Finding policy solutions goal of 19th annual event
Students experienced the difficulties involved with creating and passing international parliamentary-style resolutions at the Model Arab League Feb. 18.
The Political Science Association gathered students from the University of Northern Colorado, University of Utah, Air Force Academy and Metro for the 19th annual event. Groups of students from each school represented an individual Arab country and acted how they believed that country would act. They studied real-world problems to create resolutions that could solve current political and social problems and be implemented in the League of Arab Nations.
Robert Hazan, Metro’s chair of Political Science is the faculty coordinator for the MAL.
Yadira Solis, front, and Mario Ortiz, laughs at one of many jokes made by Prof. Amin Kazak, during his speech, Feb. 19, at the Arab Model Meeting, hosted at St. Cajetan's Center. Participants of the Arab Model meeting and debates were both students and faculty from both UCD and Metro State. Photo by Tiffany Kassab
“This is extracurricular, so in a non-traditional fashion can be engaged without the pressure of teachers,” Amin Kazak said. “It’s self-empowerment … students can know more about the issues mentioned in mass media.”
Kazak is a professor of Middle Eastern politics and religious studies at UCD and was involved with MAL for several years. He explained the League and other school activities allowed students to understand the world around them.
Kazak said the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the center of the controversy in the Middle East. He said he believes the current League of Arab Nations is a good idea, but people are not fully committed.
The MAL primarily focused on the Middle Eastern and northern African region, but Kazak mentioned skills that will help students understand cultures everywhere.
“It shows students how to compete in regions of instability and poor economic progress, not just Arab [countries], but Africa, Asia and Latin America,” Kazak said.
The 15 students who competed for Metro represented, Libya, Palestine and Egypt. They participated in several councils, including Palestinian affairs, Arab social affairs, political affairs, Arab environmental affairs and the Joint Defense Council.
“[The goal] is to get students to take part in extracurricular activities, to network, build self-confidence and be involved in real-world activities,” said PSA President Corrine Bidwell. “I think it’s a great experience, it really builds character.”
Students learned skills that will help them understand history as well as political and social sciences. They also experienced how difficult it is to develop resolutions and the political process that is involved.
“We have to understand parliamentary procedure and understand that is most important,” said Metro student Matt Walker, who acted as a representative from Egypt.
The students involved gained real-life experience and received a greater perspective from Kazak.
“There is a lot of energy, they feed off each other,” Bidwell said. “It can get heated at times.”
Kazak was born in Palestine, but was forced to a refugee camp in Lebanon with his mother at the age of 3. He immigrated to America in 1983 and has worked with the United Nations, specializing in international relations.
The Arab League was created on May 22, 1945, and six countries committed to the organization. The goal was to unite the Arab world, and that is still true today for the 22 countries that are part of the League.
“Each country needs to take the initiative, needs to become more effective,” Kazak said. “Nations involved are not committed and they need to be in order to achieve the region’s goals … unification, that is actually the ultimate goal.”
He referred to the League of Nations, proposed by former U.S. President Woodrow Wilson following World War I. He said the League failed because the nations involved were not committed and it took another World War for the Western world to create the U.N.
“The effectiveness [of the Arab League] has been paralyzed because disputes between Arab countries and the Palestine issue,” Kazak said. “There is no sense of community, civility, getting together neighborhood-to-neighborhood.”
The political science Association encourages students to become involved. To start a group you can talk to an advisor in the Political Science department.
This is the third consecutive time Metro has hosted the event for the Rocky Mountain region, and the fifth time overall.
Next year’s event will be held at the University of Utah.
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