SS2 Announcements: Post-Summit Paper, Voting for your ASEAN Leaders, Reading Assignments

Hey guys! I hope you’ve had a good YMSAT week so far. I think we’ve all been very busy. As you’re having your competitions and manning your exhibits, I’ve been working hard on our final PowerPoint and polishing our Model ASEAN activity for February. And I’m still not done! For those of you with advance intel from the upper years, it won’t help really since this year’s activity is very, very different. Anyway, some reminders and announcements!

#1

The post-summit paper is by individual and due on January 31. I start receiving tomorrow, January 26, for extra credit. The guidelines were given to the class president. If you missed your copy, message me your e-mail and I can send it to you.

#2

In our first meeting back on January 31 or February 1, each class will elect their SECRETARY-GENERAL and DEPUTY SEC-GEN. (You will also be voting for an ASEAN Chairman, but this will come later.) Yes, these are the two ‘hidden’ roles and I’ve decided to announce it early so you can start thinking of the right person/s to nominate. Both positions are prestigious and extremely important to the ASEAN summit, but they have very different tasks and responsibilities. Here are their job descriptions:

SECRETARY-GENERAL

The Secretary-General will be the chief facilitator of the ASEAN summit and must ensure that everything is done in accordance to the ASEAN Charter. He/she will participate in other meetings alongside the ASEAN summit, such as those held by the various caucuses. He/she has the authority to review the agenda recommended by the ASEAN Chairman and to follow through on it during the summit as he/she sees fit. When conflicts arise, he/she is the chief peace maker. During the opening session (the first day), he/she will deliver the keynote address which sets the tone for the next days. During the General Assembly (the last day), the Sec-Gen will preside over the voting of the various resolutions. In terms of qualities, the Sec-Gen must be charismatic, persuasive, fair, and broad-minded. He/she must be incredibly aware and intelligent, and can keep the group on track to achieve their ultimate goals. He/she is also a master of Track I diplomacy.

DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL

The Deputy Sec-Gen is the chief enforcer of the Secretary-General. While the Sec-Gen is focused on the big picture, the Deputy Sec-Gen is focused on the details. He/she will be a master of the summit’s procedures, keep a log of the attendance and key motions, maintain order, and record all draft resolutions. Furthermore, the Deputy Sec-Gen must be ready to take over the duties of the Sec-Gen in the event that he/she will be unable to. In terms of qualities, the Sec-Gen must be firm, meticulous, detail-oriented, and has a command of the class. He/she must also be very aware, sharp, and can keep everyone in line. The only person the Deputy Sec-Gen answers to is the Secretary-General. He/she is also a master of Track II diplomacy.

And since I mentioned it –

ASEAN CHAIRMAN

The ASEAN Chairman will be elected only from the ten ASEAN members states which in turn will be determined through a random draw (on our first day back!). The primary function of the chairman is to set the agenda or priorities of the group, and be the voice of the other ASEAN countries in the event a single statement has to be issued from the ASEAN states. The ASEAN Chairman also hosts the summit; he/she will deliver the welcoming remarks in the opening session followed by the keynote address of the Secretary-General.

THEREFORE, I’d like you guys to start thinking of who your nominees are. We will have elections in the last few minutes of our first meeting back. In terms of requirements, the Secretary-General and Deputy Secretary-General will be graded according to their performance (just like everyone else) and a pre-summit paper on the ASEAN, its history, issues and challenges, which they’ll work on together.

#3

For everyone and those who want to get a head start, here are the final readings for the 4th quarter. Expect three to four more quizzes before the year is over. These are all essential to prepare you for the Model ASEAN, particularly the readings for week three.

Week 1 (January 31 to February 4)

Chapter 15: Sec 1 (for refresher), Sec 2 (for pre-lecture)

Week 2 (February 14 to 18)

Chapter 26: Sec 1 and 2 only

Chapter 34: Sec 1 to 4 (whole chapter)

Week 3 (February 21 to 24) – Note: February 25, a Friday, is a holiday

There will be a pre-ASEAN summit long test (objective + essay) on the following:

• Map of Southeast Asia (including sub-regions, cities, capitals)
• The ASEAN Charter
• Special Readings from A Modern History of Southeast Asia

The special readings will be available starting Week 1.

Also expect to read up on your drawn country/organization. Details of this will be revealed on the first day we get back.

So apparently, a BILLION things are happening in SS2 after YMSAT week. We’re going out with a bang! See you all then!

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