UHCL Model Arab League delegation competes locally and nationally

Maria Curtis
Contributing Writer
UHCL Anthropology & Cross-Cultural Studies Programs
University of Houston-Clear Lake students in Anthropology, Sociology and Cross Cultural Studies competed in the National Council in U.S.-Arab Relations’ Model Arab League held at University of Houston in mid-February. UHCL’s team represented Djibouti and was awarded second place receiving Honorable Mention while participating in five different councils that included the Joint Defense Council; Council on Palestinian Affairs; Council of Social Affairs; Council on Political Affairs; and Council on Economic Affairs. Students received awards for their research and debate skills, for their success in cooperating with delegates representing other countries and for collaborating to draft mutually beneficial resolutions.

“It has been a wonderful experience serving as an adviser for the UH-Clear Lake Model Arab League team,” said Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Cross-Cultural Studies Maria Curtis. “The students are very highly motivated and put in a lot of extra time and effort to make it a success.  We ultimately hope this experience will encourage students to consider long term careers related to broadening understanding of the Middle East.”

The Model Arab League is based on the Arab League, which is a body like the United Nations representing 22 Arab countries around the world. First held in 1983, the Model Arab League has grown from one model to with 20 schools participating to 14 models held throughout the country with more than 2,000 students, 200 universities and secondary schools, hundreds of faculty advisers held in 11 cities.

Members of the team who competed for two full days included UHCL students Kate Boggess, Nick Burns, Monica Rincon, Cindy Steffens, Andrea Strege, Eva Jane Terekhova and Nora Ventura. The students helped to shape final resolutions that were passed in the final closing summit meeting. They wrote resolutions on a variety of topics that included dealing with the current political turmoil in Syria, expanding fishing rights in Palestine to build economic opportunities, examining non-governmental organizational presence in the region, expanding health care services to refugees and asylum seekers, and implementing and expanding of maritime and cyber security measures.

“I’ve seen students take part in Modern Arab League who are transformed by the experience, by either going on to new experiences and opportunities in the Middle East, to drawing on new skills in research and public speaking,” Curtis said.

Adds Associate Professor of Sociology Michael McMullen, who also served as an adviser, “Students walk away from the Modern Arab League events with greater knowledge on the Middle East and North Africa, experience debating their ideas and research and having sharpened their leadership skills.”

Cross Cultural Studies graduate student Kate Boggess agrees.

“Modern Arab League is undoubtedly one of the experiences that really pops out on my resume and expresses my leadership capabilities,” Boggess said. “It has been one of the most challenging and beneficial opportunities of my student career.”

Curtis said that the team is grateful to donors like the Embassy of the State of Qatar, the Arab American Cultural and Community Center of Houston, and the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia. Other donations have come from students, faculty, alumni and community friends including UHCL alumni Mike Landolt and Ann Wismer-Landolt. Their second place finish qualifies the UHCL Djibouti team for the Model Arab League national meetings taking place at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. in mid-April.

For more information about the Model Arab League team at UHCL, email Curtis, curtis@uhcl.edu, or McMullen, mcmullen@uhcl.edu.