Dear Students,

The National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to the Model Arab League program, a simulation of the League of Arab States. Last year, over 2,000 university and high school students participated in our Models across the country. This year we are striving to increase those numbers. The goal is to educate as many individuals as possible about the most prominent issues faced by the 22 Arab countries, which are increasingly important on a global scale.

This educational program offers high school and university students an opportunity to learn about the social, political, economic and defense challenges of the 22 Arab countries. Students learn and develop valuable skills in research, writing and public speaking that are carried over into their studies and future careers. In addition, this program is an extraordinary window into a region of the world that is renowned for its rich culture, history, and traditions.

National Council President Dr. John Duke Anthony joins me in hoping you and your classmates will choose to participate in the 2007 Model Arab League Season.

Sincerely,

Mark Morozink

Program Coordinator for the Model Arab League

The National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

The Model Arab League simulates meetings of the actual League of Arab States. Participating university and high school delegations of at least 5 students represent a League member state in both general and specialized councils. Students draft resolutions addressing the important global and regional issues outlined in the Agenda. Resolutions are written and debated in Council sessions. If passed, they are brought to the floor in the Summit Session for a concluding debate and final vote.

Model Arab League has been the leading program in the United States 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.

In addition, 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! Read on the next page how to start a Model Arab League team at your school, or contact the Model Arab League Coordinator (mark@ncusar.org or (202) 293-6466) for information.

There are currently 11 university and 5 high school Model Arab League programs across the country. This year more than 2,000 students representing over 200 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 provides topic guides to edify and prompt delegates’ research of the issues. Delegates should also consult their advisor on where to locate periodicals with current information on their countries policies and other major foreign policy objectives.

Model Arab League is a team activity. At most Model Arab League conferences a minimum of 5 students are needed to represent a country. Get together a group of students who are interested in learning about the history, culture, religion, economics and politics of the Middle East. Many students will ask why they should even consider it – but those are precisely the people who have the most to gain from joining your team. At a time when the United States is heavily invested in and dependent on the Arab World, most of us could benefit enormously from a deeper knowledge of the region.

It is best to have an advisor for your team, which can be a knowledgeable student or a faculty member. The team’s advisor should take the lead in signing the team up to participate in a Model Arab League conference, and preparing the students for the experience.

There are 11 different Model Arab League simulations at the university level, held at institutions across the United States. You can learn specific details, such as dates and locations, on the Model Arab League website, found online at: www.ncusar.org/modelarableague/. You can also see page 4 of this brochure for a list of conference locations.

Registering for a Model Arab League simulation is done on the Model Arab League website, and a Program Coordinator from the National Council will contact you shortly after your registration has been submitted. While registering for a Model Arab League conference, teams submit rankings indicating which of the 22 Arab League member nations the team wishes to represent. When the National Council’s Program Coordinator contacts you after you’ve registered, they’ll inform you which country (or countries) you’ll be representing at the conference.

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

You may need to make arrangements to travel to the conference location. Typically discounted hotel rooms are made available for any schools not within close proximity to a Model Arab League conference site. You can learn about any special travel deals on the Model Arab League website.

Before you attend a Model Arab League simulation, your team will want to research your assigned country’s views on the topics to be discussed. Each conference will debate issues found in the Model Arab League Agenda, which can be found on the Model Arab League website. The Model Arab League website also contains links that can be helping in starting your research.

Model Arab League simulations begin with a Plenary Session, where delegates adopt a Provisional Agenda for the League's five Committees. In Committee Sessions, delegates draft, debate, and vote on resolutions reflecting their countries' positions on issues of regional and global concern. Those resolutions that pass through the Committee process are sent to the Summit Session, the climactic meeting of all the delegates where resolutions either pass or fail their final test. Finally, awards are distributed to outstanding performers, both individuals and delegations.