about your country)
- Reliable news sources
- Times Topics (this is only useful if your country is included as a "topic")
- Google "[country name] refugees"
- REMEMBER WHAT YOU LEARNED ABOUT BALONEY DETECTION THOUGH!
Articles and Documentaries About Every Country:
Syria
Iraq
Iran
Lebanon
Jordan
Turkey
Egypt
Greece
Macedonia
In March 2016, Macedonia closed its border with Greece. You definitely want to read about what happened. Here are some articles to get you started.
Hungary
PolandAustria
Germany
Sweden
France United Kingdom
USA
Canada
- Syria: Who's fighting who, and why (Video) (Vox)
- Newsela: Syria's Civil War, Explained (originally in Al Jazeera)
- BBC: Syrian conflict in maps
- Handy Graphic explaining who are allies and who are enemies in Syria
- Analysis of relationship between Syria and Iraq
- Iraq explained: ISIS, Syria, and War (Video)
Iraq
- Children in Niroz Refugee Camp (Kurdistan, Iraq) (Video)
- How ISIS rose to power in Iraq and Syria (The Atlantic)
- ISIS in Iraq and Syria (maps) (BBC)
- Iraq, Syria, and the war explained (Ted-Ed) (video)
- Article arguing that the Syrian war was caused by the war in Iraq (al Jazeera)
- Lessons from the Iraqi refugee crisis that apply to the Syrian refugee crisis (Brookings)
- Thousands of refugees are fleeing Mosul (a city in Iraq) because they're under attack from ISIS (CNN)
- It's important to remember that when it comes to refugees escaping ISIS, the Syrian refugee crisis and the Iraqi refugee crisis are basically the same crisis (since ISIS is at war in both countries).
- UN is opening more refugee camps to house people escaping from Mosul (UNHCR Press Release)
Iran
- Iran's history (video) (Crash Course)
- Why does Iran support Assad? (CNN)
- Why is Iran backing Assad? (Al Jazeera)
- Article about refugees from Afghanistan currently in Iran (and Pakistan)
Lebanon
- Refugee Crisis: Lebanon Factsheet (European Commission)
- Report on new UN policy on refugees in Lebanon (Human Rights Watch)
- Prime minister of Lebanon says it's at a "breaking point" due to high number of refugees (Al Jazeera)
- News report: Lebanon is calling for refugees to be sent back to Syria (PRI)
- Syrian Refugees in Lebanon (Vice)
- 2017 Outlook for refugees in Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan
Jordan
- April, 2017 UNHCR Report on Jordan
- 12,000 refugees stuck at the Syria/Jordan border (al Jazeera)
- An article about the 12,000 at the border from Amnesty International
- Refugee crisis on Jordan’s border
- 2017 Outlook for refugees in Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan
- Neil Gaiman, who wrote Coraline, visits refugee camps in Jordan
- Article about the “Jordan Compact” that provides education and jobs for refugees in Jordan
Turkey
- Syrian Refugees Stuck in Turkey with no passport, and therefore no official nationality
- Syrian Refugees in Turkey face harsh conditions (PBS)
- 2017 Outlook for refugees in Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan
- TIME Doc: Turkish smugglers taking people in boats
- Vice Doc: Death Boats to Greece:
- Rescue ship on the Mediterranean
- Frontex official information on smugglers
- The Uprooting: Stories and Photos from the Turkish Shores
Egypt
- Who are the refugees currently in Egypt? (Brookings)
- News: Egypt has just convicted 56 people over the sinking of a refugee ship carrying 200 people (BBC)
Greece
- Lots of people are dying in overcrowded refugee camps in Greece (al Jazeera)
- Germany is sending refugees back to Greece (al Jazeera)
- "How Greece fumbled the Refugee Crisis" (Guardian)
- Stories from the Ritsona refugee camp in Greece (New York Times)
- VICE Doc: Greece’s impending humanitarian crisis
- Documentary about Lesvos, Greece
- ITV report on Lesvos
- VICE Doc: Migrants stranded on Kos (another Greek island)
- Refugees stranded between Greece and Macedonia (Greece-Macedonia)
Macedonia
In March 2016, Macedonia closed its border with Greece. You definitely want to read about what happened. Here are some articles to get you started.
- Macedonia tells Germany they have "Completely failed" (Independent)
- Macedonia forces thousands of refugees to go back to Greece (Guardia
- Story of a refugee stranded in a "migrant center" in Italy (Associated Press, adapted by Newsela)
Hungary
- Hungarian parliament passes law allowing all refugees to be detained (Independent)
- Hungary is using "border hunters" to find and arrest refugees (PRI)
- The volunteers helping refugees in Hungary
- Guardian Doc (short): Thousands of people sleeping in Hungarian train station
- Hungary closed its border with Serbia
- Hungarian refugees are walking the 120 miles from Budapest’s train station to the Austrian border
PolandAustria
- Austria Caps migrants and agrees to cooperate more with Greece
- Germany slams Austria’s refugee policy
Germany
- German schools prepare for refugees (Los Angeles Times, adapted by Newsela)
- Good (but definitely dense) article about Angela Merkel’s problems
- Germany slams Austria’s refugee policy
- The Uprooting: Stories and Photos from Germany
- Neo-Nazis threaten refugees in German town (adapted by Newsela)
- German Jews divided: Some fear Muslims, others welcome them (Associated Press, adapted by Newsela)
Sweden
- Refugees in Sweden (Washington Post)
- Tensions in Sweden over refugees (CNN)
France United Kingdom
- Information about refugees in the UK (Red Cross)
- What is the UK doing to help with the Refugee Crisis? (BBC)
- The Israel/Palestine conflict, explained (Video) (Vox)
- John Green explains the Israel/Palestine conflict (Video) (Crash Course)
- Good, informative opinion piece in Haaretz
- The Rise of Vladimir Putin (Video) (Vox)
USA
- How the USA became a Superpower (video) (Vox)
- Pro/Con: should the US give refuge to Syrian refugees? (Tribune News Service, adapted by Newsela)
- US Response to Refugee Crisis sparks comparisons to the Holocaust (Associated Press, adapted by Newsela)
- Refugee students come to US public schools (Associated Press, adapted by Newsela)
- Useful, short explanation of refugee categories
- VICE doc on Syrian refugees in America
- Video: How San Diego Resettles Refugees
- How the USA Screens Refugees (Newsweek)
Canada