The Politics of Fear Archive: Inquiry Briefing Papers

To: The Participating Countries and Organizations
Dt: January 16, 2006
Re: Delegation Briefing Papers

Dear Participants,
As we prepare to gather in April, current headlines and reports make the need for our conference all the more necessary. During the Conference, the delegates will be asked to participate in committee discussions on: security and the balance of power; terrorism; pandemics; state internal security measures; natural disaster prevention and response; modernization; and human trafficking. In preparation for the upcoming conference, each of the delegations is being asked to submit a briefing paper to the conference organizers by March 10, 2006. The briefing paper should provide concise information (bullet format where appropriate) on your country or organization in relation to the issues below.

Briefing Paper Components:
A. Introduction

B. Key Points (the issues/recommendations most important to understanding your delegation – bullet point format)

C. Background of your country or organization
(this should include a brief history of your country or organization (e.g. when did you achieve independence/when were you founded, etc.) and other important details such as: government/governance; population/size; economic indicators, such as GNP, GDP, debt, funding or aid, ethnic composition, religious composition, size and role of your military, etc.)

D. Issues

Committee on Security and balance of power
-- Please address the following issues from the viewpoint of your country or organization: how would you describe the security status or balance of power in the region; who are the major powers; what are the current and potential security threats, for the region and for you; where do you fit into the security status; who has the strongest military; who could potentially upset the balance of power in the region, and would that be positive or negative

Committee on terrorism
-- Please address the following issues from the viewpoint of your country or organization: how does terrorism affect the region; how does terrorism affect you and your domestic or internal policies; what specific counter-terrorism measures have you enacted in the last five years; what do you see as specific potential terrorist threats to the region; how would you describe the balance between security and freedom; how do countries in the region fight terrorism, with their police force or with their military

Committee on pandemics
-- Please address the following issues from the viewpoint of your country or organization: what is avian flu and how does it affect the region; what is the aids pandemic and how does that affect the region; how have aids and avian flu affected you; what are the difference between how the region is approaching the avian flu pandemic to how it approaches the aids pandemic; what is the difference in how you approach it

Committee on state internal security measures
-- Please address the following issues from the viewpoint of your country or organization: do you believe that countries have the right or obligation to intervene in countries that are repressing their people; if so, what form should that intervention take, diplomatic, economic, military, etc; are there any states in asia that you would identify as being repressive; do repressive regimes pose a
security risk to the region, and if so, how; what is your policy on people/refugees who illegally emigrate into your country or into another country seeking political asylum; are there people who live in fear from their governments in your region or in your country; is torture legal in your country; is torture practiced in your country; what role does your military play in your government

Committee on natural disaster prevention and response
-- Please address the following issues from the viewpoint of your country or organization: how frequent are minor natural disasters in your country and in the region; how frequent are major natural disasters in your country and in the region; what forms do these natural disasters take, e.g. flooding, earthquakes, etc; how does your country or organization respond to natural disasters; is international assistance sought; are there man-made natural disasters in the region or your country; what are some of the causes of these; what is global warming; is global warming a concern for you or for
the region

Committee on modernization
-- Please address the following issues from the viewpoint of your country or organization: How would you define globalization; what are its positive impacts; what are its negative impacts; how has it impacted your country and the region; is your population receptive to globalization; has globalization affected your culture; how would you define modernization; what are its positive and negative attributes; how has modernization affected your country and the region; what do you think the best form of government is for your country

Committee on human trafficking
-- Please address the following issues from the viewpoint of your country or organization: what are the different reasons for human trafficking in asia; who are the victims of trafficking; who are the
beneficiaries; do you consider it a regional problem; is it a problem for your country or organization, why or why not; if it is, what form does it take; how does human trafficking affect relations among countries in the region

Five Issues your Country or Organization would like addressed at the conference (bullet format)

References
Please submit the briefing papers electronically to ben.mann@tufts.edu -- we would like to post them by March 10 for all schools to have access to them.