United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

Hi Delegates!

BMUN 58 is almost here and I hope you all are super excited! I know we are!    Here are some final reminders:

- It looks like there will be some rain throughout the weekend here in Berkeley, so please come prepared with umbrellas, hoodies,  rainboots, etc.

-Secondly, in keeping with our theme to remain sustainable, please try and bring your canteens to the conference!

If you have any other last minute questions or concerns please feel free to email us at bmun58unodc@gmail.com

We hope you have a safe journey to Berkeley and we look forward to meeting you all soon!

Your chairs,

Nashia, Marjon, and David

Hi Delegates!

Thank you so much for all your insightful comments on the blog so far!  Here is some important information regarding the delegate dance:

BMUN is happy to announce that this year’s theme for the Saturday Night Delegate Activities will be “Let’s CAN Hunger” where decorations and costumes will represent favorite foods from around the world. In support of this year’s conference cause, World Food Program, the theme aims to show solidarity in the fight against world hunger. Any food related-wear is appropriate and some possible things to dress up as include fruits, salt and pepper, M&M’s, the color representing your favorite food group, food mascots, your favorite Wheatie’s champion, or even farmers from around the world  –although, creativity is definitely encouraged!

This year’s activities will include the delegate dance, entitled “You Are What You Eat,” and a casino with Blackjack and Roulette. There will be raffle prizes, a free photo booth and a refreshment stand. Of course, there will also be a dance floor and a DJ.

To address hunger in our own local community, BMUN will also be having a canned food drive Saturday night. Delegates who bring in canned and other non-perishable foods will be given an extra $50 worth of BMUN casino money for every item they donate.

The activities will take place on Saturday, March 6th. The doors to Pauley Ballroom will open at 8:00 p.m. and all activities will end at 11:00 p.m.

I hope you are all getting excited for the conference! Please feel free to email us if you have any questions or concerns at bmun58unodc@gmail.com

-Nashia

Delegates,

This is a reminder that the final position paper submission deadline is tomorrow, February 22, 2010. We must receive your position papers no later than tomorrow, in order to consider you for a committee award.

Please email your position papers to : bmun58unodc@gmail.com  (Don’t forget to include your country name in the Subject Line!) We also prefer that you only submit one attachment that contains both position papers.

Please don’t hesitate to email us if you have any further questions or concerns! We look forward to reading all your papers and meeting you all soon– Only 11 days left!

Best,

Nashia, Marjon, and David

Hi Delegates!

I hope your research is coming along well and you are all getting excited for BMUN 58!!  Here is an article that relates closely to our committee topics as it discusses a possible connection of  trading cocaine in exchange for arms. Please read the article below for more information:

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/02/15/world/AP-AF-Senegal-Drug-Czar.html

Here are some questions to consider:

What are some factors about the economic and political situation of these countries that has allowed for this connection between drug dealers and terror groups to form?

What are some steps that should be taken in order to keep this situation under control and prevent this exchange from occuring? Even if this exchange is stopped, what are some potential implications for both the citizens of these nations and the international community?

How can the enforcement of additional laws, tracking, or even tighter border control affect the nations involved?

Please feel free to comment with your thoughts and ideas.

-Nashia

Hello Delegates!

I came across an article that seemed quite relevant to our committee. Russia, which is enormously affected by opium production in Afghanistan, has urged the U.S. to step up its efforts in the fight against drugs. The article also mentions the Obama administration’s recent efforts to encourage Afghan farmers to raise alternative crops. Check it out:

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-eu-russia-us-drugs,0,3049641.story

Some questions to think about:
What do you think about the US’s involvement in this affair? Do you think that other countries should step in to prevent the the production of drugs in places like Afghanistan?
How does the political situation in Afghanistan affect the production of opium?
Do you think that alternative development is the best solution in Afghanistan’s situation?

Please feel free to post your thoughts or questions about this article; we’d love to hear your thoughts!

-Marjon

Hi all!

This is a quick reminder that if you would like to be eligible for a research award, we must receive your position papers by tomorrow, February 8, 2010. You can email your position papers to : bmun58unodc@gmail.com

Please include your country name in the Subject line.

Feel free to email us if you have any other questions or concerns!

We look forward to reading your papers!  Good Luck!

Your chairs,

Nashia, Marjon, and David

P.S. If you would like to be eligible for a committee award, you can still submit your papers by February 22, 2010.

Hi Delegates!

I hope that the position papers are going well! I came across this article on CNN and found it very relevant to our committee. The current situation in Puerto Rico is very challenging with high rates in various crimes and violence linked to drug markets. The problem has escalated to the point that additional military and police are entering into various cities in an attempt to maintain the situation. For more details you can read this article on CNN :

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/02/05/puerto.rico.crime/index.html?iref=allsearch

Here are some questions to consider:

What are the implications of a lack of trust between military or the police force and the residents?

As the article mentions, the high rates of crime are more prevalent in cities, Why is this so? What are some features of city life that may allow for such violence and even drug markets to exist? Is it a matter of a increasing population? Unemployment? Poverty?

What is the role of the law under such circumstances? Will creating more rules and regulations simply perpetuate the crimes?

What can the leaders of the nation as well as the justice system do to provide stability and find alternatives to deal with gangs and other drug markets?

What is the role, if any, of other nations such as the United States in such a situation? What are some international implications?

Please feel free to post your thoughts and ideas.

-Nashia

Hi delegates!

I hope you enjoyed the holidays and a happy new year to you all!

As the new year comes upon us, so does the grave challenge facing Haitians after such a devastating earthquake. In thinking along the lines of our committee, there is attention being brought to the looting and other violence spreading in the streets of Haiti. The following article from CNN provides further details:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/01/18/haiti.looting.earthquake/index.html?hpt=T2

This brings to mind many questions, particularly of the presence of crime and violence after a natural disaster. What are some of the implications of acts such as looting ? Are these acts justified, considering the circumstances?  How can aid organizations and other nations prevent such acts an provide the necessary resources? Please post your thoughts and ideas.

I hope the research for your position papers is going well!  Please check our blog regularly for more updates!

-Nashia

Hi delegates!

My name is Marjon Momand and I will also be your vice chair for this conference. I am a first year interested in majoring in Media Studies and so far I’m having a great time at Cal.

In regards to research, make sure you don’t leave everything for the last minute and don’t be afraid to ask us questions. Good luck and have a great winter break!

-Marjon

Hi delegates!

My name is David Aptaker and I’ll be one of your vice chairs for the upcoming BMUN conference.  I’m a third year majoring in Peace and Conflict Studies here at Cal and have a particular interest in the Middle East–specifically the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  This is my third year in BMUN and I really enjoy it!  I hope you all consider Cal when you apply to colleges and you all should definitely try out for this club…it’s worth it.

Make sure you guys stay up to date on the issues we’ll be discussing.  My favorite news sources are BBC.com, MSNBC, and DemocracyNow–make sure you don’t rely on only a single source when you write your research papers.  Try to get as much perspective on the topics as possible and delve into your countries’ policies.  I hope you guys are enjoying the holidays, and if you have any questions regarding your research, the conference, or life at Cal feel free to comment on the blog!

Cheers,

David