Detailed example 1

Climate change: Role-play UNFCC conference

Students role-play an emergency session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that will illuminate the concepts of crisis diplomacy and international cooperation. The members discuss challenges in achieving effective climate change resolutions made in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Roles are allocated to students, including permanent members, elected members and observers. These include:

• key states and groups: USA, Germany, France, Russia, Great Britain, Japan, South Korea, People’s Republic of China, Brazil, South Africa, India, Argentina, Australia, Pacific Islands
• possible observers – World Wide Fund for Nature, Greenpeace.

Conference participants demonstrate responses to the conflict by writing and delivering a speech in their role.

Participants suggest and present arguments for proposed solutions to climate change ranging from greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets, carbon trading schemes, renewable energy targets and aid to nations to meet these targets.

After the conference presentations, students in their roles discuss the challenges to effective resolution of the crisis.

After the conference, each student writes a newspaper article reporting on their viewpoint of what happened. Later, students compare their articles. 

 

Detailed example 2

Armed conflict – Syria: Role-play a security council emergency session

Demonstrate responses to the conflict by writing and delivering a speech in a role play of an emergency conference session of the Security Council of the United Nations Organisation that will also illuminate the concepts of ‘crisis diplomacy’ and ‘international cooperation’.

Allocate roles, including permanent members, elected members and observers. These include:

• permanent members: USA, Russia, Great Britain, France, People’s Republic of China
• elected members: South Africa, India, Colombia, Germany, Portugal, Rwanda (Africa), Republic of Korea, Argentina, Australia, Luxembourg
• possible observers: Palestinian Authority, Red Cross, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.

Suggest and present arguments for proposed solutions to the armed conflict in Syria; actions might range from armed intervention, air strikes, ground forces, sanctions, or support for NGOs and governments.

Prepare and deliver speeches.

After the conference presentations, discuss the challenges to an effective resolution of the crisis. 

 

Detailed example 3

Terrorism

This group work involves a hexagon activity. This can be generated from HookED SOLO hexagon Generator activity or Mind Map. Include the key terms: crisis diplomacy, international cooperation, globalisation, unilateralism.

In this SOLO activity, the website allows terms, organisations, examples, causes, responses, and proposed solutions to be typed into a hexagon generator, which can then be printed, cut up and used to demonstrate knowledge and understanding in a visual way. Students work in groups, collaborate and collate information and demonstrate connections and causal relationships.

In this activity students define the term ‘terrorism’; set out a history of terrorism, including groups that arose from the Irish Revolt, Che Guevara’s revolutionary movement, and Palestinian Liberation Organisation.

Students identify examples of terrorism over the last ten years. They map incidences of terrorism and highlight their frequency across the world, including in Yemen, Israel, Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, France, UK, US, Australia and Syria. They also look at the causes of terrorism and effects of terrorism.

Students identify and explain responses to terrorism, and the effectiveness of these responses. Responses include legislation, education and public awareness programs, increases in national security precautions, international law enforcement, cooperation, sanctions, covert operations, drone attacks, air strikes, non-negotiation policies and invasion.

 

Detailed example 4

Economic Instability: G20 Conference

Students role-play a G20 Meeting. The members of the G20 are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union.

Students also role-play interested observers and protesters. They present a petition and list of demands as protesters from the anti-globalisation movement.

As participants, students demonstrate responses to the ongoing Greece Sovereign Debt Crisis or Global Financial Crisis in 2007 by writing and delivering a speech in their role at an emergency conference session of the G20. In their speech, students explain the concepts of crisis diplomacy and international cooperation.

Key terms used should include: crisis diplomacy, international cooperation, globalisation, unilateralism.

After the Conference, each student writes a newspaper article reporting on their viewpoint of what happened. Later, students compare their articles.