the official newspaper of the berlin model united nations

BEARMUN

Saturday Edition November 17 2012

Dina Farag Text Editor

Back to their Roots

for young adults to take the lessons learned in other BerMUN committees one step further by implementing action plans and going beyond writing resolutions. After a long period of silence when asked for the reason for his return, Schaper asserts, the reason why I am where I am now is partially thanks to the YA. It was one of the reasons why I got into college and I want to give back what it enabled me to do. After completing his Abitur in 2011, two years after Schaper, former Ber-

JFKS Alumnus Alex Schaper presents to the YA.

Returning to Berlin, former JFKS students Alex Schaper and Marcel Starfinger served as guest speakers on Thursday during this years BerMUN conference and shared their valuable experience with the MUN program as a source of inspiration. It was an unorganized, messy process, JFKS Alumnus Alex Schaper replied when asked about the genesis of the Youth Assembly (YA) in 2004. Attending the conference as the guest speaker of the YA on Thursday, former JFKS student Alex Schaper returned to Berlin after completing his study of international affairs and international economics at George Washington University. Implementing the YA as an additional organ to the BerMUN conference, Schaper contends, All we had were 25 young motivated and dedicated students, the rest just became a natural dynamic. What we simply did in the first conference was to facilitate the dialogue between the different delegates. It went from a mess to a very structured program. For Schaper, the YA is more than just an MUN activity. It provides a platform

Marcel Starfinger, JFKS Alumnus, in the Enviromental Committee.

MUN Secretary General Marcel Starfinger participated in the volunteer program Weltwrts from the German government and worked in Bolivia for an environmental NGO. Serving as the guest speaker for the Environmental Committee (EC), Starfinger shared his thoughts on what he has learned from the MUN program, The ideal of the global citizen that I always stressed as a Secretary General, that we, like Kofi Annan [former Secretary General of the UN] said, live in a global village, and that all the actions that we do, influence others and thus reflect back on us, so that all the things that we do basically will affect ourselves in the long run. In his closing statement, Starfinger tried to motivate the delegates to take initiative and act upon issues debated in the committees. He emphasized that it is of paramount importance for us to realize there are many hazards in our global village, and that we as individuals in a civil society must act upon them and pressure politicians to enact change. Even though Schaper and Starfingers experiences with the MUN program ended a few years ago, the BerMUN program remains surprisingly consistent in its performance.

Are colleges checking out your Facebook? on page 2 Scandals and Vandals in the Committees on pages 6&7

The Unstoppable Rise of Cyberbullying on page 3 Wanted! The Toilet Paper Thief more on page 8

photo by Noah Henckel

Behind the Curtain: Media Bias on pages 4&5 Are you addicted to your Apps? the answer on page 8

photo by Antony Roczek

BERMUN PRESS STAFF

Editor-in-Chief: Sophia Hengelbrok Advisors/Editors: Mr. Lee Beckley Mr. William Robertson Text Editors: Caroline Beyer Maximilian Enthoven Dina Farag Head of Layout: Noah Lehrecke Head of Photography: Noah Henckel Steffen Meder Head of Digital Production: Julian McCarthy Reporters: Ines Baudry Dorothea Douglas Sumayah El-Mouza Maya Graf Melina Knabe Maximilian Larson Christina Lennartz Emilia McGreal Jan McGreal Nina Meyer Alice Rougeaux Leonard von Kleist Layout Artists: Anton Begehr Nina Brune Yves Cortali Lara Fenwick Samantha Roehl Photographers: Georg Brand Fritz Pukall Antony Roczek Digital Producers: Derim elik George Freyermuth Jeremy McCarthy Pablo Smith Lukas Tophoven Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in the BEARMUN Newspaper, do not necessarily reflect the opinion of BerMUN or its advertisers. John F. Kennedy School Teltower Damm 87-93 14167 Berlin (Zehlendorf) Germany (+49) 030 90299 5785 e-mail: bermunpress@jfksberlin.org web: bermunmedia.blogspot.com

image courtesy of: blogspot.com

Melina Knabe & Sumayah El-Mousa Reporters

Your Past Will Affect Your Future

Living in a society which idealizes image and appearance, students applying to universities hope to offer their top choice schools a suitable and respectable impression of themselves. Yet many students fail to realize the convicting nature of their social media profiles, which may disadvantageously expose students and their habits. According to a UMass Amherst study in 2011, roughly 24% of the top universities deliberately investigate the applicants through social media sites in their admissions process, judging students according to their digital identity. If this image does not correspond with that of a respective and considerate individual, their profile may have a profound

effect on their college acceptance. For example, most potential 2040 presidential candidates will be unelectable due to incriminating Facebook content. This revelation does not necessitate an immediate elimination of ones Facebook account, but rather a responsible reassessment of what information one allows to reach cyberspace. One should remove or block photos that exhibit explicit actions, including underage drinking of alcoholic beverages, partaking in illegal activity or posting sexually suggestive content. Additionally, joining biased or defaming groups can condemn the prospective student. Ultimately, one must consider whether ones fabricated digital identity complies with the professional image desired in the college application process.

Jan McGreal Reporter

Techno-Children
nectedness lets children experience very mature and strong content from an early stage, making powerful impressions on their minds, whereas the child from a decade ago almost exclusively had contact with the media through television and books, which was easily controllable by their parents. Furthermore, this early initiation creates a strong dependence on technology even at school, as it takes care of banal and simple tasks. As Security Council Chair Marcel nal remarked about his elementary school experience, we used books and blackboards and we learned enough, and subsequently commented, its incredible how much technology we utilise at school, even though we could be content without it. Over the past ten years, we become increasingly connected through and with technology, making us more informed humans but at the expense of inherent independence.

Over the past ten years, the endless demand for faster and slimmer technology has driven the industry forward to astonishing fusions of functionality and design. While the Nokia 7650s first built-in camera with 0.3 megapixels represented the height of mobile engineering in 2002, ten years later mobile phones run stereoscopic games and enable simultaneous chatting with friends and listening to streamed music. Access to such technologies has also evolved, allowing a much broader audience to experience the conveniences of an interconnected world. A steep drop in price over the past decade due to cheaper manufacturing costs especially affects todays youth. The age of exposure to the world of technology is gradually sinking and the clever benefits as well as countless obscenities of the Internet are bestowed upon these young minds. This intercon-

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Leonard von Kleist Reporter

Social Medias Deadly Side Effect

created a Facebook page dedicated to circulating these nude pictures. The cyberbully also contacted the victims classmates, which caused Amanda to be harassed in school. Eventually, after continued cyberbullying and humiliation at school, Todd hanged herself on October 10, 2012, at the young age of 15. Cyberbullying is a relatively new phenomenon, and many parents and even school staff are clueless about how to combat it and assist the victims. The anonymity provided by the Internet makes it notoriously difficult to identify cyberbullies if they wish to remain anonymous. However, one can minimize the risk of cyberbullying by showing discretion when posting personal information or pictures online. In order to combat cyberbullying and similar problematic issues created by social media, it is imperative to use caution and common sense when posting online, and to show understanding to those who become victims of cyberbullying.

The advent of the Internet and social networks like Facebook and Twitter has proved beneficial in many aspects; however, there have also been significant drawbacks. One of the most significant issues caused by the increased role that media plays in our lives has been cyberbullying. According to WhatIs.com, cyberbullying is, the use of cell phones, instant messaging, e-mail, chat rooms or social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to harass, threaten or intimidate someone, and usually takes place between children. One example of the destruction that cyberbullying can wreak upon the lives of victims is the tragic death of Amanda Todd. The case was centered on revealing pictures of Amanda that were posted on the Internet by a stranger who eventually

Missiles Launched From Twitter

Ines Baudry & Alice Rougeaux Reporters
Ahmad Jabri, second in command of Hamass military wing, was assassinated by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Wednesday, November 14th. Through the ubiquitous force of Twitter this news spread across the globe in a matter of minutes. The uniqueness of this process was the IDFs choice to declare their military plans through the social network even before having taken action, tweeting that The IDF has begun a widespread campaign on terror sites & operatives in the #Gaza Strip, chief among them #Hamas & Islamic Jihad targets. Due to these tweets, the renewed Israel-Palestine conflict has now become an Internet sensation. More than millions of people are currently retweeting this controversial topic, as affirmed by the popularity of hashtags such as #GazaUnderAttack or #PrayForIsrael. Both IDF and Hamas are making full use of social medias, such as Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr and YouTube. As shown in political events such as the Arab Spring, this is nothing
image courtesy of: Wikipedia

#ThisMeansWar

A Twitter Screen Shot of the Online Warfare.

November 17 2012

On the road to Bethlehem, a very symbolic tag on the wall made on the Palestinian side.

new. Israel is currently utilizing the Internet as a tool to incite war. In effect, the social platforms, on which these two organizations are spreading their hostile messages do not know how to handle this situation, as they need to find the limit between freedom of speech and censorship of war advocacy. There is the possibility that the online voices of civilians in conflict zones will urge governments and NGOs to resolve this ongoing problem. It must be kept in mind that witnesses carry an immense power, for they have the possibility to control what is perceived by the general public and determine the future course of events. Tweet with caution.

image courtesy of: IDF Twitter screenshot

Media Bias Arou

Maximilian Larson
Reporter

photo courtesies cdn.thedailybeast.com s2.reutersmedia.net www.stephentaylor.ca www.un.org

It was only in 1994 that the dehumanization of an ethnic minority in Rwanda led to genocide almost unparalleled in modern history. Media bias as an instrument of political indoctrination is certainly ubiquitous, and a media scholar would be hard pressed to name a major newspaper without certain ideological tendencies. The Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea serves as perhaps the most salient example of media bias. As the only actual state comparable to Orwells famous dystopia in his novel 1984, the North Korean government practices political indoctrination on an all-encompassing scale, using the state-run media to glorify the Great Leader and passionately condemn the Western world and its figurehead, the United States. As the worlds most religious state, the Islamic Republic of Iran was founded on the principles of Sharia law and clerical infallibility in the public and legal sphere. Officially, the spiritual leader of the state owns the people and prescribes both what they are to believe and how they are to lead their lives.

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und the World

Consequently, media publications are heavily influenced by government ideology and thus reflect these views in an attempt to spread anti-Western sentiments among the masses. In spite of ostentatious efforts to pass as a democracy, China is still in the process of developing away from the totalitarian communist system installed by Mao TseTung in 1949. Retaining the police state characteristics of the USSR and Communist Germany, many aspects of public life are carefully regulated by the 70-million member strong Communist Party of China. All legal newspapers are state-owned, allowing for neither free expression nor any deviation from official government ideology. Brazil is still in recuperation from the re-democratization process following an era of military juntas, which severely curtailed free press. The misinformation campaign revolving around thousands of political murders from that time remains a very sensitive issue to this day. Even in the United States and Europe, media tends to follow certain agendas, however faintly. It must surely be a great imperative of this time to cleanse the world of media bias and to promote true journalism.

November 17 2012

may courtesy of etsystatic.com

Maya Graf & Ins Baudry Reporters

Responsibility for the Next Generation

Committee Reports

After a rather lethargic start in the Environment Committee (EC) on the first resolution, the debate heavily intensified discussing the second. Especially the delegates from Germany, Tunisia, Guatemala and the World Health Organization (WHO) actively defended their resolutions in the lively dispute. The second resolution submitted by Portugal about the impact of production, use and disposal of media devices on the environment discussed how to raise awareness through the media and educate the youth, since the new generation will be the ones having to live with the consequences of media pollution. Its our responsibility to watch out for the next generation, surmised the delegate of

Guatemala before the EC adjourned its session for a cookie break. With the debates going well and the resolutions passed quickly the EC now hopes to find a suitable solution quickly.

Maximilian Larson Reporter

The Rage Against Free Press

Markus Jungnickel, Delegate in the EC.

The Democratic Republic of Korea will not have its glorious name besmirched by Western imperialists. This, at least, was the view of North Koreas delegate during Fridays debate in the Political Committee. The overarching theme was freedom of expression, and a myriad of divergent ideologies made for lively discourse all morning. The meeting commenced as Australias delegate

submitted a resolution intended to tread the fine line between national sovereignty and international (i.e.UN) interests with regard to free press. In spite of widespread opposition, the resolution was passed by a harrowingly close count of 38 to 37 votes. This shining example of true democratic discourse will continue as impassioned debates rage on.

photo by Fritz Pukall

photo by Steffen Meder

Education: A Human Right?

Leonard von Kleist Reporter
During the Human Rights Committees (HRC) debate session on Friday, delegates presented and discussed resolutions concerning the treatment of refugees. Haiti suggested to provide education for children aged four through twelve but not for adults, a proposition that engendered fired debate. In reaction, Brazil argued that education is a human right, and that it would be immoral to deprive refugees of that opportunity. Numerous other countries were also drawn into this debate, which, according to the Nirma Amarakoon, Chair of the HRC, was caused by the fact that the refugee issue is [] such a broad topic, and that different countries have different opinions of what is necessary for the refugees. For the remaining session, the HRC continued to debate issues related to the treatment of refugees. tion in this world that we live in, noting that governments should possess the liberty of press regulation.

The Political Committee at its finest.

Alice Rougeaux Reporter

Combatting Press Bias

Next to discussing numerous fundamental issues directly linked with the BerMUN topic, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) evaluated the role of its press team and what it represents. Free press, journalism rights and censorship were all mentioned and debated on during Fridays session. Freedom of expression is an inalienable right, said Republic of Korea, followed by Switzerland, who urged countries to work together to keep media the source of all information free. Both these countries were in favor of a world press, controlled on an international scale, rather than on a national one. Ultimately, Argentina candidly concluded, there is no such thing as unbiased informa-

Serious Mixing
Dorothea Douglas Reporter
photo by Noah Henckel

The Youth Assembly (YA) held their customary informal mixer Thursday evening, where the international delegates familiarized themselves with each other and their cultural diversities over dinner. The new sense of ease the mixer created proved vital for Fridays information fair and action plan discussions. It also facilitated discussion amongst delegates following the presentations of the two guest speakers, Mrs. Eva Nicolai and Mrs. Karin von Rosen, on the psychology of abuse. Both had worked closely with victims of sexual and domestic abuse, and spoke eloquently about their own experiences and proposed proper ways to deal with abuse.

photo by Lennart Preining

Co-Chair of the ECOSOC.

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Jan Mc Greal Reporter

We All Want the Same Difference

Emilia McGreal Reporter

Freedom to Chat

Committee Reports

In the words of Security Council Chair Imke Hinrichsen, this Thursdays debate about a solution to Guinea Bissaus tenuous predicament was supposed to be a less controversial topic. But what ensued was a lengthy debate over simple, semantic interests. In these terms, the Russian Federation threatened to veto a largely accepted amendment if the word Demands were not replaced by Requests, provoking a frustrated anonymous statement that pedantism runs rampant in the SC. Indeed, numerous delegates noticed this sluggish progress, with U.K. delegates lamenting the reiteration of suggestions merely differing in wording. Naturally, the gravity of choosing one word over the other cannot be underestimated, but such trifles simultaneously hinder agreements over topics that need to be taken care of rapidly and effectively.
photo by Antony Roczek

While discussing the resolutions concerning the topic of cyber culture on Friday in the Special Conference (SPC), the issue Freedom of Speech on the Internet instigated a disagreement between several delegates including Egypt. Though Internet freedom was largely encouraged, the delegation of Egypt suggested a limit for these privileges on the web. In this sense, few countries oppose the liberty that the Internet offers, since strict government systems aim to protect their structure. By creating these limits, websites and online publications can be controlled and regulated. Nevertheless, the majority of the Special Conference voted against the amendment, promoting the global connective tissue of free Internet.

Cooperation of the Big Five: A New Frontier?

Melina Knabe & Sumayah El-Mousa Reporters
This years BMAP appointed roughly ten western and ten eastern states, who divide themselves evenly in the conflict, according to President Sebastian Fischbach. Thus, finding a consensus proves challenging. This separation surfaces in the debate process, where much like in the UN, five big players emerged. These include Israel, its allies Britain and the U.S. as well as Iran, who firmly sides with the Palestinian National Authority. However, these five delegations act uncharacteristically for an MUN conference: Israel remains unusually cooperative, according to BMAPs Deputy Presidents. Britain and the U.S. emphasize their unbias and the PNA recognizes the Israeli autonomy. Whether BMAP overcomes its challenge remains unknown. The Big Five unanimously desire peace, yet their conflicting interests will possibly negate the unusual cooperation.

Nina Meyer Reporter

The Fusion of Fiction and Reality

On Friday, another heated debate took place in the judicial organ of the BerMUN conference. In the International Court of Justice, a hypothetical court case was debated concerning the rights of the fictitious countries Aprophe and Rantania. General animosity between the Respondents of Rantania and the Advocates of Aprophe filled the room on the issue of whether or not the UNs guidelines and treaties stand over the right of the individual and the countrys executive government. The judges of the prosecution discussed this in addition to further controversial issues pertaining to the tenuous topic. By participating in the BICJ, students gain knowledge as to how the ICJ functions as the judicial branch of the UN, by representing their own opinion rather than a countrys policy. Consequently, the students are striving to grasp the full understanding of the judiciary process by the end of the conference.

Christina Lennartz Reporter

For Lack of a Better Definition

November 17 2012

Advocates in action in the ICJ.

As the Disarmament Committee (DC) continued Thursdays debate on Formulating a treaty to curtail cyber warfare, tension arose between eager and engaged delegates during Fridays order of events. As they began to discuss the resolution, numerous delegates tried to clarify the distinct differences between cyber warfare and cyber crimes, as many countries like Israel and Iraq believed it seemed too vague. For instance, China began to question the destruction of cyber warfare and proposed to gain power over it. The resolution passed with a close vote of 33 in favor and 32 against, putting the democratic countries policies concerning such critical topics in question.

photo by Georg Brand

Toilet Paper Tragedy

Emilia McGreal Reporter
On Friday, something peculiar happened in the Green Building of JFKS. Someone felt the urge to take not one, but all toilet paper rolls from the girls bathrooms. Upon entering the bathroom, Clara Walther, Registrar of the ICJ, found the entire floor covered in paper, with only one roll left. Since the thief or thieves are still anonymous, the ICJ is planning to bring every single delegate to court. Although it is aware that this procedure will take a long time, the ICJ defends itself by saying they will go to any extent to find out who, and especially why, someone would steal toilet paper. Walther further elucidates, as Registrar of the ICJ, I am appalled that a crime of such magnitude could be committed within a few meters of the Court. Dear toilet paper thief, we will find you. In these terms, civilians should keep watch to prevent future tragedies like this.

Spending an Evening in Berlin

Christina Lennartz Reporter
Delegates travelling to Berlin from other countries can enjoy the variety of attractions that the city offers. Next to many historical sites, tourists can visit Potsdamer Platz, which now features a Winterworld, a small Christmas market with a popular coasting slide. Right next to it, the Sony Centers cinema shows movies in their original language, which Berlins international community greatly appreciates. This weekend, movies such as Cloud Atlas show at 18:15 and 20:15, Argo, show at 17:00 and 20:00, and Skyfall, running every hour, can be enjoyed in English at the CineStar, the Sony Centers original cinema. Otherwise, one can also enjoy the exhibition Fokus DDR in the Deutsche Historische Museum Berlin to get an impression of life in Eastern Germany.

Caroline Beyer Text Editor

You Know Who You Are

Apps programs and games smartphone users can download onto their devices have become increasingly popular since the introduction of Apples App Store in 2008, which was quickly followed by further app stores from other smartphone manufacturers. With a grand variety of 700,000 apps available in the Apple App Store, no wonder the number of apps downloaded has reached over 35,000,000,000. Apps such as WhatsApp and Instagram, and even games like Draw Something, keep smartphone users around the world connected. However, for many this connection has become an addiction. Urban Dictionary, a popular online slang dictionary,

includes the following commentary in its definition for apps: When you first have downloaded an app - there is no way back, you will get a strange love relation to apps like Angry Birds. Your phone bill will explode and ruin your whole life. Furthermore, Jenna Marbles, YouTubes most celebrated female vlogger, has posted the video Apps are Ruining My Life, which received almost 70,000 comments, all containing some form of the message Youre not the only one. MTV reiterated this statement in its mobile app survey: not only did 83 percent of users admit to being addicted to their apps, but 68 percent of all interviewed men claimed they would rather give up coffee for a year than their apps. This statement makes one wonder if the so-called app addiction, a clearly frequent phenomenon among the Generation 1.0, has in fact become an epidemic.

Maya Graf Reporter

Heels from Hell

The first challenge is being able to walk on these matchstick-like heels, staggering up the stairs and along the cor-

Every year 800 students from all over the world participate in BerMUN, and for many, this conference presents the one chance to suit up. Unfortunately for female participants, dressing up is not always all fun and games, for to complete the perfect outfit, the right shoes are needed: high heels. They vary from sky-high plateau heels to wedges, and exist in a variety of colors, patterns, and designs, from leopard print to scary spikes attached to the heel.
photo by AntonyRoczek

ridors. Additionally, theres the comfort issue, and delegates suffer daily from blisters and bruises caused by the brand new shoes

they bought explicitly for BerMUN. Good thing to come prepared, said the delegate of South Korea, who always carries a pack of band-aids just in case. A frequent solution for this heel suffering is a pair of flats one can change into when no one is looking, like the Editorin-Chief of the Press Corps, Sophia Hengelbrok does on a frequent basis. For the more sensible delegates, ballerinas and ladybird slippers seem to be the attire of choice. Unfortunately, for those who choose the ever-popular standard high heel, the price to pay for beauty remains high.

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