The worldcan’t wait.

YMGEYale Model Government Europe, 2012November 22—25 | Prague | ymge.org

WelcomeDear Faculty Advisors and Delegates,

On behalf of the YMGE Secretariat and staff, it is our great pleasure to invite you to the 2nd session of Yale Model Government Europe. YMGE 2012 will be held at the Corinthia Hotel in Prague, Czech Republic from Thursday, November 22 to Sunday, November 25, 2012. Building on the success of last year’s inaugural Yale Model Government Europe as well as the Yale International Relations Association’s long-standing commitment to global engagement, we could not be more excited to invite you to our MUN conference: one that promises to be more realistic, more engaging, and ultimately, a better learning experience for all involved. Our staff of dedicated Yale students has already begun extensive preparations, and we could not be more excited to embark on this experience together!

YMGE was created in effort to re-imagine the Model UN conference in a way that would be both more educational and more dynamic for our delegates. To that end, we have combined the best of American and European conferences to create a hybrid format that promises to be a better experience. Our conference will comprise two types of sessions. In standard committee debate, delegates will be placed in a parliament, European government, or supranational body to discuss important issues pertaining to the future of Europe and the international community. In crisis sessions, all committees will have to table their individual debates to come together and solve an issue that threatens the integrity of the international system and European integration.

Each committee will have to be responsive to the actions taken elsewhere, and we expect this fast-paced and dynamic form of debate to immerse our delegates in the realities of global diplomacy. Registration materials will be available in early spring. If you have any questions before then, please do not hesitate to contact us. We look forward to seeing you in Prague!

Sincerely,

Katarina Krasulova and Mattie WheelerPresidents, YMGE

Why YMGE?A new and innovative conference, Yale Model Government Europe draws on a large and distinctive background in Model United Nations. Run by members of the Yale International Relations Association—students with a passion and background in Model UN and international affairs—YMGE combines the prestige and history of Yale Model UN with a fresh spark of creativity and faithfulness to real-world politics that traditional Model UN lacks. What distinguishes YMGE from other conferences is its unique dedication to fostering a educational atmosphere in which delegates can really learn about international relations and realistic global and European affairs, as well as its deep commitment to the idea of global citizenship.

YMGE: Top ThreeDYNAMIC COMMITTEES: Run by creative and dedicated Yale students, the innovative committees at YMGE provide an space for delegates to learn about international affairs and master the skills necessary in international diplomacy. The unique structure of committees and crises makes for a one-of-a-kind experience that goes far beyond traditional Model UN. See the next page for more details!

DEDICATED STAFF: YMGE boasts a staff of Yale undergraduates who as secretariat members, dais teams, and staffers are all dedicated to making YMGE the best conference possible. Our staff is also highly experienced; most have years of Model UN experience on both the high school and collegiate level, and many are also members of Yale’s own Model U.N. team, MUNTY, which is the top-ranked college team in the country. All staffers also attend crisis training and staff Yale’s high school conference, soon entering its fortieth year, and college conference, comprised completely of crisis committees.

AN UNFORGETTABLE WEEKEND: Our incredible committee experience is set in downtown Prague, so delegates get to experience a historical city even as they live the cutting edge of global politics. With unique crises, an extraordinary staff, and an incredible host city, we are sure that YMGE will be a conference experience you will never forget!

Committee StructureThe conference will emulate the proceedings of the European Union and its nations’ constituent parliaments and ministries. Amongst the twenty-six committees that will be stimulated at the conference, there will be:

3 parliaments

These parliaments will engage in traditional formal debate on contemporary topics such as immigration, the rising power of China, and the trade-off between security and liberty.

12 specialized committees

These committees will target hotspots in global affairs with a European bent, including immigration, climate change, and cybersecurity.

12 national cabinets

The national cabinets, sampled from various EU countries, will be discussing issues unique to their respective agendas, such as financial regulation, agricultural policy, and the war in Afghanistan.

Our unique conference format comprises two types of sessions. In standard committee debate, delegates are placed in a parliament, European government, or supranational body to discuss important issues pertaining to the future of Europe and the international community. In crisis sessions, all committees have to table their individual debates to come together and solve an issue that threatens the integrity of the international system and European integration. As a result, each committee will have to respond to the decisions made by their counterparts in a fast-paced and wholly immersive debate.

Innovative CrisisAs in the real world, these committees form the framework of an integrated Europe: when something happens in the world that affects one committee, it affects all committees. In order to make the simulation as close to real-life as possible, we take the idea of a crisis to the next level: the crisis at YMGE will be an unexpected reshuffling of established stable political contexts. It will test the flexibility and creativity of delegates and require them to adapt quickly to a realist, changing world, as well as interact and cooperate with their colleagues in many different committees. Every committee will be kept abreast of developments in each of the others; if a new policy passed by the Belgian cabinet has repercussions in Denmark, it will be up to the Danish ministers to react. In connecting the proceedings of committees, when the crisis begins, rather than falling primarily under the portfolio of one or a few cabinet ministers, the cabinets will be reshuffled to form European Councils of Ministers (CoMs), uniting all the ministers of a given portfolio into a joint task force with a mandate to tackle their aspect of the crisis. The aim of this crisis is to simulate the proceedings undertaken by European ministers in times of difficulty, and to expose student participants to a new dimension of global cooperation and politics.

Crisis Theme: “Grand Strategy”YMGE 2012’s crises, centered around the theme of “Grand Strategy”, will test your abilities as a delegate to express and defend coherently your national interests across several situations at once. Europe is at a crossroads; politicians, diplomats, and ministers must coordinate their actions to advance their countries’ interests in the reorganization of Europe.

Every minister, from Defense to Environment to Home Affairs, will have a role to play in advancing the their country’s national interests, remaining in close contact with his or her whole cabinet and national parliament while keeping up with updates from other committees provided through interactive medias during debate. During the crisis, delegates will alternate between national cabinets and reshuffled CoMs to further ensure policy coherence.

The parliaments and specialized committees, while not reshuffling, will be kept updated on the crisis as it develops and on the actions of the national cabinets and European CoMs. Depending on the committee, its focus will shift toward a crisis-related topic. The parliaments are key platforms for articulating policy, mustering support, or registering opposition to actions taken by any crisis player; and the ministers must be alert that disobedience may carry a summons or subpoena to explain themselves before their parliaments.

Each conflict will ignite a chain reaction of other crises in real time, calling on delegates to exercise their knowledge as true diplomats and statesmen to find effective solutions. Delegates will be challenged by the fast-paced debate necessitated by today’s globalized society: in times of crisis, the world can’t wait.

ScheduleWednesday, November 24, 201219:00 - 23:00 Early Registration

Thursday, November 22, 201212:00 - 15:00 Registration15:00 - 17:00 Opening Ceremonies17:00 - 18:30 Optional Dinner18:30 - 21:00 Committee Meeting 121:00 - 22:30 Committee Meeting 2

Friday, November 23, 201213:00 - 15:30 Crisis Meeting 116:00 - 18:30 Crisis Meeting 220:30 - 22:00 Crisis Meeting 3

Saturday, November 24, 201209:00 - 11:00 Crisis Meeting 413:00 - 14:30 Crisis Meeting 515:00 - 17:00 Committee Meeting 3

Sunday, November 25, 201211:00 - 13:00 Committee Meeting 414:00 - 16:00 Closing Ceremonies

LocationThe conference will take place at the Corinthia Hotel Prague, situated just two metro stops from the historic city center and within a three-minute walk of its oldest castle. A luxurious five-star hotel, the Corinthia is a landmark in itself, standing atop one of Prague’s seven hills and offering outstanding views of the capital city. The hotel is within walking distance of restaurants and shops, three metro stops away from the main train station, and, in cooperation with YMGE, offers direct bus service to Prague’s Ruzyne International Airport.

Registration DeadlineEarly registration closes on August 25, 2012. Registration will continue after this date until all positions are filled.

To register, please contact the YMGE team at recruitment@ymge.org.

FeesEarly registration:Deadline: August 25, 2012

Delegate: 140 EUR per studentAdvisor: 60 EUR per advisorDelegation: 100 EUR per school

Regular registration:First come first serve

Delegate: 190 EUR per studentAdvisor: 90 EUR per advisorDelegation: 150 EUR per school

Contact UsFor more information, please visit us at ymge.org or write to recruitment@ymge.org. We look forward to seeing you in Prague soon!

Yale Model Government EuropeNovember 22—25, 2012 | Prague | ymge.org