Writing a Position Paper

At the end of the lesson, the students are expected to;

 defines what a position paper is

 identifies situations in which a position paper may be effectively used in our present
society
 gather manifestoes and analyses the arguments used by the writers
 defends a stand on an issue by presenting reasonable arguments supported by properly
cited factual evidences
 writes various kinds of position papers

Let’s Warm Up

1. Divide the class into six groups. Assign a group leader.

2. Each of the questions below will be assigned to two groups.
 Should girls ask guys out?
 Is fashion important?
 Does age matter in relationships?
3. The leaders will pick the group’s stand by engaging in a Game of Rock, Paper, and
Scissors. The winner gets to choose their group’s stand.
4. Once your group knows your stand on the issue, think of three valid arguments to
defend it.
5. Present your argument through a simple informal debate.

What is a Position Paper?

A position paper presents the writer’s stand or viewpoint on a particular issue, (Barrot,
2016). It is a composition in which the writer takes a side on a particular controversial topic and
defends his side by presenting supports in the form of facts, statistics, and other evidence to
convince the reader to take his position, (Menoy, 2016). Writing a position paper entails
outlining arguments and proposing the course of action; by doing so, you are already taking in a
larger debate.

Aside from this you also have the power to change the opinions and attitude of others
when you write a position paper. Because of this, a position paper can be essential tool in
bringing about the societal change. For example, if you do not agree with a certain issue or rule,
you can write a position paper to reflect your point of view.
Structure of a Position Paper

1. Introduction – presents the issue while grabbing the attention of readers and the thesis
statement.
a. For decades, the FDA has required that warning labels should be placed on
certain products that pose a threat to public health.
b. Fast food restaurants are bad for our health.
c. Fast food package should contain warning labels.

2. Body – a.1 Possible objections to your position

a. Such labels would affect profits of major corporations.
b. Many people would see this as overreaching government control.
c. Whose job is it to determine which restaurants are bad? Who draws the
line?

a.2 Support and acknowledgement of the opposing points

a. It would be difficult and expensive for any entity to determine which
restaurants should adhere to the policy.
b. Nobody wants to see the government over-stepping its boundaries.
c. Funding would fall on the shoulders of taxpayers.

a.3 Explanation citing that your position is still the best despite the strength of
counter arguments
a. The cost would be countered through the improvement of public health.
b. Restaurants might improve the standards of food if warning labels were put
into place.
c. The government already does this with drugs and cigarettes.

3. Conclusion – restate your position and main arguments, suggest a course of action.
a. Sate what makes your position superior and more acceptable.
b. Having the attitude. A position paper must be written with confidence, with
authority, with assertiveness.
c. End with a powerful closing statement such as quotation, a challenge, or a
question.
Guidelines in Writing a Position Paper

1. Choose an issue. When choosing one, keep the following guidelines in mind.
 The issue should be debatable – you won’t be able to take a stand if the topic is
not debatable
 The issue should be current and relevant
 The issue should be written in a question form and answerable by yes or no.
 The issue should be narrow and manageable.
2. Begin the writing process by conducting an in-depth research on the issue.
3. Make sure to define unfamiliar terms when you first mention them.
4. Be aware of the various positions about the issue and explain and analyze them
objectively.
5. Reflect on your position and identify its weaknesses.
6. Cite valid and reliable sources to establish the credibility of your arguments.
7. View the issue in the different perspective so you can present a unique approach.
8. Limit your position paper to two pages.
9. Analyze your target readers and align your arguments to their beliefs, needs,
interests, and motivations.
10. Summarize the other side’s counterarguments and use various evidence and data to
refute them.
11. Use an active voice as much as possible to achieve a dynamic and firm tone.
12. Arrange your evidence logically using an inductive or deductive approach.
13. Check your argument for fallacies and eliminate them. Fallacies, or errors in
reasoning, weaken your argument.
14. Use ethical, logical, and emotional appeal. An ethical appeal relates to your
credibility and competence as a writer; a logical appeal refers to a rational approach
in developing an argument; while an emotional appeal uses arguments in a way that
evoke feelings.

Situations in which position paper may be written to achieve its purpose.

1. Political – adherence or non-adherence to a political party, government program, etc.

2. Artistic – creation or abolition of an artistic movement
3. Educational – conformity or non-conformity with educational reforms
4. Religious – conversion to or departure from religious sects
5. Professional – commitment or non-commitment to professional organizations
6. Technology – application or non-application of a technological breakthrough
7. Business – patronage or boycott of business products and establishments
 Note that the above list is not complete and general. You may choose specific topic.
Sample Manifestoes of Position Paper

Sample No. 1

We, the Overseas Filipinos worldwide, urge each and everyone in the coming May
electoral contest to implore all political parties, emerging parties and their respective
candidates to bring forth a platform-based campaign so that the electorate can choose
credible persons who are worthy to lead the nation. In order to advance democratic
governance in the Philippines, there should be a structure or process of reform that
promotes increasingly participatory and accountable governance. In this context, the will
and voice of the people should be respected at all times and the sanctity of the ballots must
be safeguarded.

“The root causes of human insecurity in the Philippines – and thus, threats to overall
peace and development – include conditions of inequity, with an elite few controlling power
and economic resources; abject poverty; poor governance; injustice, abuse of authority and
violations of human rights; and marginalization of minority groups. And yet, squandering of
billions of pesos from legitimate and illegitimate sources had been a common scenario in a
personality and patronage based electoral contest. The proposed platform based campaign
is envisioned to change this bad practice. In order to sustain poverty reduction, there must
be equitable growth and the poor people who are in the majority must have political power
– i.e. with a real voice and space. The powerful and/or the elites – whether political leaders,
corporations or other influential actors – must be held accountable for their actions; more
specifically, they must be held accountable for their success or failure in their individual or
party platform of promised good governance.

We are calling for robust, transparent, internally democratic and accountable

political parties in order to develop a stronger democratic culture in the Philippines.
Otherwise, the right to choose will remain to be pre-empted by the elites that own the
political process, including the political organizations.

We challenge those who want to become legitimate servants and leaders to

articulate a concrete and doable developmental plan aimed at the Filipino migrant workers
around the world. We pledge to support legitimate servants of the people running for any
public position that aggressively promote the interest of our sector on the following issues:

1) Institute meaningful comprehensive electoral reforms starting with the removal of the
residency requirement inserted at the last minute by congress in the Absentee Voting Law.
Introduce laws that will create a transparent campaign expenditures and verifiable financial
source imposing a limit to individual, group, and corporate campaign donations.

2) Creation of an office with a Cabinet status such as the Ministry of Migration and
Development that will truly work for the interests of migrant workers. This office must be
led by a Minister whose primary task is to manage orderly labor migration, harness the
development potentials of migration and development (co-development). Set up an
advisory board composed of qualified, dedicated, and credible Overseas Filipinos to advice
the Ministry. In addition, the Ministry must:

• See to it that the rights of migrants are protected.

• Facilitate return migration and in such a way that overseas Filipinos who wish to
return voluntarily remain active in the labor force or has the necessary means to
secure his or her financial future including their families.

• Monitor the performance of government agencies in charge of migrant workers

(OWWA, etc.) and particularly to review structures relating to the migrant workers
trust fund to enable migrants to have an effective voice and meaningful
representation in policy formation, and to ensure proper administration and
management of their fund.

• Explore ways to address present gaps and barriers that hinder the effective
mobilization, distribution, monitoring, and accountability procedures, in order to
achieve economies of scale in current Filipino Diaspora giving, including possibilities
of replicating the Mexican experience

• Facilitate creation of an enabling environment (investments, provide financial

services including housing, insurance, education, savings, etc. for migrants) that fully
harness the development potentials of Philippine migration.

• Encourage multi-stakeholder approach to development and promote public-

private partnerships.

• Support and stimulate the transnational role of Overseas Filipinos so that they can
contribute to the country’s development; while the government on the other hand,
should establish a systematic way of tapping these skills (not only waiting for their
remittances).

• Strengthen the capacity of Philippine consulates and representative offices

worldwide to better serve the needs of migrant Filipino workers.

3) Promote good governance, honesty, and accountability of our government servants from
the highest to lowest position. The virtue of servant-leadership must be practiced.

4) Promote the welfare of our women, elderly and children.

5) Access to a better education and health services for all.

We urge government groups, media facilities, civil society, church organizations, and
other responsible citizens, to organize and support pre-election public forums and other
similar initiatives requiring candidates or party representatives to debate and publicly
present their platforms on where they stand regarding these migrant issues. This will enable
the citizenry, including eligible overseas voters and members of their families in the
Philippines , in making informed decisions and to help ensure that only those candidates
with clear and sincere intentions of promoting the welfare of the migrant sector, their
families, and millions of poor people in our country are elected to public office.

Source:http://www.ellentordesillas.com/2007/03/09/migrants%E2%80%99-election-
manifesto/

Sample 2

Globalization and Development

By Romanian Delegation to UN Summit

*This sample position paper was submitted by the delegation of Romania at the 2007 UNA-
USA Model UN Conference in New York City.

In the past two decades the rapidly growing world trend has been toward
globalization. With the emergence of the internet as a means of communication and the
increasing accessibility of international trade physical barriers are not the only barriers
withering away. Protective tariffs are plummeting and free trade agreements are becoming
more prevalent. Romania appreciates that globalization creates favorable situations for
expansion of commercial as well as economic assets. In the past year Romania has seen a
foreign direct investment (FDI) increase of 199%. Inward FDI increased from EURO 234
million in 2005 to EURO 699 million in 2006. However, Romania realizes that increased
globalization does not automatically produce more equality.

Globalization and Development can contribute to the advancement of the overall

international human condition; however, the delegation of Romania recognizes that
without proper regulation the potential for advancement will remain limited to an elite few
individuals, businesses, and nations. Unless checked and aimed toward the common good,
globalization cannot effectively serve the global community. Crucial in dealing with the
complexities of globalization, good governance must act with solidarity and responsibility.

Romania believes that in involving people in globalization we must promote moral

values, democratic principals, inclusive global political culture, institutions that safeguard
both individual civil rights and inherent freedoms, and the common good. In addition,
coping with the influx of information from globalization governments must act with
solidarity and insight. Access to digital education will undoubtedly result in the confidence
of citizens in their respective administrations and allow for a greater degree of
transparency, and therefore a lesser degree of corruption.
 Romania believes the multinational business community has the ability and the
obligation to support pertinent values in human rights, labor standards, and environmental
preservation. As stated by the president, Mr. Traion Basescu, Romania feels a "heartfelt
attachment to multilateralism, as an effective instrument designed to identify the adequate
answers to the challenges brought by globalization."

Romania is party to the majority of multilateral treaties and conventions identified

as such by the Secretary General in the context of the Millennium Summit in 2001. Romania
has always supported innovative and effective ways of establishing cooperation within and
between regional organizations. As one of the newest members of the European Union,
Romania is an active member of the World Trade Organization, and looks forward to
offering its support to the redirection of globalization to best benefit the global community.

Source:

Sample 3

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states, “no one shall be subjected to
torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.” Although this doctrine
was adopted in 1948, the world has fallen quite short of this goal. Violence against women
pervades all states and it is the duty of the international community to ensure that all
persons are afforded equality and respect. Despite cooperative efforts at combating gross
human rights abuses, such as the adoption of the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence
against Women, the United Nations has not been able to alleviate the injustice women
worldwide experience daily. The Kingdom of Denmark believes that in order to end violence
against women, nations must look to empower women in all aspects of society. This
includes promoting equal gender roles in government, civil society, education and business.
However, Denmark also recognizes the need to combat human rights abuses against
women as they occur, and no nation is immune to gender violence. In 2002, the Danish
Government launched an extensive action plan to combat domestic violence against
women. The plan includes measures to help treat abused women, identify and prosecute
the perpetrators, and incorporate professional medical and psychological staff into the
rehabilitation process. The action plan currently reaches out to both governmental and
nongovernmental groups on the local level throughout the nation. The Danish Centre for
Human Rights in Copenhagen, Denmark’s foremost national human rights institution also
promotes and protects human rights. Based on the Centre’s research, Denmark’s parliament
can promote human rights-based legislation and education/awareness programs
throughout the nation. The Centre also addresses the UN Commission on Human Rights
annually regarding human rights developments in Denmark and internationally. Denmark
has no record of committing major human rights violations, most importantly any targeted
at women. In its 2003 Annual Report, Amnesty International also found no human rights
violations against Danish women. Women are invaluable to Denmark’s society and have
achieved significant economic and social gains in the 20th century. Currently, 75 percent of
medical students in Denmark are women. Denmark is confident that this Commission can
bring about an end to violence against women without compromising the sovereignty of
member states. Education remains perhaps the most useful tool in protecting victims of
gender-based violence. Governments, UN agencies, and nongovernmental organizations
(NGOs) can plan a coordinated campaign that educates national populations on the various
ways women are violently targeted. Similarly, harmful traditions, such as honor killings and
female genital mutilation, must be stopped by reforming traditional views of women in
society. Children of both sexes need to be taught at an early age to value the rights of
women in order to prevent such violence in their generation. Another way to stop gender
violence would be to reproach member states that consistently violate treaties such as the
Convention on Political Rights of Women (1952), the Convention on the Elimination of All
Forms of Discrimination against Women (1979), and the Declaration on the Elimination of
Violence against Women (1993). Although this Committee cannot impose sanctions, it can
pass resolutions verbally condemning states that commit human rights violations. The UN
High Commissioner for Human Rights can also meet with representatives of governments
that violate the above treaties to discuss possible solutions. In order to prevent gender
violence, nations must work together to build a culture of support, equality and community.
As such, the Kingdom of Denmark looks forward to offering its support, in whatever form
possible, to nations firmly committed to ending violence against women in all its forms.

Source: https://intranet.bloomu.edu/documents/model/PositionPaper.pdf

Let’s Practice

A. Enumerate at least five specific issues in your community or in the country which
you feel strongly about and which you think can be effectively addressed through a position
paper.

1. _____________________________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________________________
3. _____________________________________________________________
4. _____________________________________________________________
5. _____________________________________________________________
B. Read the following scenarios below. Pick one and write a position paper based on the
scenario you chose.

1. The student council is petitioning to prepare an arts festival in your school, but
the administration is reluctant to agree to the plan because it involves taking two days off
the students’ normal classes. As one of the organizers, you are tasked to write a position
paper which argues your stand for the establishment of the activity to the administration.

2. You would like to establish a new student organization for a hobby or sport you
share with almost a hundred students in your batch. However, the head of the club
organizations think that establishing a student organization is unnecessary because you all
talk about your interest outside school anyway. So you write a position paper to outline
your arguments so that the head can see your stand on the issue.

3. You and the teenagers in your community would like to organize a concert as a
fund-raising activity for the street children in your city. The community elders disapprove
because it would et up much of your time for school and that what you are planning is a job
for adults. As the leader of the group, you are tasked to write a position paper addressed to
the community elders to show your arguments in favor of organizing the concert.

C. Read the text in the following link.

1. Taylor Swift’s Open Letter to Apple’s Music Streaming Service:

http://taylorswift.tumblr.com/post122071902085/to-apple-love-taylor

2. Physician-assisted Suicide
Author: Lois Snyder, JD, and Daniel P. Sulmasy, OFM, MD, PhD
Link: https://www.acponline.org/running_practice/ethics/issues/policy/pa_suicide.pdf

3. Migrants’ Election Manifesto

Author: Concerned Overseas Filipino Worldwide
Link: http://www.ellento rdesillas.com/2007/03/09/migrants%E2%80%99-election-
manifesto/