Objective
In this larger, multi-day exercise, you can see how the increase in time and space allows for a more immersive experience. Students focus here on developing substantive knowledge on the complexities of the Middle East, as well as their negotiating skills.
How to Play
This simulation has substantial requirements. Firstly, it requires three students per group (i.e. 45 in total), as well as at least two rooms (one big enough to hold everyone). Secondly, depending on the assessment, it requires not only the game-leader, but also some assessors and even someone to be on the spot for technical support. In the form below, this simulation would be roughly equivalent to a 7.5 ECTS credit module on an undergraduate programme: the assessment model provided would match this. An indicative timetable across a semester would be as follows:
The outline instructions to students are as follows:
“This is an application of the CSCE model to the Middle East. The Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) was set up in 1973 and formed the basis for wide-ranging interactions between the two sides of the Cold War. The simulation assumes that the UN has been able to convince the governments of various Middle Eastern states to attend a similar conference, under UN chairmanship.
Students will represent either the UN or a state (Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Palestinian Authority, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Turkey). Roles will be allocated during the introductory session and students will have some choice.
Each group will have 3 members: this corresponds to the 3 ‘baskets’ of negotiations that will take place (security; economic-environmental; humanitarian). Students should decide within their group who is responsible for leading on each basket (and hence negotiating with other delegations on it) and who is overall lead negotiator (to deal with general matters).
The UN group will chair all sessions. A rapporteur should be chosen by consensus for each basket and the general text from the country delegations: these rapporteurs will be responsible for writing and editing texts of agreements.
The aim of the exercise is to simulate as closely as possible the real-world positions of each actor. This will be achieved by students preparing an essay on their group, as well as a negotiating brief (both to be returned with feedback before the main session).”
Students are then left to organise rules of procedure, timings and structure of discussion in the main sessions.
Typical assessment is broken down as follows:
· Essay (3000 words: 40% of final grade). This will be an analysis of your actor’s real-world position on improving relations between the countries of the Middle East, based on academic and official sources. It should be written from an independent viewpoint. Consider the priorities for cooperation, means for achieving this and barriers to it happening.
· Portfolio (c.5000 words in total: 60% of final grade). This is a description and evaluation of your participation in the simulation. It has three elements:
Feedback Points
Feedback here would focus on the learning objectives, as well as the connection between the academic research for the initial essay and the outcomes of the simulation. In this form, the simulation focuses more on negotiating practice, so this could be bolstered further. The feedback form in Appendix 2 would also be of use.
Variations
This simulation cannot easily be shrunk down with all its elements, but the main sessions could be split up into two hour blocks, of ease of timetabling. Likewise, assessment could be re-focused more on substantive knowledge aspects, especially if connected to a taught module on the same subject. Changes in the negotiating framework could reduce the number of students required.
The topic itself is incidental: this author has used this framework to run simulations on US foreign policy, a written constitution for the UK and post-Copenhagen climate change negotiations. In short, any subject with multiple parties and no simple solutions lends itself to this approach.