From left: Mandy Paust, Natalie VanDorin, Kris Rose, Stella Tippin, Christine Darby and Hannah Buckles.

Students represent Kuwait, Libya at Model Arab League

By: Stella Tippin

Posted: 2/28/08

Last weekend, 11 Spring Arbor University students attended the 25th annual Michigan University Model Arab League at Grand Valley State University.

"The Model Arab League process prepares students to be critical participants in the modern world in which the Middle East plays such a significant part," said Dr. David Rawson, professor of political economy and the SAU delegation's faculty advisor. "It is good training for anyone who will be working in an organization and trying to defend a position."

During the model students role played delegates from the 22 nations in the League of Arab States and debated resolutions on five councils, which addressed topics such as the Arab world's social, political and environmental affairs. Seven universities besides SAU participated in this year's Model Arab League.

This year SAU students represented Kuwait and Libya. Junior political economy major Kris Rose served as part of the Kuwaiti delegation in the Joint Defense Council.

"I am very interested in the types of hot button international issues that the [Joint Defense] Council addresses," he said. "The atmosphere was sometimes heated but for the most part the group worked very well together."

While participants needed to research their countries' stances on a variety of topics, they also had to master parliamentary procedure and learn how to run a formal meeting.

Senior math and business major John Tippin was the Environmental Affairs delegate for Libya. He said this was his first time in a formal meeting setting.

"It was different from the way I was used to talking," he said. "Since everyone was vying for the floor, [parliamentary procedure] was very necessary to make things go forward."

The Model Arab League is a political simulation and role-playing is an important part of it. Rose said staying in character was the most difficult part of the model for him.

"There are so many different sects of culture in the Arab world," he said. "Being a Kuwaiti is much different from being a Syrian."

Rose's partner on the Joint Defense Council, senior history and political economy major Natalie VanDorin, agreed.

"One of the biggest challenges that we faced as Kuwait was trying to compromise but still having to remember our close ties with the U.S.," she said. "It was difficult to find the balance that Kuwait would actually allow."

The National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations administers the Michigan University Model Arab League along with nine other university models and four high school models nationwide.