The Model Arab League is a chance to learn diplomacy, check off credits, and study abroad.
Model Arab League is a student based simulation of the Arab League, which is a government structure similar to the United Nations. Model Arab League is both a class and a club for high school and collegiate students.
“What students walk away with, beyond networking, is an opportunity where you get to meet with the top people in the industry. Whether it is economics, finance or peace, you meet first hand those people,” said Taelor Neilson, Model Arab’s outreach coordinator.
Nielsen was recently a student herself and participated in the Model Arab club. Nielsen joined as a freshman because she was studying Arabic and then continued Model Arab throughout her education.
“My first year I signed up, and it was just the most incredible experience. You build those great relationships with people,” Nielson said.
Students participating in Model Arab League are entered into a mock/simulated version of the Arab League, a government structure in the Middle East and Northern Africa. Students are then tasked with debating a world issue from the perspective of a country in that region.
Both the club and class participate in these conference style debates.
The students are prepared for their topics by learning about the issue at hand and the stances taken on those issues from different countries. Then, they are assigned to a country and tasked with arguing their solution and perspective.
The preparation and conferences take place during the spring semesters and students can take it as a class twice, which comes out to 20 credits in total.
Alternatively, students can participate in it as a club without the financial and time commitments that are associated with a class.
“If you dream, this big dream. You know, we can make it happen and this is an awesome portal to show you how to do it,” Nielson said.
It is a time commitment however. Model Arab League meets three times a week at the beginning of the semester. There are regional conferences held throughout the semester, which are now located at the University of Wyoming, and a national conference at the end of March, in Washington DC.
“You don’t have papers throughout the semester that you’re turning in; you don’t have to meet for class the entire semester, but for those first three weeks, it’s intensive,” Neilson said, “And so it’s a bit of a trade off. You go really hard at first, and then you have nothing for the remaining seven weeks of the semester.”
The club, specifically, has no requirements. Students can and are encouraged to join from any and all majors. According to Nielson, there is something for everyone in the club and program as a whole related to both education and life.
“Having to learn the skills to still work together and negotiate, you can take into your personal life, you know, you become better at talking to people that you have conflicts with in your personal relationship or at work because you just learned how to do these skills at such a high level,” Nielson said.
