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REPORT FROM M.S. TEACHER MEETING YESTERDAY!

Middle School Model UN got off to a wonderful start this week with the new teacher workshop on Monday. The turnout was fantastic-Lewis Rolen from McKinley CJA, Darlene Kellum from Hoech, Dodie Logue from Holman, Michael Burroughs from Maplewood-Richmond Heights, Christine Marshall from Burroughs, Jeff Leonard and Don Eckert from Hixson, Lisa Hall from St. Mary Magdalen, Alice Chase from St. Margaret of Scotland, Amy Long from St. Roch, and Hannah Roth all took the time to come after a busy day at school. Special thanks to Linda Hohenberger from St. Gabriel's who came despite being a "veteran" of the program. Her contributions were much appreciated! We discussed the purpose and goals of the program and went over a timeline of how the year goes. Next up: our teacher workshop for ALL teachers in the program on Monday, October 9, from 4:00-5:00. A reminder that the location for that meeting is at the Heights (map available next week), not Creve Coeur Government Center as it has been in the past.

H.S. COUNTRY DRAFT THIS SATURDAY, SEPT. 30

Our annual high school country draft is less than a week away.  It will be on Saturday, September 30, at Crossroads School (map) from 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM.  In addition to the draft, we will have a basic introduction to being an effective model U.N. delegate.

The country draft is the event in which representatives from each participating high school select the countries that their students will be representing in the model U.N. this year.  The first model U.N. this year will be on Saturday, November 18 at the Radisson Hotel - Downtown from 9:00 AM - 2:30 PM.

We will have three committees of the General Assembly: (a) Political & Security; (b) Economic & Social; and (c) Human Rights.  Each country needs a representative in each of these committees.  Therefore, when a school selects a country in the draft, it should keep in mind that at least three students will be needed to ensure that the country is represented in each committee.

There are fifteen countries in the Security Council.  Each school will have an opportunity to represent at least one Security Council country.  In that case, the school will need a fourth delegate for that country (three for the General Assembly committees and one for the Security Council).  The Security Council is much smaller than the other committees, so students who represent countries in the Security Council should feel comfortable speaking frequently in a small group.

You can get a complete explanation of how the country draft works by clicking on the link below.  We also have direct links to the September 2006 General Assembly roster of the United Nations as well as the fifteen Security Council members.

• You can learn how the country draft works by clicking here.
• Link to roster of General Assembly countries (192).
• Link to 2006 Security Council countries (15).

Civitas Begins Collaboration with College Students

After six months of preliminary discussions among staff, representatives of Civitas met with students from local universities and colleges to discuss options for collaborative work this school year and beyond.  Representing Civitas students was Allison Reed, a junior at Rosati-Kain High School.

The meeting was arranged by Danielle Silber, International Events Coordinator for Washington University.  College students present were from Washington U. and St. Louis U.

Ideas considered included joint discussion groups, networking of information about international events in the St. Louis area, simulations including students from colleges and high schools, and college students working as resources for middle school students as they prepare for their model U.N. sessions.

The college students present represented a diverse group of campus organizations including One World, the Roosevelt Institution, Amnesty International, Recent Immigrant Tutoring Program, SIR International Studies Honorary, the Global Justice Project, the International Connections Residential BLOC, International Leadership Program, and the Social Justice Organization.

There was a good deal of support for the group to work as a "student think-tank" in St. Louis -- generating ideas and proposals to address important international issues.

While we will have more information about this project in coming newsletters, we encourage any Civitas students who are interested in writing essays on international issues to begin doing so.  We are working to provide expanded opportunities for students to have their thoughts published on-line and/or in print.

NEW TOPICS FOR CIVITAS BLOG

Last Wednesday (Sept. 20), Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez came before the United Nations General Assembly and referred to U.S. President George W. Bush as "the devil." The next day, Chavez traveled up to the Harlem section of upper Manhattan. He had some other disparaging remarks to make about the president.

In response, New York Congressman Charles Rangel (Dem.), a frequent critic of President Bush, said, "You don't come into my country and you don't come into my congressional district and you don't condemn my president."

Do you think that it was "fair game" for President Chavez to say what he said at the U.N. about President Bush? Do you think that Congressman Rangel has the right to tell foreign visitors what they can and what they cannot say in his congressional district?

		Rangel of Harlem
Chavez of Venezuela

LINK TO BLOG:

Reminder to High School Seniors and Juniors
about upcoming conference in Washington, DC.

Deadline: October 15, 2006 .

Click here for more details

10^th Annual St. Louis Coalition for HUMAN RIGHTS
Essay Contest

Open to all Middle & High School Students in the Metro St. Louis Area

HS: 1^st Prize $200 � 2^nd Prize $100 �3^rd Prize $50

MS: 1^st Prize $100 � 2^nd Prize $50 � 3^rd Prize $25

Honorable Mentions

"In a democracy, what is the relationship between human rights and religious freedom?"

Essay must be no more than 500 words (preferably typed) on the above theme.

Discussion questions for thought are: How is religious freedom protected in a democracy? What are the areas of conflict and how do you see them being resolved? When is religious freedom in violation of other human rights? Is separation of church and state the best way to address freedom of religion? What do you personally do to respect and protect the religious freedom of others? Can a democracy work without freedom of religion? What specific practices or laws need to be changed or strengthened to protect religious freedom?

Deadline for essays is October 31, 2006!

Mail essay entries to P. O. Box 5277, St. Louis, MO 63115 or email to >[email protected]. Include a cover page that gives full name, address, grade and school of student. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Winning essays will be read by their authors on December 10 2006 at the Celebration for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 4:00 p.m. at Forest Park Community College

For more information, call the St. Louis Coalition for Human Rights at (314) 652-7663

Reinventing U.N.Conference Home Page