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Position Papers

+What is a position paper?

A 1-page paper on your country’s position on the assigned issue Example: How Spain would view women

empowerment in governance

The “central deliverable of the GC process” Used to gauge student progress in research and

critical

Turned in ~4 weeks before the conference

+What is the writing process behind a position paper?Topic ResearchCountry ResearchPolicy Solution ResearchWrite DraftsEdit, Edit, Edit!

+Topic Research What is the issue?

Women empowerment in governance. Does it hurt any countries?

It doesn’t appear to. What is the history behind the issue? Are there past efforts to

fix the issue? Historically, women have played small roles (if any) in

government The UN Women and other international organizations have

created programs to expand the role of women in government through leadership training, gender equality, quotas, and increased participation in civil society.

Why is the issue important? In addition to the moral impetus for gender equality, everyone

benefits from increased female participation in government. Women bring different perspectives to social issues, they are more likely to cross party lines and lead to long-term peace agreements, etc.

+Country ResearchHow does the issue affect your country in

particular? What is your country’s history of dealing with the issue?

Ex. Spain. Is there gender inequality in governance? How has Spain addressed this issue in the past? How do you think Spain could improve women

empowerment in this area, and would Spain benefit from expanding the role of women in government?

+Policy Solution Research Based on your research, what does your

country think is the best way to solve this problem?

Specifically, what needs to change in your country in order to address this problem?

Why is your solution the best solution? What might happen if the rest of the world

does not listen to your solution?

+Write Drafts

After all of this research, compile all of this information into a 1-page paper by writing as dictated by the 3 C’s:ClearlyConciselyConvincingly

+Edit, Edit, Edit!

What it sounds like…Self review, peer review, teacher

review. Don’t “settle”! Make and revise

multiple drafts until you fulfill your fullest potential

+What does a position paper look like? Introduction: Present why the topic is important for the

committee to address and how the issue affects your country. Background: Explain the history of your issue globally and

specifically in your country National and Foreign Policy: Describe specific actions with respect

to the topic in the international community Past Agreements (or lack thereof): Describe conventions and

resolutions that your country has approved in support of or against the issue

Supporting Evidence: Quotes and/or statistics to illustrate your country’s position

Conclusion: Recommend future action and detail what your country would do to contribute to the resolution of this issue

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+What does a position paper look like?… Put one together! In pairs, read the strips and put them in the

right order. Use context and grammatical clues to help!

+Homework

Finish the position paper worksheet for class next week.