Adding Fuel to the Fire: Sparking Student Engagement and Global Awareness by Simulating Energy Resource Negotiations

Abstract

In recent years, the discovery of vast undersea reserves of natural gas has sparked tension in the Eastern Mediterranean region, between parties embroiled in longstanding conflicts over identity and territory ââ¬â e.g. Cyprus, Greece, and Turkey, Israel and Lebanon. Meanwhile, at Mason, five course sections of undergraduate students have attempted to internalize, articulate, and reconcile the competing claims to drilling rights that are setting that volatile region on a collision course. The framework is Adding Fuel to the Fire: Energy Resources and International Negotiation, a role-play simulation designed by S-CARââ¬â¢s Undergraduate Experiential Learning Project (UELP). In the simulation, students enact a hypothetical United Nations summit, in which 10 conflict parties attempt to resolve their resource disputes according to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Designed for S-CARââ¬â¢s ââ¬ÅGlobal Conflict Analysis and Resolution" course (CONF 340), this simulation uses a contemporary real-world scenario to enhance understanding of the complex dynamics of conflict and negotiation at interstate, regional and international levels, and the roles of identity, interests, and international law as potential drivers of escalation or resolution. After highly successful simulations at Mason, UELP staff will be bringing the activity to the actual region of conflict this summer, leading simulations on campuses in Malta and Turkey. Presenters will provide a brief demonstration of pedagogical highlights of the simulation, and present comparative evaluation findings from students at Mason and abroad.