Same old power game
Students simulate the decision-makers in Egypt and Europe but fail to propose anything new, reports Lina Mahmoud
Last week, the Faculty of Economics and Political Science at Cairo University organised its third International Model European Union (IMEU). It took place in the Cairo University conference building from 24 to 28 February with the participation of 350 students from different universities. All the organisers and most of the delegates, excepting some high-school students and some Europeans, were Egyptian university students.
The objective of the model is to "provide the students with an overview of how the decision-making process takes place around the globe and especially in Europe", said Kamal El-Monoufy, dean of the Faculty of Economics and Political Science. He added that the model helps students "develop their research skills and enhance their negotiation and persuasion skills. It also encourages teamwork."
For some of the students the model conference provided a platform to discuss possible solutions to international problems. Yasmine Farouk, an IMEU participant, told Al-Ahram Weekly "it is important for us to study the EU in order to reform the Arab League. It is also important to study its foreign policy and understand its vision of the Middle East. The EU is the only power that can face the US in the future." It bears mention that some other students simply sat there, dressed smartly but not knowing what was being discussed.
The main theme of the IMEU was the possible enlargement of the EU to include 10 more countries. Students imagined that the enlargement took place in February rather than May and simulated the EU's 25 countries through five councils.
The first forum to be held was a crisis council with no set agenda. Its delegates set the task of dealing with different European states' problems on the spot. In the convention on the future of Europe, military options for a joint defence policy were discussed. The idea of a "united states of Europe" was also invoked. The Euro- Arab youth forum was the only council in which students were allowed to express their personal views, since they were representing themselves. They discussed issues related to democracy and in one of the sessions debated whether the US provides a model for democracy. It was concluded that France and India provide a better example.
Soha Bayoumi, president of the IMEU and simulation representative of the High Rapporteur for the EU, told the Weekly that the special committee on the Middle East affairs attracted many students interested in the Arab-Israeli question. "This council is very successful -- students adopted moderate views and came out with balanced views concerning the roadmap, the settlements issue and other questions," she said.
The Euro-Med civil forum consisted of a dialogue between government and civil society, discussing corruption and human rights. Syria, Algeria and Libya were among the governments that rejected freedom of expression and whose rights violations were rife. Egypt was cited as a country where freedom of the Internet is not guaranteed.
At the American University in Cairo (AUC) another conference was taking place over the same five days -- but this time students were simulating aggressive businessmen. The conference was entitled the fourth International Conference on Global Economy (ICGE). Students tried to understand and simulate different aspects of the Egyptian economy through seven councils.
At the opening of the ICGE Adel Bishay, professor of international economics and member of the Shura Council, said the conference "helps students understand the term 'globalisation', which carries many negative connotations". He added: "capital is moving at a great and frightening speed. In Egypt competitive advantage is something yet to be created." Shady Amir, the organising committee's head of the ICGE, described the conference as "a game of risk and decision making".
Unlike their IMEU counterparts, the ICGE students were consistently busy. They worked hard to learn how to sell and to make money, providing the onlooker a fair indication of just how rapid the process of globalisation really is. On the ICGE Web site the business crises simulation council is described as follows: "When talking about millions, do ethics matter? When a country is bombed by another, are you willing to bomb your competitor? Crises to managers are nightmares, but to us they are a means to becoming rich." Similarly, the council on advertising creation is described as being "where you will learn to play with words and colours to conquer people's minds".
The junior council, whose participants were all high- school students, was not any less focussed on profit making. They imagined that the Egyptian pound had not yet been floated and discussed the issue. They agreed that they should let it float and grant the government the power to intervene if necessary. In other words, nothing new was proposed.
