ICC

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that, in a recent bloody campaign from December 25-27, rebels of the LRA killed 189 people and torched 120 houses.  LRA deputy peace delegation chairman Justin Labeja denied the charges stating that, “the accusations that LRA has killed 200 people in DRC are totally untrue.”
A joint force of Ugandan, Congolese, and southern Sudanese troops have stepped up operations to flush out LRA rebel groups while Kony continues to refuse signing a peace agreement until ICC arrest warrants are lifted.

Here are a few articles that report the recent massacres and discuss the ongoing conflict.  When reading the articles, think closely about the implications of Kony’s arrest for peace in Uganda. What should be prioritized: peace in Uganda or the arrest of Joseph Kony?

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5giJqh5R8-psdYJQrr-py3DcrRbxQ

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601116&sid=ayX29WQTGCI4&refer=africa

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=79745&sectionid=351020506

 -Byron Chan

Delegates–
Here are a couple of articles regarding Joseph Kony’s current status with the ICC. When reading, think about your own personal stance on pardoning Joseph Kony, the signing of a peace treaty, and the potential ramifications of a loose criminal. These articles are a great way for you, as members of the ICC, to familiarize yourselves with the inner workings of the Court, and the negotiations presently in progress. Enjoy and don’t hesitate to post!

ARTICLE #1: http://www.ugpulse.com/articles/daily/news.asp?about=Uganda%20to%20host%20ICC%20summit&ID=7357

ARTICLES #2: http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article29525

Happy Holidays!
-Phoebe Peronto

Hey again

I just wanted to clarify first off that the way you participate in the blogs is to comment on posts that we (your chairs) make. One delegate has already been able to do so, which is fantastic!

Secondly, I wanted to announce that we will be taking requests for witnesses to have come in during committee. The way committee works for the ICC is that each of you as delegates are justices.  During the course of committee the lawyers for each side (represented by your chairs) call forth witnesses to present their side of the case.  Both the prosecution and the defense present questions to the witness for the witness to answer, after which the floor is open to the justices’ (your) questions.  This year, if any of you have specific witnesses (that you may come across during your research) that you would like to have called into committee, you may request them on the blog.  If your request is accepted then you will have the right to ask the first question to the witness (even before the lawyers).

Some rules for the witness request are as follows.  Only one request for a witness per delegate will be accepted, so choose carefully. The first person to request a specific person is the one who gets to ask the question, so check who other people have requested before you request.  If you want, you can e-mail your requests as well to our committee e-mail listed below.  We will periodically update the witness list on the blog so you know at least a few of the witnesses ahead of time and may prepare specific questions for them. The deadline for requesting witnesses is January 10, 2009.

If you have any questions or comments feel free to make a note below or e-mail us at bmun57icc@gmail.com.  Also, keep checking the blog because we will be posting guidelines for the position paper on the blog shortly and the guidelines are slightly different than those for the usual position paper accepted by BMUN.

Thanks,

Taumoha

Hey guys!

Thought you might be interested in this opinion from the NY Times on the relationship between the US and the ICC

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/04/opinion/04Cohen.html?_r=1

Cheers,
Sarah

Hey everyone.

Hope all is well. Check out this article http://allafrica.com/stories/200810240077.html. I know it is a little dated, but I figured it could be of interest to you all.

Keep in mind that commenting on the blog is part of your delegate score for the committee.  And check back for info about position papers and witnesses to be posted in the next couple weeks.

Thanks

Taumoha

Hi everyone, I am Brian Mounmanivong. I am a second year at UC Berkeley, and currently on the track for a degree in Computer Science. It seems strange for a Computer Scientist to be involved in MUN, but I enjoy keeping up with international politics and crisis. I am from San Diego, California, but I like it very much here in Berkeley. This is actually my first year in Berkeley Model United Nations, but I have done regular MUN in high school for about a year. So I am just newbie when it comes to MUN.

Most of the time in Berkeley I am on a computer coding or updating databases, but in my free time I do quite a few other things. I play a little bit of tennis, run around for no reason, practice wushu, and even DANCE, along with hundreds of other little hobbies I have (currently I am trying to break twenty seconds for solving a rubix cube XD).  I am down for any challenge, so just ask if you want a battle. It doesn’t matter if it’s beat-boxing, rock-paper-scissors, or a dance-off, I am there.

Hello Delegates! My name is Sarah and I’ll be acting as your head justice for the BMUN 57 conference! I’m a third year Political Economies of Industrialized Societies major at Berkeley, though right now I’m studying abroad in Geneva, where I’m taking classes on Public International Law and the Activities of International Organizations. I’m also interning at the International Center for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD), and have been writing articles for their trade digest. Next summer I’ll actually be returning to Geneva as an intern at the US Mission to the UN, which I’m really excited about. Switzerland is a really cute little country, and I especially enjoy the fact that every supermarket has an entire aisle devoted to high end chocolates and a huge cheese section. I’m especially looking forward to seeing the special celebration in Geneva marking their success in fighting off neighboring France with a pot of boiling vegetable soup. To celebrate, we dress up like vegetables and run around the city square.

I’m a Berkeley Native, born and raised by two hippy parents. I love my city, especially the food, but I’ve always had an urge to travel to different places. Besides Geneva, I’ve also studied studied abroad for a summer at Cambridge, and spent my junior year in high school in Denmark, where learned to speak Danish, which is quite possibly the silliest sounding language ever. My favorite color changes based on my mood, though usually it’s red or green, and I love skiing, hiking, and pretty much any activity that gets me outside and into the wilderness. One day, I’d like to going backpacking in South America, and go diving at the great barrier reef.

This pretty much describes me:
http://xkcd.com/231/

Hey all–

My name is Phoebe Peronto, and I am a first year Berkeley Model United Nations member and student here at Cal.  Some insight into my life: I am 18, addicted to romantic comedies, a slave to my Vogue subscription, and I can’t go a single day without chocolate.  I grew up with a chef for mother, so being vegetarian hasn’t always been the easiest (sometimes a hamburger and fries looks so so good!).  I’ve always called California home, but I love to travel.  In fact, I lived in Paris, France for a month as an exchange student in 2007.  C’etait super.  BMUN 57 will be here before we know it, and I can’t wait to meet you all in February!

Peace.

Hi!

My name is Byron Chan and I’m a second year History major at UC Berkeley.  This is my first year in Berkeley Model United Nations and I absolutely love it! A few quick facts about me: my favorite color is orange, my favorite movie is Forrest Gump, and I was named after Byron Scott who was the shooting guard for the LA Lakers from 1983-1993. (My mom is a huge Laker’s fan). On the weekends I love watching movies, riding my bike, and visiting Art museums.  ICC has always interested me because it deals with some of the most notorios criminals in the world and is the foundation for international human rights.  I’m looking forward to BMUN 57 and I’ll see you all in February!

Hey all!

Welcome to the BMUN 57 ICC blog!  My name is Taumoha Ghosh and I will be your head chair for ICC this year.  Just a quick intro about me…this is my fourth year at Cal and I am a Molecular Cell Biology major with an emphasis in immunology, and plan to study medicine in the future.  This is my fourth year in BMUN, and besides being your head chair this year, I am also the Undersecretary General of Logistics.  I was born in Canada on December 4, 1987 and moved to Wisconsin in January 1995 a month after my 7^th birthday and spent most of my childhood there.  I moved to San Rafael, CA when I was a sophomore in high school.  Besides BMUN, I also work in a lab at the UCSF Diabetes Center in an amazing job and teach science to third graders at a local elementary school.  I love movies and TV - I am addicted to CW shows, House, and Grey’s Anatomy.  I also am really into reading at least when it isn’t required for class- Harry Potter anyone?  Additionally, I adore traveling and loved my time studying abroad in Sweden my junior year.

Anyways back to the topic at hand…this blog is your official committee blog for BMUN 57.  It is important that you check this blog out regularly, as it will have topic updates, explain how committee will be run, answer questions, and create a way to be in contact with us – your chairs – and each other.  Also, delegates will be getting extra points towards committee for actively participating in the blogs – in a relevant manner, of course.

I am really excited about our topic this year regarding the longstanding Ugandan Humanitarian Crisis and I hope you guys are really into it, too.  Me along with all your other chairs, who will be posting their own introductions and later on contribute to all the updates on the blog, really want to make this committee the best it can be, and we need your help to do so.  Feel free to email me to ask questions about committee or general college issues or make comments and suggestions regarding what you want for committee this year.  The email for ICC will be bmun57icc@gmail.com.  Check back soon!

Taumoha