Boston University International Affairs Association

Join us this Wednesday at 7:30 pm in SMG 304 to discuss the upcoming European Union Presidential election.

With the Lisbon Treaty passed by all 27 member states, the way has been cleared for a new type of Presidency in the European Council.  Currently a regularly rotated position, the Presidency under the Lisbon Treaty is to become a fixed position, allowing the President to chair EU summits, drive the work of the Council of Ministers and  represent the EU on the world stage.  Several candidates have emerged, the most intriguing being:

Herman Van Rompuy (Belgium): The Belgian Prime Minister is an academic-turned-politician, an economist who has proven effective with economic policy and compromise within his linguistically divided country.  His success in quelling tensions within his own country would serve him well if charged with keeping the EU truly unified.

Tony Blair (United Kingdom): The former Prime Minister is at once very popular and very unpopular, both in the UK and throughout Europe.  His reputation as being subservient to the United States hurts his case and while a long shot, Blair’s high profile might keep him in the running.

Jan-Peter Balkenende (Netherlands): The Dutch PM’s persistence has reminded the world that the Netherlands is an important economic force.  He is center-right, like many European leaders, and this may help his candidacy.

Vaira Vike-Freiberga (Latvia):  The “Iron Lady of Latvia” is the only female candidate in our discussion.  She offers Eastern European nationalism and a Western European upbringing and education.  The combination of tenacity, intellect and pan-European background may be enough to earn her the presidency.

Who do you support?  Which of the president’s new functions is the most important and how does this affect your vote?  How might their nationalities or political agendas impact their policies? Come meet us this Wednesday, November 11th at 7:30 pm in SMG 304!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7371840.stm

Join us this Wednesday at 7:30 pm in SMG 304 to discuss the status of the deposed Honduran president, Manuel Zelaya.

José Manuel Zelaya was elected president of Honduras in 2005. He was seized by the army in June 2009, in the first military coup in Central America since the end of the cold war. Zelaya was ousted by the Honduran Supreme Court on the grounds that he had abused his power in attempting to re-write the Constitution. In September, Zelaya was smuggled back into the country and took refuge in the Brazilian embassy.

What is your opinion? Did Zelaya abuse his power? Should he have been exiled? Should international organizations intervene? Come meet us this Wednesday, November 4th at 7:30pm in SMG 304!

http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/people/z/jose_manuel_zelaya/index.html

BarMUN III Secretariat Applications close tonight!

BarMUN III secretariat applications are due today, November 3, at midnight! Everyone is encouraged to apply for this exciting opportunity. If you have any questions, or need an application, don’t hesitate to email Jess at sg@barmun.org.

This week, in true Bostonian spirit, we will let freedom and democracy ring throughout the BUIAA.  Secretariat applications will open, E-Board Secretary elections will occur, and we will ratify our updated constitution!

Congratulations on being elected BarMUN III Secretary-General, Jess!  Applications to be on the BarMUN III Secretariat will open tomorrow via the weekly email.

First up is elections for the position of Secretary on the Executive Board of BUIAA. This post was held by Jess, but which she relinquished when she was elected SG. If you would still like to nominate someone, you have until tomorrow (Tuesday) at 3pm to email their name to iaa@bu.edu. Candidate names will be released in the weekly e-mail tomorrow evening.

Secondly, we will also ratify our constitution. There have been lots of changes in the club made in the last year, and we need to keep our constitution up-to-date. We need 2/3 of our club body to vote, so be sure to come to SMG 304 at 7:30!

For all of you fretting over the lack of our fabulous simulations in your life, we will be returning to normal general meetings next week!

Dear Members!

The IAA is co-hosting the screening of Persepolis with the American Islamic Congress as part of AIC’s Muslim Film Festival. The screening marks the opening of the Film Festival in Boston this year. Join us on Thursday October 22nd,  at the Photonics Building Rm 206 at 7pm! Free and open to all students!

Persepolis: The Boston Muslim Film Festival returns with an opening screening of the Oscar-nominated animated film “Persepolis.” Based on the graphic novels by Iranian author Marjane Satrapi, the film tells of the trials faced by an outspoken Iranian girl who finds her unique outlook on life repeatedly challenged during the 1979 Revolution. Followed by a panel discussion by local Iranian women.

Cheers!

Your IAA Eboard

This week, we are shaking things up with something different. Come join us for an exciting (and free!) event at the Howard Gotlieb Center for Reporting History, a part of the Student Discovery Series. Thomas Fiedler, the Dean of the College of Communication, and Alex Rankin, the Assistant Director of the HGARC will both speak – check out more on their poster!

“Journalists have long shaped our collective understanding of history, our perceptions of the past, and interpretations of the present. Investigate the investigators; hold and read original documents, notebooks and photographs from such celebrated journalists as Dan Rather, David Halberstam and Oriana Fallaci. Join us at Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center for an evening of journalistic revelation.

Investigate the fine line between truth and fabrication in the shaping of a US president. Discover the motivations behind interviews of the most important people of the 20th century. Unearth the countless historical accounts left untold.”

Gain a greater understanding of how journalists influence the world around us through a look at documents which are now part of history themselves. This unique perspective will allow you to see the world from the perpective of such acclaimed journalists is not something to be missed!

The event will be held in the Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center, located on the 5th floor South of Mugar Memorial Library from 7 to 8:15 on Wednesday 14 October.

Want to get more involved? We are still taking travel team applications for SCSY and UPMUNC, and BosMUN, our high school conference, is hiring! If interested in chairing, vice-chairing, crisis directing or crisis staffing this amazing conference, fill out this application.

Last but not least, BarMUN III Secretary-General nominations are now open!!! If there is someone you think would make a good SG (yourself included) for the next BarMUN, don’t hesitate to send their name to iaa@bu.edu. Nominations will close on Monday 19 October and elections will be held next Wednesday 21 October.

Iran is a member of the IAEA and is committed to the NPT. Why then are there objections to our legally recognized rights? Some [states] have abused nuclear technology for non-peaceful ends…and some even have a bleak record of using [bombs] against humanity…the abuse of the Security Council is indeed a source of grave concern.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of Iran, Speaking at the UN in 2006

A lot has happened involving Iran over the past week – Speeches at the UN, disclosures of hidden nuclear enrichment sites, and tests of long-range missiles. Can you keep track of it all? Could anything worse happen? Come join us on Wednesday at 7:30PM in SMG 304 as we simulate the United Nations Security Council, a key organization in this dilemma as member states try to find a compromise on whether and to what degree new sanctions should be placed on Iran.

BarMUN II is this weekend, October 1-4, 2009, but it’s still not too late to sign up to be a crisis staff member! Check out the BarMUN conference website for exciting information about committees or submit the application form to become a crisis staffer today!

Also, don’t forget about the opportunity to participate as a delegate in other schools’ conferences:

• Applications for Columbia University’s conference, CMUNNY are now open; please apply if you’re interested in going, or email the IAA account at iaa@bu.edu if you filled out a “senior application” earlier this year.

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‘The unrelenting global troubles confronting Barack Obama are about to converge on him all at once, providing a stern test of leadership for a first-year president who has pledged to “change the world.’”

-Ben Feller, Associated Press

President Obama will finally take a break from healthcare this week to look at Israel and Palestine, global warming the world economy, nuclear non-proliferation and everything in between.  Who says Presidents don’t know how to have fun?  His speeches before the UN on tuesday, wednesday and thursday could mark the beginning of a hopetastic new era in US Foreign policy, or they could be standard diplomatic boilerplate. Join us on Wednesday, September 23 at 7:30 pm in SMG 304 to discuss Obama’s speeches to the United Nations

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First Weekly Meeting
The first topic of the semester will be an open discussion on the Scottish government’s release of Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi, which has been a topic of hot debate these past month. The only person convicted in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 on December 21, 1988, al-Megrahi was released on compassionate grounds: medical evidence showed he would die within 3 months from terminal cancer. On December 21, 1988 Pan Am Flight 103 was destoyed by a terrorist bomb killing all 243 passengers, the 16 crew members including 11 Scottish citizens. In 2001, al-Mehgrahi was convicted for the bombing and received a life sentence. He was welcomed home in Libya as a hero–sparking angry sentiments in the western world.

What do you think?
Should al-Megrahi have been released? Is this a violation of justice? Should the victims’ families have had a say in this? What about the Libyan’s reaction to his release? Join us for an exciting discussion at 7:30 pm at SMG 304 on Wednesday, September 16th to discuss your reaction and reactions of leaders around the world.

Background on Pan Am Flight 103
Pan Am Flight 103 was a transatlantic flight from London’s Heathrow Airport to New York’s JFK Airport on Wednesday, 21 December 1988.  The aircraft, a Boeing 747, was destroyed by a bomb, killing all 243 passengers and 16 crew members.  Eleven people in Lockerbie, southern Scotland, were killed as large sections of the plane fell in and around the town, bringing total fatalities to 270.
To read more about Pan Am 103, click here to visit the Wikipedia page.