Frequently Asked Questions: Commonwealth
For Teachers
Who is hosting this event?What is the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM)?
How does the meeting work?
What are students going to take away from this experience?
My students do not have any debate experience; will they be at a disadvantage?
For Students
Who is hosting this event?What is the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM)?
Okay, I'm interested, so what will I be doing?
Who is hosting this event?
In partnership with Connect Model United Nations 2010, the UBC Commonwealth Club is hosting this event. The UBC Commonwealth Club is a registered club under the auspices of the Alma Mater Society of UBC. The Conference itself will run from November 19-21, 2010 at the Hyatt Regency in Vancouver, BC.What is the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM)?
For our purposes, the CHOGM is a simulation of a meeting between the various heads of government that lead the 53 nations of the Commonwealth.This is a unique opportunity to allow high-school students to role-play an assigned nation and speak on their national position regarding the topics and proposals that are part of an international multilateral effort.
Conference organizers will assign nations to the delegates. Delegates will be required to research their own nation's policies regarding the themes of discussion.
How does the meeting work?
This year, there is one (1) hands-on session, followed by three (3) sessions of actual discussion. Delegations will be in teams of two. If there are any singles, we will pair them up on a 'blind-date' team.The hands-on session allows students to experience the format and the procedures of the CHOGM sessions. During that session, we will discuss impromptu topics. This is supposed to educate and allow students to familiarize themselves with how to get on the speakers list, who to direct comments to and so on.
There will also be a foreign ministers' training session. Delegates will take turns playing each role. The Foreign Minister's role is to cut deals, work on building consensus and to sound out other nations' positions on the topic at hand.
What are students going to take away from this experience?
The goal of this format makes sure that the actual discussion items, the flow of the conference, and the experience is completely delegate driven; the organizers are only there to observe and occasionally push and guide them along.By leaving the actual discussion topics up to the students, we hope to encourage students to come prepared by:
My students do not have any debate experience; will they be at a disadvantage?
This format tends to be very different from competitive debating. For starters, preparing a speech during the CHOGM can quickly be rendered moot if the topic moves on or away...or if someone already mentions your points. While debate experience is a plus, it is not a game-breaker.Okay, I'm interested, so what will I be doing?
Once you get your country assignment, start researching your country. Pay special attention to certain needs, issues, and policies that are related to the three themes that have been published.The second thing to do is to start thinking about resolutions that you can propose in the CHOGM. The resolutions are expected to be approximately 1 sentence long; don't worry about the details, you will get to explain your resolutions in the CHOGM.
The third thing is the actual conference itself. Unlike a debate with two sides, the CHOGM is more like a discussion group with the other delegations. For those of you with stage fright, don't worry, we have a training session which will guide you through the rules, and hopefully make you comfortable talking in front of all these delegates.
The best delegates are selected and sent to the national conference in Ottawa. Don't worry if you've never debated, or done public speaking. Stay calm, relax, and you'll get the hang of it.
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