The Impact of Civil War and Conflict on Identity

Topic: UN conference on the impact of civil war on the common person

Theme & Core Questions:

1. How do people define citizenship or nationality in the times of government crisis?  To what degree does political instability affect the common person?
   
   
2. What are the economic impacts (both positive and negative) of domestic conflict or civil war on the average citizen?  What are some of the survival strategies used to deal with these impacts?
   
   
3. How do the five themes of geography (location, place, human & environmental interaction, movement, and region formation) shape the decisions made by citizens during conflict or civil war?
   
   
4. How do conflicts or civil wars affect religious institutions and the religious beliefs of the average man or woman?
   
   
5. What is the history of power sharing between ethnic groups or social classes in the country affected by conflict or civil war?  How do values and attitudes toward ethnicity, social class, and nationality change during civil war?  What factors have an effect on these changes?

Overview: In this simulation, students will simulate their understanding of the conflict or civil war they researched.  Students will role-play the character they developed at a model UN conference on the impact of civil war on the common person.

Time Required: 3 - 5 class periods or 135 - 225 minutes.

Suggested Grade Levels: Grades 8 – 12

Interdisciplinary Applications: Social Studies and Literature

NJ Core Content Standards: 6.3, 6.4, 6.5, 6.8

Instructional Objectives:

1. Explain how civil war impacts the common person.
   
   
2. Analyze the effects of conflict on identity using PEERS.
   
   
3. Synthesize the understanding of the impact of civil war or conflict on the common person by developing empathy for the various decisions they have to make.
   
   
4. Resolve problems using conflict resolution strategies.

Strategies:

Students Should:

1. Identify major conflicts from countries around the world and establish their characters as citizens in these countries prior to this simulation.
   
   
2. Research the various sides to the conflicts they chose and decide which side they support.
   
   
3. Analyze the various impacts the wars had on daily life.
   
   
4. Evaluate the problems created by war such as refugees, environmental impacts, economic consequences, political upheaval, and other crises.
   
   
5. Review the purpose and capabilities of UN agencies such as UNHCR, UNEP, UNDP, OCHA, UNHCHR, UNICEF, WFP and other international agencies such as the IRC or religious organizations.
   
   
6. Discuss the ways these agencies and NGO’s can address the problems in panel format.
   
   
7. Write resolutions that would address the various issues discussed.
   
   
8. Present resolutions in group settings.

Materials:

• Model UN Position Paper Format
  
  
• UN resolution template

Resources:

• www.un.org/aroundworld/map/ - This site links to the various web sites of the United Nations System.

Assessment: Presentation of character during conference simulation Final written resolutions