A highly competitive academic activity, the Model Arab League simulates meetings of the League of Arab States. Participating university and high school delegations of at least 5 students represent one of the League’s 22 member states in both general and specialized councils. Students draft resolutions addressing the important global and regional issues outlined in an Agenda that closely mirrors real world League issues. Student resolutions are written and debated in moderated Council sessions. If passed, these Council resolutions are presented to the entire conference during our Summit Session for a concluding debate and final vote.

Model Arab League has been the leading program in the United States for giving students hands-on experience with the international relations of the Arab World since its founding in 1983. Tens of thousands of students have graduated from the program, and many have gone on to leading positions in business, government, and academia.

The Model Arab League provides students an in-depth understanding of the world’s oldest regional body and deepens their knowledge of the history, culture, religion, economics and politics of the region and the country they represent. As delegates, students develop and practice skills in debate, consensus-building, critical thinking, parliamentary procedure, and public speaking. By having students articulate positions, arguments, and foreign policy objectives of a country other than their own, they gain greater understanding of the underlying issues affecting U.S.-Arab relations.

Students are evaluated both their peers and by judges and awards are presented to outstanding participants based on individual accomplishment as well as overall school achievement.

In addition to our awards, outstanding Model Arab League participants are given preferential consideration for National Council internships in Washington, DC and participation in study abroad programs in Egypt, Morocco, Kuwait, and Yemen.

Absolutely! Please feel free to browse our Web site or Contact the Model Arab League Coordinator for information on how.

There are currently 11 university and 5 high school Model Arab League programs across the country. During this upcoming competition season more than 2,000 students representing over 220 schools will participate in the University and High School Model programs.

The National Council’s website, http://www.ncusar.org/modelarableague, includes many resources. The Model Arab League Handbook contains the rules of parliamentary procedure, links are provided to help delegates begin their research, and the secretariat of the National University Model provide topic guides to prompt and guide delegates’ research of the issues. Delegates should also consult their faculty advisor on where to locate periodicals with current information on their countries policies and other major foreign policy objectives.

JOINT DEFENSE COUNCIL

1. Addressing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East.

2. Supporting and strengthening the Iraqi security forces.

COUNCIL ON PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS

1. Building support in the international community for the Palestinian cause.

2. Implementing the Beirut Declaration.

COUNCIL OF ARAB SOCIAL AFFAIRS MINISTERS

1. Coordinating efforts to respond to natural disasters in the Arab World.

COUNCIL OF ARAB ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS MINISTERS

INTERNET:

Visit http://www.ncusar.org/modelarableague/pages/register.html to find an online registration form for any of the Models. Use the form to indicate which Model you wish to attend, how many countries you will represent, and what your preferences are for country assignments. The Model Coordinators will respond to your request shortly!

TELEPHONE:

If you prefer to register by telephone, call 202-293-6466 and ask for Mark. We look forward to speaking with you and assisting with your registration!

COSTS:

The Model Arab League program is funded by donations and nominal participation fees. At regional models, fees amount to $60 per country assigned and $30 per student; at the National University Model, the fees are $70 and $35, respectively.

For almost twenty years the National Council has stood at the forefront of efforts to strengthen the bonds of friendship and mutual understanding between America and the Arab world. Nobody knows that better than me. The Council introduced me to the Arab world as a college student, inspiring me to pursue a graduate degree in Middle East studies and later to devote my professional career to the region. You could say it changed my life.

I was studying at a liberal arts college in the Midwest when one of my professors invited my to participate in a simulated Arab summit meeting with students from nearby universities. At that time I didn’t know the first thing about the Arab world, but I was intrigued by the idea and agreed to take part. In the weeks leading up to the summit, I tried to learn everything I could about the country I was gong to represent. With the Council’s help I was even able to talk over the issues with a diplomat from that country’s embassy in Washington.

By the time I graduated, the experience of four years of Model Arab League had kindled in me a serious interest in the Arab world, though I was uncertain how to pursue it in practice. Again the Council pointed me in the right direction by arranging for me to join the Summer in Syria program, a six-week course in Arabic language, archeology, and history at the University of Aleppo. This, my first direct encounter with an Arab country, convinced me to become directly engaged in the Arab world in a way I would have never expected just a few years earlier. I then enrolled in a yearlong Arabic course at the American University in Cairo. That was followed by a year’s internship organized by the Council at an Arabic language training school in Yemen.

I was offered a place in the master’s degree program in Middle East studies at Oxford University. It was also an important reason why, after finishing my course, I was hired by an international research institute and devoted to the study of relations between oil-producing and oil-consuming countries. Today I’m writing a book about the economic development of Kuwait – a country I first visited as the leader of an official student delegation organized by the Council. The project has all along enjoyed the enthusiastic support of my Kuwaiti friends and colleagues, and the most exhilarating part of my job is the opportunity to cooperate with them on developing an approach to issues that, in one way or another, concern the entire world. Together we are building the same links of mutual trust and cooperation the National Council has always stood for.

Little did I know twelve years ago that the National Council would set me on a path that eventually transformed my entire life. It did, and I believe the US-Arab relationship is stronger as a result. But my experience isn’t unique. Through its programs for students, educators, businesspeople, and policymakers, there are few aspects of the US-Arab relationship in which the Council hasn’t made a lasting impact. As a result of the Council’s work, there are many people just like me who have become involved in the Arab world. We’ve all become advocates of an US-Arab relationship characterized above all by shared values, mutual respect, friendship and cooperation. And I hope through our efforts we’re creating a better future for both peoples, Arabs and Americans alike.