Crisis

Dear LabMUN Crisis Delegates, 

Welcome to LabMUNC VI! 

We’re very excited to have you at this conference and we hope that your individual crisis experiences will be ones that both serve to better your Model UN skillset and hopefully convince you to keep participating in future crisis committees. As the crisis staff, our goal is to make your committee an engaging and hands-on experience.

QUICK INTRODUCTION TO CRISIS COMMITTEES

If you are new to crisis committees, we're glad to have you. Here's a brief overview of the crisis committee experiences you will encounter at LabMUNC. Crises are event-based updates that introduce dynamic elements into committee sessions. They often involve time-sensitive developments such as global hostilities, breakdowns in diplomatic relationships, political assassinations, or refugee situations. These crises require delegates to respond quickly and creatively.

At LabMUNC, our crisis staff will implement these crises to challenge and surprise delegates, prompting innovative problem-solving. Some crises may specifically target the actions of individual delegates or the person or country they represent. Additionally, crisis elements like elections and trials may lead to scenarios where normal debate is replaced by processes tailored to these events. Crises can alter the course of a committee, often resulting in new debates or controversies to address in resolutions. For a more extensive introduction to crisis, please see the introduction to crisis included at the beginning of all crisis committee background packets.

CRISIS NOTES

In crisis committees, delegates represent members of cabinets, organizations, governments, and more, with each delegate holding specific duties and powers, referred to as "portfolio powers." For example, a delegate representing a foreign minister can communicate directly with other foreign ministers.

Delegates exercise their portfolio powers by submitting crisis notes to their committee’s crisis staff. These notes are written on a legal pad known as a crisis pad. Crisis notes serve as a means of communication with the crisis staff, helping shape the future direction and content of committee crises. Please note that you should NOT address your notes to other members of committee.

Delegates can submit detailed descriptions of the actions they wish to undertake, which may relate to an ongoing crisis or align with a strategic plan. The LabMUN crisis staff reviews these directives and informs delegates whether their proposed actions have been implemented. More information on crisis notes can also be found in the introduction to crisis in background packets.

CRAFTING EFFECTIVE NOTES

Crisis notes should be:

• Detailed: Clearly outline the proposed actions and their intended impact.

• Well-thought-out: Demonstrate strategic thinking and consideration of potential outcomes.

• Feasible: Ensure that the actions are realistic within the context of the committee.

• Creative: Employ innovative approaches to influence or drive the committee's direction.

SAMPLE CRISIS NOTE

Dear Joey Greensmith, Head Avian Scientist at USC:

How are you? It feels like just yesterday we were zookeeping together at the Los Angeles Zoo. And now you’re a fancy scientist and I’m the Lieutenant Governor of California! Time really flies. Anyway, I have a favor to ask.

Could you start a new research study at USC focused on parrot behavior? In it, you should train parrots to recognize pictures of California governor Gavin Newsom. You should do this by showing parrots two pictures at a time, one of an average person and one of the aforementioned governor, rewarding the parrots with food when they peck at the correct one. As the study goes on, give the parrots more pictures to make the challenge more difficult. You should also train the birds to pick up heavy objects of roughly equal weight and size to a human man. Your sample size should be around 50 parrots, as many as you can get. The study’s official title should be “Parrot Power: Testing the facial recognition ability of birds”.  Given that you are one of the highest-ranking researchers in the zoology department, securing funding for this project should be easy for you! If anyone questions why you are conducting this study, tell them that you are going to use these results to help parrots in captivity. 

Eventually, we will use these birds to carry Gavin Newsom away to a far-off island so that I can become the new governor! Although this may be scary, Gavin Newsom has gotten away with his anti-environment schemes for far too long. I know how much you care about preserving California’s wildlife. If you help me with this, I will pass laws to protect birds and other animals all across our beautiful state.

Please burn this note.

Yours truly,

Eleni Kounalakis, Lt. Governor of California

CRISIS CODE OF CONDUCT

Crisis is a volatile and fluid Model UN experience. One moment, Gru could be unleashing a mind-controlled minion army in a Despicable Me committee. The next, the pirate Blackbeard could unleash a mechanized prototype of his Godzilla plush pillow amongst the seas of the past. Precisely because of these fluctuating circumstances, a code of conduct for LabMUNC is as follows and is required to be followed by all delegates participating in this conference.

• Discriminatory Content: Any arcs containing sexist, racist, homophobic, Islamophobic, antisemitic, or other discriminatory themes violate are strictly forbidden. This includes not only outright mentions, but also any content that implicitly or indirectly invokes harmful stereotypes or insensitively portrays these issues.

• Modern Slavery: Modern slavery—including human trafficking, forced labor, and any form of exploitation resembling slavery—is not permitted as a topic. Often less visible than historical forms, modern slavery involves the severe exploitation of other people for personal or commercial gain.

• Sexual Content: Any form of sexual content is strictly prohibited in our conference. This includes explicit references, discussions, or portrayals of sexual acts, innuendos, or any other sexually suggestive material.

• Ethnic Cleansing: Ethnic cleansing involves the systematic and forced removal of ethnic or religious groups from a given territory by a more powerful ethnic group, often involving violence and violation of human rights. Ethnic cleansing is associated with grave human rights abuses and atrocities, and therefore, is not permitted.

Failure to comply with these guidelines will result in the rejection of personal directives and may impact award selections.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Finally, if this is your first time participating in Model UN or crisis, or if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to your chairs or crisis staff. We understand the challenges of navigating parliamentary procedure, speaking publicly, or drafting crisis notes without much experience. We are here to provide resources and advice, either during the conference or via email beforehand. 

Best regards,

LabMUNC VI Crisis Secretariat

asawhney@ucls.uchicago.edu

awu@ucls.uchicago.edu

agreenstone@ucls.uchicago.edu 

belbawab@ucls.uchicago.edu