Diplomacy Simulation

Monday, June 22, 2020 at 3:00 PM CDT

We strongly suggest you keep this page open during the simulation!

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Crisis in Our Oceans

Negotiating a Solution to Protect Our Food

 

The fish population off the coast of the Federated States of Hiroot is rapidly depleting due to overfishing. While Hiroot depends on fish for food and trade, it lacks the resources to effectively police its coastal waters. Recently, ships from the nearby country of Uzan have been spotted illegally fishing in Hiroot’s exclusive economic zone. A summit has been called with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the Global Oceans Fund, and the governments of Hiroot, Uzan, and the United States to discuss the problem.

In this hypothetical simulation, students will take on the roles of the U.S. Department of State and other key stakeholders as they negotiate to resolve this crisis in our oceans. The exercise will develop skills in critical thinking, collaboration, problem-solving, communication, and global competence.

We highly recommend keeping this page open for the duration of the diplomacy simulation! This page is a step-by-step guide to completing the simulation successfully. It contains many helpful resources and tools to help you along the way.

1. The Simulation Begins

3:00 PM CDT – 20 minutes

The simulation begins promptly at 3:00 PM CDDT with an all-delegate briefing. It is here that we will go over the simulation details.

Click Here to Join this Zoom Session.

Meeting ID: 847 0188 6604
Password: 417588

2. To the Simulation Room!

3:20 PM CDT – 10 minutes

After the briefing is complete, you will have 10 minutes to move to your assigned simulation room. These are the same room as your assigned Small Group Rooms. Move quickly! The simulation begins promptly at 3:30 PM CDT. If you have extra time prior to 3:30, use the time to ask questions. You will stay in this same Zoom room for the duration of the simulation.

Groups A, B & C

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Meeting ID
819 6512 6784

Password
628379

Groups D, E & F

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Meeting ID
858 9516 0940

Password
186607

Groups G, H & I

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Meeting ID
832 7906 8005

Password
634831

Groups J, K & L

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Meeting ID
859 9787 9440

Password
258082

3. Stakeholder Meetings

3:30 PM CDT – 15 minutes

At the start of the simulation, you will be randomly assigned into your stakeholder groups, one of the following:

  • Government of the Confederated Islands of Hiroot (CIH)
  • Government of Uzan (GOU)
  • Global Oceans Fund (GOF)
  • United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
  • United States Department of State (DOS)

As soon as you have received your assignment, click on the corresponding Stakeholder Group image (below) to learn more information about who you are representing. You will want to discuss this information quickly with your group.

 

Click on your assigned Stakeholder below to download your Fact Sheet

(We discourage you from viewing other Stakeholders’ Fact Sheets. Please do not download or view the Fact Sheets for Stakeholders which you are not assigned until after the simulation is complete. Thank you!)

Once you have read your Stakeholder’s position statement, begin developing your opening statement. You will want to assign a spokesperson for your group, to act as official representative/speaker for your group in the upcoming sessions.

Questions to think through:

  • Whom do you represent?
  • What is your overall goal?
  • What goals (in priority order) would you also like to achieve?
  • What are you willing to compromise? Always have something that you are willing to give up to help the negotiation process achieve something.
  • Who can help you?
  • Who might oppose your approach?
  • What incentives/disincentives can you offer to persuade others?
  • What is your strategy in dealing with other parties? With whom should you speak first?

4. Opening Statements

3:45 PM CDT – 15 minutes

To begin the simulation, each stakeholder group will in turn deliver its opening statement. The stakeholder group that called the meeting within the scenario speaks first, followed by the other groups in no set order. Opening statements should be short, only about one-to-three minutes. All stakeholders should listen closely to each group. No questions or discussions will take place during this time.

5. Stakeholder Groups Reconvene

4:00 PM CDT – 10 minutes

After opening statements are delivered, your stakeholder group will reconeve to develop a plan of action. What do you want to do? What actions need to be taken? What resources do you have? Which partners will you seek out first? On what timeline does these things need to be accomplished? Pose questions and express initial reactions to the solutions proposed. Delegates should take notes during the discussion. Briefly summarize the current position and what steps you will take during the next round of discussions. 

6. Informal Discussion & Negotiation

4:10 PM CDT – 20 minutes

This is where the bulk of your negotiations will take place. Stakeholders should then have discussions with members of other groups within the simulation room. Anyone within a group may address the room, but only one person at a time. Make sure no individual or group dominates the discussion and that no group is left out.

 

Tools for Negotiating Effectively

Clearly determine your position and agree on your strategy

  • Clarify or restate your position if it is misrepresented by one of the other stakeholder groups.
  • If during informal discussions you decide your group should change its position, discuss it with your group members as soon as possible.

Realistically evaluate possible actions before you propose them

  • Are the proposals possible?
  • Will they achieve the results you want?
  • Watch for unintended consequences.

Analyze other groups’ positions

  • Why do they hold that position?
  • Why do they oppose or support your proposals?
  • Can you apply pressure to make stakeholders re-evaluate their positions?
  • Can you offer any incentives to make stakeholders re-evaluate their positions?

Build alliances

  • Identify which stakeholders share your position and which do not.
  • Do not spend all your time trying to persuade others. Listen carefully to other delegates and absorb what they are saying.
  • Try to identify common interests and concerns you share with other stakeholders.
  • Even if your end goal is different, what can you agree on with others?

Incentives and disincentives (“Carrots and Sticks”)

  • Consider what incentives you can safely offer to other groups.
  • Explain to other stakeholders the negative consequences (either direct or indirect) that may follow if they oppose your position.

7. Stakeholder Group Meeting

4:30 PM CDT – 10 minutes

What can you agree on? Have a brief discussion within your stakeholder group meeting about what resolution you would like to see. Draft a proposal or a statement of agreement that you can present to the other stakeholder groups. 

8. Proposals & Agreements

4:40 PM CDT – 10 minutes

Each stakeholder’s spokesperson/representative will present their proposal or agreement. Discussion and final negotiations will take place. By this time, you should have some agreement about how to resolve the overfishing crisis.
If you cannot come to an agreement, return to your stakeholder groups for a final discussion, then present your final resolution in the remaining time.
If your stakeholders have come to a reasonable agreement, CONGRATULATIONS! The simulation is now complete and you are a real-life diplomat. Spend the remaining time discussing your experience and what you learned. 

9. Stakeholder Re-Negotiation (optional)

4:50 PM CDT – 5 minutes

If you were unable to come to a resolution in the previous meeting, return to your stakeholder groups to discuss a new resolution. This is your final chance to renegotiate!

10. Final Negotiations (optional)

4:55 PM CDT – 5 minutes

Present your final resolutions. Hopefully you are able to come to some agreement with the other stakeholders that does not involve war or genocide!
Congratulations! You completed the diplomacy simulation. Whether or not you were successful, you can now consider yourself an improved negotiator and diplomat. Take these skills with you the next time you are negotiating a raise or for another meaningful cause.

Debrief

If time remains

In the remaining time, discuss answers to the following questions. If time does not permit, self-reflect on these questions during your next break.
  1. What are the roots of the conflict?
  2. How do politics impact the issue? The economy? The culture?
  3. What diplomatic solutions were proposed?
  4. What attitudes were effective or not effective in negotiating a diplomatic solution?  What did you learn about the topic?
  5. What did you learn about the interactions of people in this simulation?
  6. How did diplomatic skills play a role in this simulation?
  7. Why is this topic important to consider?
  8. What do you think the U.S. role should be in this issue?
  9. What is the best possible outcome?
  10. What is the most likely outcome?
  11. How could you use diplomatic skills in your everyday life?
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