Cyprus-Forum.com

[juniecjones]

I could really use some help if you have the time...my 11 year old daughter is participating in a US schools 'Model UN' program. She has to represent the Philippines and write a resolution for the 'UN' to consider regarding Cyprus. We have researched the topic quite a bit but are still flummoxed about what to write. The only thing we have found is that the Philippines supports a 'bizonal bicommunal federation', but on reading some of the thoughtful arguments on this site, this seems like rotten solution.

Am I correct in thinking that the biggest problems are 1) the right of return/property issues and 2) the desire of both sides to retain Greek or Turkish nationality?

Any help you can give us would be great; we have wallowed around in news sites to no great effect. Many thanks! Sally

[brother]

Both communities want to unite the island but the tc want assurances they will be treated equally and both sides want to be able to return to there homes and lands or be able to sell them.

The sticking points is that everyone wants to be in charge so the tc argues for a more powerful vote and the gc wants the turkish army to leave and the settlers to go back to turkey.

This is just the start.................

[Piratis]

The Cyprus problem is a very complicated one mainly due to the interests of foreign powers in the very strategic location of Cyprus.

Here are all the resolutions regarding Cyprus so far:
http://www.un.int/cyprus/resolut.htm

Am I correct in thinking that the biggest problems are 1) the right of return/property issues and 2) the desire of both sides to retain Greek or Turkish nationality?

Number 1 is indeed one of the major issues, but I wouldn't say number 2 is.
The disagreements are mainly on:
1) How independent Cyprus would be. Some foreign powers like Turkey and the UK want to indirectly be able to control Cyprus and to maintain troops on the island.
2)Properties and human rights.
3)Power sharing between Turkish and Greek Cypriots.

Good luck to you and your daughter, but I have to say that this would be a difficult task even for a student doing his Ph.D on international politics.

[Brik]

What exactly is the objective of asking from elementary school kids to do such things???

Just out of curiosity - do you know what other kids had to write about?

[juniecjones]

Brik - Model UN is actually a state-wide middle school program. Although I'm not generally an advocate of presenting difficult subjects to children early (ask me about the way I laid into the teacher who brought up abortion as a 'stimulating topic with grey areas') , I like this one, especially when I see how the kids respond. It teaches them about geography, history, politics, and unity. It helps them to learn to see through the rhetoric and get to the heart of an issue, and I believe they also learn that there is always more than one side to every argument. They learn how to craft a resolution to conform to an accepted model and still make their point clearly.

Last spring they were debating whether 'they', as the UN Secrity Council, should continue to give military aid to Sierra Leone, and one kid whipped his calculator out and said, 'That amount works out to about $20,000 for each person each year. Which is a lot of money in Africa, and it hasn't done a bit of good so far. Why not just give it to each person and see if that stops the squabbling?" Cracked me up!

Last Spring they also had to act as China and write a resolution about the proliferation of nuclear arms and North Korea. I was really proud of what they came up with and the resolution was the only one passed in their room. That is, until they got to the last debate and they voted down another resolution with their veto power - and promptly got theirs knocked out as retaliation. Which also taught them some valuable lessons.

Thanks to everyone who has posted responses. I guess we have more work to do!

[brother]

i think it is a good topic to work, well done teachers.