MODEL UNITED NATIONS PROJECT: PART II
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
This part of the project in which we began in the first semester, is a continuum of the first model UN conference we did. In this part of the project, we studied another issue that is relevant and constantly discussed between the members of the UN; Nuclear-Proliferation. We began by studying what it is and where it roots from along with how it can affect us in the future. We then started coming up with possible ideas for solutions that we can use in the conference. Unlike the first conference we did that regarded the Venezuelen refugee crisis, it was more formal and more difficult to conceptualize and solve. As a chair, me and my other peer chose four different resolutions for the docket. During the actual conference, the delegates decided on a final three that were both creative, somewhat realistic, and covered most major parts of the nuclear issue.
ISSUE BRIEF PAPER
Nuclear Proliferation:
The Beginning of Nuclear Development:
Amid World War Two came many different developments in technology, including one of the most identifiable advancements; the creation of new nuclear technologies and the atomic bomb. The first atomic bomb was produced at the end of the long bitter WWII , July of 1945. It was first created by the United States program, more commonly referred to as the Manhattan Project. Three weeks post the first testings of the atomic bomb, which took place in deserted areas of New Mexico, one of the most notable bombings in history was dropped, commonly known as the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. On August 6th of 1945, a uranium-based atomic bomb was set on Hiroshima, Japan, which led to over 100,000 deaths. Following that bombing, another was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan at 3:47 AM on August ninth. This time, being plutonium-based. Until 1949, the United States became the largest holder of nuclear power and technology, before the Soviet Union began experimenting with new-found technology and the finding of the atomic bomb due to a supposed physicist who passed the secrets on from the United States. This event led to a long competition between the two which later became the arise of even stronger weapon development, such as the hydrogen-based bomb. During this process, many nuclear warheads were produced; up in the thousands, which would be more than enough to destroy the entire Earth a few times over. From this point, other countries have also created nuclear weapons: the United Kingdom in 1952, France in 1960, and China in 1964.
What is Nuclear Proliferation and Nuclear Non-Proliferation?
According to Author Andre Munro, Nuclear proliferation is, “...the spread of nuclear weapons, nuclear weapons technology, or fissile material to countries that do not already possess them.” Non-Nuclear Proliferation is ultimately the goal to diminish the spread of those technologies and the countries that already possess them. This brings us to the NPT or the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, one of the most significant arms limitation agreements. It surrounds two main concerns: Preventing countries/ nations from producing and trading nuclear missiles or technology that can pose a danger, and Reducing nuclear technology in countries that pose a threat to other countries. Also, The concern that countries that Already have technology will lose control of their technologies, among those being terrorist groups, or other countries. Based on those main concerns, the NPT can be seen through a three-pillar system: non-proliferation, disarmament of currently existing warheads, and the right to peacefully use nuclear technology. It was opened for signing in 1968 and then came into power in 1970 and expanded by May of 1995. Currently, the five nuclear-weapon states-- China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, and the United States--are apart of the NPT. Presently, a total of 186 other countries are apart of this treaty. The NPT isn’t the only effort that has been put into place to prevent Nuclear Proliferation. The Treaty complied with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) by running inspections to help the goal of peaceful nuclear technology.
Current Issues:
With the improvement of nuclear technology since 1945, along with the amount of nuclear missiles that have been created, there is no safety guaranteed. Many countries with a high population of warheads and military weapons can pose a threat not only to other nations and cities but the entire Earth. It would only take about 300 to completely wipe out life on this planet, except for a few small species. Mankind has enough to destroy it a few times over. Countries that are not apart of this treaty or have withdrawn from it, like North Korea, can put an enormous threat on all nations, especially those who have the desire to destroy certain leaders. Nations need to make sure that all nuclear weapons are disarmed and that no country can secretly develop any new weaponry.
UN involvements:
The United Nations has been discussing the issue of Nuclear threats since it became a topic. Currently, the UN has mostly been working through the NPT in order to prevent the spreading and testing of nuclear weapons. Especially with the debate between North Korea and the threat to the United States, it has become a significant and controversial topic. The UN continues to work with the IAEA to create a peaceful place for technologies to be tested upon and ensure the goal of the NPT Certain areas have been created by the UN that they call “nuclear-free zones” in the Caribbean, Latin America, Africa, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and the South Pacific, and has made numerous attempts to place them in other countries. These particular zones declare not to test, produce, or purchase any kind of nuclear weapon in order to reach the larger goal of safety between nations. Another huge piece of what the UN is trying to do is put in place the CTB (Comprehensive Test Ban), which is the effort to ban the testing of nuclear bombs. This would make a huge change in the goal but has not quite been fully put into place.
Why Is It Important we Resolve This Issues?
According to gathered information by the IFLscience program, “As per the Federation of American Scientists’ 2017 data, there are 14,900 nuclear warheads in the world. The US has 6,800-- and Russia 7,000-- making up the vast majority of the world’s city killers. The UK has 215, France 300, China 260, India 120, Pakistan 130, Israel about 80, and North Korea roughly 10.”
If only a small percentage of bombs were to be set off, there would be complete annihilation of all living life. Any life form within a short radius would die instantly, and some on the outskirts would take no longer than 30 minutes, any remnants of those that would suffer the effects of nuclear winter and extreme levels of radiation. A majority of the major bases for all living things would be devastated and only a few species would survive. (as the soil plants and trees would be impacted.) We have the responsibility to to prevent the creation, spread, and currently existing nuclear warheads to ensure the safety of not only humanity but life on earth itself. Currently, some countries are part of the NPT or comply with any of their goals. An example would be Iran; In 2015, there was an agreement put in place with Iran that limited the capabilities of their nuclear program and impose monitoring to ensure compliance. Though, this agreement terms will soon begin to diminish by 2025.
Questions to Consider:
Andrews, Robin. “What Would Happen If Every Single Nuke In The World Went Off At The Same Time?” IFLScience, IFLScience, 8 July 2019, www.iflscience.com/physics/what-would-happen-if-every-single-nuke-in-the-world-went-off-at-the-same-time/. Accessed 23 November, 2019
“Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT)”. United Nations, Office for Disarmament Affairs, https://www.un.org/disarmament/wmd/nuclear/ctbt/. Accessed 13 December, 2019.
Durkalec, Dr Jacek. “The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty at Fifty: A Midlife Crisis”. Nato Review, 29 June 2019, https://www.nato.int/docu/review/articles/2018/06/29/the-nuclear-non-proliferation-treaty-at-fifty-a-midlife-crisis/index.html. Accessed 27 December, 2019.
Keating, Katherine. “Why Nuclear Proliferation Poses an Ever-Increasing Threat.” Vice, 20 Apr. 2016, www.vice.com/en_us/article/jmaw8b/nuclear-safety-facing-the-reality-of-new-threats. Accessed 1 December, 2019.
“The Secretary-General's Five Point Proposal on Nuclear Disarmament – UNODA.” United Nations, United Nations, www.un.org/disarmament/wmd/nuclear/sg5point/.Accessed 1 December, 2019.
Norris, Robert S., and Thomas B. Cochran. “Nuclear Weapon.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 15 Oct. 2019, www.britannica.com/technology/nuclear-weapon.Accessed 28 December, 2019.
“Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) – UNODA.” United Nations, United Nations, www.un.org/disarmament/wmd/nuclear/npt/.Accessed 18 December, 2019.
Webster, Meaghan. “Prepping for Model UN? NTI's Resources Can Help.” Nuclear Threat Initiative - Ten Years of Building a Safer World, 1 Nov. 2017, www.nti.org/analysis/atomic-pulse/prepping-model-un-ntis-resources-can-help/.Accessed 1 January, 2019.
The Beginning of Nuclear Development:
Amid World War Two came many different developments in technology, including one of the most identifiable advancements; the creation of new nuclear technologies and the atomic bomb. The first atomic bomb was produced at the end of the long bitter WWII , July of 1945. It was first created by the United States program, more commonly referred to as the Manhattan Project. Three weeks post the first testings of the atomic bomb, which took place in deserted areas of New Mexico, one of the most notable bombings in history was dropped, commonly known as the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. On August 6th of 1945, a uranium-based atomic bomb was set on Hiroshima, Japan, which led to over 100,000 deaths. Following that bombing, another was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan at 3:47 AM on August ninth. This time, being plutonium-based. Until 1949, the United States became the largest holder of nuclear power and technology, before the Soviet Union began experimenting with new-found technology and the finding of the atomic bomb due to a supposed physicist who passed the secrets on from the United States. This event led to a long competition between the two which later became the arise of even stronger weapon development, such as the hydrogen-based bomb. During this process, many nuclear warheads were produced; up in the thousands, which would be more than enough to destroy the entire Earth a few times over. From this point, other countries have also created nuclear weapons: the United Kingdom in 1952, France in 1960, and China in 1964.
What is Nuclear Proliferation and Nuclear Non-Proliferation?
According to Author Andre Munro, Nuclear proliferation is, “...the spread of nuclear weapons, nuclear weapons technology, or fissile material to countries that do not already possess them.” Non-Nuclear Proliferation is ultimately the goal to diminish the spread of those technologies and the countries that already possess them. This brings us to the NPT or the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, one of the most significant arms limitation agreements. It surrounds two main concerns: Preventing countries/ nations from producing and trading nuclear missiles or technology that can pose a danger, and Reducing nuclear technology in countries that pose a threat to other countries. Also, The concern that countries that Already have technology will lose control of their technologies, among those being terrorist groups, or other countries. Based on those main concerns, the NPT can be seen through a three-pillar system: non-proliferation, disarmament of currently existing warheads, and the right to peacefully use nuclear technology. It was opened for signing in 1968 and then came into power in 1970 and expanded by May of 1995. Currently, the five nuclear-weapon states-- China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, and the United States--are apart of the NPT. Presently, a total of 186 other countries are apart of this treaty. The NPT isn’t the only effort that has been put into place to prevent Nuclear Proliferation. The Treaty complied with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) by running inspections to help the goal of peaceful nuclear technology.
Current Issues:
With the improvement of nuclear technology since 1945, along with the amount of nuclear missiles that have been created, there is no safety guaranteed. Many countries with a high population of warheads and military weapons can pose a threat not only to other nations and cities but the entire Earth. It would only take about 300 to completely wipe out life on this planet, except for a few small species. Mankind has enough to destroy it a few times over. Countries that are not apart of this treaty or have withdrawn from it, like North Korea, can put an enormous threat on all nations, especially those who have the desire to destroy certain leaders. Nations need to make sure that all nuclear weapons are disarmed and that no country can secretly develop any new weaponry.
UN involvements:
The United Nations has been discussing the issue of Nuclear threats since it became a topic. Currently, the UN has mostly been working through the NPT in order to prevent the spreading and testing of nuclear weapons. Especially with the debate between North Korea and the threat to the United States, it has become a significant and controversial topic. The UN continues to work with the IAEA to create a peaceful place for technologies to be tested upon and ensure the goal of the NPT Certain areas have been created by the UN that they call “nuclear-free zones” in the Caribbean, Latin America, Africa, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and the South Pacific, and has made numerous attempts to place them in other countries. These particular zones declare not to test, produce, or purchase any kind of nuclear weapon in order to reach the larger goal of safety between nations. Another huge piece of what the UN is trying to do is put in place the CTB (Comprehensive Test Ban), which is the effort to ban the testing of nuclear bombs. This would make a huge change in the goal but has not quite been fully put into place.
Why Is It Important we Resolve This Issues?
According to gathered information by the IFLscience program, “As per the Federation of American Scientists’ 2017 data, there are 14,900 nuclear warheads in the world. The US has 6,800-- and Russia 7,000-- making up the vast majority of the world’s city killers. The UK has 215, France 300, China 260, India 120, Pakistan 130, Israel about 80, and North Korea roughly 10.”
If only a small percentage of bombs were to be set off, there would be complete annihilation of all living life. Any life form within a short radius would die instantly, and some on the outskirts would take no longer than 30 minutes, any remnants of those that would suffer the effects of nuclear winter and extreme levels of radiation. A majority of the major bases for all living things would be devastated and only a few species would survive. (as the soil plants and trees would be impacted.) We have the responsibility to to prevent the creation, spread, and currently existing nuclear warheads to ensure the safety of not only humanity but life on earth itself. Currently, some countries are part of the NPT or comply with any of their goals. An example would be Iran; In 2015, there was an agreement put in place with Iran that limited the capabilities of their nuclear program and impose monitoring to ensure compliance. Though, this agreement terms will soon begin to diminish by 2025.
Questions to Consider:
- “Nuclear Security- How do we make sure that nuclear weapons that already exist are securely stored?”
- “Nuclear Development- Should other countries be allowed to develop nuclear weapons? Under what circumstances?”
- Which countries pose the most threat to Nuclear Proliferation?
- What can we do to eliminate existing threats?
- How can we further prevent and control the creation of nuclear weapons?
- How can we effectively use nuclear technology that does not include weapons?
- What can we do with existing nuclear weapons?
- How can we Support the NPT, IAEA and/or the CTB?
- Any nation that is not already part of the NPT should make the goal to do so.
- Every nation should put in their best efforts to help verbally support the NOT and their three goals.
- Each nation should create supportive parties to their allying countries to implement control of nuclear weapons and technology.
- “The General Assembly could also take up the recommendation of the Blix Commission for a World Summit on disarmament, non-proliferation and terrorist use of weapons of mass destruction.” (The Secretary General’s Five Point Proposal on Nuclear Disarmament.)
- More nations and parts of the UN should do everything in their power to ensure the CTB
- Each nation should comply with the IAEA to ensure the safety of developing technologies and trading technologies.
Andrews, Robin. “What Would Happen If Every Single Nuke In The World Went Off At The Same Time?” IFLScience, IFLScience, 8 July 2019, www.iflscience.com/physics/what-would-happen-if-every-single-nuke-in-the-world-went-off-at-the-same-time/. Accessed 23 November, 2019
“Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT)”. United Nations, Office for Disarmament Affairs, https://www.un.org/disarmament/wmd/nuclear/ctbt/. Accessed 13 December, 2019.
Durkalec, Dr Jacek. “The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty at Fifty: A Midlife Crisis”. Nato Review, 29 June 2019, https://www.nato.int/docu/review/articles/2018/06/29/the-nuclear-non-proliferation-treaty-at-fifty-a-midlife-crisis/index.html. Accessed 27 December, 2019.
Keating, Katherine. “Why Nuclear Proliferation Poses an Ever-Increasing Threat.” Vice, 20 Apr. 2016, www.vice.com/en_us/article/jmaw8b/nuclear-safety-facing-the-reality-of-new-threats. Accessed 1 December, 2019.
“The Secretary-General's Five Point Proposal on Nuclear Disarmament – UNODA.” United Nations, United Nations, www.un.org/disarmament/wmd/nuclear/sg5point/.Accessed 1 December, 2019.
Norris, Robert S., and Thomas B. Cochran. “Nuclear Weapon.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 15 Oct. 2019, www.britannica.com/technology/nuclear-weapon.Accessed 28 December, 2019.
“Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) – UNODA.” United Nations, United Nations, www.un.org/disarmament/wmd/nuclear/npt/.Accessed 18 December, 2019.
Webster, Meaghan. “Prepping for Model UN? NTI's Resources Can Help.” Nuclear Threat Initiative - Ten Years of Building a Safer World, 1 Nov. 2017, www.nti.org/analysis/atomic-pulse/prepping-model-un-ntis-resources-can-help/.Accessed 1 January, 2019.
PROJECT REFLECTION
International Diplomacy:
I believe that our current system for solving international issues needs to be changed. There is barely any international trust in our world that makes it difficult to hold peace and continue problem solving. I believe that a new system or changes to our current system need to be put in place in order to successfully accomplish the goal of international trust and minimum peace. Though I believe it would be more effective to do so, this is not likely to happen anytime soon. After studying global issues and the UN, I now realize the difficulty of keeping safety and respecting national sovereignty. Now I can identify global and national issues and ways that the UN can solve it. I am now confident that I can discuss realistic solutions for problems based on keeping safety rather than protecting my own values.
Growth/Knowledge:
As a chair, I gained many new skills and insights; as I was talking about earlier. In terms of habits and skills, I expanded on my ability to be a leader. One skill that I constantly bring up is my leadership skills. One problem that face and continue to face is being too controlling. During this conference, since I wasn't a delegate and did not participate in debating, I was able to use my ability to be a leader to guide my peers rather than control them. It gave me the chance to be more observant and help others rather than arguing. Through that, I focused more on the content of how a UN conference works and international problems that our world is facing today.
I always knew that the threat of nuclear weapons and technology existed, but I was not aware of the extent of the dangers it poses. Though the amount of nuclear warheads has decreased significantly in the last few decades, there are still 14,000-15,000 nuclear warheads that are active throughout different nations (Russia, China, the United States, United Kingdom, France, India, Pakistan, and North Korea.) This means we have enough to destroy the earth many times over. Especially with certain leaders abusing their power, there is no way to tell that we will stay safe. Since there is no international trust, it is hard to know whether nuclear-proliferation is not happening or not. There have been a few treaties and programs to help stop the spread of nuclear weapons and nuclear disarmament, but it is still a danger to each nation.
As shown in the previous paragraphs, I have gained many new insights on real-world issues and picked up new skills through being in a leadership position. The larger question to answer and keep in mind, though, is, will I continue to use these new found skills and knowledge? The answer to this is, yes. I have always been passionate about making a difference in my community in school and moving into adulthood. I hope to make a change somehow in my time on earth. After completing the last conference, I can go home and come up with my own solutions to small problems, problems at my school, problems in my community, and even thinking about solutions for real-world problems. In the future, with this information, I hope I can make a significant change in some group with my leadership and problem solving skills; as well as my knowledge of how a formal conference runs.
Refinement:
For my own sake, I think that if I had the ability to go back to the beginning of this semester, I would have done more background knowledge in order to be able to be a part of the unmoderated caucuses more. I did participate in them during the conference and was able to provide my peers with guidance and relevant information, but not to the best of my ability. I would have pushed myself to be more strict with rules in order to get my peers in the proper delegate attitude.
I believe that our current system for solving international issues needs to be changed. There is barely any international trust in our world that makes it difficult to hold peace and continue problem solving. I believe that a new system or changes to our current system need to be put in place in order to successfully accomplish the goal of international trust and minimum peace. Though I believe it would be more effective to do so, this is not likely to happen anytime soon. After studying global issues and the UN, I now realize the difficulty of keeping safety and respecting national sovereignty. Now I can identify global and national issues and ways that the UN can solve it. I am now confident that I can discuss realistic solutions for problems based on keeping safety rather than protecting my own values.
Growth/Knowledge:
As a chair, I gained many new skills and insights; as I was talking about earlier. In terms of habits and skills, I expanded on my ability to be a leader. One skill that I constantly bring up is my leadership skills. One problem that face and continue to face is being too controlling. During this conference, since I wasn't a delegate and did not participate in debating, I was able to use my ability to be a leader to guide my peers rather than control them. It gave me the chance to be more observant and help others rather than arguing. Through that, I focused more on the content of how a UN conference works and international problems that our world is facing today.
I always knew that the threat of nuclear weapons and technology existed, but I was not aware of the extent of the dangers it poses. Though the amount of nuclear warheads has decreased significantly in the last few decades, there are still 14,000-15,000 nuclear warheads that are active throughout different nations (Russia, China, the United States, United Kingdom, France, India, Pakistan, and North Korea.) This means we have enough to destroy the earth many times over. Especially with certain leaders abusing their power, there is no way to tell that we will stay safe. Since there is no international trust, it is hard to know whether nuclear-proliferation is not happening or not. There have been a few treaties and programs to help stop the spread of nuclear weapons and nuclear disarmament, but it is still a danger to each nation.
As shown in the previous paragraphs, I have gained many new insights on real-world issues and picked up new skills through being in a leadership position. The larger question to answer and keep in mind, though, is, will I continue to use these new found skills and knowledge? The answer to this is, yes. I have always been passionate about making a difference in my community in school and moving into adulthood. I hope to make a change somehow in my time on earth. After completing the last conference, I can go home and come up with my own solutions to small problems, problems at my school, problems in my community, and even thinking about solutions for real-world problems. In the future, with this information, I hope I can make a significant change in some group with my leadership and problem solving skills; as well as my knowledge of how a formal conference runs.
Refinement:
For my own sake, I think that if I had the ability to go back to the beginning of this semester, I would have done more background knowledge in order to be able to be a part of the unmoderated caucuses more. I did participate in them during the conference and was able to provide my peers with guidance and relevant information, but not to the best of my ability. I would have pushed myself to be more strict with rules in order to get my peers in the proper delegate attitude.
MODEL UNITED NATIONS PROJECT: PART I
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The model UN project is a project in which each student learns the significance of the UN and real-world problems that the UN has to try and solve. They begin by getting a general understanding of the United Nations. Then, followed by focusing on both the UN's successes and failures. Once they choose or receive which country they represent, they study their views and ideals in order to participate in a conference that surrounds a current issue. Each delegate comes up with a resolution for the issue and chooses one in this conference. The first issue that was discussed was the Venezuelan crisis.
ISSUE BRIEFING PAPER
Background Information:
How does one country go from having one of the most successful economic status in Latin America to extreme crisis within a span of a decade? This is the current story of the Venezuelan crisis.
In the 1970’s, Venezuela was named the richest country in Latin America. By this period, Venezuela was recorded to have the highest growth rates and the lowest number of inequality plus, had the largest oil reserves. This brought in the country's wealth. The democratic system was an example of what any democratic-based country would strive to be. As early as 1980, these statistics began to decline. With one impeachment taking place and other damaging situations, region-wide protests and rallies became a norm for the community. From there, it only continued to worsen. In 1998, president Hugo Chavez was elected. At the time, he not only won the election but a majority of the countries appraisal and respect. This is when the Bolivarian revolution first began. The main goal of his leadership/revolution was to gain respect from the lower class and working-class families in order to create equal wealth and opportunity for all individuals. His plan was to distribute Venezuela's mass amounts of money to everyone- as barrels of oil went from 7-9 Petros to 100. This was followed by his trip to Cuba, where he and others developed social programs. This included: Scholarship opportunities, healthcare, and access to food for all people. His overall mission was to allow an identity to everyone and give job opportunities.
Though he had gained the countries respect, and his missions seemed to apply to every social and economic class, the plan was truly reliant on oil profits. This just continued to deepen the dependence on oil. By 2012, 95% of the country's exports were based on oil production. This was when the Chavista Bolivarian revolution decayed; only just the beginning of the decline in this country. The breaking point was when Chavez passed away in March of 2013, handing over the presidency to his hand-picked successor, Nicolas Maduro.
From Chavez's years as leader of this country, he had failed to put away any money for the country and after his death, only handing these problems that he had created to an even worse leader. After Maduro started his presidency, in 2014, oil prices had decreased. From the dependence of oil profits and with no money that had been saved, the country began to come to a significant halt. There was no money to buy basic food imports; rice, corn, soap, and toothpaste even being barely available. In some areas, Like Toas, had even lost access to clean water and electricity. The scarcity of produce began to overwhelm the country, creating chaos and panic. By this time, protests that included violence became part of the Venezuelan community. This caused a large percentage of the population to flee the country. More than four million Venezuelans have left the country, most of them being after 2015. This has been the largest recession in the Western Hemisphere- twice the size of the great depression.
Not much has been done to bring attention to this extreme crisis. Most families that aren't apart of the political group around Maduro, do not have access to water, food, hygiene products, medical care, or medicine. This has cost Venezuela billions of dollars in dept. There have been small efforts and acts, but not nearly enough effort to solve this issue in Venezuela or any of the countries that many have fled to.
Why it is important that we resolve the issue?
It is extremely important to solve this issue because it has put a dent in certain countries that have been taking in refugees and it is morally and ethically wrong to not help people in a situation as bad as the Venezuelen community. We cannot continue to ignore the millions of people who are in extreme poverty with barely any choice or say in their society. Many people in first world countries have access to items that they don't even need. Some families have to go as far to sell their furniture and windows just to feed their family. We have advanced technology and an advanced society, so why can we not solve this issue? It is extremely important to help so that no other country has to be dented.
Questions to consider:
Possible solutions
Though there are no perfect solutions to situations on a large scale like this, there are smaller steps we can take in order to get to the larger picture. We would have to start with the country itself. The root of the problem is the poor leadership and his neglect of the country. We need to make everyone across the globe aware of this crisis and create larger fundraisers in certain regions. Countries should help supply produce, seed, and medical products to the country as well as money. From that given information:
UN Involvements
Certain parts of the UN are more involved in this crisis than others, but there is still struggles with building a consensus. The large solution that was formed by the UN was the goal to raise around 738 million dollars, yet only 24% of that has been raised. Part of the UN’s goals is to prevent in-humane or immoral actions throughout the human race. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees is the part of the UN that takes action upon crisis. They have done numerous things to take action on this crisis. They have done such things like releasing up to 9 million dollars from the emergency response fund, creating and signing the Cartagena Declaration (which protects fleeing and fled individuals, raising amount of staff in Venezuela, creating funding groups, and advertising to get the word out across our world. Even after all these goals and efforts, not much has been done to completely stop the chaos. Only a few decisions have been made and consensus formed. Today, the UN continues to try and resolve some of these issues, but more attention needs to be put on to these people.
Work Cited
Amer, Quarterly. “Venezuela Before Chávez: Anatomy of an Economic Collapse by Ricardo Hausmann and Francisco R. Rodríguez.” Americas Quarterly, 1 Jan. 1970, www.americasquarterly.org/content/venezuela-ch%C3%A1vez-anatomy-economic-collapse-ricardo-hausmann-and-francisco-r-rodr%C3%ADguez. Accessed 1 November, 2019
BBC “Venezuela Crisis: How the Political Situation Escalated”, , 8 August 2019, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-36319877. Accessed 31 October, 2019
Martin, Eric and Laya, Patricia | Bloomberg. “Analysis | What Broke Venezuela's Economy and What Could Fix It.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 11 Mar. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/business/what-broke-venezuelas-economy-and-what-could-fix-it/2019/03/09/4413965c-425b-11e9-85ad-779ef05fd9d8_story.html. Accessed 1 November, 2019
News, Guardian. “Why Is Venezuela in Crisis?” YouTube, YouTube, 1 Feb. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E4P0W7RDkw. Accessed 2 November, 2019
Rogers, Katie. “'You Shouldn't Be Here': U.S. Pushes U.N. to Pull Venezuela Envoy's Credentials.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 10 Apr. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/04/10/world/americas/pence-venezuela-un-envoy.html. Accessed 31 October, 2019.
Time, Time, “Venezuela: Latin American Country Faces Economic Free Fall.”
time.com/venezuela-brink/. Accessed 1 November, 2019
How does one country go from having one of the most successful economic status in Latin America to extreme crisis within a span of a decade? This is the current story of the Venezuelan crisis.
In the 1970’s, Venezuela was named the richest country in Latin America. By this period, Venezuela was recorded to have the highest growth rates and the lowest number of inequality plus, had the largest oil reserves. This brought in the country's wealth. The democratic system was an example of what any democratic-based country would strive to be. As early as 1980, these statistics began to decline. With one impeachment taking place and other damaging situations, region-wide protests and rallies became a norm for the community. From there, it only continued to worsen. In 1998, president Hugo Chavez was elected. At the time, he not only won the election but a majority of the countries appraisal and respect. This is when the Bolivarian revolution first began. The main goal of his leadership/revolution was to gain respect from the lower class and working-class families in order to create equal wealth and opportunity for all individuals. His plan was to distribute Venezuela's mass amounts of money to everyone- as barrels of oil went from 7-9 Petros to 100. This was followed by his trip to Cuba, where he and others developed social programs. This included: Scholarship opportunities, healthcare, and access to food for all people. His overall mission was to allow an identity to everyone and give job opportunities.
Though he had gained the countries respect, and his missions seemed to apply to every social and economic class, the plan was truly reliant on oil profits. This just continued to deepen the dependence on oil. By 2012, 95% of the country's exports were based on oil production. This was when the Chavista Bolivarian revolution decayed; only just the beginning of the decline in this country. The breaking point was when Chavez passed away in March of 2013, handing over the presidency to his hand-picked successor, Nicolas Maduro.
From Chavez's years as leader of this country, he had failed to put away any money for the country and after his death, only handing these problems that he had created to an even worse leader. After Maduro started his presidency, in 2014, oil prices had decreased. From the dependence of oil profits and with no money that had been saved, the country began to come to a significant halt. There was no money to buy basic food imports; rice, corn, soap, and toothpaste even being barely available. In some areas, Like Toas, had even lost access to clean water and electricity. The scarcity of produce began to overwhelm the country, creating chaos and panic. By this time, protests that included violence became part of the Venezuelan community. This caused a large percentage of the population to flee the country. More than four million Venezuelans have left the country, most of them being after 2015. This has been the largest recession in the Western Hemisphere- twice the size of the great depression.
Not much has been done to bring attention to this extreme crisis. Most families that aren't apart of the political group around Maduro, do not have access to water, food, hygiene products, medical care, or medicine. This has cost Venezuela billions of dollars in dept. There have been small efforts and acts, but not nearly enough effort to solve this issue in Venezuela or any of the countries that many have fled to.
Why it is important that we resolve the issue?
It is extremely important to solve this issue because it has put a dent in certain countries that have been taking in refugees and it is morally and ethically wrong to not help people in a situation as bad as the Venezuelen community. We cannot continue to ignore the millions of people who are in extreme poverty with barely any choice or say in their society. Many people in first world countries have access to items that they don't even need. Some families have to go as far to sell their furniture and windows just to feed their family. We have advanced technology and an advanced society, so why can we not solve this issue? It is extremely important to help so that no other country has to be dented.
Questions to consider:
- How can we get each country, or at least a majority of countries in the UN, to give money or items in order to help the families involved and each country that has been affected?
- How Can/Can we get citizens of countries to contribute or be more involved?
- What can we do on a global scale to help countries in crisis or in poverty?
- Some say that we should involve military personnel, is this necessary?
- What are the best ways we can provide the people in crisis with proper care and resources?
- How can we halt the lack of food and products in Venezuela, itself?
Possible solutions
Though there are no perfect solutions to situations on a large scale like this, there are smaller steps we can take in order to get to the larger picture. We would have to start with the country itself. The root of the problem is the poor leadership and his neglect of the country. We need to make everyone across the globe aware of this crisis and create larger fundraisers in certain regions. Countries should help supply produce, seed, and medical products to the country as well as money. From that given information:
- Go to countries where people have fled and supply resources for physical and mental wellness.
- Consider impeachment of current president for negligence.
- Put in UN monitoring at office locations that prevents poor government decisions.
- Implement peacekeeping in the countries who have been affected by this crisis.
UN Involvements
Certain parts of the UN are more involved in this crisis than others, but there is still struggles with building a consensus. The large solution that was formed by the UN was the goal to raise around 738 million dollars, yet only 24% of that has been raised. Part of the UN’s goals is to prevent in-humane or immoral actions throughout the human race. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees is the part of the UN that takes action upon crisis. They have done numerous things to take action on this crisis. They have done such things like releasing up to 9 million dollars from the emergency response fund, creating and signing the Cartagena Declaration (which protects fleeing and fled individuals, raising amount of staff in Venezuela, creating funding groups, and advertising to get the word out across our world. Even after all these goals and efforts, not much has been done to completely stop the chaos. Only a few decisions have been made and consensus formed. Today, the UN continues to try and resolve some of these issues, but more attention needs to be put on to these people.
Work Cited
Amer, Quarterly. “Venezuela Before Chávez: Anatomy of an Economic Collapse by Ricardo Hausmann and Francisco R. Rodríguez.” Americas Quarterly, 1 Jan. 1970, www.americasquarterly.org/content/venezuela-ch%C3%A1vez-anatomy-economic-collapse-ricardo-hausmann-and-francisco-r-rodr%C3%ADguez. Accessed 1 November, 2019
BBC “Venezuela Crisis: How the Political Situation Escalated”, , 8 August 2019, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-36319877. Accessed 31 October, 2019
Martin, Eric and Laya, Patricia | Bloomberg. “Analysis | What Broke Venezuela's Economy and What Could Fix It.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 11 Mar. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/business/what-broke-venezuelas-economy-and-what-could-fix-it/2019/03/09/4413965c-425b-11e9-85ad-779ef05fd9d8_story.html. Accessed 1 November, 2019
News, Guardian. “Why Is Venezuela in Crisis?” YouTube, YouTube, 1 Feb. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E4P0W7RDkw. Accessed 2 November, 2019
Rogers, Katie. “'You Shouldn't Be Here': U.S. Pushes U.N. to Pull Venezuela Envoy's Credentials.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 10 Apr. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/04/10/world/americas/pence-venezuela-un-envoy.html. Accessed 31 October, 2019.
Time, Time, “Venezuela: Latin American Country Faces Economic Free Fall.”
time.com/venezuela-brink/. Accessed 1 November, 2019
PROJECT REFLECTION
Highlights: What is the best or most interesting part of this project so far? Why is this particular thing so engaging/interesting for you?
The most interesting part of this project thus far is the fact that we are dealing with real-world problems that are extremely crucial. Personally, I am very passionate about current issues in our global system. In this project, I have been able to express that passion by learning more about relevant issues and learning how to solve them.
Growth: How have you grown over the course of this project (think about habits, skills, knowledge, etc.)?
Prior to this first segment to this project, I was a very vocal person. Perhaps, too vocal. I had a tendency to take over in arguments and discussions surrounding issues such as these. I decided that I needed to focus on my leadership skills rather than forming opinions. I came to the conclusion that I should be a chair rather than a delegate. This is because I would still be able to be independent and use my leadership skills that I have already formed, but taking it to another level that allows other peers to voice what they have to say. Along with developing new skills, I have also often noticed my perspective changing. After the first piece of the project, I feel I have been able to appreciate my life as an American Citizen, (who also happens to be white.) Hearing about millions of people who don’t even have access to basic human necessities is sickening and allows me to see how I can make a change.
Conference Preparation: How prepared did you feel for your our first conference, and how did that preparation translate into participation?
For our first conference, I felt that I was as prepared as I could be. As a chair, I felt that it was much more difficult dealing with delegates who are unprepared than the script. I came in with everything I was asked for as well as hours of practice with myself, family members, and friends. I dressed appropriately for what I thought represented my part as a chair. This amount of preparation also rooted from the research that I had from the issue brief that I had written to help others prepare.
Refinement: What do you plan to do differently in our second MUN conference in January? Why do you think this will improve your experience and the conference as a whole?
Though I was prepared, myself, I felt that some of my peers were not completely prepared or didn't understand parts of the script which made it more difficult for me to follow my own procedure. In order to make this better, I feel that as a chair, I should take it upon myself to help my peers by possibly making a few more disclaimers or restating some rules before we begin our next conference. I could even add an excerpt in my issue briefing paper to make sure that all of my friends know exactly what to do. I can also improve my confidence skills so that I can improve my leadership role.
The most interesting part of this project thus far is the fact that we are dealing with real-world problems that are extremely crucial. Personally, I am very passionate about current issues in our global system. In this project, I have been able to express that passion by learning more about relevant issues and learning how to solve them.
Growth: How have you grown over the course of this project (think about habits, skills, knowledge, etc.)?
Prior to this first segment to this project, I was a very vocal person. Perhaps, too vocal. I had a tendency to take over in arguments and discussions surrounding issues such as these. I decided that I needed to focus on my leadership skills rather than forming opinions. I came to the conclusion that I should be a chair rather than a delegate. This is because I would still be able to be independent and use my leadership skills that I have already formed, but taking it to another level that allows other peers to voice what they have to say. Along with developing new skills, I have also often noticed my perspective changing. After the first piece of the project, I feel I have been able to appreciate my life as an American Citizen, (who also happens to be white.) Hearing about millions of people who don’t even have access to basic human necessities is sickening and allows me to see how I can make a change.
Conference Preparation: How prepared did you feel for your our first conference, and how did that preparation translate into participation?
For our first conference, I felt that I was as prepared as I could be. As a chair, I felt that it was much more difficult dealing with delegates who are unprepared than the script. I came in with everything I was asked for as well as hours of practice with myself, family members, and friends. I dressed appropriately for what I thought represented my part as a chair. This amount of preparation also rooted from the research that I had from the issue brief that I had written to help others prepare.
Refinement: What do you plan to do differently in our second MUN conference in January? Why do you think this will improve your experience and the conference as a whole?
Though I was prepared, myself, I felt that some of my peers were not completely prepared or didn't understand parts of the script which made it more difficult for me to follow my own procedure. In order to make this better, I feel that as a chair, I should take it upon myself to help my peers by possibly making a few more disclaimers or restating some rules before we begin our next conference. I could even add an excerpt in my issue briefing paper to make sure that all of my friends know exactly what to do. I can also improve my confidence skills so that I can improve my leadership role.
ADOLESCENCE PROJECT
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The Adolescence project was a project that required each student to dig into their own personal lives and talk about what it means to be an adolescent. Through this project, we studied multiple theories and studies based around adolescence to answer the essential questions. We followed this with making our own info graphics and personalized interviews with influential people in our lives and then connecting that to our research and perspectives in an essay.
PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAIT
INTERVIEW ESSAY
The Adolescent Period: Development of Self
The adolescent period is an extremely crucial time in our lives; it is often misinterpreted and/or underestimated. It is the period in which we develop our physical and mental bodies. When we develop, we form our identities and personalities as well. That's what makes it incredibly important. The problem is that there seems to be a lack of focus on this age group in our society. It should be approached differently and observed to help us grow and learn. If we aren't taught and focused on properly, how are we supposed to become successful adults? Every aspect from our childhood to our early 20’s impacts us in some way. So, I believe that when we have certain experiences or even certain traumas, it translates into our adulthood and into who we are in the long run. I believe that adolescence is the period that affects who we are as adults the most. During my time in adolescence, so far, I have met a lot of influential people. One of those people is Jessica McCallum. Jessica is a teacher at Animas High School who is currently 46 years old. Not only is she a beautiful human being and full of love for all, she also is extremely powerful in our school community. I met Jessica my freshman year of high school because she became one of my teachers, but throughout the last year, she became a close friend and family figure. She is one of the most insightful and knowledgeable humans and devotes her time to both her students and family.
Each negative experience can either teach us a lesson or make us gain negative habits and emotions. Throughout adolescence, we experience many negative situations and receive bad stereotypes. During my interview, Jessica brought up a few hardships during her childhood and teenage years and how that affected her as an adult. When she was growing up, she experienced many tragic, traumatic events. Among those included: the death of her brother, the divorce of her parents and the economic/social class that she was born and raised in. Even though she talked a lot about how that changed her for good, she mentioned the difficulties it brought her and how it interrupted important parts of her life. She mentioned that throughout her teenage years, during the time of her parents divorce and her brothers death, she isolated herself and that prohibited her from pursuing certain goals, “At the time, I would have told you that I was totally ok and would have told people to go away and let me do whatever I want, but I know that it was because of my parents and brother that made me isolated. Maybe I was just sad and no one told me or taught me that.” We talked about how that became part of her identity and how that kept her from completing some of her initial goals in life. Today, Jessica still reflects on the hardships during her adolescence. Everyday, it ties into her thought process and how she treats other individuals. That is why I believe our society needs to focus on this period in life; to help us develop significant emotional coping skills. Because, we are put into categories and stripped away of our creativity, but not taught how to handle simple conflicts.
Throughout this period, even though we experience this negativity, there is also a lot of growth that comes with it. Even though she had experienced many negative situations in her life, she used that to learn and grow throughout her life. To this day, she continues to learn new things about herself and her personality. Everyday forms a new part of who she is and how she continues to develop. I often wonder how our social/economic classes affect us as people. I have noticed that, often, lower class to working-class people are raised and form higher levels of stress, but learn important real-life skills earlier on. Jessica is one of those people who was able to bloom into something new when she learned those skills. She considered herself, “working class,” and often talked about how that taught her how to be successful. Whenever she went through hard times, she had the proper mindset in order to learn from it and make it a part of who she is. Every step of her life influenced her to become who she is, “I knew that when I went through everything, I wanted to become someone to influence others. I originally wanted to become a journalist, but I realized how important it was to tell adolescents my stories and help them from themselves as well.” This is why she became a teacher; she knew that, from adolescence and lesson she had learned during that period, she needed to share her passion, love and knowledge that she had taken from her teenage years with other people. The parts that she had taken from herself as a kid/teenager made her blossom into the admirable flower that she is.
After having many discussions with different adults and peers, including Jessica, I hope that I can apply the information that I have learned from them in order to positively impact generations to come. I know more about the importance of our age. From Jessica, I saw how much significance her younger years had on her current life and how that also applies to other individuals. After knowing more about how people form, mostly, from the adolescent period, I want to help change current systems. Currently, we live in a society where we are placed in a prison-like environment that developed from the industrial era and are exposed to higher levels of stress and depression. It is so ingrained into our livelihoods to judge others and be selfish instead of using acceptance and help one another to better our environment. It all starts in the adolescent period, so why do we continue to put them in an inefficient trap? We should change for the better.
Citations:
Interview: Jessica McCallum:
“At the time, I would have told you that I was totally ok and would have told people to go away and let me do whatever I want, but I know that it was because of my parents and brother that made me isolated. Maybe I was just sad and no one told me or taught me that.”
“I knew that when I went through everything, I wanted to become someone to influence others. I originally wanted to become a journalist, but I realized how important it was to tell adolescents my stories and help them from themselves as well.”
The adolescent period is an extremely crucial time in our lives; it is often misinterpreted and/or underestimated. It is the period in which we develop our physical and mental bodies. When we develop, we form our identities and personalities as well. That's what makes it incredibly important. The problem is that there seems to be a lack of focus on this age group in our society. It should be approached differently and observed to help us grow and learn. If we aren't taught and focused on properly, how are we supposed to become successful adults? Every aspect from our childhood to our early 20’s impacts us in some way. So, I believe that when we have certain experiences or even certain traumas, it translates into our adulthood and into who we are in the long run. I believe that adolescence is the period that affects who we are as adults the most. During my time in adolescence, so far, I have met a lot of influential people. One of those people is Jessica McCallum. Jessica is a teacher at Animas High School who is currently 46 years old. Not only is she a beautiful human being and full of love for all, she also is extremely powerful in our school community. I met Jessica my freshman year of high school because she became one of my teachers, but throughout the last year, she became a close friend and family figure. She is one of the most insightful and knowledgeable humans and devotes her time to both her students and family.
Each negative experience can either teach us a lesson or make us gain negative habits and emotions. Throughout adolescence, we experience many negative situations and receive bad stereotypes. During my interview, Jessica brought up a few hardships during her childhood and teenage years and how that affected her as an adult. When she was growing up, she experienced many tragic, traumatic events. Among those included: the death of her brother, the divorce of her parents and the economic/social class that she was born and raised in. Even though she talked a lot about how that changed her for good, she mentioned the difficulties it brought her and how it interrupted important parts of her life. She mentioned that throughout her teenage years, during the time of her parents divorce and her brothers death, she isolated herself and that prohibited her from pursuing certain goals, “At the time, I would have told you that I was totally ok and would have told people to go away and let me do whatever I want, but I know that it was because of my parents and brother that made me isolated. Maybe I was just sad and no one told me or taught me that.” We talked about how that became part of her identity and how that kept her from completing some of her initial goals in life. Today, Jessica still reflects on the hardships during her adolescence. Everyday, it ties into her thought process and how she treats other individuals. That is why I believe our society needs to focus on this period in life; to help us develop significant emotional coping skills. Because, we are put into categories and stripped away of our creativity, but not taught how to handle simple conflicts.
Throughout this period, even though we experience this negativity, there is also a lot of growth that comes with it. Even though she had experienced many negative situations in her life, she used that to learn and grow throughout her life. To this day, she continues to learn new things about herself and her personality. Everyday forms a new part of who she is and how she continues to develop. I often wonder how our social/economic classes affect us as people. I have noticed that, often, lower class to working-class people are raised and form higher levels of stress, but learn important real-life skills earlier on. Jessica is one of those people who was able to bloom into something new when she learned those skills. She considered herself, “working class,” and often talked about how that taught her how to be successful. Whenever she went through hard times, she had the proper mindset in order to learn from it and make it a part of who she is. Every step of her life influenced her to become who she is, “I knew that when I went through everything, I wanted to become someone to influence others. I originally wanted to become a journalist, but I realized how important it was to tell adolescents my stories and help them from themselves as well.” This is why she became a teacher; she knew that, from adolescence and lesson she had learned during that period, she needed to share her passion, love and knowledge that she had taken from her teenage years with other people. The parts that she had taken from herself as a kid/teenager made her blossom into the admirable flower that she is.
After having many discussions with different adults and peers, including Jessica, I hope that I can apply the information that I have learned from them in order to positively impact generations to come. I know more about the importance of our age. From Jessica, I saw how much significance her younger years had on her current life and how that also applies to other individuals. After knowing more about how people form, mostly, from the adolescent period, I want to help change current systems. Currently, we live in a society where we are placed in a prison-like environment that developed from the industrial era and are exposed to higher levels of stress and depression. It is so ingrained into our livelihoods to judge others and be selfish instead of using acceptance and help one another to better our environment. It all starts in the adolescent period, so why do we continue to put them in an inefficient trap? We should change for the better.
Citations:
Interview: Jessica McCallum:
“At the time, I would have told you that I was totally ok and would have told people to go away and let me do whatever I want, but I know that it was because of my parents and brother that made me isolated. Maybe I was just sad and no one told me or taught me that.”
“I knew that when I went through everything, I wanted to become someone to influence others. I originally wanted to become a journalist, but I realized how important it was to tell adolescents my stories and help them from themselves as well.”
PROJECT REFLECTION
When I think, in depth, about this project, I am most proud of my final interview essay. Not only was I proud of the final result, but also the growth I had between the “sh***y first draft” to the final product. When I initially started writing, I had a hard time connecting the three most important things in this project: Personal experience, my interviewee and what we were studying in class. We were asked to focus on one major point of adolescence; mine being how this period affects us in adulthood. In my rough draft, I had too much content about my thesis rather than using my interview. After reading through my rough draft and getting critique from both my peers and teachers, I was able to make the proper corrections and connections in order to deliver my point and connect it back to my personal life and interview. After making the following refinements, I felt pride in my writing and how I grew through the entire experience of the process.
Along with my success, I feel that I ran into many difficulties as well. As I had mentioned, I had all the right ideas, but had a difficult time connecting each one together in a way that properly delivered the information in an organized fashion. Though, I was able to fix this in the long run, I believe that if I would have approached the process differently, I could have been more successful in the moment. I would have, first, planned my interview differently so that I got the right amount of information and in a better amount of time. Then, I would have made a better structure for my essay and read over the guidelines first. After doing those, I would have built my essay around what was most important.
Like my point in the essay I wrote about, the most important part of this project for me was learning the significance of this period on who I become in the future. Coming out of this project, I hope to achieve my goal of living a healthier, more stable life during these years so that I can become a successful adult by growing from my mistakes. After learning about this stage I am in, I will take into account how each of my behaviors and actions will affect me when I am older. As I grow and learn, I hope to realize the importance of every single mistake and achievement during the remaining years of my adolescence.
For this semester so far, based on this project and my effort/growth, I believe that I deserve a 10 for this unit. During this period, I felt that I came to class prepared and ready by immediately understanding what was needed to get done. As I talked about earlier, I believe my essay is a perfect representation of what I learned and how I was able to properly able to apply everything I had learned. Another thing to observe is my performance in our Socratic seminars. No matter what I dealt with this unit, I completed all the work I could and put in full effort. When we did Socratic seminars, I felt it represented my knowledge that I had obtained during our note taking/lectures, posters, and different studies/theories. I used relevant evidence and successfully analyzed it verbally to show my perspective and experience on adolescence. Through that effort and refinement, I was able to grow and gain new insight. That is why I believe I deserve a 10, overall, for this project.
Along with my success, I feel that I ran into many difficulties as well. As I had mentioned, I had all the right ideas, but had a difficult time connecting each one together in a way that properly delivered the information in an organized fashion. Though, I was able to fix this in the long run, I believe that if I would have approached the process differently, I could have been more successful in the moment. I would have, first, planned my interview differently so that I got the right amount of information and in a better amount of time. Then, I would have made a better structure for my essay and read over the guidelines first. After doing those, I would have built my essay around what was most important.
Like my point in the essay I wrote about, the most important part of this project for me was learning the significance of this period on who I become in the future. Coming out of this project, I hope to achieve my goal of living a healthier, more stable life during these years so that I can become a successful adult by growing from my mistakes. After learning about this stage I am in, I will take into account how each of my behaviors and actions will affect me when I am older. As I grow and learn, I hope to realize the importance of every single mistake and achievement during the remaining years of my adolescence.
For this semester so far, based on this project and my effort/growth, I believe that I deserve a 10 for this unit. During this period, I felt that I came to class prepared and ready by immediately understanding what was needed to get done. As I talked about earlier, I believe my essay is a perfect representation of what I learned and how I was able to properly able to apply everything I had learned. Another thing to observe is my performance in our Socratic seminars. No matter what I dealt with this unit, I completed all the work I could and put in full effort. When we did Socratic seminars, I felt it represented my knowledge that I had obtained during our note taking/lectures, posters, and different studies/theories. I used relevant evidence and successfully analyzed it verbally to show my perspective and experience on adolescence. Through that effort and refinement, I was able to grow and gain new insight. That is why I believe I deserve a 10, overall, for this project.