Research Tips
Researching the culture and background of your country
Researching the culture and background of your country
Q: : How do I research the culture and background of the country I have been assigned? And why is this important?
A: You can get some of this info from your country's permanent mission to the United Nations at and/or from your country's embassy or consulates. (Check Country @ a Glance for information based on the UN's statistical databases or InfoNation which allows you to compare up to seven countries at a time.
Some nations (or private organizations located in these countries) maintain institutions that promote their culture and serve as an access point for intercultural relations (e.g. the British Councils from theUnited Kingdom , America Houses from the USA
The information you gather about the country that has been assigned to you should include elements of its history, culture, religion, economy (including its major industries, exports, and imports), political structure and current affairs (including information about political parties, whether the opposition exists officially or unofficially, and its affiliations with international or trade organizations).
This information is important because it will help you understand why your country adopts certain positions and policies. Being aware of your country's historical development as well as its cultural, political, economic, and social background will help you understand its people and the arguments they would use to support or oppose different policies. The same holds true for the arguments that the representatives of that nation would be willing to accept during debate.
Here is a useful exercise to help you see things from the perspective of someone who lives in the country you are representing: Imagine how a citizen from the country you are representing might rise from being a student the same age as you to that country's UN ambassador. What sort of experiences would they have as a child, in school, in various jobs? What sort of events in that country's history would they have participated in? If you try to answer these questions, this imaginary biography should help you realize how cultural experiences can shape one's outlook on the world.
There is another reason why it is important to know your country's culture and background. New questions can be added to the agenda by majority votes and you may find yourself faced with questions that you didn't prepare for. A general knowledge of the your country's culture and background will help you figure out how to respond to unforeseen questions and/or additions to the agenda.
One last point for you to consider, your general knowledge of a topic needs to be supplemented by your knowledge about your country. If we return to the infectious diseases example, your policy on this topic would have to take into consideration the infrastructure that is available in your country (or lack of it) to fight these diseases. If there is no education programs to inform citizens how to prevent certain diseases or if there was a recent natural disaster then your country's policies must reflect the current conditions that exist within its borders.
Researching the culture and background of your country
Researching the culture and background of your country
Q: : How do I research the culture and background of the country I have been assigned? And why is this important?
A: You can get some of this info from your country's permanent mission to the United Nations at and/or from your country's embassy or consulates. (Check Country @ a Glance for information based on the UN's statistical databases or InfoNation which allows you to compare up to seven countries at a time.
Some nations (or private organizations located in these countries) maintain institutions that promote their culture and serve as an access point for intercultural relations (e.g. the British Councils from the
The information you gather about the country that has been assigned to you should include elements of its history, culture, religion, economy (including its major industries, exports, and imports), political structure and current affairs (including information about political parties, whether the opposition exists officially or unofficially, and its affiliations with international or trade organizations).
This information is important because it will help you understand why your country adopts certain positions and policies. Being aware of your country's historical development as well as its cultural, political, economic, and social background will help you understand its people and the arguments they would use to support or oppose different policies. The same holds true for the arguments that the representatives of that nation would be willing to accept during debate.
Here is a useful exercise to help you see things from the perspective of someone who lives in the country you are representing: Imagine how a citizen from the country you are representing might rise from being a student the same age as you to that country's UN ambassador. What sort of experiences would they have as a child, in school, in various jobs? What sort of events in that country's history would they have participated in? If you try to answer these questions, this imaginary biography should help you realize how cultural experiences can shape one's outlook on the world.
There is another reason why it is important to know your country's culture and background. New questions can be added to the agenda by majority votes and you may find yourself faced with questions that you didn't prepare for. A general knowledge of the your country's culture and background will help you figure out how to respond to unforeseen questions and/or additions to the agenda.
One last point for you to consider, your general knowledge of a topic needs to be supplemented by your knowledge about your country. If we return to the infectious diseases example, your policy on this topic would have to take into consideration the infrastructure that is available in your country (or lack of it) to fight these diseases. If there is no education programs to inform citizens how to prevent certain diseases or if there was a recent natural disaster then your country's policies must reflect the current conditions that exist within its borders.
