This 9-hour, 25-party simulation addresses humanitarian needs in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Participants come together as representatives of several cross-sector stakeholders to create policy recommendations addressing competing short-term and long-term issues.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Government of Rwanda joined forces in December 2008 to neutralize two major rebel factions in the DRC’s eastern provinces. The governments’ joint military offensive will combat rebel groups in the villages, where the homes and livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of non-combatant civilians will be in harm’s way. This gambit ultimately may move the region closer to an enduring peace, but it will increase violence in the short-term. Armed conflict in the region inevitably leads to attacks on civilians and humanitarian disaster—therefore the United Nations (UN) has decided to take action. You have been invited to attend a summit headed by a joint UN/African Union (AU) task force to help develop policy recommendations to protect and support the civilian population in the face of the escalating conflict.
Participants will attend an international summit in Nairobi, Kenya with leaders from regional governments, the UN, the AU, international donors, humanitarian relief organizations, human rights groups and other stakeholders to examine the challenges to protecting civilians from escalating crimes against humanity and humanitarian disaster. Participants will contribute to the group’s discussion and produce a report at the end of the three-day conference as a group.
A comprehensive and well-planned set of recommendations will take into account both short and long-term strategies for de-escalating violence and creating a lasting and durable peace in the DRC. The group’s guidance should include general steps that must be taken to implement the policy recommendations. Considerations such as conflict analysis, risks, and barricades to success will have to be incorporated into the discussions. As one of the attendees of the summit, participants must understand the situation in the DRC and surrounding Great Lakes Region of Africa, as well as the goals and roles of the other attendees in order to contribute to the discussion and ensure that policy recommendations reflect objectives and address obstacles.
This simulation is suited for participants interested in a comprehensive understanding of regional stakeholders in the DRC including politicians, international organizations, and local leaders. Participants will be required to identify positions and interests and work with stakeholders with opposing interests to ensure that their needs are met.