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Students tackle crises in Horn of Africa, gain global perspective

By Becca Heistad '09
November 19, 2008

Representatives from six African countries as well as the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Committee of the Red Cross opened a three-day peacekeeping and development conference last Friday at St. Olaf College. Yet as the spokespersons from each of the countries -- which included Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Egypt, Somalia and Sudan -- began their prefatory remarks by thanking the country of Egypt for hosting the 2008 meeting of the African Union, it quickly became clear that none of them actually hailed from northeast Africa. Rather, these St. Olaf College political science students were learning a thing or two by taking on the roles and many responsibilities of the leaders of some of Africa's most troubled countries.

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Students in Kathy Tegtmeyer Pak's international relations class discuss issues in the Horn of Africa as they take on the role of leaders from that region.
During the summit, held Nov. 14, 17 and 19 in Buntrock Commons, students in Assistant Professor of Political Science Kathy Tegtmeyer Pak's international relations class were turned into delegates tasked with fostering peace and stability in the Horn of Africa. Participants were assigned to research the government stance, refugee situation and condition of humanitarian aid in a particular country, and then spoke on behalf of its citizens.

In keeping with St. Olaf College's mission to nurture a global perspective, the simulation helped students form cohesive ideas about the contemporary issues facing the Horn of Africa, which include border disputes, refugee crises and drought, and provided them with the resources to become better informed on similar global issues.

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Students (from left to right) Joel Richert '11, Maddy Buck '11 and Akshar Rambachan '12 hold diplomatic discussions during the simulation.
The simulation provided students with a chance to integrate and synthesize the materials they used in class throughout the semester in order to facilitate educated discussion about a pressing international crisis not covered in their previous coursework, Tegtmeyer Pak says. "My goal was to give them a lively exercise to bring many difficult and abstract ideas to life," she says. "I also want them to learn more in depth about one set of contemporary international crises -- in this case, those facing the Horn of Africa."

Tim Wyman '11 and his group spent more than 10 hours researching, writing and revising their opening speech in preparation for the African Union assembly. He says prior to preparing for the simulation, he couldn't understand why the African countries "couldn't just talk and agree."

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Eliza McDermott '12 voices her thoughts.
"Now after doing some research, I realize that they don't have the power to just stop the violence," he says. "I guess I was kind of naive coming in, but I'm slowly being educated as to what actually goes on when nations talk with nations."

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Tegtmeyer Pak says she hopes the simulation will help students begin to discern their personal ethical standards for evaluating policies and behaviors so they can become improved global citizens. "The theoretical conversations they've been introduced to should help them begin to put together their own ideas about how we should understand issues such as war and peace and international trade and economic inequality," she says. "I hope that the simulation, and the class in general, helps students begin opening themselves to diverse global perspectives by gaining basic knowledge about who is involved in global politics and what kinds of issues they have to deal with."

Contact Kari VanDerVeen at 507-786-3970 or vanderve@stolaf.edu.