UNSA organized a panel at the ACUNS 2009 annual meeting in Trinidad and Tobago. This was our main event in 2009.

Panel Title: The need for UN Studies in the Caribbean

Date: June 5, 2009

Abstract as submitted:

The panel aims to feature Caribbean perspectives concerning research and teaching about the UN and to define the need for UN Studies in the South. Panelists from the region will present dominant views on the UN, methods and approaches as well as teaching techniques and tools – mainly by drawing on examples and experiences from their own research or experience in classrooms, while focusing on issues and aspects they consider relevant. During a subsequent discussion round, the differences, similarities and distinctive features of Caribbean perspectives will be highlighted and compared with European and Northern American views. Based on the finding of their exchange, panelists will then explore ways for possible cooperation and advanced network-building.

Original outline

The ongoing discussion about a concept of UN Studies, launched by an informal working group of ACUNS members at the 2007 annual meeting in NYC, has been mostly limited to reflect Northern American and European views so far. The 2009 annual meeting in Trinidad and Tobago offers a unique opportunity to broaden the discussion by featuring the Caribbean perspectives concerning research and teaching about the UN. Showcasing examples and reporting about their own experiences concerning UN-related research and teaching, panelists from the region will give an impression of the status and scope of UN Studies that will help determine a possible need for UN Studies in the South.

Key questions include:

How is the UN viewed? Is it a major multilateral organization to be researched or taught? Or is the main focus on global governance, on multilateralism?

What issues do Caribbean teachers and educator emphasize? What methods, approaches and educational tools do they promote?

The overall goal is to offer alternative perspectives to the Northern American / European views: What is different, similar, distinctive? For example, in terms of:

• subject matters and issues of primary interest

• the specific backgrounds, interests, expertise of students, teachers, researchers
• lessons learned & best practices – e.g. what has worked in classrooms, what not?
• possible contributions to developing a UN Studies syllabi

Panelists:

Chair: Johannes Geiser, Former UN Resident Coordinator (retired)

•    Janice Joseph, Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, Stockton College, New Jersey:
•   Michelle Scobie, IIR, UWI
•   Michael Platzer, Bond University, Australia:Building links between Caribbean and European views
•   Henrike Paepcke, ACUNS Board, UNSA, Berlin: The importance of global networking and new collaborative technologies in advancing UN Studies

Download the original proposal here:

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Results of the discussion:

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