Dear Delegates, It is a pleasure to welcome you to the 2014 Montessori Model United Nations Conference.

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1 Dear Delegates, It is a pleasure to welcome you to the 2014 Montessori Model United Nations Conference. The following pages intend to guide you in the research of the topics that will be debated at MMUN 2014 in committee sessions. Please note this guide only provides the basis for your investigation. It is your responsibility to find as much information necessary on the topics and how they relate to the country you represent. Such information should help you write your Position Paper, where you need to cite the references in the text and finally list all references in the Modern Language Association (MLA} format. The more information and understanding you acquire on the two topics, the more you will be able to influence the Resolution writing process through debates [formal and informal caucuses], and the MMUN experience as a whole. Please feel free to contact us if and when you face challenges in your research or formatting your Position Papers. We encourage you to learn all you can about your topics first and then study your country with regard to the two selected topics. Please remember that both committee members need to be well versed and ready to debate both topics. Enjoy researching and writing your Position Papers. We look forward to seeing you at the Conference! MMUN Secretariat Team info@montessori-mun.org

2 United Nations Children s Fund UNICEF's mission statement UNICEF is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to advocate for the protection of children's rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. UNICEF is guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child and strives to establish children's rights as enduring ethical principles and international standards of behaviour towards children. UNICEF insists that the survival, protection and development of children are universal development imperatives that are integral to human progress. UNICEF mobilizes political will and material resources to help countries, particularly developing countries, ensure a "first call for children" and to build their capacity to form appropriate policies and deliver services for children and their families. UNICEF is committed to ensuring special protection for the most disadvantaged children - victims of war, disasters, extreme poverty, all forms of violence and exploitation and those with disabilities. UNICEF responds in emergencies to protect the rights of children. In coordination with United Nations partners and humanitarian agencies, UNICEF makes its unique facilities for rapid response available to its partners to relieve the suffering of children and those who provide their care. UNICEF is non-partisan and its cooperation is free of discrimination. In everything it does, the most disadvantaged children and the countries in greatest need have priority. UNICEF aims, through its country programmes, to promote the equal rights of women and girls and to support their full participation in the political, social, and economic development of their communities. UNICEF works with all its partners towards the attainment of the sustainable human development goals adopted by the world community and the realization of the vision of peace and social progress enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. Source:

3 Universal Primary Education Topic Background The international community believes that all boys and girls should be able to go to school. This idea is called Universal Primary Education. This may seem like a foreign idea in the United States, where all children have to go to school. But in the rest of the world, more than 60 million children do not go to school. i Children do not go to school for many reasons: In Sub-Saharan Africa, about 30 million children are out of school. In the African country of Malawi, there are not enough schools, desks, teachers, and books. Schools are overcrowded, typically with more than 75 students in one classroom. Because of poverty and hunger, children may not be healthy enough to attend school. And girls are often forced to drop out of school in order to work and support their families. ii In South Asia, 13 million children are out of school. In the South Asian country of Bangladesh, children from minority groups are turned away from schools because they don t speak the language of Bangla fluently. Many children live in poverty and in areas affected by natural disasters. Children are also asked to work instead of go to school. iii In Afghanistan, the country is still rebuilding after years of war. There are not enough schools and teachers. An estimated 2 million children are out of school and only a third of year olds can read. iv Education is important for many reasons. A lack of education limits opportunities for jobs. It leads to poverty, hunger, inequality, which leads to conflict and violence. Lack of education means a higher chance of getting disease. And in a democracy, citizens cannot make informed decisions if they are uneducated. When children lack access to education, their community, their country, and the world suffer. The goal of the international community is to achieve universal primary education by But if the international community does not take more action, it will fail to achieve this goal, and millions of children around the world will lose their chance at an education. Past International Action In 2000, the leaders of the world gathered to approve a plan called the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The purpose of these goals is to lift the world out of poverty. There were eight MDGs, and MDG 2 is Achieving Universal Primary Education. The goal is to ensure, by 2015, that all boys and girls in every country are going to school. Different organizations within the international community are working to achieve MDG 2. v

4 The United Nations Children s Fund (UNICEF) is one international organization that helps governments achieve MDG 2. UNICEF works with governments and NGOs to train teachers and build schools. UNICEF helps governments provide children with meals at school, so that children aren t hungry when they re trying to learn and study. UNICEF also works with governments and NGOs to make sure that both boys and girls have equal access to education. In some cultures, girls are expected to drop out of school in order to get married and care for the elderly. vi Possible Solutions Part of the issue of universal primary education is the lack of schools, teachers, and books. The United Nations estimates that in order for there to be universal primary education by 2012, there must be $11 billion in aid annually. vii One example of NGO that is trying to address the issue of access to education is the Malawi-based HELP, which stands for Hope, Educate, Love, and Protect, is an NGO that also works on MDG 2. One of Malawi s biggest challenges in education is not enough teachers, which leads to overcrowded classrooms. The average classroom size in Malawi is 75 students, which is a lot of students for one teacher to handle. To help teachers, HELP trains teacher aides, people who can assist teachers in the classroom and reduce the size of classrooms. How can the international community help governments build more schools and train more teachers? Can the international community ask governments to eliminate school fees and provide free lunch? How can the international community raise more money for universal primary education? Another important issue is education specifically for girls. In many countries, girls are unable to attend school for cultural reasons. Many cultures believe that the role of girls is to help at home and raise children. In some countries, girls are expected to marry while they are young and start a family. One example of an NGO that is trying give more girls an education is GirlUp! This NGO organizes programs that raises awareness about the important of education for girls. It tries to prevent practices that stop girls from getting an education, like child marriage. And it encourages donations to girls education so that more girls can go to school. viii How can the international community help governments provide equal education for girls? Can the international community ask families not to take their girls out of school? Further Research Each delegate should research whether their country has universal primary education, and if not, how their country is trying to achieve it. Delegates should find education programs and NGOs that have been successful in their country and share that information with the rest of the committee.

5 Guiding Questions 1. What is universal primary education? What are the Millennium Development Goals? 2. Has your country achieved universal primary education? If not, how is your country trying to achieve it? 3. Which programs and NGOs are successful in promoting education? Can these programs and NGOs work in different parts of the world? Research Sources UN Millennium Project Report: UNDP Country Reports: UNICEF: Basic education and gender equality: i End Poverty 2015: Millennium Development Goals. United Nations. 18 August ii Educate Malawi. iii What we do in Bangladesh. Save the Children. 2009/ iv Achieve Universal Primary Education. United Nations Development Programme Afghanistan. v Goal 2: Achieve Universal Primary Education. United Nations. vi Achieve Universal Primary Education. UNICEF. vii End Poverty 2015: Millennium Development Goals. viii Girl Up!