In the refugee crisis simulation in the sixth block class, I was a member of the USDOS group. I felt adequately prepared, as was the rest of my group, after thoroughly reviewing the provided briefing documents prior to the simulation. I felt well-engaged throughout the simulation, contributing by taking notes and participating heavily in the informal negotiation stages. I felt that everyone in our group was very involved in negotiating and making decisions. In my opinion, I think our group worked very cohesively and was able to effectively protect our interests throughout the situation. Unfortunately though, a resolution could not be met due to tensions which arose with Malil regarding funding. The issue could have most likely been worked out if more time were given.
I really enjoyed the simulation, as it provided a great opportunity for the class to apply some of the concepts and negotiating strategies which we learned in class. It also served to emphasize the complexities and difficulties involved in diplomatic issues, but in a somewhat simplified setting so as to not be too overwhelming. Some aspects of the simulation took some getting-used-to, such as the formal negotiations, but after the first session, that was no longer an issue. Our group found that we just needed to take a minute to clarify our thoughts with each other before moving to formal negotiations, so that we would all be on the same page to act as a cohesive group. At times the informal negotiation periods seemed short, however it may be that this is intended to be an accurate reflection of real-world negotiations. Also, negotiating with certain groups was difficult at points, but this is merely due to their negotiating strategies. Overall, I think the simulation was very well designed and executed very well by our class. The arrangement in the computer lab worked very well as a setting for the days that it was available, and it would have been ideal to have it the last day also, but I am aware that was not possible. A little more time might have been helpful, but once again, may be outside the constraints of this simulation. These issues aside, I learned a lot about diplomacy and negotiations in the simulation and saw various instances of realist, liberalist, and constructivist theories, as well as other negotiating strategies. Also, filling the assigned role helps to develop a better understanding of how perspective and differing interests can cause differences in the diplomatic strategies employed. I hope that we can do similar activities in the second semester and that future classes may have the same opportunity.